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3.86 AVERAGE
3.86 AVERAGE
funny
lighthearted
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Reread April 2025
Increased to 4 stars
I enjoyed it so much more this time around. I definitely think the other reviewers were right; this story is best read when you’ve developed relationships with the characters of St. Mary’s. It’s not enough to have just met them after book 1. You need a few more books before you can really appreciate what the birth of St. Mary’s means and the significance of each character being brought into the fold. The snippets of their origin stories really pull the heartstrings.
Original review—March 2021
This short story is a prequel to the first book in The Chronicles of St. Mary’s series, Just One Damned Thing After Another. The story follows Dr. Bairstow as he slowly assembles his team at St Mary’s.
I appreciated reading this entry shortly after the first novel. I saw a lot of reviewers saying to wait several more books before reading this prequel, but author Jodi Taylor indicates on her website that this is the suggested reading order, and I’m nothing if not a rule follower. This story definitely helped me solidify some of the more important characters at St. Mary’s. I loved the first novel, but one thing that kept it from being a perfect read was trying to keep track of the characters. Understanding who are some of the St. Mary OGs helped me gauge who is most prominent at the institute, which hopefully will lead me to caring more deeply for them later on. Most importantly, it gave me a better glimpse at Dr. Bairstow himself. I didn’t really connect with him much in the first novel, but given that this story was mostly following him, I got to see a little more of his personality. I can’t say he’s anywhere close to one of my favorite characters (at this point), but it did make me respect him more given the sacrifices he made for this establishment.
This story didn’t really have the same charm as the first novel, which I kind of expected since it wasn’t focused on Max. Nor was it read by the same narrator as the main novels. It was actually read by the author herself, which was pleasant to hear, but didn’t add that extra layer of spice that the regular narrator adds.
Overall I can’t pinpoint anything I hated about this, but it wasn’t remarkable either. It’s just a quick read that gives some background information about the founding of St Mary’s.
TL;DR
5.0 —One of the best I've ever read. Will be burned into my brain. Couldn't care less about weaknesses (if any). Would recommend to everyone and their mother.
4.5 —Loved this read. Will remember it fondly. Few weaknesses. Would recommend to anyone.
4.0 —Enjoyed this read. Will remember it fondly. Minor weaknesses. Would recommend to fans of the genre.
3.5 —Somewhat enjoyed this read. Might be memorable. Notable weaknesses. Would recommend to fans of the genre.
▌3.0 —Somewhat enjoyed this read. Not very memorable. Notable weaknesses. Would recommend to people who like similar books.
2.5 —Neutral or Underwhelming read. Not very memorable. Significant weaknesses. Would recommend to people who like similar books.
2.0 —Underwhelming or unenjoyable read. Not very memorable or memorable for the wrong reasons. Significant weaknesses. Might recommend to people who like similar books.
1.5 —Unenjoyable read. Not very memorable or memorable for bad reasons. Major weaknesses. Probably wouldn't recommend.
1.0 —Awful read. Memorable for bad reasons. No significantly redeeming qualities. Would never recommend.
0.5 —I wish I never wasted minutes of my life on this trash. I would go out of my way to convince others not to read it.
funny
informative
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
I've listened to a few of these short stories out of order and enjoyed them so I decided to go to the beginning. I enjoyed hearing the quick version of the origin and I will be listening to more of these fun stories.
adventurous
funny
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
A good 0.5 volume book to fill in the missing parts not told in the First St. Mary's Chronicle book. For those enjoying this Jodi Taylor series, this first book is worth the read.
This is a rather nice and short prequel telling how Bairstowe gets the funding and the people together at the very beginning. Good for reading once you've read a number of the books, but it wouldn't be any good if it was your first dip into this series.
funny
lighthearted
slow-paced
Loveable characters:
Yes
So glad I didn't read this first. I might not have listened to another one. Without context, this short story didn't make much sense. My recommendation is read Book 1 first.
adventurous
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
adventurous
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes