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triplet_mom's review
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
3.5
amlibera's review
3.0
To be truthful, I think I read the first few chapters several years ago and then this book languished on my Kindle. Now that I've read it, there's a good reason for that. The languishing I mean. It's just not that good. At face value, it's the "kind of thing that you want to read when you want to read that kind of thing." Comforting scenic PNW location, two timeline story, etc. But it just never really comes together. The characters are collections of traits rather than people, the romantic relationships are confusing, and the mystery (such as it was) resolved through incident rather than discovery. More like 2.5 stars.
tsquare345's review
1.0
Ugh… automatic one star rating for cheating. I read this novel for the Color Challenge in my book club. It’s a story about a writer with writer’s block who finds a journal and much of the novel includes excerpts from it. The main character, Emily, was pretty bleh. Mostly, I found her to be exceedingly passive. I prefer my heroines to be kick ass or at the very least assertive. The interactions between Emily and her bff, Annabelle, were sophomoric and had me checking to make sure this wasn’t a YA novel. Emily and Jack’s insta-love came off as contrived and unrealistic. At least, I finished the novel and am able to tick off violet on the challenge. Yay me.
thukpa's review against another edition
1.0
I really liked Jio's The Bungalow, and I fully expected another good story. I was disappointed. It was just shy of being bad enough to quit listening to. So many annoyances beyond an unconvincing convolution of a family mystery.
1) We know Emily is beautiful because all the men tell her she is beautiful. She's really flat, but a guy she dated as a teen never married and is still hung up on her, a guy she's almost related to proposes after knowing her for a month and her cheating ex-husband wants her back. I still don't know why.
2) We know old women are old because old women say "dear," a lot.
3) The parallels between Emily and Esther's lives are SO conveniently exactly the same and are revealed when Emily JUST read about it in Esther's diary.
4) Everything that happened to Esther is due to her own choices but we're supposed to be sympathetic to her broken heart? She sees Elliot with another woman in the city, and it looks bad. Okay, I'll buy that she jumps to conclusions and never wants to speak to him again, but life would've be happier for everyone if maybe Elliot told one of her friends what was up and her friend told her. Happily ever after. But, hey, that didn't happen, so she marries someone else, and he goes to war, and they both pine for each other. But when she has the chance to make a choice, she stays with her husband and he seeks solace in the arms of another woman, (keep in mind, time has passed here- her husband has had a heart attack, a hospital stay, has been home recovering, she's been to confession, etc, etc,) and when her infidelity is revealed and her husband kicks her out, she runs to Elliot to save her, sees her in the arms of a friend and walks away as the jilted one? Seriously?
Those are the major ones- other reviewers have mentioned the over-use of E names, and the lack of description of "the Island." Also, whatever happened to Greg, Emily's Henry? Will he never stop loving her and be the next generation's secret keeper?
...later...
One last thought? Would Elliot and (Bea) really have been automatically hauled in for murder "in those days"? Seemed like a good excuse for leaving a lady they both loved so dearly to die.
1) We know Emily is beautiful because all the men tell her she is beautiful. She's really flat, but a guy she dated as a teen never married and is still hung up on her, a guy she's almost related to proposes after knowing her for a month and her cheating ex-husband wants her back. I still don't know why.
2) We know old women are old because old women say "dear," a lot.
3) The parallels between Emily and Esther's lives are SO conveniently exactly the same and are revealed when Emily JUST read about it in Esther's diary.
4) Everything that happened to Esther is due to her own choices but we're supposed to be sympathetic to her broken heart? She sees Elliot with another woman in the city, and it looks bad. Okay, I'll buy that she jumps to conclusions and never wants to speak to him again, but life would've be happier for everyone if maybe Elliot told one of her friends what was up and her friend told her. Happily ever after. But, hey, that didn't happen, so she marries someone else, and he goes to war, and they both pine for each other. But when she has the chance to make a choice, she stays with her husband and he seeks solace in the arms of another woman, (keep in mind, time has passed here- her husband has had a heart attack, a hospital stay, has been home recovering, she's been to confession, etc, etc,) and when her infidelity is revealed and her husband kicks her out, she runs to Elliot to save her, sees her in the arms of a friend and walks away as the jilted one? Seriously?
Those are the major ones- other reviewers have mentioned the over-use of E names, and the lack of description of "the Island." Also, whatever happened to Greg, Emily's Henry? Will he never stop loving her and be the next generation's secret keeper?
