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waywardskyril's review against another edition
5.0
What a book! The storyline! The plot! The characters! The writing! The humor! The creativity! The history! The awesomeness!!
The main thing I can say negatively about it, is that the ending was too fast! If only it had been drawn out a bit more. :D
This, Love by the Morning Star, was an excellent book.
Ok, now, for those who read the synopsis, I don't believe you can confuse this with being a serious book, but let me tell you right now that it isn't. It's a comedy, a love story perhaps, and it was really done quite marvelously.
Reading the first chapter, I immediately loved two things: the humor, and the writing style. Most of the chapters in this book had me laughing in one way or another, and I haven't had such smoothly humorous story since Skulduggery Pleasant by Derek Landy [my favorite book series ever- so comparing any book to that is saying something]. I wanted to compare the writing style to something, someone, but I don't think there is anyone in the world who writes the way Laura L. Sullivan pulls it off... I'd have to say a mix between... L. A. Meyer and Jane Austen, and amazing combination if you are familiar with both of these authors.
The characters! SUCH characters! They were like real people, and I loved them all! I especially loved, OF COURSE, Hanna, Anna, and Teddy, but everyone in this book [EVERYONE!] has a personality of his own. NO ONE is vanilla. At the end of this review I'll add a quote or two, just so you can see some brilliant examples of this.
The plot! Good heavens! you have never ever seen such a story get so confused! Poor Hannah and Teddy and everyone! Just about everyone thought that someone was somebody other than whoever he was. Expertly and hilariously done, I have never seen a mix up quite like this one.
Such a great story I thoroughly enjoy. Yes, there was some swearing, and Hannah grew up in a cabaret so there were some fairly vague references to things, but obviously, none of that was enough to give this book any less than five stars and promptly add it so my favorites.
Thank you, Goodreads, for giving me an ARC I truly loved.
I recommend this book to all who love comedies, mix ups, love stories, historical fiction, anyone who likes a happy read, and anyone who enjoys excellent books in general. Basically, I recommend this book to everyone.
I'll shall leave you with a few choice quotes to give you an idea of the brilliance of Love by the Morning Star.
“When she walked by the two officers, they didn't recognize her.
"Have you seen the luscious bonbon with the golden braids?"
She grinned up at them with such impish mischief that they almost forgot their quest for the singer. "She is with her lover," Hannah said. "But she can always handle one or two more." She winked at them. "Go there, through that door."
She made her escape while the uniformed hobbledehoys gawked and gaped and finally burst into the dressing room where Franz, the three-hundred-pound juggling strongman, was adjusting his loincloth.
"I ought not do it," Hannah said aloud to herself as chaos erupted behind her. "I just can't seem to help myself."
“Anyone watching her would have thought her cold, indifferent, but this was the only way she knew to tackle her deepest troubles, to shoo them aside as if they were a cloud of summer gnats, and deal with the task at hand brusquely and efficiently. Hannah always thought of it as her mother's Englishness, that ability to equalize problems so that a scuffed shoe and an impending disaster were almost equally distasteful, but both were born with aplomb.”
“Yes, Fraulein,' he said to Hannah. 'How gauche of you to have been born in another county. It is almost a capital offense. Here in this house we believe that one must be severely punished for the happenstance of one's birth.' His face was a jester's mask of mockery, but there was a tightness about his eyes, a tense set to his smile. 'What a dilemma for the English, though- we agree with Germany on so many things, including the patent inferiority of anyone who is not us. Darling Mum, did it ever occur to you that to the rest of the world, we are foreigners?'
'The very idea!' Lady Liripip said with a nervous titter.”
“Anna gave her that disjointed look with which so many people regarded Hannah, as if they has fallen too many words behind to ever catch up.”
I won this in a Goodreads giveaway.
The main thing I can say negatively about it, is that the ending was too fast! If only it had been drawn out a bit more. :D
This, Love by the Morning Star, was an excellent book.
Ok, now, for those who read the synopsis, I don't believe you can confuse this with being a serious book, but let me tell you right now that it isn't. It's a comedy, a love story perhaps, and it was really done quite marvelously.
Reading the first chapter, I immediately loved two things: the humor, and the writing style. Most of the chapters in this book had me laughing in one way or another, and I haven't had such smoothly humorous story since Skulduggery Pleasant by Derek Landy [my favorite book series ever- so comparing any book to that is saying something]. I wanted to compare the writing style to something, someone, but I don't think there is anyone in the world who writes the way Laura L. Sullivan pulls it off... I'd have to say a mix between... L. A. Meyer and Jane Austen, and amazing combination if you are familiar with both of these authors.
The characters! SUCH characters! They were like real people, and I loved them all! I especially loved, OF COURSE, Hanna, Anna, and Teddy, but everyone in this book [EVERYONE!] has a personality of his own. NO ONE is vanilla. At the end of this review I'll add a quote or two, just so you can see some brilliant examples of this.
The plot! Good heavens! you have never ever seen such a story get so confused! Poor Hannah and Teddy and everyone! Just about everyone thought that someone was somebody other than whoever he was. Expertly and hilariously done, I have never seen a mix up quite like this one.
Such a great story I thoroughly enjoy. Yes, there was some swearing, and Hannah grew up in a cabaret so there were some fairly vague references to things, but obviously, none of that was enough to give this book any less than five stars and promptly add it so my favorites.
Thank you, Goodreads, for giving me an ARC I truly loved.
I recommend this book to all who love comedies, mix ups, love stories, historical fiction, anyone who likes a happy read, and anyone who enjoys excellent books in general. Basically, I recommend this book to everyone.
I'll shall leave you with a few choice quotes to give you an idea of the brilliance of Love by the Morning Star.
“When she walked by the two officers, they didn't recognize her.
"Have you seen the luscious bonbon with the golden braids?"
She grinned up at them with such impish mischief that they almost forgot their quest for the singer. "She is with her lover," Hannah said. "But she can always handle one or two more." She winked at them. "Go there, through that door."
She made her escape while the uniformed hobbledehoys gawked and gaped and finally burst into the dressing room where Franz, the three-hundred-pound juggling strongman, was adjusting his loincloth.
"I ought not do it," Hannah said aloud to herself as chaos erupted behind her. "I just can't seem to help myself."
“Anyone watching her would have thought her cold, indifferent, but this was the only way she knew to tackle her deepest troubles, to shoo them aside as if they were a cloud of summer gnats, and deal with the task at hand brusquely and efficiently. Hannah always thought of it as her mother's Englishness, that ability to equalize problems so that a scuffed shoe and an impending disaster were almost equally distasteful, but both were born with aplomb.”
“Yes, Fraulein,' he said to Hannah. 'How gauche of you to have been born in another county. It is almost a capital offense. Here in this house we believe that one must be severely punished for the happenstance of one's birth.' His face was a jester's mask of mockery, but there was a tightness about his eyes, a tense set to his smile. 'What a dilemma for the English, though- we agree with Germany on so many things, including the patent inferiority of anyone who is not us. Darling Mum, did it ever occur to you that to the rest of the world, we are foreigners?'
'The very idea!' Lady Liripip said with a nervous titter.”
“Anna gave her that disjointed look with which so many people regarded Hannah, as if they has fallen too many words behind to ever catch up.”
I won this in a Goodreads giveaway.
kricketa's review against another edition
3.0
a cute historical comedy that somehow failed to really tickle me. there's obvious nods to wodehouse in here which may have raised my expectations too high? fun nonetheless, although i'm not really sure who i'll recommend it to in the teen crowd.
belle18244's review against another edition
4.0
I really liked this book. It reminded me of an Eva Ibbotson book starring Anne Shirley.
ARC provided by Netgalley.
ARC provided by Netgalley.
jessalynn_librarian's review against another edition
4.0
Delightful! Reminiscent of Eva Ibbotson's historical romances, especially A Countess Below Stairs.
couillac's review against another edition
3.0
Sullivan's take on the classic 'mistaken identities switch' set against the backdrop of pre-WWII England is a fluid, enjoyable read. The historical setting, particularly the treatment of the British fascist movement, is not often covered in teen fiction and is a refreshing take on WWII historical fiction for teens. The two female protagonists are easy to differentiate and engaging in different ways. Teen fans of historical fiction and light, classic-feeling romance will take to this one easily.
lostinagoodread's review against another edition
3.0
This review and others can be found on Cozy Up With A Good Read
Well, this was an interesting enough book, but it took me some time to get through everything that was happening. Through an honest mistake two girls seem to get mixed up when they are sent to the same house under different circumstances. There are so many little mistakes that make this book what it is, a cute and funny story about unknown identities.
I really can say that I adored Hannah in this story, she is a cute girl who is very new to this world, and it really shows in the way she acts. What really makes everything in this story is the joy that Hannah brings to everyone around her. Hannah is such an upbeat person, who is always found singing whenever and wherever she can. I enjoy how Hannah just says what is on her mind, she is very open, yet at the same time very naive to what is happening around her. Anna on the other hand is someone who is difficult to like, she seems to be a bit stuck up, but I can see why she is so hardened to the world around her. Anna does not truly understand everything that is happening during the war, and is really only taking cues from those closest to her.
The romance aspect in this book is fun and so cute, I enjoyed how both of these girls fall in love with the same man, and yet their stories are so different. The romance for both of them starts off in a similar way and yet each of them take a different turn, they are always meeting in the dark of night and their discussions are so brilliant and cultured.
Though I could see where things were going with this story, it was enjoyable. One of those books where things just seem to get worse and each mistake leads to another, yet despite these small things there is a good amount of humour to everything that happens, with all the drama you have to have some cuteness added in. I can guarantee this is not a book for everyone but it is a quick read that fans of a writer like Sophie Kinsella will enjoy.
Well, this was an interesting enough book, but it took me some time to get through everything that was happening. Through an honest mistake two girls seem to get mixed up when they are sent to the same house under different circumstances. There are so many little mistakes that make this book what it is, a cute and funny story about unknown identities.
I really can say that I adored Hannah in this story, she is a cute girl who is very new to this world, and it really shows in the way she acts. What really makes everything in this story is the joy that Hannah brings to everyone around her. Hannah is such an upbeat person, who is always found singing whenever and wherever she can. I enjoy how Hannah just says what is on her mind, she is very open, yet at the same time very naive to what is happening around her. Anna on the other hand is someone who is difficult to like, she seems to be a bit stuck up, but I can see why she is so hardened to the world around her. Anna does not truly understand everything that is happening during the war, and is really only taking cues from those closest to her.
The romance aspect in this book is fun and so cute, I enjoyed how both of these girls fall in love with the same man, and yet their stories are so different. The romance for both of them starts off in a similar way and yet each of them take a different turn, they are always meeting in the dark of night and their discussions are so brilliant and cultured.
Though I could see where things were going with this story, it was enjoyable. One of those books where things just seem to get worse and each mistake leads to another, yet despite these small things there is a good amount of humour to everything that happens, with all the drama you have to have some cuteness added in. I can guarantee this is not a book for everyone but it is a quick read that fans of a writer like Sophie Kinsella will enjoy.
rubenstein's review against another edition
5.0
this review will go live on the blog 5/30
Love by the Morning Star is one of those rare books that kept me up far later than I intended and the only way I managed to get ANY sleep that night was to physically force myself to set the book down. Bravo, Ms. Sullivan!
Anna Morgan wants nothing more than to be accepted into the arms of high society. Her father, a mere grocer, has started gaining a following with his political viewpoints and Anna welcomes any and all publicity. She's worked hard to look and sound right and now, as far as anyone's concerned, she can pass for a wealthy young woman. Her dreams collapse however, when she's called upon to take a position at Starkers Castle as a lowly kitchen maid - servants were virtually invisible - and spy on the household, looking for any possible pro-Hitler leanings.
