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3.69 AVERAGE
3.69 AVERAGE
First, thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for an unbiased review.
I was so excited about the idea of this book, and that’s about where my excitement ended. I liked the storytelling device - letters, emails, etc. but a lot of the rest of it fell flat for me. First of all, some of the very important plot elements are never explained, which is frustrating to the reader. Additionally, I felt like the story was VERY repetitive. I appreciate the epistolary frame, but in this case, it often felt like just listening to people discuss the same thing over and over. I did love some of the characters, and the setting was lovely. Overall, this was a miss for me.
I was so excited about the idea of this book, and that’s about where my excitement ended. I liked the storytelling device - letters, emails, etc. but a lot of the rest of it fell flat for me. First of all, some of the very important plot elements are never explained, which is frustrating to the reader. Additionally, I felt like the story was VERY repetitive. I appreciate the epistolary frame, but in this case, it often felt like just listening to people discuss the same thing over and over. I did love some of the characters, and the setting was lovely. Overall, this was a miss for me.
2.5 stars
I wish I could like this book more. It was very promising and it started in a very intriguing way but then it dragged for a long while and only started picking up its pace again right before the end.
The characters sounded very obnoxious (I can’t tell if this was the way they were written or if it was the narrator or something else) and they didn’t get much better by the end (although there was an improvement). The end itself that I keep talking about, however, was pretty good and redeemed the dragging part of the story for the most part. But the characters and the inaccuracies of some scenes set in the past lowered the final rating.
I’d say this is a book better enjoyed in the written format because listening to an epistolary novel on audiobook took a while to get used to.
I received an audio copy of this book via NetGalley and the publisher. All opinions are my own
I wish I could like this book more. It was very promising and it started in a very intriguing way but then it dragged for a long while and only started picking up its pace again right before the end.
The characters sounded very obnoxious (I can’t tell if this was the way they were written or if it was the narrator or something else) and they didn’t get much better by the end (although there was an improvement). The end itself that I keep talking about, however, was pretty good and redeemed the dragging part of the story for the most part. But the characters and the inaccuracies of some scenes set in the past lowered the final rating.
I’d say this is a book better enjoyed in the written format because listening to an epistolary novel on audiobook took a while to get used to.
I received an audio copy of this book via NetGalley and the publisher. All opinions are my own
I liked reading it well enough, and it had some good moments, but I wouldn’t recommend it. The historical-fiction/time travel romance premise was really intriguing but there wasn’t much pay off, just a half-dozen incredibly convoluted story lines that were never fully fleshed out. The author also heavily relied on telling rather than showing.
As for the protagonists, I disliked both Josie and Elias. Elias turns Josephine (not to be confused with Josie, a different character) into his own 19th century manic pixie dream girl after only meeting her once, and proceeds to spend the rest of the novel obsessing over finding out where she lives and writing letters he doesn’t send about how he’ll never love anyone else, until, out of nowhere, he decides that their love has mended his broken soul and he is now ready to marry a different woman. Yeah..he spends the whole novel acting as if they are dating and then essentially breaks up with her…despite her not ever having agreed to date him because…again…they only met once at a party and he’s just been writing unsent letters to her even since. (Oh and also we’re not even sure Josephine actually exists because she might actually be a different character, Josie, sent from the year 2021. But that’s a whole different can of worms.)
Back on the ranch in 2021, Josie is just a shitty friend. She apologizes TWICE to her friend Faith for being a bad friend and then continues to all but ignore her over and over for the rest of the book. Every time Faith emails her about something important in her life, Josie responds with maybe 2 sentences and then spends the rest of her email talking about Elias. And then, at the book’s end, when we arrive at what I think is supposed to be the book’s main theme (don’t miss out on the love right in front of you by pining after something you’ve built up in your head), there is no realization that Josie has been missing out on Faith’s wonderful friendship while pining after a man who’s been dead 200 years. Instead there is just a forced romance with a neighbor boy who Josie had repeatedly stated she wasn’t interested in. (Similar to how Elias repeatedly expressed a clear lack of interest in the woman he ultimately decided to marry). I guess in this book people just wake up and decide “Today i think I’ll fall deeply in love with this person” and that’s that.
Idk, I really enjoyed some parts of this book. If it had just been all bad I wouldn’t feel so disappointed. But since the author crafted the occasional gem of a quote or idea or thought provoking theme and left them scattered throughout, I just sort of felt disappointed knowing the book had the potential to be something much better.
Ps there’s also a meta novel where Elias writes about himself and Josephine being madly in love despite all odds. That sounds crazy (and it is) but it was also the best part of the book IMO)
As for the protagonists, I disliked both Josie and Elias. Elias turns Josephine (not to be confused with Josie, a different character) into his own 19th century manic pixie dream girl after only meeting her once, and proceeds to spend the rest of the novel obsessing over finding out where she lives and writing letters he doesn’t send about how he’ll never love anyone else, until, out of nowhere, he decides that their love has mended his broken soul and he is now ready to marry a different woman. Yeah..he spends the whole novel acting as if they are dating and then essentially breaks up with her…despite her not ever having agreed to date him because…again…they only met once at a party and he’s just been writing unsent letters to her even since. (Oh and also we’re not even sure Josephine actually exists because she might actually be a different character, Josie, sent from the year 2021. But that’s a whole different can of worms.)
Back on the ranch in 2021, Josie is just a shitty friend. She apologizes TWICE to her friend Faith for being a bad friend and then continues to all but ignore her over and over for the rest of the book. Every time Faith emails her about something important in her life, Josie responds with maybe 2 sentences and then spends the rest of her email talking about Elias. And then, at the book’s end, when we arrive at what I think is supposed to be the book’s main theme (don’t miss out on the love right in front of you by pining after something you’ve built up in your head), there is no realization that Josie has been missing out on Faith’s wonderful friendship while pining after a man who’s been dead 200 years. Instead there is just a forced romance with a neighbor boy who Josie had repeatedly stated she wasn’t interested in. (Similar to how Elias repeatedly expressed a clear lack of interest in the woman he ultimately decided to marry). I guess in this book people just wake up and decide “Today i think I’ll fall deeply in love with this person” and that’s that.
Idk, I really enjoyed some parts of this book. If it had just been all bad I wouldn’t feel so disappointed. But since the author crafted the occasional gem of a quote or idea or thought provoking theme and left them scattered throughout, I just sort of felt disappointed knowing the book had the potential to be something much better.
Ps there’s also a meta novel where Elias writes about himself and Josephine being madly in love despite all odds. That sounds crazy (and it is) but it was also the best part of the book IMO)
This was a great story of two people working through their grief. You see them grow and slowly overcome the darkness in their lives in a realistic way. The story is told through e-mails, texts, letters and a manuscript written by Elias. I would recommend this book to friends. This is one that I think should be taken from the library, though. Unless you plan to display the cover art
Dearest Josephine by Caroline George follows Josie in 2020 who when her father’s will reveals a family-owned property in Northern England, Josie leaves London to find clarity at the secluded manor house. While exploring the estate, she discovers two-hundred-year-old love letters written by an elusive novelist, all addressed to someone named Josephine. And then she discovers a novel in which it seems like she’s the heroine. Meanwhile in 1820, novelist Elias Roch loves a woman he can never be with. Born the bastard son to a nobleman and cast out from society, Elias seeks refuge in his mind with the quirky heroine who draws him into a fantasy world of scandal, betrayal, and unconditional love. Convinced she’s his soulmate, Elias writes letters to her, all of which divulge the tragedy and trials of his personal life.
This book was a little slow at first for me but I quickly got invested in the several timelines and was curious to see how it would all turn out. The modern timeline takes place through emails and text messages which made it a little harder for me to get invested in that time period. Overall, this was a very fun twist on a historical YA novel.
I received this book free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
This book was a little slow at first for me but I quickly got invested in the several timelines and was curious to see how it would all turn out. The modern timeline takes place through emails and text messages which made it a little harder for me to get invested in that time period. Overall, this was a very fun twist on a historical YA novel.
I received this book free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
first reviewed here: https://belovedgraceful-carissasbookshelf.blogspot.com/2021/04/dearest-josephine-by-caroline-george.html
Title: Dearest Josephine
Author: Caroline George
Ch: 29
Pg: 384
Genre: Dual time historical contemporary
Rating: 4.5 stars
Publisher: Thomas Nelson
I’m normally not a fan of books told through letters and emails. But Dearest Josephine I loved and I think that was because of the dual timeline of the novel. You have Josie De Clare in the present trying to figure out life without her dad. And then Elias Roch in the past.
Josie starts to fall in love with him through his letters when she meets Oliver McLaughlin a very real man in the present.
Josie was easy to relate to. Not the whole letter thing but the trying to fugue out life after losing a parent thing. Because it’s something that I’ve dealt with and in some ways still dealing with. All in all Dearest Josephine was an enjoyable read.
I received a copy of this book from the publisher through netgalley. I was not required to write a positive review. All opinions expressed are mine alone.
Title: Dearest Josephine
Author: Caroline George
Ch: 29
Pg: 384
Genre: Dual time historical contemporary
Rating: 4.5 stars
Publisher: Thomas Nelson
I’m normally not a fan of books told through letters and emails. But Dearest Josephine I loved and I think that was because of the dual timeline of the novel. You have Josie De Clare in the present trying to figure out life without her dad. And then Elias Roch in the past.
Josie starts to fall in love with him through his letters when she meets Oliver McLaughlin a very real man in the present.
Josie was easy to relate to. Not the whole letter thing but the trying to fugue out life after losing a parent thing. Because it’s something that I’ve dealt with and in some ways still dealing with. All in all Dearest Josephine was an enjoyable read.
I received a copy of this book from the publisher through netgalley. I was not required to write a positive review. All opinions expressed are mine alone.
challenging
emotional
mysterious
slow-paced
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
emotional
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes