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LilyLovesIndie (123 KP) rated Star of Bethlehem (Flowering, #1.6) in Books
Nov 5, 2018
I remember when I was first given this book, and I was very excited to get my hands on it. Then, when I actually started reading it, I relived that excitement as it really is wonderful. A tale of that fateful evening when you introduce your new partner to your parents for the first time. Always scary, always charged with lots of different emotions, and Daltry manages this brilliantly, hence the four star review!
I thoroughly enjoyed so many parts of this book. Perhaps the first thing I feel needs pointing out is how easy it is to read. I was given the earlier books in the series by the author (reviews will follow when I get a spare few moments!) but I went into this book ÔcoldÕ as it were, but I honestly couldnÕt have known there were earlier books. Daltry gives enough information about her characters to keep you involved if you are new to the series, but not too much to overwhelm you if you have already read them. Add to that a smooth pace and impeccable flow and you have, in a kindle sized nutshell, the perfect easy read for after a tough day in the classroom. I could dip in and out of this book to suit my schedule (a godsend Ð thankyou!) all without ever losing my thread of the characters or events.
Something else I really enjoyed was the relationship between Jack and Lily. TheyÕre both great characters, and their passion and love is so wonderful to read. ItÕs full of the trials and difficulties that you could expect in a real relationship, even down to the last tiny detail of the annoying ÔexÕ in the background. The sex scenes are well written and not too Ôin your faceÕ, taking a back seat (quite literally at times!) in the story telling which suits me perfectly. In addition, the emotions between them was all incredibly well written and very tangible throughout. This adds a lovely believability to the story and makes it that much more enjoyable and easy to read.
In addition, the family dynamic in LilyÕs life, contrasted with that of JackÕs is also fantastic. Although itÕs never made fully clear what has happened in JackÕs past, Daltry weaves the contrast between their families very carefully and without over-exaggerating it. LilyÕs family are a mad bunch, but they remind me of so many of my own family that I found it really easy to invest emotionally in the characters. To me, this is an important part of a story as, if done properly, it makes it a joy to read, and IÕm pleased to say that is exactly what Daltry managed.
In conclusion, although this story may be slightly on the shorter side, it had a lot of fantastic plot and plenty of great characters. The two viewpoints of Lily and Jack are woven with skill and detail throughout and the entire story was an absolute pleasure to read. Daltry is most definitely a talented author and one I am looking forward to reading more of in the near future!
Review first posted to Lily Loves Indie (ARC received with thanks) - http://lilylovesindie.co.uk/?p=272
I thoroughly enjoyed so many parts of this book. Perhaps the first thing I feel needs pointing out is how easy it is to read. I was given the earlier books in the series by the author (reviews will follow when I get a spare few moments!) but I went into this book ÔcoldÕ as it were, but I honestly couldnÕt have known there were earlier books. Daltry gives enough information about her characters to keep you involved if you are new to the series, but not too much to overwhelm you if you have already read them. Add to that a smooth pace and impeccable flow and you have, in a kindle sized nutshell, the perfect easy read for after a tough day in the classroom. I could dip in and out of this book to suit my schedule (a godsend Ð thankyou!) all without ever losing my thread of the characters or events.
Something else I really enjoyed was the relationship between Jack and Lily. TheyÕre both great characters, and their passion and love is so wonderful to read. ItÕs full of the trials and difficulties that you could expect in a real relationship, even down to the last tiny detail of the annoying ÔexÕ in the background. The sex scenes are well written and not too Ôin your faceÕ, taking a back seat (quite literally at times!) in the story telling which suits me perfectly. In addition, the emotions between them was all incredibly well written and very tangible throughout. This adds a lovely believability to the story and makes it that much more enjoyable and easy to read.
In addition, the family dynamic in LilyÕs life, contrasted with that of JackÕs is also fantastic. Although itÕs never made fully clear what has happened in JackÕs past, Daltry weaves the contrast between their families very carefully and without over-exaggerating it. LilyÕs family are a mad bunch, but they remind me of so many of my own family that I found it really easy to invest emotionally in the characters. To me, this is an important part of a story as, if done properly, it makes it a joy to read, and IÕm pleased to say that is exactly what Daltry managed.
In conclusion, although this story may be slightly on the shorter side, it had a lot of fantastic plot and plenty of great characters. The two viewpoints of Lily and Jack are woven with skill and detail throughout and the entire story was an absolute pleasure to read. Daltry is most definitely a talented author and one I am looking forward to reading more of in the near future!
