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3.54 AVERAGE
3.54 AVERAGE
emotional
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Too much backstop. Will go back with more patience
Felicia Grossman is a gifted writer. Honestly, my favorite part of this was the historical context. I learned a lot about the Jewish experience in 19th-Century England—especially from the Author’s Note! A romance that tackles antisemitism, assimilation and class struggles is certainly an interesting read. It was also very steamy. My favorite tidbit had to be the Pena/dad relationship, they were together, right?! I also enjoyed the nod to my favorite fairytale, Cinderella—down to the mice!
Read to 50%. This was a fantastically crafted story from the perspective of integrating infrequently-covered communities in a historical romance setting. Unfortunately the combination of "will they won't they" and eventual closed-door activities made it not a winner for me. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the free advance copy.
slow-paced
Do I usually reach for Cinderella retellings? No. Do I usually reach for retellings with a regency romance twist? Also no, however- I will be reaching for them way more often now. Felicia Grossman, may I just say Im very surprised. Honestly I didn't even put it together that retellings really were a thing for regency and now I'm going to need you to just go down the list and release more ASAP.
See, while the plot did get frustrating for me at points mainly due to the drawn out 'set-up'- that's probably a me and pacing issue? I adore the premise and it held my attention. I'm a sucker for regency romance and this checked all the boxes for what I enjoy when in the genre. The only box I'm missing is I was genuinely a little surprised at the very tame spice (or lack of for my taste). It's a brilliant storyline and these characters really drive home the show- seriously, tell me the mice couldn't carry the entire thing on their own, I dare you.
See, while the plot did get frustrating for me at points mainly due to the drawn out 'set-up'- that's probably a me and pacing issue? I adore the premise and it held my attention. I'm a sucker for regency romance and this checked all the boxes for what I enjoy when in the genre. The only box I'm missing is I was genuinely a little surprised at the very tame spice (or lack of for my taste). It's a brilliant storyline and these characters really drive home the show- seriously, tell me the mice couldn't carry the entire thing on their own, I dare you.
I love a good retelling and found Marry Me by Midnight to be a really creative and interesting set up. Take Cinderella but make the heroine Jewish, the one seeking a spouse, rich, and feminist. I loved this idea and was drawn in by the beginning of the story. Isabelle is looking for a husband to help save her family business and will host three “balls” to help her find a husband that will be worthy of representing the legacy her father left behind. It’s a tale as old as time; she meets a custodian whom she asks to help find her match, but falls for him instead.
I wanted to like this so much, but struggled to connect to Isabelle. Aaron was the more likable character, yet the position he was put in made him seem cagey and frustrated and wouldn’t allow him to be the type of hero he deserved. The romantic tension between Aaron and Isabelle worked really well, but I just couldn’t help but feel that Aaron was being a bit used. The story suffered from some pacing issues. I found myself not very interested in the other possible matches for Isabelle, but when I got to her scenes with Aaron, I wanted them to last longer. As far as retellings go, this still gets an A+ for effort because I’ve never read anything quite like it—I just think it didn’t have my favorite types of characters. I received an advanced copy from the publisher. All opinions are my own.
3.5 ⭐️
I wanted to like this so much, but struggled to connect to Isabelle. Aaron was the more likable character, yet the position he was put in made him seem cagey and frustrated and wouldn’t allow him to be the type of hero he deserved. The romantic tension between Aaron and Isabelle worked really well, but I just couldn’t help but feel that Aaron was being a bit used. The story suffered from some pacing issues. I found myself not very interested in the other possible matches for Isabelle, but when I got to her scenes with Aaron, I wanted them to last longer. As far as retellings go, this still gets an A+ for effort because I’ve never read anything quite like it—I just think it didn’t have my favorite types of characters. I received an advanced copy from the publisher. All opinions are my own.
3.5 ⭐️
Admittedly, I am not a fan of fairy-tale reimaginings, but this one comes with a twist. In this take on Cinderella the prince is actually a Jewish heiress that must arrange a marriage in order to protect her interest in her deceased father's surety company. Cinderfella, Aaron, is a custodian at the synagogue who she hires to find background information on possible suitors. I enjoyed the setting in the historical Jewish quarter of London. However, the pacing was off in many ways, there were way too many repetitive discussions of her plans and very little action for most of the book. I often felt bored with all the discussions of possible suitors with no corresponding action by Aaron which would show how he got the information. Then the action picks up at almost breakneck speed towards the end. Overall, I liked how everything got resolved to the inevitable "happily ever after".
adventurous
hopeful
informative
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes