helengoose's review against another edition
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
medium-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
andrearbooks's review against another edition
3.0
The Forgotten Sister by Nicola Cornick was historical fiction with a very unique spin on the dual timeline story. What was unique was the times that each took place was so different. The first vignette is in the 1500s. This explores a real-life mystery connected to the family of Elizabeth I. Then, there's the present day. This focuses on Lizzie Kingdom, a child star, who is drawn into a scandal when her best friend (a rock star)'s wife Amelia is killed. It was interesting to read two stories that were so far apart, yet also see the connections as they were slowly revealed. I was more drawn into the present day storyline, BUT I also learned a lot from the story in the Tudor era as I honestly don't read about it ever. This one had some unexpected turns and definitely some connections I didn't see coming. It was a neat adventure to read something so different from my usual lanes. Thanks to NetGalley and Graydon House Books for letting me go on the journey for this recent release!
rach345's review
dark
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
rotig813's review against another edition
4.0
For those who know me, know that I love historical fiction about strong females and almost anything Tudors. When I am not reading historical fiction, I do enjoy a nice "who done it" for a change of pace. This was like a 2 for 1 book, Tudor history and a murder mystery. It was a great way to spend a lazy Sunday afternoon (plus the book needs to go back to the library).
hannah2186's review
informative
reflective
sad
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? It's complicated
3.5
augureader's review against another edition
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.5
I decided 2023 would be the year of reading my bookshelf, rather than just getting seduced by all the pretty new books on the internet, and everyone else’s bookshelves. So, I went up to my unread books, picked 3 and decided to read a chapter to see which one took my interest the most.
I got this book in a Historical Fiction box I bought more than 2 years ago now, and it’s been prettying up my bookshelves ever since. The premise is so intriguing, and I thought the first chapter piqued my interest. (Also, the copy I have is a floppy paperback, which tipped the scales even further in its favour.) I loved that this had a dual timeline, and that it wasn’t centred around a world war. And, while the writing wasn’t quite exquisite, it was easy enough to read with its large print and lower page count (it ended on 367 rather than the 402 it promised due to an excerpt from another book taking up the last 30+ pages). So far, so good, but then… the repetition started. I got very tired of reading about how there was nothing between Lizzie and Dudley, and how everyone kept thinking there was. I found the characters (pretty much all of them) one-dimensionally insipid and vacuous, and the plot to take too long to actually… start. We get introduced to Johnny and then lose him for about 35% of the book. The logic used didn’t really make sense to me – Why everyone would react to what happened was beyond me… highlighting and underlining the “vacuous”. And I thought BOTH storylines started many things but didn’t finish them well enough for me to consider it a “good book”. So… It was OK, and I liked things about it, but I don’t know that I’ll be singing any praises from any mountain tops. It’s a very quick read and has a decent enough plot twist, if not well-developed characters to back it up.
megs004's review against another edition
2.0
I really struggled with this book. I don’t think the dual timelines work and I had no idea what I was reading most of the time. I had to force myself to keep reading. I thought the premise would be good going in but maybe this book was not for me.
drmuenke's review against another edition
4.0
Loved this book. It was a fast-paced dual timeline book where the modern day characters are replaying their mistakes from the 1500s. It was fun to see how royalty was re-presented as famous artists. Recommend for a interesting twist on historical fiction.