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A review by rachelibrary
Suspicion by Alexandra Monir
3.0
I received a Kindle ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
Suspicion by Alexandra Monir tells the story of seventeen-year-old Imogen Rockford. Imogen is a would-be normal New York teenager connected to a noble family in England who own the village of Wickersham in County Oxford. After a fire killed her parents at Rockford Manor seven years before, Imogen swears she wants nothing more to do with the place -- until she receives news that both her grandfather and cousin are dead, and she is the last Rockford left and heir to Rockford Manor. Imogen travels to Rockford to assume her title as Duchess of Wickersham and uncovers both a supernatural ability and a deadly plot that puts her life at stake.
I liked the idea of Princess Diaries-meets-paranormal, and look how gorgeous that cover is! I was thrilled to receive an advance copy of this book, and the first two thirds of it were a great read. The writing was nothing particularly special, but it wasn't horrible. I enjoyed reading about Imogen discovering that she was a duchess, and as someone who's fascinated by the British peerage system, I loved the peek into that lifestyle.
Unfortunately, I think the author should have either stuck with a revamped Princess Diaries or told the story of Imogen being an Elemental (someone who controls the elements of earth, fire, air, and water), but not both. I would have loved to see more of Imogen as a proper duchess, not worrying about her cousin's murder or tracking down facts about Lady Beatrice and the water-stone. I would have loved to have seen the supernatural elements to Rockford, the Maze, the Shadow Garden, and Imogen herself developed more. But I think putting them together made the story feel piecemeal and slapdash.
Sebastian was a pleasant enough love interest, but there was nothing truly remarkable about him besides his amazing polo skills and impossibly good looks. The insta-love was a bit unwelcome, but I've read worse.
Overall, there were things about this book and the writing that irked me, but it was a fast-paced and interesting story, and very hard to put down. I read the final third of it, and then some, in less than 12 hours. I'd recommend this book to fans of soft fantasy or British things -- just don't go in expecting too much.
Suspicion by Alexandra Monir tells the story of seventeen-year-old Imogen Rockford. Imogen is a would-be normal New York teenager connected to a noble family in England who own the village of Wickersham in County Oxford. After a fire killed her parents at Rockford Manor seven years before, Imogen swears she wants nothing more to do with the place -- until she receives news that both her grandfather and cousin are dead, and she is the last Rockford left and heir to Rockford Manor. Imogen travels to Rockford to assume her title as Duchess of Wickersham and uncovers both a supernatural ability and a deadly plot that puts her life at stake.
I liked the idea of Princess Diaries-meets-paranormal, and look how gorgeous that cover is! I was thrilled to receive an advance copy of this book, and the first two thirds of it were a great read. The writing was nothing particularly special, but it wasn't horrible. I enjoyed reading about Imogen discovering that she was a duchess, and as someone who's fascinated by the British peerage system, I loved the peek into that lifestyle.
Unfortunately, I think the author should have either stuck with a revamped Princess Diaries or told the story of Imogen being an Elemental (someone who controls the elements of earth, fire, air, and water), but not both. I would have loved to see more of Imogen as a proper duchess, not worrying about her cousin's murder or tracking down facts about Lady Beatrice and the water-stone. I would have loved to have seen the supernatural elements to Rockford, the Maze, the Shadow Garden, and Imogen herself developed more. But I think putting them together made the story feel piecemeal and slapdash.
Sebastian was a pleasant enough love interest, but there was nothing truly remarkable about him besides his amazing polo skills and impossibly good looks. The insta-love was a bit unwelcome, but I've read worse.
Overall, there were things about this book and the writing that irked me, but it was a fast-paced and interesting story, and very hard to put down. I read the final third of it, and then some, in less than 12 hours. I'd recommend this book to fans of soft fantasy or British things -- just don't go in expecting too much.