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3.61 AVERAGE
3.61 AVERAGE
I’ve read this before and want to read the rest
Of the series but it was years ago, so I needed a refreshing. I’m glad I did because I found out I liked it more reading t a second time.
Of the series but it was years ago, so I needed a refreshing. I’m glad I did because I found out I liked it more reading t a second time.
dnf 19%
very repetitive plot-wise. We get it - she's in love with her dead husband, likes ancient Greek stuff, and forgeries exist.
very repetitive plot-wise. We get it - she's in love with her dead husband, likes ancient Greek stuff, and forgeries exist.
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
I love a good historical mystery but I found [b:And Only to Deceive|288159|And Only to Deceive (Lady Emily, #1)|Tasha Alexander|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1442540514l/288159._SY75_.jpg|806780] fair-to-middling. Perhaps it had to do with the first person tense. The bulk of the story was told from Lady Emily Ashton’s POV; from her brief marriage to her new found freedom while still a member of nobility.
I enjoyed the setting of the story; it oozed the Victorian era. I looked forward to reading Philip’s brief excerpts at the beginning of each chapter. It was a chance to read his POV before and after their marriage. They provided an interesting filler.
Sadly, I found Emily’s mother irritating; her constant criticisms were annoying at best. The reason for Philip’s death was murky until almost the end. And there was a long buildup that caused me to struggle with the plot.
Lastly, there was Emily. We were never told her age except that she had her debut with her first season. Since she was married and widowed soon after that, I assumed 19-20 years old. She was a fickle character both in temperament and how she spoke. Other than that, I can’t put my finger on why I never warmed up to her.
Once the entire cast of [b:And Only to Deceive|288159|And Only to Deceive (Lady Emily, #1)|Tasha Alexander|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1442540514l/288159._SY75_.jpg|806780] was introduced, I was hoping for a page turner with some nail-biting moments. If there was excitement, it was lost on me. Instead, this story was a civilized sedative.
2.5 stars
I enjoyed the setting of the story; it oozed the Victorian era. I looked forward to reading Philip’s brief excerpts at the beginning of each chapter. It was a chance to read his POV before and after their marriage. They provided an interesting filler.
Sadly, I found Emily’s mother irritating; her constant criticisms were annoying at best. The reason for Philip’s death was murky until almost the end. And there was a long buildup that caused me to struggle with the plot.
Lastly, there was Emily. We were never told her age except that she had her debut with her first season. Since she was married and widowed soon after that, I assumed 19-20 years old. She was a fickle character both in temperament and how she spoke. Other than that, I can’t put my finger on why I never warmed up to her.
Once the entire cast of [b:And Only to Deceive|288159|And Only to Deceive (Lady Emily, #1)|Tasha Alexander|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1442540514l/288159._SY75_.jpg|806780] was introduced, I was hoping for a page turner with some nail-biting moments. If there was excitement, it was lost on me. Instead, this story was a civilized sedative.
2.5 stars
Another book with less investigative detective work than the genre categorizing would imply. Although I did enjoy it, it just wasn't as impactful as I had hoped it would be. Fingers crossed that future installments focus a bit more on the actual mystery. Although, I totally relate to the main character's emotional struggles. We do idealize the dead, and I often feel more affection for people once they've passed; but, that's the price we pay when we are no longer confronted with someone's flaws. We sanitize our memories.
adventurous
informative
lighthearted
mysterious
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Except for one brief red herring, I could see the ending coming from a mile away. Still, an enjoyable read.
This started off promising. I don't know if I was just not in the proper frame of mind but it became all too predictable. I liked it. I may even recommend it as a beach read but not much more than that...
I forgot I read this book and picked it up randomly at the library. Sometimes I do that and I read the book again and love it, nope this time I had the same feeling as I had the first time... not going to read anymore Tasha Alexander books. Unless of course randomly picking up books from the libary and the cover catches my attention. Those crafty covers!
I forgot I read this book and picked it up randomly at the library. Sometimes I do that and I read the book again and love it, nope this time I had the same feeling as I had the first time... not going to read anymore Tasha Alexander books. Unless of course randomly picking up books from the libary and the cover catches my attention. Those crafty covers!
Actual rating 3.5 stars
This isn't the first Lady Emily book I read, since I read all the ones I had in the library first before buying this one on Kindle. Unfortunately, this was not my favourite. I'm not sure whether it's because I knewColin had nothing to do with Phillip's death and was actually the good guy but I found myself getting very impatient with the plot and Emily herself. It was fairly easy to guess who the villain of the story was and when that happened, there was still 30% of the plot left and it dragged a little.
Emily becomes a widow very soon after she is married and isn't too upset about it at first considering she didn't particularly know her husband all that well, it was just a chance to move away from her domineering mother. Through her late husband's diary entries she finds herself falling in love with him, though I wasn't entirely sure why considering Philip talked about Ancient Greece, hunting and how pretty Lady Emily is, nothing particularly groundbreaking. If Emily had been mourning for the lost potential of their marriage, losing Philip before she had even gotten to know him, I would have found that more believable than her mourning a man from his diary entries.
This isn't my favourite of the Lady Emily series but I liked it well enough and I look forward to book 2!
This isn't the first Lady Emily book I read, since I read all the ones I had in the library first before buying this one on Kindle. Unfortunately, this was not my favourite. I'm not sure whether it's because I knew
Emily becomes a widow very soon after she is married and isn't too upset about it at first considering she didn't particularly know her husband all that well, it was just a chance to move away from her domineering mother. Through her late husband's diary entries she finds herself falling in love with him, though I wasn't entirely sure why considering Philip talked about Ancient Greece, hunting and how pretty Lady Emily is, nothing particularly groundbreaking. If Emily had been mourning for the lost potential of their marriage, losing Philip before she had even gotten to know him, I would have found that more believable than her mourning a man from his diary entries.
This isn't my favourite of the Lady Emily series but I liked it well enough and I look forward to book 2!
3.5 stars - a nice cozy historical mystery with a widow trying to figure out what her deceased husband was up to and who is responsible for the art forgery/burglaries happening. Our main character Emily is also captivated by Homer as I can attest to having happened this year for #greekathon.