Reviews with content warning for Terminal illness - The Nature of Fragile Things

This had a lot going on - historical fiction, tragedy, romance, mystery, deceit. I really enjoyed it, but at times it was possibly trying to do too much?

Synopsis: Sophie Whalen, in Irish immigrant in 1905, moves from NY to San Francisco, answering an ad for a mail-order bride, and marries Martin Hocking, widowed father of a 5-year-old girl. Sophie loves the girl, but is disturbed by Martin's long absences, and some strange behavior. Then a stranger appears on her doorstep and reveals everything she thought she knew about Martin was a lie.

Overall I really liked this. Sophie was a fascinating character, with lots of secrets of her own, who is fully able to take charge when she needs to. And the relationship between her and her stepdaughter was really sweet. No evil stepmothers here!

And there's lots of intrigue throughout, particularly as interspersed among the chapters are transcripts of an interview between Sophie and a US Marshal, which slowly bring out everyone's secrets.

It wasn't 5-stars for me because I just wanted some more from some of the elements. More about the San Francisco earthquake, or more drama/suspense surrounding the secrets - but both felt a little thin. The final twist, revealing Sophie's long-held secret, wasn't particularly surprising.

But definitely still enjoyable, and a lot to like!

CW: miscarriage, terminal illness, abuse

Content Warnings

teacupsandfirereads's review

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emotional hopeful mysterious medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

I had never read a book by Susan Meissner prior to this one. It is evident she is a talented writer. The synopsis leads you to believe it is about the 1906 earth quake in San Francisco that devastated the city. It is about that, but also so much more. It is about belonging, what makes a family and so , so much more. I have to say I definitely was not expecting where this story went, but it ended up being alright with me that it did that. The characters are richly developed and the plot supports great and interesting detail without being over powering. I have to say at first I wasn't jiving with this book, I self it dragged a bit, but then around thirty percent, I found my rhythm with it and finished it before I knew it. It was nice to read a historical fiction not surrounding WW I or II and a book that carried both a historical aspect and broader story, which in this case held much mystery and intrigue. I would definitely recommend this to historical fiction fans.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Content Warnings

bookish_allie's review

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emotional inspiring mysterious medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

#bookishthemesong : No Body, No Crime by @taylorswift
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First of all, thank you so much to @uplitreads and @berkleypub for the #gifted copy in exchange for an honest review.
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I LOVED this book. Reading historical fiction about a time/place I’m mostly unfamiliar with? Count me in! This book has all the things: an exploration of the meaning of motherhood, mystery & intrigue, a look into female friendship and #womensupportingwomen . So good.
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I learned so much about the 1906 San Francisco earthquake as well—Susan Meissner did an amazing job weaving in facts without the book ever coming across as dry or dull. You simply must add this one to your TBR 💕
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I will add, there are a few Content Warnings for miscarriage, infant loss, death, terminal illness, abuse, death of a parent, and infidelity.

Content Warnings

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