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aejohnson85's review
3.0
An interesting read! Once again Jio weaves a story from the past into the present. Flora's section takes part in 1940s Britain where she is a ring as nanny at a manor though she has other motives for being there. Addison, in the present day, comes to stay at the manor and begins to research the mysterious disappearance of girls in the town in the 1940s (including Flora's).
I suspected who the murderer was very early on. I also would have liked to see more of how Flora got away - we last see her in the car crash and are left guessing how she got away to live with Desmond!!
I suspected who the murderer was very early on. I also would have liked to see more of how Flora got away - we last see her in the car crash and are left guessing how she got away to live with Desmond!!
zhokname's review
3.0
All books of Sara Jio are same and different at the same time.
This particular book even though was pretty interesting but it took me awhile to finish it.
For the her books are associated with summer and especially summer holidays
This particular book even though was pretty interesting but it took me awhile to finish it.
For the her books are associated with summer and especially summer holidays
maria161985's review against another edition
3.0
When I first began reading Sarah's books, I found them thrilling, along with being difficult to put down once I began reading. But I found this book to be a bit boring, with little to no suspense in regards to the characters and storyline presented. Also, I found it much more predictable than Sarah's other books, which were entertaining and secretive until the very end. I found that Flora's character was quite weak, along with Addison's, with Addison's past having nothing to do with the scenario at hand. I also found that there were many characters thrown into the mix that were not fully addressed, which caused a lot of confusion, especially in regards to the staff at the Livingston Manor. There were no 'ah ha' moments in the book, which I've experienced from Sarah's other books. Let's hope the next few of Sarah's books that I will read will be better than this one, as I was a bit disappointed with this book.
beckyb16's review against another edition
4.0
I love a light read every now and then and Jio fills that need for me. She had wonderfully-crafted characters, storylines that might surprise you, and her novels leave me excited for the next one out! This novel was back and forth between history and current life and how the mystery of the Camellia tied both storylines together. I loved the twists and turns - Jio is an author that I recommend over and over that don't want predictable...
hil_knecht's review against another edition
4.0
I forgot how much i like Sarah Jio's novels. Was this yet another dual pov/ dual timeline/ historical fiction novel that takes place in WWII era Europe? Yep. Did I love it? Of course I did.
I love the botanical element as well.
This is a fast read and I'd recommend it to most reader friends.
I love the botanical element as well.
This is a fast read and I'd recommend it to most reader friends.
livres_de_bloss's review against another edition
2.0
This started out very promising but overall, fell a bit flat for me. I don’t know what I was expecting, but this wasn’t it.
I really enjoyed Flora’s story. I think on its own, that would have made for an excellent book. I think the Addison chapters distracted and didn’t add anything of consequence. The bits about the flowers and the garden were enjoyable as well.
I had a lot of questions about Flora’s story as well: what happened to Mr. Price? What happened to her parents? Who did she marry? Flora was a compelling character and I cared more for her than Addison (who, in my opinion, was just a typical contemporary airhead) and the loose ends in Flora’s story bothered me. This was doubly insulting compared to the trite Addison ending.
The ending was terrible and that ruined it for me. Everyone is happily reunited, all the secrets get aired, no one is hurt and the vapid airhead woman is pregnant. *eye roll* I cant stand these novels where women don’t want children and then suddenly just have this abrupt change of heart and concede. Women don’t have to have children and they shouldn’t feel like there is something wrong with them if they don’t.
If the author had stuck with the Flora story, this would have been a spooky, intriguing read with interesting characters and a wonderful setting. The contemporary portion was distracting and added nothing. It seemed like it was just trying to draw a “contemporary” crowd to a different genre.
The fact that this was set in 1940s England did nothing for the story either. You would have never known short of the domestic service and some vague war references. There was nothing of consequence that made this historical.
I really enjoyed Flora’s story. I think on its own, that would have made for an excellent book. I think the Addison chapters distracted and didn’t add anything of consequence. The bits about the flowers and the garden were enjoyable as well.
I had a lot of questions about Flora’s story as well: what happened to Mr. Price? What happened to her parents? Who did she marry? Flora was a compelling character and I cared more for her than Addison (who, in my opinion, was just a typical contemporary airhead) and the loose ends in Flora’s story bothered me. This was doubly insulting compared to the trite Addison ending.
The ending was terrible and that ruined it for me. Everyone is happily reunited, all the secrets get aired, no one is hurt and the vapid airhead woman is pregnant. *eye roll* I cant stand these novels where women don’t want children and then suddenly just have this abrupt change of heart and concede. Women don’t have to have children and they shouldn’t feel like there is something wrong with them if they don’t.
If the author had stuck with the Flora story, this would have been a spooky, intriguing read with interesting characters and a wonderful setting. The contemporary portion was distracting and added nothing. It seemed like it was just trying to draw a “contemporary” crowd to a different genre.
The fact that this was set in 1940s England did nothing for the story either. You would have never known short of the domestic service and some vague war references. There was nothing of consequence that made this historical.
purplesky02's review against another edition
3.0
I found this book to be fun, a tad predictable and a little cheesy. It was a quick read and I liked the characters for the most part.
angelica87's review against another edition
4.0
The Last Camellia is an enchanting tale. There are two different decades with two different points of view from two very different yet similar characters. The first is Flora. She lives in the 1940s and travels from her home in America to England. She is to be a nanny for the children of Livingston Manor, however the real reason for her journey is far more sinister. The second character is Addison. She lives in the present day and travels from NYC to England with her husband Rex whose parents have just bought Livingston Manor. She too is trying to forget a sinister event in her past, and running away to England for the summer is supposed to help her with that. At Livingston Manor, both women try to unravel the secrets of the present and when danger looms, they must use all their wits to figure out where it is coming from before it is too late.
4 out of 5 stars because of the wonderful narrative, setting, plot and ending .
4 out of 5 stars because of the wonderful narrative, setting, plot and ending .
gabbyscarlet's review
3.0
This was probably my least favorite Jio book so far. It was mediocre and didn't have many unique elements to it. It's a typical Jio book in which she features a dual timeline with a historical mystery element, with a dash of romance. The structure of the story was great and I enjoyed the short chapters. I just wish the characters and story itself was a bit more memorable, like some of her other titles. She's a great writer, but this one just wasn't my favorite.