i11iane's review
2.0
The main and supporting characters were likeable but could have done with a deal more fleshing out. The language felt a little stilted. It was a decent light read and holds promise of growth. I do wonder what the author would do with this story if she revisits it after a few more books under her belt.
conniejoy529's review
3.0
I liked this book, I just think that it was missing something to make it really good. I think the premise was great. Lucinda, a young suffragist school teacher leaves Miss Hattie's School for the Refinement of Young Ladies and moves out west for a job. Instead of the group of seven year olds she was expecting,she finds herself working in a brothel teaching a group of prostitutes that want to better themselves. Having been raised in a brothel herself, until her mother had been killed, Lucinda felt the need to help the women make new lives. Reece is a reluctant brothel owner. He didn't know much about his father, except that he was not a very good man, and that he did not treat women well, as evidenced by him marrying then leaving his mother to raise Reese alone. He thought he had inherited a simple hotel, but when he learned it was a brothel, he couldn't simply shut the place down and leave the working girls destitute. Instead, he worked on saving as much as possible, so that when he does close down the brothel he will be able to provide funds for the women to make new lives. Attraction between Lucinda and Reece is instant, but both have big reasons why they could not possibly be together. As a suffragist, Lucinda feels like that she doesn't need a man, plus she is still living with the fear from her childhood experiences. Reece also had fears that he would end up like his father, so he stayed away from proper women like Lucinda. Despite all this, the working girls decide that Reece and Lucinda are perfect for each other, and do everything they can to get the together.
It sounds like a very serious story, but it is actually a comedy, and a fairly good one. Most of the humor comes from the working girls. I like that the author gave each of them a backstory, and I would have liked to know more about them. Apparently the author is planning on writing a series of novellas that will tell their stories which explains why we are left with so many hanging storylines.
I think both of main characters were truly interesting, both having very intense and detailed back stories but I wish more had been done with it. The main problems that I had with book was that it seemed to drag on in parts. There are some sections that I think could be cut out completely because they didn't really contribute to the story. Another big problem that I had was the end of the book. It was pretty anticlimactic. Sure it was a HEA, but there were so many things that I think needed to be cleared up, particularly with the fate of the working girls. But again I'm guessing the author did this intentionally for the purposes of the follow up books. I get it, but it is still very frustrating. I was really confused by the way the storyline with the villain ended. I don't want to spoil it, but that plot twist came completely out of left field and was really unnecessary. Also I still don't know exactly who Charlie is, and what his involvement with the rustling was. There were other minor issues, such as use of terms that didn't feel appropriate to the time period, but that wasn't too distracting. Overall it was an enjoyable read.
It sounds like a very serious story, but it is actually a comedy, and a fairly good one. Most of the humor comes from the working girls. I like that the author gave each of them a backstory, and I would have liked to know more about them. Apparently the author is planning on writing a series of novellas that will tell their stories which explains why we are left with so many hanging storylines.
I think both of main characters were truly interesting, both having very intense and detailed back stories but I wish more had been done with it. The main problems that I had with book was that it seemed to drag on in parts. There are some sections that I think could be cut out completely because they didn't really contribute to the story. Another big problem that I had was the end of the book. It was pretty anticlimactic. Sure it was a HEA, but there were so many things that I think needed to be cleared up, particularly with the fate of the working girls. But again I'm guessing the author did this intentionally for the purposes of the follow up books. I get it, but it is still very frustrating. I was really confused by the way the storyline with the villain ended. I don't want to spoil it, but that plot twist came completely out of left field and was really unnecessary. Also I still don't know exactly who Charlie is, and what his involvement with the rustling was. There were other minor issues, such as use of terms that didn't feel appropriate to the time period, but that wasn't too distracting. Overall it was an enjoyable read.
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