kellymacbrown's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
This was a cozy, historical, mystery. A great cold weather read. Just what I was in the mood for. Almost 4 stars. I admit, I was not expecting the truth that was unveiled about Flora Lea. Truly surprised. The spicy scene in the first part felt very out of place for the mood of the book.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Kidnapping, Death of parent, and Gaslighting
Moderate: Self harm and War
reasek's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: War and Blood
Minor: Child abuse
rowanshartel's review against another edition
emotional
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? No
5.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: War
imfixintoread's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
5.0
I absolutely adored this book and did not want to put it down! It's beautiful historical fiction written across 1940 and 1960 in Britain. The story has some elements of mystery and chills to it, with a happy ending for all involved. It is a truly delightful book and I am sad that it has ended. Definitely add to your TBR!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Kidnapping and War
eviemayhem's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
sad
tense
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? No
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: War, Violence, Grief, and Child death
terrirankl's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death, Death of parent, War, Grief, and Kidnapping
bookshelf_al's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
slow-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
2.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Kidnapping
Minor: Gaslighting, Death of parent, and War
aprilthelibrarian's review against another edition
emotional
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Diverse cast of characters? No
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: War, Kidnapping, and Child death
briannad4's review against another edition
emotional
inspiring
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Kidnapping and War
Moderate: Death of parent, Abandonment, and Child death
laurenabeth's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
I enjoyed this one. It starts just a tiny bit slow, but picks up pretty quickly and is engaging throughout. The one thing that didn’t land for me was the side story about the Americans. I felt they were included just to emphasize how stories evolve and travel over time, but it seemed almost as though those characters were written as an afterthought. I wasn’t especially interested or concerned in the few chapters that focused on them, and in fact, I’d argue that those chapters were disruptive considering how small a part they played in the overall conclusion of the story. Still, I found this to be great historical fiction about a very particular but rarely discussed tragedy of the war - lost children. I’m fascinated by the idea of crime taking place during and being ultimately overshadowed by world events (think a kidnapping on the morning of 9/11), and Flora Lea captures the urgency and helplessness of those situations well. The characters are believable and endearing, and while I don’t love how frequently the chapters jumped back and forth between 1940 and 1960, the tales ultimately wrap together fittingly and make this a satisfying whodunit of sorts. This is truly a book about the power of fairytales, the love of sisters and mothers, and finding the many truths of yourself.
Content Warnings
Graphic: War and Grief
Moderate: Death
Minor: Kidnapping