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ruvimbo's review against another edition
4.0
Such a wonderful story, I enjoyed it! Although I wish there was more depth to the relationship between Ellie and the Major
beckys_books's review against another edition
4.0
Ellie McDonnell is used to living on the wrong side of the law, but when attempting to break into a seemingly empty house one night Ellie and her Uncle end up collared. They are given a simple decision; Help the government break into the house or someone thought to be a Nazi sympathiser or go to Prison. As much as Ellie might resent being cajoled into the job, as well as her disdain for the person they will be working with, she know’s one quick and easy job is better than Prison. Only when they get to the house instead of finding the papers they were looking for they find a dead body m, and Ellie quickly finds herself being dragged deeper into the conspiracy, but not everyone is who they seem & the spy could be closer to home than they think.
I loved this book, it was such a light and humorous read and the perfect palate cleanser after reading a lot of heavy and dark fantasy. Ellie was a fantastic POV to read from, she is a girl who could easily fit into the refined life of upper London, but also one I wouldn’t want to take on in a fight. She is used to being revered and appreciated for her skill in the ‘family business’ so is slightly put out when the Major see’s her as nothing more than a criminal. She is resilient and whip smart, as well as incredibly witty and self deprecating.
Though the book is told solely through Ellie’s POV we do get introduced to a host of side characters, some of which I think will be ‘main players’ in the series to come, from Ellie’s Uncle Mick, their housekeeper Nacy, Ellie’s cousin Colm and childhood friend/potential sweetheart Felix, but my favourite by far was Major Ramsey. He starts off the book as an extremely rigid, by the book kind of fellow ( and tbh he kinds of ends in the same way) but through the story we get to see Ellie slowly breaking down walls he seems to have spent years building up. He first see’s Ellie as simply a means to an end, but the more time they spend together, the more he see’s how incredibly smart she is and how useful she could be to the war effort.
This was an incredibly fast paced read, and if I hadn’t been buddy reading I think I could have easily polished it off in one sitting. Though there are plenty of action scenes, there is also a lot of introspection, something that wouldn’t have worked as well had Ellie not been such a brilliant pov to read from. I got big Agent Carter style vibes from her, someone who doesn’t want to be treated differently because she is a woman, as well as being unafraid to put herself into the path of danger. It also meant that even though the book was set in WWII, an obviously dark time in London’s history, the author manages to bring a levity to the story and I didn’t feel bogged down in the war like I have done in similar style books. That’s not the say the war, and the realities of it aren’t mentioned, just that through Ellie’s eyes it doesn’t seem all doomy and gloomy.
Now, there is a love triangle, and I’m not the biggest fan of them myself but this was written well. One because Ellie is incredibly strong and outspoken, so basically no man has any say in how she lives her life, but also because it didn’t overshadow the plot. The romance in this book was minimal, there were some ‘steamy’ for the times moments, but most of it was focused on the case at hand. We do see Ellie comparing the two suitors in her head which make’s for some entertaining and humorous reading because they couldn’t be less alike, and I am definitely interested to see how it is dealt with in future books ( I know who I’m rooting for.)
The actual plot of the book was relatively tied up at the end, although there were plenty of unanswered questions that I hope will be brought up in book two. There are one or two plots twists that add flow to the story, but in general with the pace being as fast as it was, and with Ellie’s pov being as light and humorous, I found this to be an incredibly easy read, one that I wholeheartedly enjoyed, and I will definitely be keeping my eye out for the next instalment.
I loved this book, it was such a light and humorous read and the perfect palate cleanser after reading a lot of heavy and dark fantasy. Ellie was a fantastic POV to read from, she is a girl who could easily fit into the refined life of upper London, but also one I wouldn’t want to take on in a fight. She is used to being revered and appreciated for her skill in the ‘family business’ so is slightly put out when the Major see’s her as nothing more than a criminal. She is resilient and whip smart, as well as incredibly witty and self deprecating.
Though the book is told solely through Ellie’s POV we do get introduced to a host of side characters, some of which I think will be ‘main players’ in the series to come, from Ellie’s Uncle Mick, their housekeeper Nacy, Ellie’s cousin Colm and childhood friend/potential sweetheart Felix, but my favourite by far was Major Ramsey. He starts off the book as an extremely rigid, by the book kind of fellow ( and tbh he kinds of ends in the same way) but through the story we get to see Ellie slowly breaking down walls he seems to have spent years building up. He first see’s Ellie as simply a means to an end, but the more time they spend together, the more he see’s how incredibly smart she is and how useful she could be to the war effort.
