A mixed bag. I can see why these books are published as one; the first felt like an extended summary of a self-insertion romance. A lot of it felt forced, halfhearted, or awkward — too much tell, not enough show. To a modern eye, there‘s some cultural insensitivity.
There‘s also humor, though, and some lyrical descriptions like those in The Secret Garden. The story picks up in the second half, and the intense end turned this into a 4/5, barely.
“The outburst was in fact so strongly italicised that she felt the next moment almost as if she had been a little indecent.” 😆
This book feels a bit like the author phoned it in, but it does have moments here and there. I like that the protagonist is described, in an amusingly writerly way, as someone who speaks (and feels!) in italics.
Maybe I shouldn‘t have started this one right after a Jane Austen ... Who can compete with her for love stories set in England? 😉 But this has been on my TBR for a while, and it was looking at me. So far, I feel like I‘ve read the word “fresh” used to describe people about 20 times (at 28%). Here‘s hoping Part Two is a little less fixated on refreshment...
Seeking help to add to my #persephonebooks collection. I received a 6-month book subscription and I need to pick 6 books! Any suggestions? It‘s so hard to narrow it down! #persephone
pickEmily Fox-Seton is a humble, cheerful creature, so it #cutslikeaknife when she realizes that not everyone has good intentions.
This was initially published as two books. The first is about Emily‘s background and how she comes to marry a lord. The second book is what happens once they are married and she is left alone with the lord‘s conniving heir apparent. The two books were very different but both extremely satisfying.
#timbittunes
#bathandbook tonight with Lord of Misrule from Lush. 🥰
Getting ready for our trip to England in a few weeks by reading another Persephone gem. This one is truly delightful, and I was even more excited once I saw @LeahBergen sing its praises.
Emily Fox-Seton ... | 
