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3.36 AVERAGE
3.36 AVERAGE
Chicago world fair, disappearing maids, romance, and danger.
The mystery was fairly easily solved, the romance dominated the story, and there was a strong Christian influence. Still an interesting read, but darker than I thought.
The mystery was fairly easily solved, the romance dominated the story, and there was a strong Christian influence. Still an interesting read, but darker than I thought.
My Rating: 4 out of 5 stars
Disclaimers: I received an ebook from the publisher in exchange for my honest opinion. I was not obligated to write a good review nor did I receive any compensation for writing this review.
An overview of the Novel: Rosalind's sister started working there in the bustling city of Chicago, a city full of danger, but then she went missing. Nobody knows what happened to her, but Rosalind intends to find out.
She determines to move to Chicago and undercover the truth once an for all. She even finds employment in the very house from which her sister went missing.
But life in Chicago is a lot different than life in Wisconsin. She's thrown into a world of deception, intrigue, and scandal that she never dreamed could have existed. There's only one thing she does know for certain--she can't trust anybody. But as Rosalind gets closer to finding the truth, more and more things start unraveling.
She decides to accept the help of Reid Armstrong and hopes she isn't making a mistake. Reid's parents became wealthy by chance and are struggling to make a name for themselves in the upper class society. Reid understands his duty to marry well, but none of the girls interest him.
Then he meets the serving girl Rosalind who is here to uncover the truth of her sister's disappearance. He jumps at the chance to help. But neither of them could have expected the outcome.
My Overall Thoughts/Impressions: I had only read one other book by Shelley Gray before reading this one. I really enjoyed that one, but I had forgotten about that until after I read this one.
I went into the novel with no expectations and found myself caught up in Gray's talent of weaving a story full of intrigue. The whole time I was left wondering what happened to Rosalind's sister and that was enough to keep me turning the pages.
I loved Rosalind's character. She definitely grew up in the novel. She had this innate goodness about her despite all the corruption around her and I loved that.
But what I loved was the glimpse into a life of a corrupted wealthy family in the Gilded Age. Gray did such a good job at characterization. The whole cast of characters were incredibly well-crafted.
A novel that definitely comes highly recommended.
So why 4 stars? I really enjoyed it. It lacked something to be a 5 star read, but it was a really good read.
Warnings/Side-notes: None, there are vague references to sex and rape, but it is very vague and merely stated. No action is actually described.
The Wrap-up: An enjoyable novel full of enough suspense, intrigue, romance, and deception to keep you turning the pages until the very last one.
Love,
Danica Page
Disclaimers: I received an ebook from the publisher in exchange for my honest opinion. I was not obligated to write a good review nor did I receive any compensation for writing this review.
An overview of the Novel: Rosalind's sister started working there in the bustling city of Chicago, a city full of danger, but then she went missing. Nobody knows what happened to her, but Rosalind intends to find out.
She determines to move to Chicago and undercover the truth once an for all. She even finds employment in the very house from which her sister went missing.
But life in Chicago is a lot different than life in Wisconsin. She's thrown into a world of deception, intrigue, and scandal that she never dreamed could have existed. There's only one thing she does know for certain--she can't trust anybody. But as Rosalind gets closer to finding the truth, more and more things start unraveling.
She decides to accept the help of Reid Armstrong and hopes she isn't making a mistake. Reid's parents became wealthy by chance and are struggling to make a name for themselves in the upper class society. Reid understands his duty to marry well, but none of the girls interest him.
Then he meets the serving girl Rosalind who is here to uncover the truth of her sister's disappearance. He jumps at the chance to help. But neither of them could have expected the outcome.
My Overall Thoughts/Impressions: I had only read one other book by Shelley Gray before reading this one. I really enjoyed that one, but I had forgotten about that until after I read this one.
I went into the novel with no expectations and found myself caught up in Gray's talent of weaving a story full of intrigue. The whole time I was left wondering what happened to Rosalind's sister and that was enough to keep me turning the pages.
I loved Rosalind's character. She definitely grew up in the novel. She had this innate goodness about her despite all the corruption around her and I loved that.