This was an incredibly fast paced read, and if I hadn’t been buddy reading I think I could have easily polished it off in one sitting. Though there are plenty of action scenes, there is also a lot of introspection, something that wouldn’t have worked as well had Ellie not been such a brilliant pov to read from. I got big Agent Carter style vibes from her, someone who doesn’t want to be treated differently because she is a woman, as well as being unafraid to put herself into the path of danger. It also meant that even though the book was set in WWII, an obviously dark time in London’s history, the author manages to bring a levity to the story and I didn’t feel bogged down in the war like I have done in similar style books. That’s not the say the war, and the realities of it aren’t mentioned, just that through Ellie’s eyes it doesn’t seem all doomy and gloomy.
Now, there is a love triangle, and I’m not the biggest fan of them myself but this was written well. One because Ellie is incredibly strong and outspoken, so basically no man has any say in how she lives her life, but also because it didn’t overshadow the plot. The romance in this book was minimal, there were some ‘steamy’ for the times moments, but most of it was focused on the case at hand. We do see Ellie comparing the two suitors in her head which make’s for some entertaining and humorous reading because they couldn’t be less alike, and I am definitely interested to see how it is dealt with in future books ( I know who I’m rooting for.)
The actual plot of the book was relatively tied up at the end, although there were plenty of unanswered questions that I hope will be brought up in book two. There are one or two plots twists that add flow to the story, but in general with the pace being as fast as it was, and with Ellie’s pov being as light and humorous, I found this to be an incredibly easy read, one that I wholeheartedly enjoyed, and I will definitely be keeping my eye out for the next instalment.
wordly_adventures's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
hopeful
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
bepostema's review against another edition
1.0
As other reviews have noted, major historical errors in this one.
No mention whatsoever that individuals from Ireland or of Irish descent were not immediately all pro-British, and some indeed were pro-German for both wars due to the oppression of Ireland by Great Britain.
Huge error in stating the Ellie's mother died of the Spanish Flu in either 1915 or 1916 (depends on when exactly in 1915 her father was killed). The first cases were recorded in the spring of 1918. How on earth that glaring error got past an editor in the current pandemic, where references to the 1919 pandemic are omnipresent in the media, completely boggles the mind
And beyond that, Weaver is listed as being a professional librarian on the book jacket. She had the fact checking readily at hand; she just did not use the research skills of a librarian.
No mention whatsoever that individuals from Ireland or of Irish descent were not immediately all pro-British, and some indeed were pro-German for both wars due to the oppression of Ireland by Great Britain.
Huge error in stating the Ellie's mother died of the Spanish Flu in either 1915 or 1916 (depends on when exactly in 1915 her father was killed). The first cases were recorded in the spring of 1918. How on earth that glaring error got past an editor in the current pandemic, where references to the 1919 pandemic are omnipresent in the media, completely boggles the mind
And beyond that, Weaver is listed as being a professional librarian on the book jacket. She had the fact checking readily at hand; she just did not use the research skills of a librarian.
wolfstar1999's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
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? Yes
4.0
megareads42's review against another edition
4.0
A straightforward good time! An engaging and original main character. Some love believable and intriguing love interests that added to instead of subtracting from the main plot. Enough twists and turns to keep me interested but not so many as to be unbelievable. I enjoyed this and it was perfect as a beach read (where I read it). I will read the next one, but not chomping at the bit for it. Seems like these would be good palate cleanser books.
kaleys23's review against another edition
lighthearted
mysterious
tense
fast-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
4.0
ginaparrish's review against another edition
5.0
This novel ticked a lot of boxes for me. I usually read mysteries but I love a good heist too so the idea of a safe-cracking spy appealed to me. The espionage parts of the book were really fun and kept the plot moving, and the romantic bits, while I didn’t expect them, weren’t too over the top so I got on board. The only things that bothered me were how ridiculously good-looking all the characters were and how the major had color-changing eyes… once I noticed the pattern I burst out laughing every time she mentioned how they turned a different nonexistent shade. I’m looking forward to continuing with the series.
jndsouza's review against another edition
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0