A review by froydis
Mrs. Lincoln's Rival by Jennifer Chiaverini
2.0
Thanks to Edelweiss and Dutton Hardcover for early access to this title.
Well… what can I say? I think my biggest struggle with this novel is that Chiaverini tells us whats going on, but doesn't show us anything. The result is a dry, slightly boring, tedious work filled with people who should be compelling and fascinating, but in the end I couldn't bring myself to care much about. I'm sure people who enjoyed "Mrs. Lincoln's Dressmaker" will enjoy this one as well - some of this book seems to be almost a direct recycling of parts of that one. I wouldn't recommend it, and that's kind of a shame. Both her Mrs. Lincoln books could have been really great, but, for me at least, fall way short of the mark.
Well… what can I say? I think my biggest struggle with this novel is that Chiaverini tells us whats going on, but doesn't show us anything. The result is a dry, slightly boring, tedious work filled with people who should be compelling and fascinating, but in the end I couldn't bring myself to care much about. I'm sure people who enjoyed "Mrs. Lincoln's Dressmaker" will enjoy this one as well - some of this book seems to be almost a direct recycling of parts of that one. I wouldn't recommend it, and that's kind of a shame. Both her Mrs. Lincoln books could have been really great, but, for me at least, fall way short of the mark.