But what I loved was the glimpse into a life of a corrupted wealthy family in the Gilded Age. Gray did such a good job at characterization. The whole cast of characters were incredibly well-crafted.
A novel that definitely comes highly recommended.
So why 4 stars? I really enjoyed it. It lacked something to be a 5 star read, but it was a really good read.
Warnings/Side-notes: None, there are vague references to sex and rape, but it is very vague and merely stated. No action is actually described.
The Wrap-up: An enjoyable novel full of enough suspense, intrigue, romance, and deception to keep you turning the pages until the very last one.
Love,
Danica Page
While it moved slow, I was interested in how the mystery unfolded, and also the world in which this was set (World Fair in Chicago, 1893). It was the right paced story for me at the moment.
This whole book was just mediocre for me. Honestly, I don't understand the 5-star glowing reviews.
Rosalind becomes a servant in a household where her sister was last seen alive.
She "investigates" her disappearance, falls in love, and the story ends?
But seriously.
Rosalind is a very weak protagonist, which may be the reason I didn't like this book. She loves her sister very much, and is willing to sacrifice coming to work as a maid to find her. However, this is the only demonstration of a backbone we get from her the whole book.
Don't get me started on the romance. Insta-love much?
Rosalind becomes a servant in a household where her sister was last seen alive.
She "investigates" her disappearance, falls in love, and the story ends?
But seriously.
Rosalind is a very weak protagonist, which may be the reason I didn't like this book. She loves her sister very much, and is willing to sacrifice coming to work as a maid to find her. However, this is the only demonstration of a backbone we get from her the whole book.
Don't get me started on the romance. Insta-love much?
First of three books I recently bought from Amazon, and I'm so glad I did! I thoroughly enjoyed this cozy mystery set against the backdrop of the Chicago World's Fair. Good story and good characters. I look forward to continuing on with the characters in the next book :)
This Christian romance/mystery takes place in Chicago during the infamous 1893 World's Fair. During this time period many young women went missing during the fair and little was know what happened to them. This mystery takes place mainly at Sloane House, the home of an extremely wealthy Chicago family. Rosalind's sister was employed as a maid there when she suddenly and unexpectedly goes missing. Rosalind has changed her last name and becomes employed at Sloane House to find out what has happened to her sister after her father has made numerous unsuccessful attempts to find her. The only clues Rosalind has are her sister's last letters which mention her feeling threatened. As Rosalind seeks to find out what happened to her sister, she puts herself more and more in danger as she comes too close to the truth. She is helped along the way by a handsome wealthy man who takes an interest in her case.
Liked the weaving in of historical fact with the fiction. The mystery was good and definitely had a twist at the end. Will definitely read the next book in the series.
Liked the weaving in of historical fact with the fiction. The mystery was good and definitely had a twist at the end. Will definitely read the next book in the series.
I selected this book because of the historical Midwestern theme. The book’s cover is unique with the two triangles (two paths, sisters, outcomes, and two sides of Chicago). I have previously read and enjoyed books by Gray.
This book is about the journey of a young woman who lives on a farm in Wisconsin, and she travels to Chicago, which is made larger by the World’s Fair, in search of her missing, more vibrant sister. This journey also illustrates the changes that take place in Rosalind. She is changed by her experiences in the showy home of the very wealthy Sloane family. Rosalind is a likable character, and her immaturity shows in some of her decisions. Although I enjoyed her character, I didn’t connect with her.
The romance in the book was a bit surprising. Reid was wealthy and had one foot in society and the other foot in the working class. He was her go-to guy in Chicago, but the romance was developed rather suddenly without many clues alluding to their mutual attraction. There were a few times that I noticed Reid’s appreciation of how slim Rosalind was. The attraction had to go beyond the physical, but it wasn’t shown through dialogue or description.
To say that this book has a dark side is an understatement. However, I don’t think it was unrealistic to show an extremely wealthy family believing that they are above the law. It was sad to read how the wealthy can destroy people who are not, and the poor are treated as if they are sub-humans. It was also sad to read the devastating effects wealthy men may have had on wealthy women. Yes, this novel has a dark side. I didn’t like the injustice in the book. Sadly, the injustice is undoubtedly factual. I would have liked to see people be prosecuted for their crimes or some sort of happy ending for the evil situations. There was also backbiting amongst the poor, demonstrating their need to survive over a need to connect with other people.
