Review: The Buchanan Girls

 

Title: The Buchanan Girls

Author: Emily Madden

Publisher: 1st September 2021 by Harlequin Australia, HQ & MIRA

Pages: 400 pages

How I Read It: ARC book

Genre: historical fiction, romance

My Rating: 5 cups

Synopsis:

A sweeping family saga about betrayal, forgiveness and the cost of love.

Sydney, 1941: Olive and Ivy may be identical twins, but they couldn't be more different. While Olive is focused on marrying a man appropriate to her station, Ivy wants to do more, to be more. Joining the Australian Women's Service Army is the perfect chance for her to escape her family obligations and make a real difference in the world. She doesn't expect serving her country to lead to romance ... or devastating betrayal and unthinkable grief.

As the war progresses, both Olive and Ivy find themselves wanting the same thing: for their loves to return safely. But neither of the Buchanan girls is ready for what the future has in store for them.

Sydney, 2008: Escaping her husband's betrayal and an impossible personal loss, Madeline returns home to Sydney to nurse her broken heart. As she settles into her new routine, it's too easy to consider never returning to New York and her old life. But her husband won't give up on what they have so easily, and Madeline can't ignore his messages reminding her of why they fell in love in the first place. With her grandmother's support, Madeline has to decide if forgiveness means reconciliation. But is the biggest betrayal yet to come?

My Thoughts

‘Will the truth destroy her, or set her free?’

Emily Madden has done it again! I raved about her previous books and once again she has produced an absolutely stunning story. The Buchanan Sisters is a tale of epic proportions, a family saga detailing the story of twin sisters with the themes of war and sacrifice, betrayal and forgiveness.

‘Australia may have entered the war with her sons, but it was becoming clear that it was up to her daughters to help her pull through.’

A dual time narrative set in both 1941 and 2008 I loved and lost myself in the historical aspect of the story, yet at the same time, enjoyed and sympathised with the contemporary tale. It takes a great author to cleverly meld two timelines and Emily’s finesse as a writer is evident to all as she deftly weaves and brings them together resulting in both tears and smiles. 

‘She inhaled deeply and gathered the strength to slip into the past, just one last time.’

This is a truly heart-wrenching tale, one that I will definitely revisit. My heart was full of the characters, their friendships and relationships. The story of Ivy and Olive, twins so very different and with dreams that would never go to plan. This is such quality historical fiction as Emily draws the reader into her characters with the events and the attitudes of the era combining for dramatic effect. One cannot help but become a part  of their story and, whether you see it coming or not, an ending that will leave you breathless. 

‘He held his breath then. He had meant every word. And now there was nothing more to do, nothing more to say, except wait and hope.’

The Buchanan Girls is an exceptional novel, there is just so much to love here that I cannot recommend it highly enough to people who love a story rich in drama, history and romance. So do yourself a favour and read some of Emily’s books, you won’t be disappointed. 

‘She didn’t know what their future held, what it looked like, or if she was making a big mistake. But what she did know was that not taking a risk … may yield greater regret.’

This review is based on a complimentary copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. The quoted material may have changed in the final release.

Review: The Book of Speculation by Erika Swyler

Title: The Book of Speculation
Author: Erika Swyler
Publisher:  St. Martin's Press (June 25, 2015)
ISBN: 9781250054807

Pages: 352 pages

How I Read It: eARC

Genre: historical fiction, magical realism, mystery
My Rating: 1.5 cups 

Synopsis:

A sweeping and captivating debut novel about a young librarian who is sent a mysterious old book, inscribed with his grandmother's name. What is the book's connection to his family?

Simon Watson, a young librarian, lives alone on the Long Island Sound in his family home, a house perched on the edge of a cliff that is slowly crumbling into the sea. His parents are long dead, his mother having drowned in the water his house overlooks. His younger sister, Enola, ran off to join the circus six years ago.

One June day, an old book arrives on Simon's doorstep. Fragile and water damaged, the book is a log from the owner of a traveling carnival in the 1700s, who reports strange and magical things-including the drowning death of a circus mermaid. Since then, generations of "mermaids" in Simon's family have drowned-always on July 24, which is only weeks away.

As his friend Alice looks on with alarm, Simon becomes increasingly worried about his sister. Could there be a curse on Simon's family? What does it have to do with the book, and can he stop it in time to save Enola?

The Book of Speculation is Erika Swyler's gorgeous and moving debut, a wondrous novel about the power of books, family, and magic.

My Thoughts:

The Book of Speculation seemed to have all the makings of my kind of book. The description sounded perfect - "a wondrous novel about the power of books, family, and magic" (check); it included a dual narrative (check); and it promised to combine my favorite genres of historical fiction, magical realism, and mystery (check, check, and check). So how did this book tick all these boxes and still fail to 'wow' me? Good question. I'm not entirely sure I can express it exactly, but I will do my best to explain.

The beginning was promising as the author set up the past and present storylines and introduced the characters. However, it quickly became apparent that things were going nowhere fast. Though not a particularly long book, it began to feel like one because the pacing is so incredibly slow. I was never drawn in and immersed in the story, and the narrative frequently felt dry and dull. This is not one of those books that demands you keep reading. Frankly, I was bored much of the time and easily able to set this book aside.

Not surprisingly, as it involves traveling circus/carnival performers, most of the characters are intended to come across as a bit odd or quirky. Instead, they seem flat and one-dimensional, especially the main character of Simon, and I was unable to connect or empathize with them. The cast in the historical portion of the novel is slightly more engaging than that of the modern timeline, but only to a minor degree, and even they lack real depth. Although we are told the characters feel certain things, those feelings and the relationships between the characters did not resonate with me. To be honest, I simply wasn't invested enough in any of these characters to care what became of them.

The premise for the mystery was intriguing and held great potential but completely failed in the execution, in my opinion. I could see the direction everything was heading pretty early on, and the way the two timelines eventually intersected felt contrived and more convenient than I would have liked. Rather than crafting a cleverly interwoven tale in which the pieces of the puzzle are gradually unearthed and slip together, the author gives us dumps of information from Simon's research (or the conclusions he jumps to without any clear basis in the story) that allow her to merely tell us how the various dots connect. And yet, even with all the info dumping, the mystery is still never delved into fully - certain aspects of it are never explained at all, while the ones that are don't entirely make sense or satisfy. Ultimately we are left with many remaining questions and only superficial, if any, answers.

Based on reviews, there are a number of other readers who enjoyed this book. Unfortunately, the storytelling here just did not work for me. I wanted to love this book, but instead found myself disappointed, underwhelmed, and drowning in the tedium of it, just as the 'mermaids' in the story drowned in the watery depths.

  "I was hoping for a bit of happy providence and now I can't help thinking I've opened Pandora's Box."

This review is based on a complimentary copy from the publisher provided through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. The quoted material may have changed in the final release.

Review: The Silver Witch by Paula Brackston

Title: The Silver Witch
Author: Paula Brackston
Publisher:  Thomas Dunne Books (April 21, 2015)
ISBN: 9781250028792

Pages: 320 pages

How I Read It: eARC

Genre: fiction, fantasy, paranormal, historical fiction
My Rating: 1.5 cups 

Synopsis:

A year after her husband's sudden death, ceramic artist Tilda Fordwells finally moves into the secluded Welsh cottage that was to be their new home. She hopes that the tranquil surroundings will help ease her grief, and lessen her disturbing visions of Mat's death. Instead, the lake in the valley below her cottage seems to spark something dormant in her - a sensitivity, and a power of some sort. Animals are drawn to her, electricity shorts out when she's near, and strangest of all, she sees a new vision; a boatful of ancient people approaching her across the water.

On this same lake in Celtic times lived Seren, a witch and shaman. She was respected but feared, kept separate from the community for her strange looks. When a vision came to her of the Prince amid a nest of vipers she warned of betrayal from one of his own. Prince Brynach both loved and revered her, but could not believe someone close to him wished him harm, even as the danger grew.

In her own time, Tilda's grief begins to fade beside her newfound powers and a fresh love. When she explores the lake's ancient magic and her own she discovers Seren, the woman in her vision of the boat. Their two lives strangely mirror each other's, suggesting a strong connection between the women. As Tilda comes under threat from a dark power, one reminiscent of Seren's prophecy, she must rely on Seren and ancient magic if death and disaster are not to shatter her life once more.

My Thoughts:

I had wanted to read one of Paula Brackston's 'witch books' for some time, so when this one became available I was eager to dig in. This book is quite slow to start, and while Brackston is a very descriptive writer, those descriptions get extremely repetitive and redundant through the course of this tale. Over and again we are given detailed accounts of the lake, the flora and fauna, the weather, Tilda's running preferences, albinism, etc. - to the point it seems as though nothing much actually happens until well over halfway into the book:

"Although it is late in the year, it is the weekend, and plenty of people have taken the opportunity to come down to the lake. The little car park is nearly full, and the bicycle racks bristle with mountain bikes and racers, their riders sitting nearby to eat their lunches, or wandering closer to the shore to view the lake. There is a family of swans being fed by some walkers, their cygnets grown large but still sporting some of their grubby brown feathers. Pushy mallards waddle onto the small tarmac quay in the hope of sandwich crusts or maybe the stub of an ice-cream cone. A harassed woman shepherds her own brood of young children away from the water’s edge, luring them toward the café with the promise of hot dogs. A party of teenage canoeists busy themselves unloading their boats from a trailer."

It sets the scene, certainly, but the level of detail is simply too much, in my opinion, and I found myself skimming these sections more often than not. Excess words spent on these endless descriptions could have been better applied to character development and plot instead, as both feel rather superficial and contrived. Once the action does finally start, there are far too many convenient coincidences to be believed, and some things are never adequately explained at all. I much preferred the past portion of the dual narrative over the modern day story, and did find the Celtic history of the area quite interesting. However, even that storyline lacks depth overall.

Given all that, this would have been a 'middle of the road' read for me had it not gone entirely off the rails at the end. I won't give any spoilers, but the culminating events, particularly the final 'showdown' with the baddie, are so eye-rollingly ridiculous they had me cringing. Sadly, my favorite thing about this book is the gorgeous cover, and that is not enough to recommend it.

 

This review is based on a complimentary copy from the publisher provided through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. The quoted material may have changed in the final release.

Review: Ember Island by Kimberley Freeman

Title:  Ember Island

Author: Kimberley Freeman

Publisher:  April 15th 2014 by Touchstone

ISBN: 1476743509 (ISBN13: 9781476743509)

Pages:  448 pages

How I Read It: ebook ARC

Genre: historical fiction, romance, womens' fiction

Find it at Goodreads

Synopsis:

In a compelling, complex story from the bestselling author of Wildflower Hill and Lighthouse Bay, two women separated by a century discover long-buried secrets in an Australian manor house. In 1891, Tilly, a recently married young English woman, is reeling with shock and guilt after her tempestuous marriage ends in horrific circumstances on the remote Channel Islands. Determined to get as far from England as she can, she takes on a new identity and a job on Ember Island in Moreton Bay, Australia, where she becomes the governess to a prison superintendent’s young daughter, Nell. Tilly fights her attraction to the superintendent, Sterling Holt, and befriends one the few female inmates, Hettie Thorpe, and a dangerous relationship develops. She doesn’t know that Nell is watching her every move and writing it all down, hiding tiny journals all over Starwater, her rambling manor home.

More than 100 years later, bestselling novelist Nina Jones is struggling with writer’s block and her disappointing personal life. Her poet boyfriend has recently broken up with her, and a reporter who is digging into her past insists on speaking to Nina about her great-grandmother, Nell. There are some secrets Nina may no longer be able to hide. Retreating to Starwater, she discovers Nell’s diary pages hidden in the old walls and becomes determined to solve the mystery. Though Tilly and Nina are separated by many years, Starwater House will change both their lives.

Deeply affecting and beautifully written, Ember Island is a sweeping novel of secrets, second chances, and learning to trust your heart.

Our thoughts:

Given the many positive reviews of her work, and always on the lookout for new (to us) authors who write in dual timelines, we had been looking forward to reading our first Kimberley Freeman novel for some time. When we saw the synopsis for this upcoming release, we thought this would be the perfect opportunity to give one of her books a try.

Regrettably, it was not as impressive as we had hoped. The book feels poorly constructed. It begins by introducing not two, but three different tales, which do eventually weave together as the book progresses. However, until they start to interconnect, we found the three open storylines to be a bit unwieldy and quite difficult to follow.

Nina's story in 2012 seems completely unnecessary. She is an annoying character and adds little to the overall narrative other than serving as a means to reveal portions of Nell's story from the 1890s. Tilly's story, also set in the 1890s, is more interesting, with a definite Jane Eyre feel to it. Unfortunately, however, this portion of the tale is overstated and overly drawn out, spending far too many pages simply plodding along, with the plot going nowhere fast. At this point in the book, we felt so frustrated with Tilly and her foolishness we would have loved to give her a good shake!

The romances, past and present, are not handled terribly well. They feel less like actual romance and more like overactive hormones on the part of the female characters! It seems this book could have benefited greatly from heavier editing to eliminate some of these issues and to pare down the unnecessary content.

Our interest was piqued a bit more when Nell and Tilly's tales finally intersect near the middle of the book, but both the past and modern storylines play out in such predictable and simplistic fashion, with all loose ends tied up much too quickly and neatly, that we felt disappointed in this book overall.

Our Rating