Review first posted to Lily Loves Indie (ARC received with thanks) - http://lilylovesindie.co.uk/?p=272
Merissa (12066 KP) rated Foul Play (Barlow Sisters #3) in Books
Nov 14, 2017
Foul Play (Barlow Sisters #3) by Jordan Ford
Foul Play is the third and final book in the Barlow Sisters Trilogy. This time we focus on Chloe, the youngest of the three. She is a year younger than Maddie and Max, but is stubborn and passionate about what she believes. She knows it is a tough, hard world out there, but is convinced that if she can spread some goodness - just a little bit at a time - then eventually, the world will be a better place. This could lead to a whole world of hurt, but luckily for Chloe, she has a warrior who wants to protect her. A warrior who is down and broken, scarred with life, but not beyond Chloe's help. Together, these two help each other and the world too.
Jordan Ford has managed to write Chloe to perfection. I was a little bit worried from the first two books that she would by 'too' sweet, but instead, she comes across as naive but strong. Vincent is her perfect foil, and does what he can to protect her, even taking physical beatings to keep someone away from her. The storyline that has spread across all three books comes to a close here, and it was the most brilliant ending. It didn't go the way I thought at all, but once I read it, I couldn't envisage it any other way. Max and Maddie don't feature as much in this book, not until the end. We still have parts that overlap with other books, but it is totally from Chloe and Vincent's perspective.
Also, Jordan Ford has once again given me smiles, when she gives an extended epilogue at the end. Yes, I know I'm greedy, but I do love knowing how the characters are getting on at some point in the future. I won't share any spoilers, but I'm happy with how it ends!
Extremely well written, with no editing or grammatical errors that disrupted my reading flow; this book was a smooth read from start to finish. Absolutely recommended by me.
* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book, and my comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
Jordan Ford has managed to write Chloe to perfection. I was a little bit worried from the first two books that she would by 'too' sweet, but instead, she comes across as naive but strong. Vincent is her perfect foil, and does what he can to protect her, even taking physical beatings to keep someone away from her. The storyline that has spread across all three books comes to a close here, and it was the most brilliant ending. It didn't go the way I thought at all, but once I read it, I couldn't envisage it any other way. Max and Maddie don't feature as much in this book, not until the end. We still have parts that overlap with other books, but it is totally from Chloe and Vincent's perspective.
Also, Jordan Ford has once again given me smiles, when she gives an extended epilogue at the end. Yes, I know I'm greedy, but I do love knowing how the characters are getting on at some point in the future. I won't share any spoilers, but I'm happy with how it ends!
Extremely well written, with no editing or grammatical errors that disrupted my reading flow; this book was a smooth read from start to finish. Absolutely recommended by me.
* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book, and my comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
Merissa (12066 KP) rated Blue Blood (Series of Blood #3) in Books
Aug 14, 2017
Blue Blood (Series of Blood #3) by Emma Hamm
Blue Blood is the third book in the Series of Blood, and this time it is Jasper's story. We reunite with him after the battle that took place at the end of Red Blood (Lyra's story), and he is locked in an iron cage. This doesn't sit with well with our 6ft plus hero, and he is determined not to show any fear to his captors. Kudos to him, because I would have! He finds out that he is caged next to a lovely young woman called Ella, who houses a Unicorn. Ella helps him every way she can, but she can do nothing when Malachi shows up with a job for Jasper to do. You know things won't go according to Jasper's plan, but he has to try. He ends up rescuing Mercy, although he is not sure what sort of rescue it is when she simply gets transferred from one cage to another. Along their adventure, you meet a multitude of amazing characters that will tug at your heart strings and provide some lighthearted moments that are needed in contrast to the torment that Mercy is going through. No one ever said love was easy, but this is ridiculous!
I would say that this is definitely the darkest book so far, and it is certainly a HFN ending. I don't even know if Jasper will get his HEA, given the circumstances! I won't say anything else, as I don't want to spoil it, but I really can't wait to see where this story is going to go! With cameos from previous characters, plus meeting the new ones, there is plenty going on. Plus Pitch makes his usual appearance (still love this dude!) and helps in his own inimitable way.
With plenty of action and a storyline darker than the previous books, this was the complete page-turner. Both Jasper and Mercy are amazing characters, fully rounded and intriguing. There were no editing or grammatical errors that disrupted my reading flow, the pace was smooth, the story excellent. All in all, I have no hesitation in highly recommending this book, and the series.
* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book, and my comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
I would say that this is definitely the darkest book so far, and it is certainly a HFN ending. I don't even know if Jasper will get his HEA, given the circumstances! I won't say anything else, as I don't want to spoil it, but I really can't wait to see where this story is going to go! With cameos from previous characters, plus meeting the new ones, there is plenty going on. Plus Pitch makes his usual appearance (still love this dude!) and helps in his own inimitable way.
With plenty of action and a storyline darker than the previous books, this was the complete page-turner. Both Jasper and Mercy are amazing characters, fully rounded and intriguing. There were no editing or grammatical errors that disrupted my reading flow, the pace was smooth, the story excellent. All in all, I have no hesitation in highly recommending this book, and the series.
* A copy of this book was provided to me with no requirements for a review. I voluntarily read this book, and my comments here are my honest opinion. *
Merissa
Archaeolibrarian - I Dig Good Books!
graveyardgremlin (7194 KP) rated Outside In (Insider, #2) in Books
Feb 15, 2019
***Possible spoiler alert concerning <b>Inside Out</b>***
<b>2.5 stars</b>
A rather disappointing end to the duet after the very enjoyable first book, [b:Inside Out|7059135|Inside Out (Insider, #1)|Maria V. Snyder|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1327883282s/7059135.jpg|6662880]. Suffering from too many subplots that connected to the central story, the book just had too much going on. Each subplot that popped up was quickly taken care of in order to move on to the next scene and felt like the author was going down a checklist, "Okay, that's done, on to the next." It just wasn't very smooth at all. Most of the action was indicative of Chicken-with-its-head-cut-off Syndrome (yes, I did just make that up), so there was way too much confusion and running around, and I wanted it to slow. The. Heck. Down. This lead to my confusion of what in the world was going on, because I couldn't visualize much at all. The more hectic the story became, the more sketchy the details were. Not a good thing to do as an author. Since there was a lot more action than interaction this installment, the characters suffered and I found I didn't care for anyone at all or what happened to them, even Trella. While this book started off well enough, it quickly became more of a chore than a joy to read, and unfortunately, there was more tell than show in the writing. A very weak ending to what was a fun and exciting story arc. As I'm sure there isn't going to be another book in this series, there are many questions left dangling that should have been answered. Like who are the "Insiders" really, where are they from, what are they, who are the "Outsiders," etc., etc. I wasted time reading two books and am left without a real ending explaining most everything, if not all. One of the worst aspects about this sequel was the missed potential. It was already there but it was left ignored. The author would have done better to have created a slow, tension-filled build-up than the fast-paced mess of running around here, there, and everywhere, that ultimately was a big let-down and a disservice to the plot and characters.
<b>2.5 stars</b>
A rather disappointing end to the duet after the very enjoyable first book, [b:Inside Out|7059135|Inside Out (Insider, #1)|Maria V. Snyder|http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1327883282s/7059135.jpg|6662880]. Suffering from too many subplots that connected to the central story, the book just had too much going on. Each subplot that popped up was quickly taken care of in order to move on to the next scene and felt like the author was going down a checklist, "Okay, that's done, on to the next." It just wasn't very smooth at all. Most of the action was indicative of Chicken-with-its-head-cut-off Syndrome (yes, I did just make that up), so there was way too much confusion and running around, and I wanted it to slow. The. Heck. Down. This lead to my confusion of what in the world was going on, because I couldn't visualize much at all. The more hectic the story became, the more sketchy the details were. Not a good thing to do as an author. Since there was a lot more action than interaction this installment, the characters suffered and I found I didn't care for anyone at all or what happened to them, even Trella. While this book started off well enough, it quickly became more of a chore than a joy to read, and unfortunately, there was more tell than show in the writing. A very weak ending to what was a fun and exciting story arc. As I'm sure there isn't going to be another book in this series, there are many questions left dangling that should have been answered. Like who are the "Insiders" really, where are they from, what are they, who are the "Outsiders," etc., etc. I wasted time reading two books and am left without a real ending explaining most everything, if not all. One of the worst aspects about this sequel was the missed potential. It was already there but it was left ignored. The author would have done better to have created a slow, tension-filled build-up than the fast-paced mess of running around here, there, and everywhere, that ultimately was a big let-down and a disservice to the plot and characters.
