alyram4's review against another edition
2.0
I seriously almost considered DNFing this multiple times. I just wasn't a fan, and the payoff at the end just wasn't worth it. Sad because I really was looking forward to this one! I even ended up holding off on finishing this and reading other books instead...
jessica_8675's review against another edition
2.0
This book starts with a bang and the rest is basically a whimper. If your into flat characters sitting around talking to each other the way I imagine robots do this is the book for you. There is no emotion on a single page. None of the characters have chemistry together making every conversation painfully boring to read. The brother of the main guy in the book was the only interesting one but thats not saying much, I can't even remember his name. There is a mystery element that is kind on interesting but they don't do much with it. If you have to choose between watching paint dry and reading this book I would recommend the paint.
oliviavanh's review against another edition
hopeful
mysterious
tense
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? It's complicated
4.25
kaycee_k's review against another edition
3.0
When a fatal carriage accident happens on the outskirts of an estate, we meet James who soon finds himself watching over a young lady who was injured in the crash and can't remember who she is or her family, only clue they have is the gruesome nightmare about a hummingbird dagger dripping in blood. The young lady picks the name Beth for them to call her. We, then, meet Jame's sister Caroline, who is a cleaver & sweet young land, takes Beth under her wing. Over the pages the mystery of who Beth is grows with each page; I had a blast with the authors writing style and the way she told this story. It has such a classic feel.
Caroline is my favorite characters, because, during a time when women were looked down on, she is a strong, brilliant, and understand how to be a friend and a good sister.
Cindy Anstey knows how to keep the unsureness of the plot going, the ending was also a great surprise. I thought that it was going to end differently but I had fun reading the historical mystery of powerful young women.
Caroline is my favorite characters, because, during a time when women were looked down on, she is a strong, brilliant, and understand how to be a friend and a good sister.
Cindy Anstey knows how to keep the unsureness of the plot going, the ending was also a great surprise. I thought that it was going to end differently but I had fun reading the historical mystery of powerful young women.
unknown_reads's review against another edition
3.0
Great book, however the beginning portion of the book was too slow paced compared to the ending...
serena_w's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
medium-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
3.75
queensflame's review against another edition
4.0
I’ve ready two of Cindy Anstey’s books before, and I’m absolutely ADDICTED. I love her writing style and her choice of time period. This novel had much more mystery and brutal-ness to it than her other novels. I also flew through reading this, it took me like two or three days. When books have mysteries in them I tend to fly through like no tomorrow to try and figure everything out.
My only critique regarding the plot was that there were way too many names and characters involved in the plot. Especially the bad guys. It was so hard following who was who and how they were all connected; I know it was part of the author trying to confuse you but the setting jumped back and forth between characters as everything unraveled and my head was spinning. And I really didn’t follow the motive behind the antagonists in this book, it was not easy to follow. My arc was also formatted in a way there were no breaks between change of setting, change of character, passage of time. I hope the finished copy isn’t formatted this way because it confused me so much!
Other than the confusion, I really loved this novel. In addition to an intriguing storyline, you’ve got main and side characters voices and personalities that leap off the page. James’s brother (Walter) and sister (Caroline) were equally as enjoyable as Beth & James. They brought the story to life and also showed accurate representation of sibling relationships.
The romance in this story, of course, was swoon worthy (I mean it’s not published by Swoon Reads for nothing). It’s a slow SLOW burn but I sdkfsjdfldf it was so cute, as per usual with Cindy Anstey.
If you’re a fan of period dramas like Pride & Prejudice, etc, you will LOVE this book. It also has a dark twist and mystery to it alongside quirky characters and romance. I highly recommend it!
My only critique regarding the plot was that there were way too many names and characters involved in the plot. Especially the bad guys. It was so hard following who was who and how they were all connected; I know it was part of the author trying to confuse you but the setting jumped back and forth between characters as everything unraveled and my head was spinning. And I really didn’t follow the motive behind the antagonists in this book, it was not easy to follow. My arc was also formatted in a way there were no breaks between change of setting, change of character, passage of time. I hope the finished copy isn’t formatted this way because it confused me so much!
Other than the confusion, I really loved this novel. In addition to an intriguing storyline, you’ve got main and side characters voices and personalities that leap off the page. James’s brother (Walter) and sister (Caroline) were equally as enjoyable as Beth & James. They brought the story to life and also showed accurate representation of sibling relationships.
The romance in this story, of course, was swoon worthy (I mean it’s not published by Swoon Reads for nothing). It’s a slow SLOW burn but I sdkfsjdfldf it was so cute, as per usual with Cindy Anstey.
If you’re a fan of period dramas like Pride & Prejudice, etc, you will LOVE this book. It also has a dark twist and mystery to it alongside quirky characters and romance. I highly recommend it!
beccakoenig2650's review against another edition
3.0
I liked this book, but it got a bit boring halfway through. It picked back up again at the end, but there were definitely times when I was debating stopping. Beth/ bugged me at times ("I had to remember to breathe when he walked in the room."), but she was likable enough. Overall, a decent read. 3 stars.