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3.86 AVERAGE
3.86 AVERAGE
emotional
funny
inspiring
reflective
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
medium-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
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
I really enjoyed my time with Like a House on Fire even though I don’t think it is likely to stay with me. I thought the depiction of Merit, a woman who has lost herself to the realities of being a stay-at-home mother, and her joy at finding parts of herself when she returned to work were very relatable. The dynamics of Merit and Cory’s marriage was cleverly captured through the banal everyday details. It felt all too real and relatable. The peek inside the working life of an architect concerned with the preservation of historic buildings was a bonus. I enjoy seeing competent career women in action. I also enjoy older women being featured in romance storylines, so this book gets two ticks in that regard. The infidelity trope didn’t bother me, although I know many readers would rather avoid it. My main issue with this book was the big jump between the final chapter and the epilogue. Lots of interesting, messy stuff obviously occurred and I feel a little cheated that it was all off page, not so much for the drama but for exploration of issues which could have resulted.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Miscarriage
emotional
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
This is a pretty good read, but I felt like the ending was sort of a cop-out. There's an interesting story between the last chapter and the epilogue which the reader doesn't get to see.
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
emotional
funny
hopeful
sad
fast-paced
emotional
reflective
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Trigger Warnings: Sex, cursing, alcohol, past death of a sibling, AIDS, cheating, cancer scare, miscarriage, church, internalized homophobia, drugs, cheating, affair, masturbation, past death of a parent, breast cancer, heart attack, death of a parent, funeral, grief
Representation: Gay, Lesbian
Like a House on Fire is the story of housewife and mother, Merit, who returns to her career despite not working for several years while taking care of her children. Her new boss, Jane, is an attractive older woman who means business and is confident in herself. The two work together and become friends, but soon they are not sure where the line of friendship ends.
This eARC was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
This story is so beautiful! I loved every moment of it! The storyline was slow and sweet, it really made you cherish and rood for these characters. Jane is a woman of the World and “not gay,” while Merit is very straight and in love with her husband. I loved these women so much! I’ve never been either Woman’s shoes, but it was so nice to see older sapphic women being successful and happy in life! We get a more in depth development for Merit because she narrates the story. Her journey through love and loss is inspiring and I am a sucker for a happy ending! My only wish would be for the final chapter to be a more evolved epilogue and more chapters for more happiness! Oh and I have to add that Merit’s college roommate, Cat, appears on like one page and yet I’m still in love with her! She was hilarious!!
Representation: Gay, Lesbian
Like a House on Fire is the story of housewife and mother, Merit, who returns to her career despite not working for several years while taking care of her children. Her new boss, Jane, is an attractive older woman who means business and is confident in herself. The two work together and become friends, but soon they are not sure where the line of friendship ends.
This eARC was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
This story is so beautiful! I loved every moment of it! The storyline was slow and sweet, it really made you cherish and rood for these characters. Jane is a woman of the World and “not gay,” while Merit is very straight and in love with her husband. I loved these women so much! I’ve never been either Woman’s shoes, but it was so nice to see older sapphic women being successful and happy in life! We get a more in depth development for Merit because she narrates the story. Her journey through love and loss is inspiring and I am a sucker for a happy ending! My only wish would be for the final chapter to be a more evolved epilogue and more chapters for more happiness! Oh and I have to add that Merit’s college roommate, Cat, appears on like one page and yet I’m still in love with her! She was hilarious!!
emotional
reflective
medium-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
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
I love when books surprise me. I picked this up on a whim after barely reading the synopsis and was very pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed it. A book on infidelity that felt refreshingly devoid of played-out drama - not in a boring way but in a way that felt nuanced. The ending felt a little bit rushed and was a little disappointing given how I loved the chapter before it. It would have been nice to see exactly how the end came to be. Overall though, a really great read.