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3.53 AVERAGE
3.53 AVERAGE
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I finished this a couple of nights ago but struggled to decide how to rate it.....I’ve plumped for 3* though ideally I’d be giving it a 3.5.
I do enjoy Santa’s writing & she definitely weaves a good yarn. Lovely atmospheric descriptions of Ireland & an interesting tale of love, life and loss through the generations. Despite the good premise & interesting characters I don’t think It lives up to the others of hers I’ve read. This is partly because it was so long & parts of the story became repetitive - Ellen has moved to Ireland to find her long lost family & to write a novel. Simple enough to follow but a fact which is repeated time and time again. Also, so much happens in two weeks it pushes credibility a tad too far for me. The other slight irritation was that at times the dialogue & way Ellen & Conor’s relationship played out hit me as being a direct imitation of another famous novel. I’d happened to have read it recently and checked the dates of publication (this was 3 years later) Its really noticeable if you’ve read both but could just be a coincidence.
However it’s definitely a good read & I am nit-picking.
I miss it now I’ve finished it, always a good sign, and the inclusion of the deceased character, Caitlin, really raises the game & adds an interesting perspective.
I do enjoy Santa’s writing & she definitely weaves a good yarn. Lovely atmospheric descriptions of Ireland & an interesting tale of love, life and loss through the generations. Despite the good premise & interesting characters I don’t think It lives up to the others of hers I’ve read. This is partly because it was so long & parts of the story became repetitive - Ellen has moved to Ireland to find her long lost family & to write a novel. Simple enough to follow but a fact which is repeated time and time again. Also, so much happens in two weeks it pushes credibility a tad too far for me. The other slight irritation was that at times the dialogue & way Ellen & Conor’s relationship played out hit me as being a direct imitation of another famous novel. I’d happened to have read it recently and checked the dates of publication (this was 3 years later) Its really noticeable if you’ve read both but could just be a coincidence.
However it’s definitely a good read & I am nit-picking.
I miss it now I’ve finished it, always a good sign, and the inclusion of the deceased character, Caitlin, really raises the game & adds an interesting perspective.
I loved the setting. It was slow in parts but I will try another by this author. Peg was a great character!
Such a great audio book. I love the narrators Irish accent. I loved the story, the beauty of Ireland, the romance and the Ghost.
DNF at 70%. 300 pages in, the spoiled MC says she wants to be a writer, but instead she sleeps her way through the Irish countryside. There's also some ghosts.
I was very disappointed in this book. I've enjoyed Santa Montefiore in the past and was hoping to introduce my husband to a new author.
Listened to this (no audio option listed so have linked to paperback). Occasionally when listening you hear slips, poor choice of words etc. This is appallingly written. If we weren't travelling and had nothing else to listen to, I would have stopped after the first disc. A good writer doesn't need to add "he chuckled", and other alternatives to "said". Story alternated between the ghost and the narrator. Usually this shouldn't be a problem but there were at least two (maybe more) repetitions of paragraphs as the voice changed. I know publishers have in tight times, but please edit your better storytellers more carefully.
Listened to this (no audio option listed so have linked to paperback). Occasionally when listening you hear slips, poor choice of words etc. This is appallingly written. If we weren't travelling and had nothing else to listen to, I would have stopped after the first disc. A good writer doesn't need to add "he chuckled", and other alternatives to "said". Story alternated between the ghost and the narrator. Usually this shouldn't be a problem but there were at least two (maybe more) repetitions of paragraphs as the voice changed. I know publishers have in tight times, but please edit your better storytellers more carefully.
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
dark
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes