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kayedacus's review
5.0
This was the hardest book for me to write---I'd sold the Great Exhibition series solely for money to live on. I had almost no passion for this story from the moment of conception to the moment I finally forced myself to finish writing it so I could turn the manuscript in. Although I was unemployed and relying on the money at the time I signed the contract, by the time I had to start writing it, I was already working full-time in my new career in higher education. So what I lacked in passion for it when I conceived the idea, became a resentment of it when I had to start (and continue) writing it.
But write it I did. And finish it.
And the only time I ever saw it after turning in the manuscript was when I received the line edits back. I went through and looked only at the editor's comments, making the suggested changes to scenes and characters. But I never read all the way through the manuscript again. I was finished with it. Done.
Then, the publisher announced, a couple of months before the release of this book, that they were discontinuing their retail fiction line. I was let out of my contractual obligation for the planned third book in the series. WHAT A RELIEF! Because if I resented this second book, I hated everything about the third one.
Because of the layoff of the fiction editorial staff and the transition in personnel, I never got to see a galley of this book---which means that I never had the opportunity to read it in its final form.
Until now.
First, let me say that my copy editor, Kathy Ide, is probably the best editor working today. This was the cleanest text I've read in . . . ever, and that includes all of my other books and everyone else's that I read. And that's one of the primary reasons that I never went back and reread this manuscript in the editing stage---because I knew how wonderful she is and that she'd make the prose shine. Thanks, Kathy!
Second, let me be perfectly honest and say that I completely agree with everyone who has expressed disappointment that the Great Exhibition doesn't have more prominence in this (or the previous) story. I'd done so much research on it and was continually doing more---especially about how the Australians formed their committee and got their goods to London for display at the GE---that I felt like it had more of a front-and-center presence in the story. But, now, going back after more than 18 months and having "fresh eyes" to see it through, I realize just how much I left out and how much more I could have included.
I also felt like I was really mean to Edith in the ending---yet when I re-read it, I felt like I let her off too easily. Hmmm . . . again, probably my perception of what I was thinking versus what I actually put in words on the page.
Even though I don't plan on revisiting this storyworld or these characters any time soon, there are several characters I would like to go back and revisit someday. Maybe.
That said, I'm so glad I re-read this because aside from all of my emotional and mental baggage associated with the writing of this book, I'd forgotten just how much I'd come to love Caddy and Neal, and it was fun, even as their creator, to be able to come back to their story after forgetting as much of it as I was able, and experience them falling in love all over again.
But write it I did. And finish it.
And the only time I ever saw it after turning in the manuscript was when I received the line edits back. I went through and looked only at the editor's comments, making the suggested changes to scenes and characters. But I never read all the way through the manuscript again. I was finished with it. Done.
Then, the publisher announced, a couple of months before the release of this book, that they were discontinuing their retail fiction line. I was let out of my contractual obligation for the planned third book in the series. WHAT A RELIEF! Because if I resented this second book, I hated everything about the third one.
Because of the layoff of the fiction editorial staff and the transition in personnel, I never got to see a galley of this book---which means that I never had the opportunity to read it in its final form.
Until now.
First, let me say that my copy editor, Kathy Ide, is probably the best editor working today. This was the cleanest text I've read in . . . ever, and that includes all of my other books and everyone else's that I read. And that's one of the primary reasons that I never went back and reread this manuscript in the editing stage---because I knew how wonderful she is and that she'd make the prose shine. Thanks, Kathy!
Second, let me be perfectly honest and say that I completely agree with everyone who has expressed disappointment that the Great Exhibition doesn't have more prominence in this (or the previous) story. I'd done so much research on it and was continually doing more---especially about how the Australians formed their committee and got their goods to London for display at the GE---that I felt like it had more of a front-and-center presence in the story. But, now, going back after more than 18 months and having "fresh eyes" to see it through, I realize just how much I left out and how much more I could have included.
I also felt like I was really mean to Edith in the ending---yet when I re-read it, I felt like I let her off too easily. Hmmm . . . again, probably my perception of what I was thinking versus what I actually put in words on the page.
Even though I don't plan on revisiting this storyworld or these characters any time soon, there are several characters I would like to go back and revisit someday. Maybe.