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Jessica - Where the Book Ends (15 KP) rated Harp's Song (Harp's Song, #1) in Books
Jan 30, 2019
***I received this book in exchange for an honest review ***
Harp's Song is a beautifully written breathtaking account of a young girl named Harp and her story of coming to terms with the abuse she suffered at the hands of her mother as well as first love.
When we first meet Harp she is a bit of a band geek who just so happens to be best friends with the high school jock Connor. Connor and Harp have been friends through thick and thin, and really Connor and his mom Catherine are the only people that know about the truth surrounding Harp's home life. Harp isn't part of any social group at school really, and her main focus is to play her Cello and to get out of Iowa, away from her mom, and to music school.
Harp's mother has always been lacking in the motherly department. She is constantly verbally abusing Harp and a couple of times even physically abusing her. Harp just knows she doesn't deserve the life that's been dealt to her and she has to get out. The way this book is written is that instead of having your typical chapters, the author uses them as a countdown to graduation. It's a very different approach to take and I love the way the author uses her "chapters" as a timeline for the reader. It helps you immerse yourself in the story even more. Not only that but your senior year I bet you counted down the days too, I know I did.
Connonr lets it slip that he wants to be more than friends with Harp, and how he's cared about her for so long. He doesn't want to see anything bad happen to her, and what he really wants is to do nothing but protect her. For the most part their relationship is comfortable and easy for them until Vincent shows up, and he becomes a snag in an otherwise smooth relationship. Connor perseveres and swears his love to Harp.
These characters are so beautifully written and so vibrant that I feel as though I know them outside of their pages. Harp's story is one that rips your heart out, and then replenishes your faith in humanity, and along the way raises awareness about abuse (both verbal and physical).
If you haven't read Harp's Song yet, or if you're debating about possibly reading it, let me do you a solid... Read it... I'm begging you. You won't be sorry. This story is both beautiful and poignant. This book will definitely make my top list of the year, maybe even ever. Bravo Cassie Shine, bravo!
Harp's Song is a beautifully written breathtaking account of a young girl named Harp and her story of coming to terms with the abuse she suffered at the hands of her mother as well as first love.
When we first meet Harp she is a bit of a band geek who just so happens to be best friends with the high school jock Connor. Connor and Harp have been friends through thick and thin, and really Connor and his mom Catherine are the only people that know about the truth surrounding Harp's home life. Harp isn't part of any social group at school really, and her main focus is to play her Cello and to get out of Iowa, away from her mom, and to music school.
Harp's mother has always been lacking in the motherly department. She is constantly verbally abusing Harp and a couple of times even physically abusing her. Harp just knows she doesn't deserve the life that's been dealt to her and she has to get out. The way this book is written is that instead of having your typical chapters, the author uses them as a countdown to graduation. It's a very different approach to take and I love the way the author uses her "chapters" as a timeline for the reader. It helps you immerse yourself in the story even more. Not only that but your senior year I bet you counted down the days too, I know I did.
Connonr lets it slip that he wants to be more than friends with Harp, and how he's cared about her for so long. He doesn't want to see anything bad happen to her, and what he really wants is to do nothing but protect her. For the most part their relationship is comfortable and easy for them until Vincent shows up, and he becomes a snag in an otherwise smooth relationship. Connor perseveres and swears his love to Harp.
These characters are so beautifully written and so vibrant that I feel as though I know them outside of their pages. Harp's story is one that rips your heart out, and then replenishes your faith in humanity, and along the way raises awareness about abuse (both verbal and physical).
If you haven't read Harp's Song yet, or if you're debating about possibly reading it, let me do you a solid... Read it... I'm begging you. You won't be sorry. This story is both beautiful and poignant. This book will definitely make my top list of the year, maybe even ever. Bravo Cassie Shine, bravo!
Heather Cranmer (2721 KP) rated If You Find Me in Books
Jun 6, 2018
(This review can be found on my blog <a href="http://themisadventuresofatwentysomething.blogspot.com/">The (Mis)Adventures of a Twenty-Something Year Old Girl</a>).
I read about this book from a blog, and I was intrigued. I knew this was one book I had to read. When I found out I had won a copy through a blog competition, I was thrilled! Luckily, I wasn't disappointed with If You Find Me by Emily Murdoch. I absolutely loved the plot twists!!
