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3.84 AVERAGE
3.84 AVERAGE
adventurous
informative
mysterious
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
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
This story was just kind of "meh" for me. Not bad, but not great either.
adventurous
challenging
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
challenging
emotional
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
pacing gets a bit wonky towards the end and i noticed a couple editing mistakes but this was pretty fun. the two authors' writing styles are similar enough to be complementary (& i liked it a lot better than the other kate quinn books i've tried recently)
adventurous
challenging
emotional
informative
inspiring
mysterious
tense
fast-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:
Complicated
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
adventurous
inspiring
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This book totally scratched my historical fiction itch — the setting, the atmosphere, the real-life backdrop of the 1906 San Francisco earthquake? All amazing. You can really tell the research was solid, and the details pulled me in.
That said, I’ve been on a romance kick lately, and I really wanted more feeling from the characters. Not necessarily steamy scenes, but just…more yearning, more tension, more moments that made me feel the stakes in their relationships. George and Gemma had potential, but I kept waiting for something to really ignite between them. Or, if the authors had leaned into the emotional weight of Henry and Gemma’s storyline, the twist could have hit so much harder.
Even with Suling and Reggie—there’s this moment where Reggie gives Suling her mother’s ring (!), but emotionally it just kind of…passed by. No intense confession, no big emotional payoff. I wanted someone to say something real and vulnerable.
Overall, it’s a good book. Solid writing, great historical setting, compelling plot. I just felt like it told me what the characters felt instead of letting me feel it with them. It could’ve been a phenomenal read if it had leaned a little harder into the emotional beats—especially since the potential for romance and deeper character connection was right there.