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joannagalaska's review against another edition
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
melanietalksbooks's review against another edition
2.0
The entire book was childish. The main character was a bully who couldn’t let go. The victim had been 17 when she did a mean prank, what was the mc’s excuse? I was bullied and when the author wrote “there would be no bullies if kids stood up to them” let me tell you, the kids who get punched and thrown in the trash by an entire sports team who are made of bigger and stronger kids would disagree. I didn’t find anything overly offensive and the book was boring, hence why I didn’t give it one star and instead two stars. If the mystery would have been a little harder to figure out, I would have given it 3 stars. I won’t be reading the next book in the series, unless I can get it free at the library.
emilyyyytug's review against another edition
mysterious
2.75
I wanted to like this. But Kate was a bore and kind of looked down at her closest friend's life.
And the bullying was kind of unbelievable. In the way that, I just don't buy that no one would have just told Cordelia to eff off. She had no power over anyone except for that one guy.that one guy she was blackmailing and helped her steal the letter and embezzle
So there was no reason for people to react the way they did around her.
Spoiler for who killed Cordelia:
it was the librarian who was so mad about Cordelia teasing her for being single and librarian. Which was true.... and librarian was doing nothing to change her life, and her life wasn't bad to begin with.
I also didn't care for the professor guy. Literally every other side character was more interesting. Lisabeth, the detective, Nell and her FBI bf, and the grad student. Even the lawyer ex was more interesting than the professor. The professor was like a piece of cardboard comparatively.
ALSO Kate seriously says at one point that she doesn't know much about the civil war but all wars are tragic. ??? That line should have been cut.
And the bullying was kind of unbelievable. In the way that, I just don't buy that no one would have just told Cordelia to eff off. She had no power over anyone except for that one guy.
So there was no reason for people to react the way they did around her.
Spoiler for who killed Cordelia:
I also didn't care for the professor guy. Literally every other side character was more interesting. Lisabeth, the detective, Nell and her FBI bf, and the grad student. Even the lawyer ex was more interesting than the professor. The professor was like a piece of cardboard comparatively.
ALSO Kate seriously says at one point that she doesn't know much about the civil war but all wars are tragic. ??? That line should have been cut.
melanietalksbooks's review against another edition
2.0
The entire book was childish. The main character was a bully who couldn’t let go. The victim had been 17 when she did a mean prank, what was the mc’s excuse? I was bullied and when the author wrote “there would be no bullies if kids stood up to them” let me tell you, the kids who get punched and thrown in the trash by an entire sports team who are made of bigger and stronger kids would disagree. I didn’t find anything overly offensive and the book was boring, hence why I didn’t give it one star and instead two stars. If the mystery would have been a little harder to figure out, I would have given it 3 stars. I won’t be reading the next book in the series, unless I can get it free at the library.
cynthiaspaperbackheart's review against another edition
1.0
Is two stars too generous? The more I think about this book, the angrier I get. Kate is probably the most annoying, condescending, snob of a character I have ever read. All she did the entire book was (in her inner monologue) make fun of those who stayed in her hometown and look down on her "best" friend Lisbeth.
And the beef that this MC had with the person who was murdered was so dumb - HIGH SCHOOL WAS LIKE 15 PLUS YEARS AGO, GET OVER IT.
The only part I even remotely enjoyed of this was the historical aspect and even that was patchy at best. There were so many contradictions throughout the story and if you think about it too much the whole thing just crumbles. Also, why in the freaking world did everything have to be spoon-fed to our MC, you literally grew up in this town, and yet you remember NOTHING. Is this town freaking Derry from IT? Like, what is going on?????
The number of times I heard "no one knows what they made in the old factory in town" was ASTRONOMICAL. You're going to the library and doing research, if it was that prevalent to you, you should have searched it up. Or ask the "aging" library who is all of TWO YEARS older than you. You're in your 30s for Pete's sake!!!!!
DID I MENTION HOW RUDE OUR MAIN CHARACTER IS?
I think I just talked myself into one star.
And the beef that this MC had with the person who was murdered was so dumb - HIGH SCHOOL WAS LIKE 15 PLUS YEARS AGO, GET OVER IT.
The only part I even remotely enjoyed of this was the historical aspect and even that was patchy at best. There were so many contradictions throughout the story and if you think about it too much the whole thing just crumbles. Also, why in the freaking world did everything have to be spoon-fed to our MC, you literally grew up in this town, and yet you remember NOTHING. Is this town freaking Derry from IT? Like, what is going on?????
The number of times I heard "no one knows what they made in the old factory in town" was ASTRONOMICAL. You're going to the library and doing research, if it was that prevalent to you, you should have searched it up. Or ask the "aging" library who is all of TWO YEARS older than you. You're in your 30s for Pete's sake!!!!!
DID I MENTION HOW RUDE OUR MAIN CHARACTER IS?
I think I just talked myself into one star.
jenna4789's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
caitkom's review against another edition
4.0
This was a great start to a new series. Kate Hamilton left her hometown of Ashboro, MD after a humiliating senior year in high school involving her boyfriend and her arch nemesis. She moved to Baltimore and started managing a boutique hotel. Everything is going great until her high school best friend shows up and tells her that Ashboro is in trouble and she may be the only one to save it. She agrees to come for the weekend to meet with the town council but later that day finds out the hotel is being bought out by a foreign investor and her services are no longer needed. So she heads to Ashboro to see what's going on and ends up stumbling across the body of her arch nemesis.
I enjoyed this book. It was a good mix of modern and historical fiction and the character development moved along nicely.
I enjoyed this book. It was a good mix of modern and historical fiction and the character development moved along nicely.
jeneessa's review against another edition
2.0
The idea of the story and the incorporation of post-civil war history was interesting; however, the writing itself was difficult to get through. The story was too long due to the main character rambling and reviewing the same thoughts over and over, even the other characters yell at her to stop talking and get into action. Yes there was a murder at the mansion, but the story was overshadowed by the idea to revitalize the town, the murder was an afterthought and the ending felt a little rushed and disappointing. There were a few editing mistakes of spelling, some of the information was inconsistent and contradicted later in the story. I just felt confused and bored most of the story.
nursenell's review against another edition
4.0
Good escape reading during this time of sheltering at home. The story drew me in, as most of Sheila’s books do. Kate Hamilton, who manages a high end hotel in Baltimore, is contacted by a high school friend in a nearby small Maryland town, to pay a visit to see if she has any innovative ideas on what to do about the empty mansion of Henry Barton, a post Civil War industrialist. Kate coincidently had just learned her hotel had been bought out and she was being replaced so she agrees to come. What’s mot to like about an old Victorian house, which has a college professor of history as its caretaker, and an unexplored attic full of trunks and boxes of old letters. When Kate’s nemesis from high school turns up murdered on the front porch there is no shortage of suspects.
I did think the scenes where Kate questions the suspect about why he was prowling in the attic in the middle of the night somewhat unrealistic. I am not sure someone who has been embezzling money would just come forth with all the details and not put up any struggle at all. I also don’t think the murder suspect would do the same, no matter how nice Kate was.
I learned that Clara Barton was not only known for her nursing in the Civil War and founding the Red Cross after but that she also, almost single handedly in the days before databases, searched for missing soldiers who had not come home after the war.
I did think the scenes where Kate questions the suspect about why he was prowling in the attic in the middle of the night somewhat unrealistic. I am not sure someone who has been embezzling money would just come forth with all the details and not put up any struggle at all. I also don’t think the murder suspect would do the same, no matter how nice Kate was.
I learned that Clara Barton was not only known for her nursing in the Civil War and founding the Red Cross after but that she also, almost single handedly in the days before databases, searched for missing soldiers who had not come home after the war.
asanford's review against another edition
4.0
Fun new series by Ms Connolly. And it has Nell Pratt and James in it for their expertise. I really enjoy the good clean fun that is Ms Connolly’s style. Each series is fun and has a pg rated romance.