historicalemily's reviews
32 reviews

emotional funny hopeful lighthearted medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Loveable characters? Yes

4.75

Cat Sebastian does it again! She really never misses. This book was everything I hoped it would be. I loved our two main characters and I loved reading a historical romance set in the 1960s.

The Ministry of Time by Kaliane Bradley

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challenging emotional funny tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.25

Assigning a star rating to this book was very difficult. I knew as soon I finished that it was a book I would continue to think about, but did I enjoy it? I think, in the end, I did. I loved all of the "expats," especially Maggie, Gore, and Arthur. The core of the humor comes from this trio, with our (unnamed) main character observing and occasionally participating; Maggie in particular stole my heart. We are naturally supposed to question the ethics of "The Ministry," but it is difficult at times to watch the main character not question them. She believes—in a sometimes vague, absentminded way—that the mission of the Ministry was good. The issue of forcibly taking someone out of their own time doesn't hit her until later. All of these reports, tests, etc. don't raise any flags and, while she's worried

when Quinten disappears

, there isn't much urgency to her worry. She compounds the moral issues of the Ministry

by sleeping with Gore, who she had referred to earlier as almost her child

; Gore himself acknowledges the disparity in their relationship toward the end of the book, accusing her of trying to mold him into someone that he isn't. He isn't a person to her, not really; an obsession, yes.

The ending is, I think, ambiguous. She is clearly going to reunite with Gore and Maggie in Alaska, but has she fully realized the implication of her actions? Is she able to correct her relationship with Gore? A sidenote, but I did guess that Adela was our main character from the future fairly early on, so when the reveal came, it had less of an impact on me.

The Left Hand of Darkness by Ursula K. Le Guin

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5.0

Ocean's Echo by Everina Maxwell

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adventurous emotional hopeful tense

4.75

The Grief of Stones by Katherine Addison

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emotional mysterious reflective sad medium-paced