kasandraro's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
After reading this book it has become my top five favorite books. Story telling at its best. The book just pulls you in with it’s relatable characters and beautifully descriptive settings.
readhikerepeat's review against another edition
4.0
Like most good literary fiction, this one starts out slow as it acquaints the reader with the main characters. Fluctuating between generations, Riley does a great job of keeping the reader in the loop and clearly distinguishing between families and lineages (many authors take this for granted and it can detract from the value of the story). The first half of the book develops pretty steadily but loses steam in the second half when it switches its focus to a new character.
For the full review, visit The Book Wheel.
For the full review, visit The Book Wheel.
luvbrxtt's review against another edition
3.0
I honestly don’t really know what to think about this book? The beginning was really bad, and the only reason I continued was because its a Lucinda Riley.. Eventually it became better and better, and the ending was still really good, and also a bit shocking. I won’t recommend it, but the idea was there
ailurophile_bibliophile89's review against another edition
1.0
Firstly, I bought this book in the bargain section of the local bookstore a couple months ago. It was cheap and the back cover's description was quite intriguing. I was hoping it would provide a fantastic tale of secrets kept for generations only to be revealed by the discovery of a long forgotten will or at the deathbed of the family matriarch. Instead, I got nearly 500 pages of horrible, predictable cliches weaving in and out of a plot that is so disgustingly sugar sweet, I'm surprised I was able to finish it.
The plot starts with an old fairy tale from the East and then goes straight to the main protagonist, Julia. She had recently lost her husband and child in a horrifying accident and had fled to the comforts of home to cope with the loss. Upon meeting the heir and owner of the once stately Wharton Park, Julia begins to heal. Kit, the owner of her childhood home, discovers a diary in the cottage that once belonged to her grandparents', the estates' gardeners. Traveling to her grandmother Elsie, who reveals the story of Harry and Olivia, two aristocrats doing their duty in an ever changing world.
And so follows a plot of grief, loss, change, discovery, and love triangles, all sickeningly woven into a tale with a perfect happy ending.
What bothered me the most, at first, was the return of Julia's supposedly dead husband, Xavier. Once she's found the courage to face her inner demons and return to their home to settle her affairs, she settles into her last night of the home she had made. She had faced her past and all was right with the world. Then...BAM! In the doorway of her bedroom is Xavier, the husband she had lost. And once again she's set on a crash course of raw emotion. Between her new found love for Kit, and her very living husband, Julia decides to stay and make it work. Until she discovers Xavier is the reason her baby boy is dead.
And then you learn that her sister, Alicia, is adopted and her entire reaction upon learning...oh! It made me want to scream with frustration. As an adoptee myself, Riley's interpretation of being adopted offended me so much I had to stop reading for a couple days. If Alicia was adopted, then she was legally their daughter. Unless they did it through a back alley agency, Alicia had every right to inherit the estate as much as Julia.
The book ends with Julia's true grandmother calling Kit and telling him to profess his love for Julia, lest her lose her forever. Xavier is the true villain for doing all he did for his own selfish needs and Lidia rescues the estate from impending doom and bequeaths her entire fortune on Julia, who is in the midst of a multi-million dollar divorce with her errant husband.
The characters are too perfect, the plot so full of inconsistencies and cliches, its a wonder I could finish it. It's predictable up until the moment Xavier returns and after that it digs itself into a hole so deep, I would be well satisfied if it never dug itself out. This entire book was a waste of time and money, even if I did pay only $9.00 for it.
The plot starts with an old fairy tale from the East and then goes straight to the main protagonist, Julia. She had recently lost her husband and child in a horrifying accident and had fled to the comforts of home to cope with the loss. Upon meeting the heir and owner of the once stately Wharton Park, Julia begins to heal. Kit, the owner of her childhood home, discovers a diary in the cottage that once belonged to her grandparents', the estates' gardeners. Traveling to her grandmother Elsie, who reveals the story of Harry and Olivia, two aristocrats doing their duty in an ever changing world.
And so follows a plot of grief, loss, change, discovery, and love triangles, all sickeningly woven into a tale with a perfect happy ending.
What bothered me the most, at first, was the return of Julia's supposedly dead husband, Xavier. Once she's found the courage to face her inner demons and return to their home to settle her affairs, she settles into her last night of the home she had made. She had faced her past and all was right with the world. Then...BAM! In the doorway of her bedroom is Xavier, the husband she had lost. And once again she's set on a crash course of raw emotion. Between her new found love for Kit, and her very living husband, Julia decides to stay and make it work. Until she discovers Xavier is the reason her baby boy is dead.
And then you learn that her sister, Alicia, is adopted and her entire reaction upon learning...oh! It made me want to scream with frustration. As an adoptee myself, Riley's interpretation of being adopted offended me so much I had to stop reading for a couple days. If Alicia was adopted, then she was legally their daughter. Unless they did it through a back alley agency, Alicia had every right to inherit the estate as much as Julia.
The book ends with Julia's true grandmother calling Kit and telling him to profess his love for Julia, lest her lose her forever. Xavier is the true villain for doing all he did for his own selfish needs and Lidia rescues the estate from impending doom and bequeaths her entire fortune on Julia, who is in the midst of a multi-million dollar divorce with her errant husband.
The characters are too perfect, the plot so full of inconsistencies and cliches, its a wonder I could finish it. It's predictable up until the moment Xavier returns and after that it digs itself into a hole so deep, I would be well satisfied if it never dug itself out. This entire book was a waste of time and money, even if I did pay only $9.00 for it.
lananasplit's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
rhonaea's review against another edition
4.0
It’s Lucinda Riley you can rely on value for money. The stories within this family saga include Julia’s (as the central character - who could do with a bit more spine, IMHO), her sister Alicia, and their loves and children; the generation before them; and the generation before them. Starting out in the 1930’s this novel spans the war years and reaches across continents, ending back in the fictional country house where it began. A fabulous escapist read with a happy ending. What more could you ask for.
mayomaple's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
hopeful
informative
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
empusti's review
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
relaxing
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
rach345's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0