...later...
One last thought? Would Elliot and (Bea) really have been automatically hauled in for murder "in those days"? Seemed like a good excuse for leaving a lady they both loved so dearly to die.
mef84's review
5.0
This is the best of her novels. I enjoyed this one very much. I read others by her, hoping to get another this good, but I could have done without the rest, unfortunately.
tiffanywang29's review
3.0
Truthfully, Jio's writing simply doesn't appeal to me as beautiful prose. She too explicitly lays out a mystery-it's like she's a waitress and describes exactly what I'm about to experience. It is obviously sketchy that there is a journal about a scandalous action in the bedroom Emily's sleeping in. You don't have to go, "This seemed weird that the journal was there." The way that all the townspeople tried to hide the secret was also somewhat off. Some (like Evelyn) acted like Yodas, leading Emily on the path, but not fully divulging the story. Others turned off too quickly and seemed like worthless characters. The plot itself was nice, but the writing seemed too blunt.
judithdcollins's review
4.0
Ironically, I just finished an ARC of “Goodnight June”, Sarah Jio’s latest book to hit the streets on May 27, 2014 (which I loved) and highly recommend. At the end, an excerpt of “The Violets of March” was included, and realized this was her debut novel --immediately started reading.
Having read the first and latest- trying to get to the ones in the middle. The only other book I have read, “Morning Glory” which I loved. Currently reading Blackberry Winter --The Bungalow, and the others are making their way quickly to the top of my “to read list”!
Emily thinks she has it all until her marriage fails with her husband leaving her for another woman. Her successful writing career will go up in smoke if she does not get over writer’s block. She then decides to go to her favorite spot- Bainbridge Island, where she spent her summers growing up visiting her Aunt Bee with fond memories of the past.
When she finds a diary from 1943, there is much to follow which will keep you turning the pages to learn more from each of the diary entries, holding secrets from the past, plus much more. “Violets of March” offers so much in this short read with captivating events and dynamic characters – Mystery, Romance, History, Lies, Secrets, and Love-- full of twists and turns.
There is a parallel between her current love life, and two exciting men and that of Ester’s life, as she is transported to another era and time, while discovering what is important to her.
Sarah Jio has a way of holding back just enough with surprises and wisdom at the ending, for an engaging read and characters you think of fondly, long after the book ends. A magical debut novel!
Having read the first and latest- trying to get to the ones in the middle. The only other book I have read, “Morning Glory” which I loved. Currently reading Blackberry Winter --The Bungalow, and the others are making their way quickly to the top of my “to read list”!
Emily thinks she has it all until her marriage fails with her husband leaving her for another woman. Her successful writing career will go up in smoke if she does not get over writer’s block. She then decides to go to her favorite spot- Bainbridge Island, where she spent her summers growing up visiting her Aunt Bee with fond memories of the past.
When she finds a diary from 1943, there is much to follow which will keep you turning the pages to learn more from each of the diary entries, holding secrets from the past, plus much more. “Violets of March” offers so much in this short read with captivating events and dynamic characters – Mystery, Romance, History, Lies, Secrets, and Love-- full of twists and turns.
There is a parallel between her current love life, and two exciting men and that of Ester’s life, as she is transported to another era and time, while discovering what is important to her.
Sarah Jio has a way of holding back just enough with surprises and wisdom at the ending, for an engaging read and characters you think of fondly, long after the book ends. A magical debut novel!
wellyreads's review
1.0
It was ok, there isn't really anything special about this book or the characters. I am still bothered that she never explained that her aunt really isn't her aunt, actually that was the only reason I kept reading it, I expected an explaination. How could Bee be her mother's great aunt, and then later say that Bee was an only child? It kind of irked me. I haven't figured out a way this could be true, so I'm still perplexed.
mamap's review
3.0
Total Summer reading type book. --a little bit of mystery, tragedy, and romance.
Emily's life and marriage has fallen apart so she goes back to the island and the home of her Aunt Bee to heal. There she finds mystery and healing for not only her family, but for herself. ...and a man..
See? Summer reading. Safe. Good thing it's a library book.
Emily's life and marriage has fallen apart so she goes back to the island and the home of her Aunt Bee to heal. There she finds mystery and healing for not only her family, but for herself. ...and a man..
See? Summer reading. Safe. Good thing it's a library book.