Reviews

Shaken to the Core by Jae

sarah_bell's review against another edition

emotional tense slow-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

3.75

lurker_stalker's review

4.0

3.5 rounded up

Much more of a historical novel than a historical romance but that was okay with me. I never really connected with either MC but did enjoy the earthquake and fire scenes a lot. I felt very much in the locations with them.

I do wish for a novel featuring Lucy though. I love me some Hamiltons!

jfhobbit's review

adventurous emotional funny hopeful informative reflective fast-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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Fire/Fire injury, Gun violence, Blood, Sexism, Injury/Injury detail, Classism, Death, Medical trauma, and Child death

jcurry447's review against another edition

emotional hopeful inspiring tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.5

thisqueerreadstoomuch's review against another edition

adventurous emotional hopeful tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

aljj's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful informative tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.5

This was a trip. I went in blind and it was so off the wall for me. I really enjoted it, even though I enjoyed the plot more than the romance.

mischievous_monkey's review

4.0

What took me so long to read this?! I mean, one of the main characters is a photographer and photography is a passion of mine; and the setting is San Francisco, a city I know and love. Oh yeah, it's because it is historical fiction. Haha.

I don't read a lot of historical fiction because I don't enjoy reading about the trials and tribulations people suffered in the past. I am busy living through my own, thankyouverymuch, and I typically read for pleasure. That said, although there are lots of trials and tribulations in this story (hello, it does take place in 1906 during the earthquake and aftershocks that flattened and burned most of San Francisco and the mains face misogyny, classism, etc.) this story is rather upbeat and inspiring.

The main characters were both really compelling to me and one notable side character almost stole the show.

One thing Jae does consistently well is write highly developed, likable characters. Another is creating settings that enrich the story and have you considering changing your vacation plans so you can visit them. Both talents are firmly on display here.

I could see myself re-listening to this in the future. Not only did I enjoy the story but Samantha Cook did a very good job narrating it.

Other audiobooks I have enjoyed with main characters who are photographers include [b:Shutter|61828036|Shutter|Ramona Emerson|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1659394852l/61828036._SX50_.jpg|93592751] by Ramona Emerson and [b:Delilah Green Doesn't Care|60553552|Delilah Green Doesn't Care (Bright Falls, #1)|Ashley Herring Blake|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1646490485l/60553552._SX50_.jpg|85417216] by Ashley Herring Blake.

Other books set in San Francisco which I have enjoyed include [b:Touchwood|59826305|Touchwood|Karin Kallmaker|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1639528069l/59826305._SX50_.jpg|10694801] by Karin Kallmaker, [b:Adaptation|13614147|Adaptation|Malinda Lo|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1344645474l/13614147._SY75_.jpg|15655850] by Malinda Lo and [b:Wild|23209876|Wild|Meghan O'Brien|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1410697999l/23209876._SX50_.jpg|14141347] by Meghan O'Brien.

lezreadalot's review

4.0

Giuliana’s world had been thoroughly shaken during the last couple of days - literally - but now an unshakable conviction grew inside of her.

Another super emotional slow-burn from Jae that left me utterly satisfied and full of warm happy feelings. I've enjoyed all of her historical romances so much, and I'm sad that she doesn't have any more for me to sink my teeth into. But this was really lovely, a class difference romance that takes place against the backdrop of the 1906 San Francisco earthquake.

This is one of those slow burns that isn't actually really slow. Most of the story takes place over the span of just a month, and within that, a lot of it takes place during the earthquake and the fires that happened in the subsequent days. Kate is the headstrong daughter of a wealthy businessman, and Giuliana is a poor Sicilian immigrant who comes to work for them as a maid; an unlikely pair. But Jae does such a great job of building their characters and motivations, forging an early connection between them, and a really sweet friendship that takes a gradual and realistic turn towards romance. I really love first-love romance stories, especially in historical settings where the characters are unsure of what they're feeling, but it's too strong for them to deny. I also love when romance blossoms amidst trauma and disaster, and this is a great example of that. The characters go through a lot together, so much of it harrowing and fraught with danger, but the romance still feels genuine, not desperate. I just really loved how much they took care of each other, and how much they were willing to put on the line for one another. There are a couple of things that stretch belief, but I was still swept away by it. I don't know much about the actual historical event, but I feel like a huge amount of research went into making this as accurate as possible. There were so many little details that went towards creating the perfect tension and atmosphere, and it all came together beautifully.

Listened to the audiobook as read by Samantha Cook, and I really loved it! I adored how she did Giuliana's voice especially, and the slight, subtle accent. This book just made me so happy. It didn't have the most amazing writing, but it struck me to the core all the same. I absolutely couldn't put it down, and I'm so glad to have read it.

Content warning:

Spoiler

death of a sibling

.

misha_ali's review

5.0

I didn't know much about the San Francisco earthquake but this is obviously very well-researched and grounded (heh) in the real problems and progression of the earthquake's destruction and then the subsequent fires and water shortages. The main characters are also really interesting to follow around, and a wannabe photographer (an unheard of profession for a woman in the times) is an excellent choice as one of the point-of-view characters for this sort of story.

tricia_r's review against another edition

adventurous hopeful slow-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? It's complicated

4.0