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kmthomas06's review against another edition
3.0
Lovely read with engaging characters and it was fun to catch up with the characters from the first book.
narwhal23's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
fast-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? No
4.75
librarianinperiwinkle's review against another edition
3.0
The eight young ladies of the Winthrop Hopkins Female Academy came to attend the school through disparate circumstances and harbor a wide range of goals and dreams, yet they share one thing in common: the understanding that finding a suitable husband is infinitely more difficult when one lives in a tiny village virtually devoid of potential candidates. This doesn't perturb Miss Rosalind Franklin, who would much rather devote herself to scientific studies, but it greatly alarms the other seven, including those too young to be in immediate danger of spinsterhood. Fortunately (for the ladies, anyway), their prospects improve when a young, handsome, injured traveler takes up temporary residence in the school's guest room and is visited by his young, handsome friends. Toss in a mysterious admirer, a scheming governess, and a giant sheepdog, and life in Lesser Hoo is anything but dull.
This was a light, fun read. I very much enjoyed the humorous, vaguely Austenesque style of writing and the creativity of the names. I did have difficulty on occasion, however, keeping the characters straight, so I was thankful for the Character List at the beginning of the book--I referred back to it often.
For readers' advisors: language and story doorway are primary, setting secondary. No sex, violence, or bad language. A few characters from [b:Keeping the Castle|12871232|Keeping the Castle (Keeping the Castle, #1)|Patrice Kindl|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1327951042s/12871232.jpg|18023804] reappear in this book, but it's not really necessary to have read the first in the series in order to enjoy the second. Although several of the girls are engaged by the end, the book comes across more as historical fiction than historical romance, since you never really delve deeply into any of the romantic relationships--the development of friendships between several of the girls is just as (or more) important.
This was a light, fun read. I very much enjoyed the humorous, vaguely Austenesque style of writing and the creativity of the names. I did have difficulty on occasion, however, keeping the characters straight, so I was thankful for the Character List at the beginning of the book--I referred back to it often.
For readers' advisors: language and story doorway are primary, setting secondary. No sex, violence, or bad language. A few characters from [b:Keeping the Castle|12871232|Keeping the Castle (Keeping the Castle, #1)|Patrice Kindl|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1327951042s/12871232.jpg|18023804] reappear in this book, but it's not really necessary to have read the first in the series in order to enjoy the second. Although several of the girls are engaged by the end, the book comes across more as historical fiction than historical romance, since you never really delve deeply into any of the romantic relationships--the development of friendships between several of the girls is just as (or more) important.
sallyavena's review against another edition
3.0
Another piece of mind candy...nothing too deep but a fun read. This one has a larger cast of characters but is just as predictable. It's a fun read at the beach kind of book. Full review over at Compass Book Ratings: http://www.compassbookratings.com/reviews/index.php/review/view/2177
bunrab's review against another edition
4.0
This was a hoo-t to read. In some ways making fun of the conventions of the genre, but not in a mean-spirited way.
broncoannee's review against another edition
4.0
I liked “Keeping the Castle” better, but how lovely to have reads that make me feel like Jane Austen is still around and writing.
tobyyy's review against another edition
3.0
A quiet, slow-paced, but relatively charming Regency romance. This is not for you if you’re looking for action or a fast paced story, but I enjoyed it.
anne_abundantcolors's review against another edition
4.0
Recommended for those who enjoy Regency books. I laughed out loud a few times. The reader knows that there will be happy endings for the characters. Light, enjoyable read.
lavendermarch's review
3.0
3.5 stars
This book was an ARC I reviewed for my local bookstore. Warning: I remember that by the time I reviewed this, it had been about a month.
NOTE: Due to the fact that A School for Brides was a companion novel, you do not need to read Keeping the Castle to understand it.
A School for Brides by Patrice Kinde was a nineteenth century romance-mystery type story, written as a companion novel to Keeping the Castle, another book by Patrice Kinde. It was about the students of Winthrop Hopkins Female Academy and their struggle to find eligible men to marry. There were a total of eight students, ranging from ages 12 to 19. As I said, the students’ main struggle was finding eligible man to marry, because the place where the academy was had very few.
I liked the romance and mystery. The mystery was centered around some of the men and a student’s inheritance, so to speak. It was very interesting, and the romance that came with the mystery was very interesting, and fun to read about. The romance in general was very well written. There were no inappropriate parts in the story, due to the setting of nineteenth century England. I found no particularly notable things that I disliked about A School for Brides. It was just kinda eh.
I also enjoyed reading about the characters. The range of personalities was amazing. The characters were everything from timid to outgoing, cowardly to brave. Some characters defied stereotypes, others defined them. All in all, the characters were cool.
This book was an ARC I reviewed for my local bookstore. Warning: I remember that by the time I reviewed this, it had been about a month.
NOTE: Due to the fact that A School for Brides was a companion novel, you do not need to read Keeping the Castle to understand it.
A School for Brides by Patrice Kinde was a nineteenth century romance-mystery type story, written as a companion novel to Keeping the Castle, another book by Patrice Kinde. It was about the students of Winthrop Hopkins Female Academy and their struggle to find eligible men to marry. There were a total of eight students, ranging from ages 12 to 19. As I said, the students’ main struggle was finding eligible man to marry, because the place where the academy was had very few.
I liked the romance and mystery. The mystery was centered around some of the men and a student’s inheritance, so to speak. It was very interesting, and the romance that came with the mystery was very interesting, and fun to read about. The romance in general was very well written. There were no inappropriate parts in the story, due to the setting of nineteenth century England. I found no particularly notable things that I disliked about A School for Brides. It was just kinda eh.
I also enjoyed reading about the characters. The range of personalities was amazing. The characters were everything from timid to outgoing, cowardly to brave. Some characters defied stereotypes, others defined them. All in all, the characters were cool.