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3.51 AVERAGE
3.51 AVERAGE
3.5/5
Solid story with interesting characters. The pacing could have been a bit stronger.
Solid story with interesting characters. The pacing could have been a bit stronger.
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
mysterious
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:
No
lighthearted
mysterious
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
3.5 ⭐️ really, but I rounded up. It was an enjoyable little mystery. I look forward to reading the others in the series.
Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for an eARC version of this book in exchange for my honest review.
I think that the clever title and beautiful cover—as well as the exciting blurb about the story—led me a bit astray.
Saffron was very focused on the mystery the entire story. I was disappointed in how little I got to know her. The romance was also very much on the back burner—very very minor.
I thought the overall plot—very CLUE!—was interesting, but everything felt either very convenient—no spoilers, but finding particular plants, for example—or very convoluted and confusing (the back and forth, how very sure saffron was about every instinct she had).
The author writes very beautifully, and I think that there’s a lot of potential here.
I think that the clever title and beautiful cover—as well as the exciting blurb about the story—led me a bit astray.
Saffron was very focused on the mystery the entire story. I was disappointed in how little I got to know her. The romance was also very much on the back burner—very very minor.
I thought the overall plot—very CLUE!—was interesting, but everything felt either very convenient—no spoilers, but finding particular plants, for example—or very convoluted and confusing (the back and forth, how very sure saffron was about every instinct she had).
The author writes very beautifully, and I think that there’s a lot of potential here.
Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for the advanced copy in exchange of an honest review.
This was my most anticipated arc of the year but unfortunately I had to dnf it at 40% because I had several problems with it.
The mc was terrible. She’s the assistant to a botanist in the 1920s so gender plays a huge role here. However, the female empowerment and sorority was not executed well, at ALL. Saffron had HUGE pick me girl vibes and the author made all the other women in the book flat and superficial from moment 1 just to point out how smart and different this girl is. A few quotes from the book that I simply could not stand:
- “Animals and natives everywhere! Just waiting to creep up on you…” this is where I should’ve dnf’ed, at the start of Chapter 1. I took high offense as a Peruvian/latina because there was no need to ridicule natives & go with the archaic premise that they're "savages", which this book was persistent on portraying them as.
- The mc called older women “wilted flowers in silk and pearls”. WHAT. It’s 2022, what is happening. The author needs a heavy course on intersectional feminism.
- “She doubted Lady Agatha knew much about plant pathology.” The whole “I’m smarter than all the women here, boo hoo I should be smoking with the men” vibe was terrible. Her double standards were awful.
The love interest was extremely bland too, the couple had no chemistry and there was nothing particularly amazing about it. Also, the writing wasn’t gripping enough for a murder mystery and at times, it made no sense. E.g: The mc poisoned herself without any reasoning whatsoever. A mess.
I genuinely expected an hour-by-hour type of book like Knives Out's plot. Clue meets Great Gatsby. Getting to know all characters, being suspicious of everyone! I expected Stalking Jack the Ripper vibes, and was so disappointed. Being set in the 1920s had SO much potential with a female lead in science but with all those terrible takes on feminism and a horrible main character, I couldn’t push through.
This was my most anticipated arc of the year but unfortunately I had to dnf it at 40% because I had several problems with it.
The mc was terrible. She’s the assistant to a botanist in the 1920s so gender plays a huge role here. However, the female empowerment and sorority was not executed well, at ALL. Saffron had HUGE pick me girl vibes and the author made all the other women in the book flat and superficial from moment 1 just to point out how smart and different this girl is. A few quotes from the book that I simply could not stand:
- “Animals and natives everywhere! Just waiting to creep up on you…” this is where I should’ve dnf’ed, at the start of Chapter 1. I took high offense as a Peruvian/latina because there was no need to ridicule natives & go with the archaic premise that they're "savages", which this book was persistent on portraying them as.
