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3.79 AVERAGE
3.79 AVERAGE
Really enjoyed this one. Jumped back and forth between past and present until the stories collided. Well done!
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Quite a few people recommended I try a Fiona Davis book or two because she writes the sort of historical fiction books that I like best: dual timelines, based on and researched of a person or place, with notes at the end telling just how much of the story is true or not. When there was a Kindle Deal for The Magnolia Palace a while back, I grabbed it and finally got around to reading it. I was not disappointed.
I liked both timelines but appreciated Lillian’s more. Veronica’s fell a little flat for me, but not enough to think that this was a bad book. It was still compelling, and the solving a mystery in a historical setting was a bonus. I’ll definitely be visiting more Fiona Davis books in my future.
Quite a few people recommended I try a Fiona Davis book or two because she writes the sort of historical fiction books that I like best: dual timelines, based on and researched of a person or place, with notes at the end telling just how much of the story is true or not. When there was a Kindle Deal for The Magnolia Palace a while back, I grabbed it and finally got around to reading it. I was not disappointed.
I liked both timelines but appreciated Lillian’s more. Veronica’s fell a little flat for me, but not enough to think that this was a bad book. It was still compelling, and the solving a mystery in a historical setting was a bonus. I’ll definitely be visiting more Fiona Davis books in my future.
I couldn’t put this one down. I kept longing to find out how the two stories were connected! Loved the novel.
Every new release from Fiona Davis makes me love her writing more and more! And The Magnolia Palace is no exception. She wove two stories from two different time periods around the Henry Clay Frick’s mansion, family, and art collection in NYC with characters I connected with immediately. One of which was inspired by “America’s first supermodel”, Audrey Munsen, which was a wonderful addition to the mix. I love historical fiction!
adventurous
hopeful
lighthearted
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
adventurous
mysterious
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
Lilly ending up working as a private secretary in a very rich household provided the backdrop for this enjoyable read. There are two related storylines almost 50 years apart which took a while to speed up.
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Didn’t love it, didn’t hate it. I enjoyed a lot of aspects of this book - the detail of the time periods, the mystery, the split timeline. But there were very few characters I actually liked themselves. I didn’t connect with any of them and found myself just wanting to find the answer to the mystery quicker. The ending was very sweet and wholesome though and wrapped everything up very nicely
informative
medium-paced