That said, I'm so glad I re-read this because aside from all of my emotional and mental baggage associated with the writing of this book, I'd forgotten just how much I'd come to love Caddy and Neal, and it was fun, even as their creator, to be able to come back to their story after forgetting as much of it as I was able, and experience them falling in love all over again.
pixieauthoress's review
4.0
Caddy Bainbridge runs a seamstress shop in a relatively rough area of Oxford, supporting her elderly mother and training up a team of apprentices from the local workhouse. In spite of her location, her deft with a needle has gained the attention of several local aristocratic women, allowing Caddy to expand her business and appeal to both upper and working class women. Caddy longs to visit London during the Great Exhibition in order to see the latest fashions and fabrics from around the world, but this dream will only come true if she can save enough money to afford the trip. Oliver Carmichael, the son of one of Caddy’s clients, might be able to provide passage to London, and entertainment once she makes her way there, but is he the kind of man she can trust? Rumour has it that Oliver is actually betrothed to Edith Buchanan—although he certainly doesn’t act like it. Caddy is equally unlikely to place her trust in Neal Stadbroke, the new doctor in town who appears to be hiding a secret or two of his own. But when Caddy’s mother falls ill, Neal is the only one she can trust to help restore her mother’s help. A series of unfortunate events draw Caddy and Neal closer together, but will they allow their past secrets to continue to haunt their present and spoil their future together?
Back in April, I devoured the first novel in this series, Follow the Heart. Exploring a previously unknown topic in British history—the Great Exhibition—while delving into the upstairs/downstairs relationships I love so much in Downton Abbey, with the addition of American characters, the book was a perfect fit for me. And while An Honest Heart wasn’t quite as compelling as its predecessor, it still continued many of the elements I had loved about Follow the Heart. The contrast between Edith and Oliver’s aristocratic, privileged lives—full of intrigue and social politics—and the day-to-day problems of Caddy and Neal’s lives made for a fascinating read, especially when these two worlds unexpectedly intercepted with one another.
Although I vaguely recalled Caddy’s character from the previous book in the series, I had mistakenly assumed that this novel would be set after the ending of Follow the Heart. I was pleasantly surprised to find that An Honest Heart ran parallel to Follow the Heart. I’ve never come across this concept before, and Kaye executed it perfectly. It was fascinating to see the events of the first novel through the eyes of Edith and Oliver—especially as Edith had been previously cast as a rather villainous character. Although she was still a rather unsympathetic character, I didn’t envy her position in society, especially her need to find a rich husband and not be overshadowed by her cousin and sisters. As much as I’d love to dress in one of Caddy’s beautiful creations, I wouldn’t want the drama that comes with a social position like Edith’s.
As with the previous book, An Honest Heart shed light on many of the issues facing women in this time period—both young and old, rich and poor. Perhaps I’m noticing this more because I spent my last year of university studying a vast array of literature and history from a feminist perspective, but it appears that more Christian authors are exploring some of the unjust social situations women faced in historical periods. Even little remarks—like the fact that Caddy is unable to defend a friend in a court of law because she is a woman—serve as much needed reminders that Caddy and women like her faced much larger problems than deciding which man they should marry.
That’s not to say that there isn’t any romance in this book. Neal Stadbroke is an appealing hero from the first moment he’s introduced, from his offer to teach a local boy how to read to him pretending not to notice Caddy’s mother’s match-making attempts. He felt real, which is the best compliment I can give a romantic hero. Caddy is also an incredibly admirable character, and I’d love to have her as a friend. Her interactions with her young apprentices and her mother made for some very touching and amusing moments. These aren’t characters you’re going to forget in a hurry.
My main gripe with the romance in this novel is that the conflict felt drawn out. Caddy and Neal are constantly thrown together by circumstances involving their friends, Caddy’s mother and her shop, but they keep denying their attraction to each other because of mysterious secrets that they can’t bear to reveal. Honestly, there was so much hype about Neal’s secret that I was almost kind of disappointed when I realised what it was because I’d been half-expecting something much darker or heavier. I won’t deny that Neal’s secret brought up some interesting, often-forgotten issues from this time period. Caddy’s secret was a lot simpler, and revolved around a lack of trust. I don’t think I would have minded either Caddy or Neal’s individual conflicts if they’d been presented on their own, but given that both of them were being held back by secrets and a lack of trust, it made the conflict feel a little repetitive. I’m not a fan of conflicts that revolve around something that could easily be communicated and cleared up, but if this doesn’t bother you, it might not hold you back from enjoying this part of the novel.
Although I’m pleased with the way Kaye represented the difficulties facing women in this time period, there was one sensitive issue that I felt was skimmed over. I don’t want to spoil this book for any potential readers, but there is a very brief scene in which a female character is nearly assaulted. She never talks to anyone about the incident, and on the one occasion that she thinks about it, she dismisses the thought easily. While women definitely did not get the support in this time period that they do today after an attempted rape occurs—especially when the man concerned was of a higher social standing—I couldn’t help but wish that this issue hadn’t been brushed away so quickly. Regardless of the time period, it’s not easy to just get over such an incident. I felt this situation could have been dealt with more sensitively.
While Caddy and Neal didn’t engage me quite as much as the characters in the previous Great Exhibition novel, the historical accuracy and realism in this novel made for a compelling read. Although B&H are discontinuing their Fiction line after April 2014, I do hope that Kaye Dacus gets the chance to continue this series.
Review title provided by B&H.
Back in April, I devoured the first novel in this series, Follow the Heart. Exploring a previously unknown topic in British history—the Great Exhibition—while delving into the upstairs/downstairs relationships I love so much in Downton Abbey, with the addition of American characters, the book was a perfect fit for me. And while An Honest Heart wasn’t quite as compelling as its predecessor, it still continued many of the elements I had loved about Follow the Heart. The contrast between Edith and Oliver’s aristocratic, privileged lives—full of intrigue and social politics—and the day-to-day problems of Caddy and Neal’s lives made for a fascinating read, especially when these two worlds unexpectedly intercepted with one another.
Although I vaguely recalled Caddy’s character from the previous book in the series, I had mistakenly assumed that this novel would be set after the ending of Follow the Heart. I was pleasantly surprised to find that An Honest Heart ran parallel to Follow the Heart. I’ve never come across this concept before, and Kaye executed it perfectly. It was fascinating to see the events of the first novel through the eyes of Edith and Oliver—especially as Edith had been previously cast as a rather villainous character. Although she was still a rather unsympathetic character, I didn’t envy her position in society, especially her need to find a rich husband and not be overshadowed by her cousin and sisters. As much as I’d love to dress in one of Caddy’s beautiful creations, I wouldn’t want the drama that comes with a social position like Edith’s.
As with the previous book, An Honest Heart shed light on many of the issues facing women in this time period—both young and old, rich and poor. Perhaps I’m noticing this more because I spent my last year of university studying a vast array of literature and history from a feminist perspective, but it appears that more Christian authors are exploring some of the unjust social situations women faced in historical periods. Even little remarks—like the fact that Caddy is unable to defend a friend in a court of law because she is a woman—serve as much needed reminders that Caddy and women like her faced much larger problems than deciding which man they should marry.
That’s not to say that there isn’t any romance in this book. Neal Stadbroke is an appealing hero from the first moment he’s introduced, from his offer to teach a local boy how to read to him pretending not to notice Caddy’s mother’s match-making attempts. He felt real, which is the best compliment I can give a romantic hero. Caddy is also an incredibly admirable character, and I’d love to have her as a friend. Her interactions with her young apprentices and her mother made for some very touching and amusing moments. These aren’t characters you’re going to forget in a hurry.
My main gripe with the romance in this novel is that the conflict felt drawn out. Caddy and Neal are constantly thrown together by circumstances involving their friends, Caddy’s mother and her shop, but they keep denying their attraction to each other because of mysterious secrets that they can’t bear to reveal. Honestly, there was so much hype about Neal’s secret that I was almost kind of disappointed when I realised what it was because I’d been half-expecting something much darker or heavier. I won’t deny that Neal’s secret brought up some interesting, often-forgotten issues from this time period. Caddy’s secret was a lot simpler, and revolved around a lack of trust. I don’t think I would have minded either Caddy or Neal’s individual conflicts if they’d been presented on their own, but given that both of them were being held back by secrets and a lack of trust, it made the conflict feel a little repetitive. I’m not a fan of conflicts that revolve around something that could easily be communicated and cleared up, but if this doesn’t bother you, it might not hold you back from enjoying this part of the novel.
Although I’m pleased with the way Kaye represented the difficulties facing women in this time period, there was one sensitive issue that I felt was skimmed over. I don’t want to spoil this book for any potential readers, but there is a very brief scene in which a female character is nearly assaulted. She never talks to anyone about the incident, and on the one occasion that she thinks about it, she dismisses the thought easily. While women definitely did not get the support in this time period that they do today after an attempted rape occurs—especially when the man concerned was of a higher social standing—I couldn’t help but wish that this issue hadn’t been brushed away so quickly. Regardless of the time period, it’s not easy to just get over such an incident. I felt this situation could have been dealt with more sensitively.
While Caddy and Neal didn’t engage me quite as much as the characters in the previous Great Exhibition novel, the historical accuracy and realism in this novel made for a compelling read. Although B&H are discontinuing their Fiction line after April 2014, I do hope that Kaye Dacus gets the chance to continue this series.
Review title provided by B&H.
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