Carey is a fifteen year old girl who lives in the middle of the woods. Her mother is a meth addict, so she's left Carey alone to fend for herself and to take care of her 6 year old sister Janessa. When Carey and her sister are taken from all they've ever known and thrust into "normal" life, Carey doesn't know if she'll be able to cope. However, the "normal" world will make her question everything she's ever known especially when it comes to her mother.
I just want to say that the title of this book is actually mentioned in the book! Aside from that, the title does suit the book very well. Carey seems lost all throughout the book so the title fits with the theme.
I like the cover for the most part although I would've preferred to see maybe a dirty Carey instead of a normal looking teenage girl. I do enjoy the woods in the background especially since that's where Carey was raised.
As for the world building, I think it was good, but it could've been more believable. The way Carey spoke was a little too polished for what I would imagine a girl who grew up away from civilization to speak. I know that it mentions how Carey taught her and her sister to read and such from books her mother brought home, but still. I also thought Carey started speaking "normally" all too soon. Perhaps that's just me since I've never grown up away from civilization.
The pacing was great in If You find Me. It did start off a bit slow, and I was wondering if I was just in for one big disappointment. I was lucky because the pacing picked up within the next couple of chapters, and I was in for one smooth ride. I couldn't put the book down after that.
The characters were very well developed, and I found myself relating to all of them as best as my experience would let me. I loved Carey and how strong she was after how much she had endured. I thought Janessa was just the sweetest little girl. I could feel how much she loved Carey and how much Carey loved her. Delaney was written as a great mean girl. I found myself wanting to slap her so many times throughout the book!! Ryan was adorable, and I loved how he treated Carey. My favorite character though was Pixie. She was the best friend I wished I had. I absolutely loved her dress sense as well!
As for the dialogue, I loved Carey's internal monologue the most. I loved reading about what she thought and felt about everything. The way the characters interacted with each other was never awkward at all. The whole dialogue ran smoothly. I don't really remember any swearing in this book either.
The only disappointing thing I found was the ending. It left me wanting to know what ever became of Carey after the big reveal. I don't want to go into details due to spoilers, but if you read it, you'll know what I mean.
If You Find Me by Emily Murdoch is an easy and enjoyable read that will leave readers thinking about it long after they've finished reading it. It is a very thought provoking piece of literature.
I'd recommend this book to everyone aged 13+ who wants to read something stimulating!
If You Find Me by Emily Murdoch gets a 4.5 out of 5.
I read about this book from a blog, and I was intrigued. I knew this was one book I had to read. When I found out I had won a copy through a blog competition, I was thrilled! Luckily, I wasn't disappointed with If You Find Me by Emily Murdoch. I absolutely loved the plot twists!!
Carey is a fifteen year old girl who lives in the middle of the woods. Her mother is a meth addict, so she's left Carey alone to fend for herself and to take care of her 6 year old sister Janessa. When Carey and her sister are taken from all they've ever known and thrust into "normal" life, Carey doesn't know if she'll be able to cope. However, the "normal" world will make her question everything she's ever known especially when it comes to her mother.
I just want to say that the title of this book is actually mentioned in the book! Aside from that, the title does suit the book very well. Carey seems lost all throughout the book so the title fits with the theme.
I like the cover for the most part although I would've preferred to see maybe a dirty Carey instead of a normal looking teenage girl. I do enjoy the woods in the background especially since that's where Carey was raised.
As for the world building, I think it was good, but it could've been more believable. The way Carey spoke was a little too polished for what I would imagine a girl who grew up away from civilization to speak. I know that it mentions how Carey taught her and her sister to read and such from books her mother brought home, but still. I also thought Carey started speaking "normally" all too soon. Perhaps that's just me since I've never grown up away from civilization.
The pacing was great in If You find Me. It did start off a bit slow, and I was wondering if I was just in for one big disappointment. I was lucky because the pacing picked up within the next couple of chapters, and I was in for one smooth ride. I couldn't put the book down after that.
The characters were very well developed, and I found myself relating to all of them as best as my experience would let me. I loved Carey and how strong she was after how much she had endured. I thought Janessa was just the sweetest little girl. I could feel how much she loved Carey and how much Carey loved her. Delaney was written as a great mean girl. I found myself wanting to slap her so many times throughout the book!! Ryan was adorable, and I loved how he treated Carey. My favorite character though was Pixie. She was the best friend I wished I had. I absolutely loved her dress sense as well!
As for the dialogue, I loved Carey's internal monologue the most. I loved reading about what she thought and felt about everything. The way the characters interacted with each other was never awkward at all. The whole dialogue ran smoothly. I don't really remember any swearing in this book either.