- The mc called older women “wilted flowers in silk and pearls”. WHAT. It’s 2022, what is happening. The author needs a heavy course on intersectional feminism.
- “She doubted Lady Agatha knew much about plant pathology.” The whole “I’m smarter than all the women here, boo hoo I should be smoking with the men” vibe was terrible. Her double standards were awful.
The love interest was extremely bland too, the couple had no chemistry and there was nothing particularly amazing about it. Also, the writing wasn’t gripping enough for a murder mystery and at times, it made no sense. E.g: The mc poisoned herself without any reasoning whatsoever. A mess.
I genuinely expected an hour-by-hour type of book like Knives Out's plot. Clue meets Great Gatsby. Getting to know all characters, being suspicious of everyone! I expected Stalking Jack the Ripper vibes, and was so disappointed. Being set in the 1920s had SO much potential with a female lead in science but with all those terrible takes on feminism and a horrible main character, I couldn’t push through.
Saffron Everleigh, a recent botany graduate and now research assistant to her mentor Dr. Maxwell, attends a dinner party focused on the University College of London's upcoming expedition to the Amazon. She hears things she shouldn't and is then a witness to the expedition leader's wife's poisoning. Saffron and her colleague, bacteriologist Dr. Ashton, then team up in a race against time and a murderer to prove Dr. Maxwell's innocence through scientific research and criminal investigation.
It took me a little bit to get my bearings in this book--both the time period and the various characters seemed a bit muddled for a while. I appreciated very much how the details and character development happened organically, rather than being laid out all at once, but even so it seemed that there were missing details that were alluded to later. But once it got going I appreciated how it highlighted the realities experienced by women at the time, especially women working professionally.
The two perspectives through which we see the story are those of Saffron Everleigh and Dr. Alexander Ashton. Saffron is intelligent and accomplished, but inexperienced. She is impulsive and passionate and works very hard to move forward in a male-dominated field. The second perspective is that of Alexander Ashton. He is more methodical and experienced, but he struggles with an anxiety disorder which is related to, if not caused by, his service in World War I.
I found the writing to be excellent, even if the plot was at times slow and repetitive. I appreciated that the heroine and hero were both relatable--in different ways--and it turned out to be an enjoyable "whodunit." I would definitely be interested in reading more by Kate Khavari when the time comes, and I recommend this as a fresh voice and plotline in a popular genre (and even time period).I received an advance reader copy of this book from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
I just reviewed A Botanist's Guide to Parties and Poisons by Kate Khavari.#ABotanistsGuidetoPartiesandPoisons #NetGalley
I will also post this review to Instagram, Amazon, and BN.com
It took me a little bit to get my bearings in this book--both the time period and the various characters seemed a bit muddled for a while. I appreciated very much how the details and character development happened organically, rather than being laid out all at once, but even so it seemed that there were missing details that were alluded to later. But once it got going I appreciated how it highlighted the realities experienced by women at the time, especially women working professionally.
The two perspectives through which we see the story are those of Saffron Everleigh and Dr. Alexander Ashton. Saffron is intelligent and accomplished, but inexperienced. She is impulsive and passionate and works very hard to move forward in a male-dominated field. The second perspective is that of Alexander Ashton. He is more methodical and experienced, but he struggles with an anxiety disorder which is related to, if not caused by, his service in World War I.
I found the writing to be excellent, even if the plot was at times slow and repetitive. I appreciated that the heroine and hero were both relatable--in different ways--and it turned out to be an enjoyable "whodunit." I would definitely be interested in reading more by Kate Khavari when the time comes, and I recommend this as a fresh voice and plotline in a popular genre (and even time period).I received an advance reader copy of this book from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
I just reviewed A Botanist's Guide to Parties and Poisons by Kate Khavari.#ABotanistsGuidetoPartiesandPoisons #NetGalley
I will also post this review to Instagram, Amazon, and BN.com
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
N/A
Loveable characters:
N/A
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No