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Reviews tagging 'Death of parent'
The Lady's Guide to Celestial Mechanics by Olivia Waite
27 reviews
quasinaut's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Nice intro to historical romance. The modern sensibilities made it easy to get into (though it felt a tad unrealistic that no one had any big issues with the F/F romance). Glad that the "big misunderstanding" was only a momentary blip that was easily solved with communication.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Misogyny, Sexism, and Sexual content
Moderate: Emotional abuse
Minor: Death of parent, Grief, and Homophobia
erikawynn's review against another edition
adventurous
hopeful
lighthearted
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Homophobia, Racism, Sexism, and Domestic abuse
Minor: Death of parent
loxeletters's review against another edition
inspiring
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
I have a quite complicated relationship with this book. There are parts that I loved – or at least, found extremely satisfying to read – which include mostly the instances of Lucy winning over misogynist men. I enjoyed the prose, which was rich in imagery and overall pleasant to read. Where there were sex scenes, they felt mostly natural and weren't shrouded in awkward wording or overly explicit descriptions.
There is a lot of talk about both astronomy and embroidery/fashion (though it never gets too technical in either topic). If that doesn't interest you, this book might bore you at some point.
The characters were more or less well-developed, though most of the supporting characters fell a little flat. Catherine and Lucy both had their own hopes and dreams as well as their fear and weaknesses, Catherine even more so than Lucy in this regard.
There are two main points I took issue with:
a) the romance. It wasn't unhealthy or forced or anything but, boy oh boy, was it rushed. Insta-love at its finest. Lucy arrives at the mansion and is basically immediately in love with Catherine, even though she was just heartbroken by her prior lover's sudden marriage. Similarly for Catherine. The attraction seemed to rely entirely on physical attractiveness, as well. This, of course, ceased to be a relevant issue after the first few chapters – other than my second issue, which was constant throughout the book:
b) the handling of sexuality and past abuse. It's not that it was handled badly: in fact, the opposite. But at some point, suspense of disbelief just couldn't cover the insanely modern conceptions of sexuality and abuse that many of the main characters held. This is set in the 19th century, yet the characters, especially Lucy, felt like they'd been plucked from a modern-time feminist demonstration and transported into Victorian England. What's more, there simply was an astounding amount of homosexual people in this novel, reminiscent of some fanfictions where the author simply turns the entire cast into some LGBTQ variations.
I can appreciate what the author was trying to do here – show the diversity that of course existed even in those times – but in a book that revolves around only two characters the vast majority of the time, making seven characters LGB (just off of the top of my head) is an insane stretch.
Regarding (past) abuse: the author probably wanted to handle this topic carefully and discuss it in the way it deserves to be discussed. However, in my opinion, this again was difficult to reconcile with the time period the book takes place in. Also, I felt that the consequences of Catherine's trauma and her road to recovery could have been explored way more.
This is not to say that I didn't enjoy the book, however. What I found especially interesting were the discussions about art and science: the difference between them, what counts as art/science, and what part misogyny plays in such a definition. Another very insightful discussion was about legal marriage in contrast to "informal" relationships: the benefits and disadvantages of either, and the way the two solved this issue for themselves in the end.
Finally, I do need to mention that I saw the twist at the end coming from quite a bit earlier. This did not detract from my enjoyment of seeing entitled men suffer, though. :)
Overall, I wouldn't consider this book a literary masterpiece. However, it touches on very important subjects in an interesting and delightfully fresh way. The plot and characterisations are solid. The way the author incorporated LGB representation and the handling of abuse, though I disagree with it, are understandable. This is a quick, entertaining, and quite satisfying read.
There is a lot of talk about both astronomy and embroidery/fashion (though it never gets too technical in either topic). If that doesn't interest you, this book might bore you at some point.
The characters were more or less well-developed, though most of the supporting characters fell a little flat. Catherine and Lucy both had their own hopes and dreams as well as their fear and weaknesses, Catherine even more so than Lucy in this regard.
There are two main points I took issue with:
a) the romance. It wasn't unhealthy or forced or anything but, boy oh boy, was it rushed. Insta-love at its finest. Lucy arrives at the mansion and is basically immediately in love with Catherine, even though she was just heartbroken by her prior lover's sudden marriage. Similarly for Catherine. The attraction seemed to rely entirely on physical attractiveness, as well. This, of course, ceased to be a relevant issue after the first few chapters – other than my second issue, which was constant throughout the book:
b) the handling of sexuality and past abuse. It's not that it was handled badly: in fact, the opposite. But at some point, suspense of disbelief just couldn't cover the insanely modern conceptions of sexuality and abuse that many of the main characters held. This is set in the 19th century, yet the characters, especially Lucy, felt like they'd been plucked from a modern-time feminist demonstration and transported into Victorian England. What's more, there simply was an astounding amount of homosexual people in this novel, reminiscent of some fanfictions where the author simply turns the entire cast into some LGBTQ variations.
I can appreciate what the author was trying to do here – show the diversity that of course existed even in those times – but in a book that revolves around only two characters the vast majority of the time, making seven characters LGB (just off of the top of my head) is an insane stretch.
Regarding (past) abuse: the author probably wanted to handle this topic carefully and discuss it in the way it deserves to be discussed. However, in my opinion, this again was difficult to reconcile with the time period the book takes place in. Also, I felt that the consequences of Catherine's trauma and her road to recovery could have been explored way more.
This is not to say that I didn't enjoy the book, however. What I found especially interesting were the discussions about art and science: the difference between them, what counts as art/science, and what part misogyny plays in such a definition. Another very insightful discussion was about legal marriage in contrast to "informal" relationships: the benefits and disadvantages of either, and the way the two solved this issue for themselves in the end.
Finally, I do need to mention that I saw the twist at the end coming from quite a bit earlier. This did not detract from my enjoyment of seeing entitled men suffer, though. :)
Overall, I wouldn't consider this book a literary masterpiece. However, it touches on very important subjects in an interesting and delightfully fresh way. The plot and characterisations are solid. The way the author incorporated LGB representation and the handling of abuse, though I disagree with it, are understandable. This is a quick, entertaining, and quite satisfying read.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content, Misogyny, and Sexism
Moderate: Racism, Grief, Homophobia, and Death of parent
Minor: Domestic abuse, Sexual violence, Alcohol, and Colonisation
bisexualwentworth's review against another edition
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
I loved the way this book talked about art and science and the way that women’s contributions to both are constantly undervalued/ignored. I also appreciated the fact that the younger and less privileged character in the relationship was also more experienced with sapphic relationships. It helped offset the power dynamic for me.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Misogyny
Moderate: Homophobia, Emotional abuse, and Domestic abuse
Minor: Death, Death of parent, Grief, and Racism
kylieqrada's review against another edition
emotional
funny
inspiring
lighthearted
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
4.0
I never would have picked this (or any historical romance) up if it wasn't for Beautifully Bookish Bethany's Patreon book club and I WAS MISSING OUT. This gave what needed to be gaveeeeee!!!!! Give me sapphic scientists in love or give me death. That is all.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexism, Sexual content, and Misogyny
Moderate: Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, and Homophobia
Minor: Grief, Death, and Death of parent
beforeviolets's review against another edition
emotional
inspiring
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
TW: sexual content, sexism/misogyny, lesbophobia, death of mother (past), death of father (past), grief, death of S/O (past), toxic relationship/abusive relationship (past)
I know I'm not the first to say this, but this book is so much more than a spicy romance novel. I mean, do NOT get me wrong, the spice is fantastic, but there are incredible qualities to the work beyond that.
Throughout this story, we follow two incredibly well-written, complex, and powerful women learning to take up space and assert their importance in their relationships, in their work, and in their lives.
Misogyny is a theme constantly handled on both smaller and larger scales, exploring topics like the erasure of women within the sciences and the history of invalidating more "domestic" and "feminine" artistries.
I also find it fantastically ironic that this book only exists within the form of a mass market romance novel, a form that is often labelled as "cheap" or "trash" by self-proclaimed "intellectual" readers. Its state - whether intentional or not - comments on the way we as a society view work catered to women as lesser than. Only by defying the misogynistic societal judgments of romance books is it possible to even consume this work, making the reader feel connected to the experiences of the characters and relating the messages of this book to our own realities.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexism, Misogyny, and Sexual content
Moderate: Grief and Lesbophobia
Minor: Death, Death of parent, Toxic relationship, and Domestic abuse
cgn's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
tense
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? No
3.75
I found this book a little too easy to put down for a long time, but it was still delightful. I love the representation of gay women following their passions, and while I wasn’t head over heels for this romance, I did love the ending. Be forewarned there’s a bit of power play spice.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content, Misogyny, Emotional abuse, Sexism, and Toxic relationship
Moderate: Racism, Death of parent, Death, and Grief
Sexual content includes BDSM-style power play/submission that is not discussed but is welcomed by both characters.make_believer's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Homophobia, Misogyny, Sexism, Sexual content, and Toxic relationship
Moderate: Death of parent, Genocide, Panic attacks/disorders, Racism, and Sexual violence
adalgibson's review against another edition
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
3.25
The premise and story were great, but I didn’t love the execution. It felt clunky at times and the lead-up to the romance felt a little rushed. Overall though was an enjoyable read and the sex scenes were very well written.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent, Emotional abuse, Homophobia, Lesbophobia, Misogyny, and Sexual content
readwithelle's review against another edition
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content, Sexism, and Death of parent