Hannah Morgenstern loves singing and dancing in her family's cabaret. All around them Berlin is falling, and the only reason this particular Jewish family has managed to stay afloat is because Mr. Morgenstern's clientele includes many high-standing politicians and members of the Nazi Party. Their luck could only hold out for so long though, and eventually the Morgensterns make the decision to send Hannah to a relative in England. Lord Liripip had once been married to Mrs. Morgenstern's sister and the family never quite forgave her for running off to Germany to buy a nightclub. Family is family however, and Hannah packs her things.
In a classic case of mistaken identities, Anna is presumed to be the family's niece, while it's Hannah who's sent down to the kitchens. Anna can't believe her good fortune, while Hannah believes her position is Lady Liripip's form of punishment. Add in a few cute boys, a fantastic cast of characters, and an assassination plot and you've got the makings of quite a story!
The more I think about this book, the more I love it! Love by the Morning Star was intriguing, it was surprisingly raunchy in some parts, it was thought-provoking. I'm a big fan of dual narratives and while that's employed to great effect, Hannah is largely the focus. To be honest, that was perfectly fine with me; Anna was insufferable at times and her self-centeredness brought out some woefully pathetic opinions (the poor wouldn't be poor if they just went out and got jobs; some songbirds were too loud - hey! the poor people can be hired to hunt songbirds and maybe make a pretty hat out of the feathers; years before the story takes place she had been in love with a florist, but wouldn't admit it - a girl like her couldn't possibly lower herself to be a florist's wife).
Hannah, on the other hand, was a delight! She was funny, she was cheerful, she took to rambling on and on - sometimes at the most inopportune moments! So many times she wants to leave Starkers, but it's the only place she can receive word of her parents' safety and for that reason alone she's determined to stay.
While the reader knows from the start the two girls aren't who they're supposed to be, the truth doesn't come out until the very end. And I mean very end - and what a reveal it is! I delighted in every minute of that scene. It's all the more confusing when two boys enter the picture: Teddy, their heir to the Liripip fortune (and title), has fallen for the girl he believes is Anna (their meetings have only ever been in the dark, dead of night); and Hardy, the charming gardener. If you're a reader who is not a fan of love triangles, have no fear. While the lines are pretty blurred at times, each person is really in love with only one other...they just might have some trouble figuring out who that person truly is!
Although WWII is looming and Hitler is in full control, this isn't a war novel. Yes, Hannah's family had to flee. Yes, Anna's father has some extremely anti-Semitic views. These very real things don't exactly take a backseat to the novel, but they're also aren't at the forefront. Instead, Love by the Morning Star is a story about two girls who are thrown into positions they weren't quite expecting and how they manage to carry on. It's a shame I haven't seen more buzz about this novel - I absolutely adored it and hope others will do the same! I know this is one I'll be recommending to many people. It has just the right amount of humor and drama to appeal to readers of so many genres: YA, Historical, Romance, War Fiction, character-driven stories, I could go on and on.
Love by the Morning Star is one of those rare books that kept me up far later than I intended and the only way I managed to get ANY sleep that night was to physically force myself to set the book down. Bravo, Ms. Sullivan!
Anna Morgan wants nothing more than to be accepted into the arms of high society. Her father, a mere grocer, has started gaining a following with his political viewpoints and Anna welcomes any and all publicity. She's worked hard to look and sound right and now, as far as anyone's concerned, she can pass for a wealthy young woman. Her dreams collapse however, when she's called upon to take a position at Starkers Castle as a lowly kitchen maid - servants were virtually invisible - and spy on the household, looking for any possible pro-Hitler leanings.
Hannah Morgenstern loves singing and dancing in her family's cabaret. All around them Berlin is falling, and the only reason this particular Jewish family has managed to stay afloat is because Mr. Morgenstern's clientele includes many high-standing politicians and members of the Nazi Party. Their luck could only hold out for so long though, and eventually the Morgensterns make the decision to send Hannah to a relative in England. Lord Liripip had once been married to Mrs. Morgenstern's sister and the family never quite forgave her for running off to Germany to buy a nightclub. Family is family however, and Hannah packs her things.
In a classic case of mistaken identities, Anna is presumed to be the family's niece, while it's Hannah who's sent down to the kitchens. Anna can't believe her good fortune, while Hannah believes her position is Lady Liripip's form of punishment. Add in a few cute boys, a fantastic cast of characters, and an assassination plot and you've got the makings of quite a story!
The more I think about this book, the more I love it! Love by the Morning Star was intriguing, it was surprisingly raunchy in some parts, it was thought-provoking. I'm a big fan of dual narratives and while that's employed to great effect, Hannah is largely the focus. To be honest, that was perfectly fine with me; Anna was insufferable at times and her self-centeredness brought out some woefully pathetic opinions (the poor wouldn't be poor if they just went out and got jobs; some songbirds were too loud - hey! the poor people can be hired to hunt songbirds and maybe make a pretty hat out of the feathers; years before the story takes place she had been in love with a florist, but wouldn't admit it - a girl like her couldn't possibly lower herself to be a florist's wife).
Hannah, on the other hand, was a delight! She was funny, she was cheerful, she took to rambling on and on - sometimes at the most inopportune moments! So many times she wants to leave Starkers, but it's the only place she can receive word of her parents' safety and for that reason alone she's determined to stay.
While the reader knows from the start the two girls aren't who they're supposed to be, the truth doesn't come out until the very end. And I mean very end - and what a reveal it is! I delighted in every minute of that scene. It's all the more confusing when two boys enter the picture: Teddy, their heir to the Liripip fortune (and title), has fallen for the girl he believes is Anna (their meetings have only ever been in the dark, dead of night); and Hardy, the charming gardener. If you're a reader who is not a fan of love triangles, have no fear. While the lines are pretty blurred at times, each person is really in love with only one other...they just might have some trouble figuring out who that person truly is!
Although WWII is looming and Hitler is in full control, this isn't a war novel. Yes, Hannah's family had to flee. Yes, Anna's father has some extremely anti-Semitic views. These very real things don't exactly take a backseat to the novel, but they're also aren't at the forefront. Instead, Love by the Morning Star is a story about two girls who are thrown into positions they weren't quite expecting and how they manage to carry on. It's a shame I haven't seen more buzz about this novel - I absolutely adored it and hope others will do the same! I know this is one I'll be recommending to many people. It has just the right amount of humor and drama to appeal to readers of so many genres: YA, Historical, Romance, War Fiction, character-driven stories, I could go on and on.
holtfan's review against another edition
1.0
If the novel attempted to be more humorous, such as the [a:P.G. Wodehouse|7963|P.G. Wodehouse|https://d.gr-assets.com/authors/1198684105p2/7963.jpg] it frequently mentions, it might have been a great success. However, in reality the characters aren't very deep, the insinuations too mature for a young audience, and the love at first sight to immature for an old audience. Some potential but not enough to make me do any more than shake my head.
maidmarianlib's review against another edition
5.0
Just delightful, the "mistakes" make perfect sense and it's amazing how she can keep it going and believable throughout the whole book. The characters are diverse and fun, each with their own distinct personalities. Note some very mild content and innuendos may not be suitable for all readers.
lilfairy's review against another edition
3.0
This book was pretty good. I know the author was trying to convey to very different characters and how they are really similar but....nevertheless I really didn't like one of the characters! Anna was soooo annoying! Like seriously all she cared about was money and looks. The guy that supposedly likes her...I have no idea what this crush is based on besides LOOKS because they've never talked! Whatever. Hannah was a great chats at and I loved her tenacity and hopefulness she was realistic but still a romantic and she was great. The plot it's self I had a hard time believing. Still a solid entertaining book.