The only disappointing thing I found was the ending. It left me wanting to know what ever became of Carey after the big reveal. I don't want to go into details due to spoilers, but if you read it, you'll know what I mean.
If You Find Me by Emily Murdoch is an easy and enjoyable read that will leave readers thinking about it long after they've finished reading it. It is a very thought provoking piece of literature.
I'd recommend this book to everyone aged 13+ who wants to read something stimulating!
If You Find Me by Emily Murdoch gets a 4.5 out of 5.
BookInspector (124 KP) rated The Belles: The Belles Book 1 in Books
Sep 24, 2020
The protagonist of this novel is Camellia, she is one of few Belles, who has the ability to make people beautiful by altering their bodies, from hair colour to bone structure. Being favourite is the ultimate goal of all Belles. They get recognition and exceptional treatment from the government. When Camellia arrives at the palace, one of her main tasks is to treat royals, and especially, to help princess Sophia, who is an absolute nightmare…
I really enjoyed, how the author picked the characters for this book. She offered a very wide variety to choose from, levelling the balance between positive and negative ones. All the characters have a unique set of characteristics that make this book very diverse and colourful. My favourite character was, of course, Camellia, as a reader I really got to know her personality, her thoughts and wishes, and I think she is a really nice girl, however, she is too weak to be a lead rebel, she needs more fire in her. My least favourite was, of course, Sophia, she is psychotic and an absolute nutter.
The narrative is told from Camellia’s perspective, and I did miss the input from other characters. I think it would’ve been more exciting if there would’ve been Sophia’s thoughts as well. It was a quite slow burner for me, to be honest, the transition between chapters was not very smooth and it did lack pace and adventure. The Belles sometimes felt like plastic surgeons or beauticians, I would’ve liked to see more magic or some unexpected powers. It kind of felt like an introduction to something, because not many things were happening throughout this book. In this novel author is praising women, the country is run by women, and some of the characters are even indulged in lesbian relationships. 🙂
The setting of this novel was absolutely amazing. The author wrote down the surroundings so detailed, that my imagination was working overtime. I would absolutely love to see this book on screen, I think the characters, dresses, atmosphere, all the things and buildings would look amazing in the Netflix series. It sounds so magical and absolutely stunning when you read it. The chapters were pretty short, and the language used was easy to read. I could feel this french breeze from time to time as well, especially with some of the product or food names… The ending was very exciting, and after reading this book, I hope that the second part will bring more adventure and that Camellia will deserve to be the rebel of this series.
So, to conclude, it is an interesting story, filled with very unique characters, and if you like books about beauty and evil princesses, I think you might quite enjoy this read.
I really enjoyed, how the author picked the characters for this book. She offered a very wide variety to choose from, levelling the balance between positive and negative ones. All the characters have a unique set of characteristics that make this book very diverse and colourful. My favourite character was, of course, Camellia, as a reader I really got to know her personality, her thoughts and wishes, and I think she is a really nice girl, however, she is too weak to be a lead rebel, she needs more fire in her. My least favourite was, of course, Sophia, she is psychotic and an absolute nutter.
The narrative is told from Camellia’s perspective, and I did miss the input from other characters. I think it would’ve been more exciting if there would’ve been Sophia’s thoughts as well. It was a quite slow burner for me, to be honest, the transition between chapters was not very smooth and it did lack pace and adventure. The Belles sometimes felt like plastic surgeons or beauticians, I would’ve liked to see more magic or some unexpected powers. It kind of felt like an introduction to something, because not many things were happening throughout this book. In this novel author is praising women, the country is run by women, and some of the characters are even indulged in lesbian relationships. 🙂
The setting of this novel was absolutely amazing. The author wrote down the surroundings so detailed, that my imagination was working overtime. I would absolutely love to see this book on screen, I think the characters, dresses, atmosphere, all the things and buildings would look amazing in the Netflix series. It sounds so magical and absolutely stunning when you read it. The chapters were pretty short, and the language used was easy to read. I could feel this french breeze from time to time as well, especially with some of the product or food names… The ending was very exciting, and after reading this book, I hope that the second part will bring more adventure and that Camellia will deserve to be the rebel of this series.
So, to conclude, it is an interesting story, filled with very unique characters, and if you like books about beauty and evil princesses, I think you might quite enjoy this read.
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