Scan barcode
brimmsy's review
2.5
For the life of me I couldn't understand half of what was going on in this book. Everything was spoken about in a frustratingly veiled/roundabout way, and the character’s moods jumped around too erratically for me to keep up with.
There were things I liked - the romance was sweet, and the historical detail was incredibly rich. The writing style just wasn’t a good fit for me, and I’m sorry to say I felt more frustration than enjoyment.
There were things I liked - the romance was sweet, and the historical detail was incredibly rich. The writing style just wasn’t a good fit for me, and I’m sorry to say I felt more frustration than enjoyment.
megelizabeth's review
emotional
hopeful
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
4.0
"And I just wanted to tell you that if you were like that - if you were like me - it would be all right. You’d be all right."
This was, fittingly, an absolute delight. I adored the characters and the various relationships and dynamics we see. I of course loved the romance and I was particularly impressed with how well pre-existing romantic feelings are depicted. The level of historical detail is incredible; meticulous research clearly went into this. I also really appreciated how Judaism is threaded throughout the story and the additional lens this adds.
I could have probably done with slightly less work/navy talk, but not so much so that I didn't still thoroughly enjoy my time reading this. It's the perfect mixture of sweet and wholesome on the one hand and sad and angsty on the other, with a wonderfully hopeful yet realistic ending. I love Elie and Brine <3
This was, fittingly, an absolute delight. I adored the characters and the various relationships and dynamics we see. I of course loved the romance and I was particularly impressed with how well pre-existing romantic feelings are depicted. The level of historical detail is incredible; meticulous research clearly went into this. I also really appreciated how Judaism is threaded throughout the story and the additional lens this adds.
I could have probably done with slightly less work/navy talk, but not so much so that I didn't still thoroughly enjoy my time reading this. It's the perfect mixture of sweet and wholesome on the one hand and sad and angsty on the other, with a wonderfully hopeful yet realistic ending. I love Elie and Brine <3
Content Warnings
Moderate: Homophobia and Antisemitism
Minor: Death, Gun violence, Death of parent, and Murder
lovelyandmorbid's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
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? No
4.0
I don't know much about Judaism or Jewish communities in the Victorian era and I know even less about accounting but I loved the look into both of those subjects, the characters where lovable I just wish it had like 100 more pages and had more a ending and I was disappointed there was no spice.
Content Warnings
Minor: Antisemitism
shanaqui's review
emotional
hopeful
reflective
slow-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
4.0
Rose Lerner's Sailor's Delight is a slow burn, despite being a fairly short book, helped by the fact that there is a real sense of history between the two right from the start. The fact that Elie is Jewish and Brine is a sailor really shapes the story, through the Jewish holiday and Elie's exploration of his feelings about and obligations toward people are all shaped by his beliefs and experiences as a Jewish man.
I don't really know how to comment about the portrayal and whether it would satisfy someone looking for specifically Jewish queer romance (especially as Brine is not Jewish), but Rose Lerner has written in the past about being Jewish and the importance of Jewish representation, and I think the whole backbone of this book is about doing that.
The relationship between Elie and Brine is full of yearning. There's obvious physical attraction as well, but also they obviously think about each other all the time, try to help one another, try to mesh their lives together, etc. It ends up surprisingly intense very quickly, and yet the steam level for the book is pretty low (no on-page sex).
All in all, it was one I enjoyed, though I needed the right moment for it -- the intensity of Elie's apparently unrequited longing was a bit much for me at one point, so I took a break from the book!
I don't really know how to comment about the portrayal and whether it would satisfy someone looking for specifically Jewish queer romance (especially as Brine is not Jewish), but Rose Lerner has written in the past about being Jewish and the importance of Jewish representation, and I think the whole backbone of this book is about doing that.
The relationship between Elie and Brine is full of yearning. There's obvious physical attraction as well, but also they obviously think about each other all the time, try to help one another, try to mesh their lives together, etc. It ends up surprisingly intense very quickly, and yet the steam level for the book is pretty low (no on-page sex).
All in all, it was one I enjoyed, though I needed the right moment for it -- the intensity of Elie's apparently unrequited longing was a bit much for me at one point, so I took a break from the book!
mitreslupo's review
emotional
funny
inspiring
relaxing
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? It's complicated
4.25
nonie's review
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
katriddell's review
5.0
Elie and Augie are very silly gooses and I spent the entire book wanting to bash their heads together, 13/10