deduvick's review against another edition
adventurous
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
jsanders05's review against another edition
2.0
I skimmed. A lot. Not entirely proud of that, but if I didn’t I’m afraid I never would have finished this novel.
I received it in a Spearcraft Book Box subscription kit. First time trying this small company, and this was the first book I got. I REALLY hope the next 5 books are better. I mean, they have to be!
First off, WHEN is this book set? 1900’s, 1890’s? 1910’s? Electricity was around, and Hawaii was a territory so that means at least 1890. (Had to Google that.) The book is written in such a modern way, but everything else is so confusing. I wish the author would have told us the time period of when this happened. Would have helped out SO much. Instead I spent the entire Part 1 trying to figure out what the hell I was reading.
The descriptions. never. stop. I get it, the island is pretty. The men are pretty. Your dress is pretty. Some decent vocab words in novel tho; I always enjoy that.
Character development is weak. It feel like less space could have been used explaining the dinnerware and more explaining emotions and reasoning. It’s a simple novel. Good if you like fluff. And of course the super happy ending. (No, that’s not a spoiler.) Almost a rip-off of Titanic fan fiction.
Eh. The time on the island was slightly entertaining. I had to treat this book a lot like homework to get it done. The characters are just so freaking boring. Just not my scene, I suppose.
I received it in a Spearcraft Book Box subscription kit. First time trying this small company, and this was the first book I got. I REALLY hope the next 5 books are better. I mean, they have to be!
First off, WHEN is this book set? 1900’s, 1890’s? 1910’s? Electricity was around, and Hawaii was a territory so that means at least 1890. (Had to Google that.) The book is written in such a modern way, but everything else is so confusing. I wish the author would have told us the time period of when this happened. Would have helped out SO much. Instead I spent the entire Part 1 trying to figure out what the hell I was reading.
The descriptions. never. stop. I get it, the island is pretty. The men are pretty. Your dress is pretty. Some decent vocab words in novel tho; I always enjoy that.
Character development is weak. It feel like less space could have been used explaining the dinnerware and more explaining emotions and reasoning. It’s a simple novel. Good if you like fluff. And of course the super happy ending. (No, that’s not a spoiler.) Almost a rip-off of Titanic fan fiction.
Eh. The time on the island was slightly entertaining. I had to treat this book a lot like homework to get it done. The characters are just so freaking boring. Just not my scene, I suppose.
drewanabri's review against another edition
2.0
Incredibly, stunningly, impressively bland.
I'm not giving this a low rating because I hated it. To say I hated it would imply it evoked any sort of strong emotion in me. Instead, the whole thing was just incredibly "meh." It wasn't even boring enough to cause a strong sense of boredom. I read the whole thing and didn't give up out of boredom or frustration once. But I highly doubt I'll think about this ever again once I post my review.
First of all, none of the characters were really all that interesting or fully realized. They didn't have any of the spice, humor, or warmth of most of Godbersen's characters. Second of all, the plot was very underwhelming, with all the island survival stuff summed up as
Finally, that was the most mediocre love triangle ever, with no real reason to root for or despise either male character. Fitz was attractive, kind, and pragmatic, with no real flaws other than "fits into society and is okay with that." Sal wasn't interesting at all. He had no personality beyond "he sees the real Vida" which translates to "stares at Vida intensely during some moments when she's not on her guard." But from the way he's written, you know from the start that Sal will be winning the love triangle, so there's not even any tension over who Vida will choose.
I'm not giving this a low rating because I hated it. To say I hated it would imply it evoked any sort of strong emotion in me. Instead, the whole thing was just incredibly "meh." It wasn't even boring enough to cause a strong sense of boredom. I read the whole thing and didn't give up out of boredom or frustration once. But I highly doubt I'll think about this ever again once I post my review.
First of all, none of the characters were really all that interesting or fully realized. They didn't have any of the spice, humor, or warmth of most of Godbersen's characters. Second of all, the plot was very underwhelming, with all the island survival stuff summed up as
Spoiler
"well, we showed up on the island, immediately found food and water, made houses easily with our bare hands, and had no real problems until help arrived."Finally, that was the most mediocre love triangle ever, with no real reason to root for or despise either male character. Fitz was attractive, kind, and pragmatic, with no real flaws other than "fits into society and is okay with that." Sal wasn't interesting at all. He had no personality beyond "he sees the real Vida" which translates to "stares at Vida intensely during some moments when she's not on her guard." But from the way he's written, you know from the start that Sal will be winning the love triangle, so there's not even any tension over who Vida will choose.
southernbellebooks's review against another edition
4.0
This was such a beautifully written book. I could picture everything that was happening and I love that it was profound without having too much weight. I definitely recommend for those who enjoy historical fiction with a dash of drama.
shrinkingmary's review against another edition
2.0
I almost didn’t finish this book but got to page 50 and it started to show some promise. That fizzled quickly.
Maybe it’s just me but the cadence of the author’s writing just made this book so tedious to read. There were words in a sentence that I just didn’t expect or words missing from a sentence that I did expect. This left me going back and re-reading sentences on several occasions.
The characters lacked depth. The plot felt like a childish version of “Titanic”. Any romance was lack luster. This was my first time reading Anna Godberson and it will likely be my last.
Maybe it’s just me but the cadence of the author’s writing just made this book so tedious to read. There were words in a sentence that I just didn’t expect or words missing from a sentence that I did expect. This left me going back and re-reading sentences on several occasions.
The characters lacked depth. The plot felt like a childish version of “Titanic”. Any romance was lack luster. This was my first time reading Anna Godberson and it will likely be my last.
cjclark76's review against another edition
adventurous
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
teacher2library's review against another edition
2.0
Reads more like fanfiction than a novel. Heavy on the romance, light on the historical or survival details. How do you write a shipwreck island survival story without addressing how your characters go to the bathroom?
melissasbookshelf's review against another edition
4.0
Loved this stand alone historical romance by Anna Godbersen. From the high society of San Francisco, to a Titanic-like luxury ship, to a desert island, to fashionable New York, this book takes the reader on an epic journey. Filled with romance, jealously, and twists and turns, this book was hard to put down!
I listened to the audiobook version and thoroughly enjoyed the narrator. She was able to really bring each character to life. I was truly on a cliff hanger until the end not knowing how things would turn out. A must read for anyone who enjoys angsty, historical romances with rich detail and swoon worthy characters!
I listened to the audiobook version and thoroughly enjoyed the narrator. She was able to really bring each character to life. I was truly on a cliff hanger until the end not knowing how things would turn out. A must read for anyone who enjoys angsty, historical romances with rich detail and swoon worthy characters!
manisaavedra_'s review against another edition
adventurous
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
wistyallgood's review against another edition
adventurous
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
3.25