I would recommend this book to anyone over age 18 who enjoys a bit of a darker read with Christian undertones. If this were a movie, it could be rated PG-13 if the scenes were alluded to but not shown. If dark scenes were shown, it would be rated R.
My Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
This book is about the journey of a young woman who lives on a farm in Wisconsin, and she travels to Chicago, which is made larger by the World’s Fair, in search of her missing, more vibrant sister. This journey also illustrates the changes that take place in Rosalind. She is changed by her experiences in the showy home of the very wealthy Sloane family. Rosalind is a likable character, and her immaturity shows in some of her decisions. Although I enjoyed her character, I didn’t connect with her.
The romance in the book was a bit surprising. Reid was wealthy and had one foot in society and the other foot in the working class. He was her go-to guy in Chicago, but the romance was developed rather suddenly without many clues alluding to their mutual attraction. There were a few times that I noticed Reid’s appreciation of how slim Rosalind was. The attraction had to go beyond the physical, but it wasn’t shown through dialogue or description.
To say that this book has a dark side is an understatement. However, I don’t think it was unrealistic to show an extremely wealthy family believing that they are above the law. It was sad to read how the wealthy can destroy people who are not, and the poor are treated as if they are sub-humans. It was also sad to read the devastating effects wealthy men may have had on wealthy women. Yes, this novel has a dark side. I didn’t like the injustice in the book. Sadly, the injustice is undoubtedly factual. I would have liked to see people be prosecuted for their crimes or some sort of happy ending for the evil situations. There was also backbiting amongst the poor, demonstrating their need to survive over a need to connect with other people.
I would recommend this book to anyone over age 18 who enjoys a bit of a darker read with Christian undertones. If this were a movie, it could be rated PG-13 if the scenes were alluded to but not shown. If dark scenes were shown, it would be rated R.
My Rating: 3 out of 5 stars
I first knew of Shelley Shepard Gray as an author of Amish fiction. Now I know her writing credits stretch beyond those boundaries. In Secrets of Sloane House, writing as Shelley Gray, she pens a novel of suspense, mystery and romance set against the Chicago World's Fair. (Disclaimer: I received a free e-copy of the book through the Booklook Bloggers Program in exchange for my review.)
I love a story set in historical Chicago, and even though I don't know much about the era, it's still fun to read about the city I most love to visit. My husband recently read The Devil in the White City by Erik Larson, a true story of events that happened during the Chicago World's Fair. As I read Secrets of Sloane House, I got the impression that it was like The Devil in the White City meets Downton Abbey.
Rosalind Perry is a servant in Sloane House, but she's there under false pretenses--investigating what might have happened to her sister who was a servant there and has disappeared. As she asks questions and tries to uncover the mystery, she begins to fear for her own safety when it becomes clear that everyone around her is keeping secrets and her questions are drawing the wrong kind of attention. Only Reid Armstrong, the heir to a silver fortune, agrees to help her. Remembering his middle class roots, Reid forgoes propriety to help Rosalind, a servant in another house, much to the dismay of some of society's members.
Though it's not a fast-paced action kind of story, it is intriguing and held my attention. I wanted to know what happened to Rosalind's sister, and I was interested in the World's Fair come to life in the lives of ordinary Chicagoans of the day. The relationship between Reid and Rosalind is full of potential problems and it was fun to see how their story played out.
Secrets of Sloane House is the first in a series that I would continue reading. If you've read any of Gray's Amish fiction, you'll find this a departure from those stories, but if you're not interested in Amish fiction, this one is worth a try.
And it makes me wish for a Downton Abbey style show set in Chicago!
I love a story set in historical Chicago, and even though I don't know much about the era, it's still fun to read about the city I most love to visit. My husband recently read The Devil in the White City by Erik Larson, a true story of events that happened during the Chicago World's Fair. As I read Secrets of Sloane House, I got the impression that it was like The Devil in the White City meets Downton Abbey.
Rosalind Perry is a servant in Sloane House, but she's there under false pretenses--investigating what might have happened to her sister who was a servant there and has disappeared. As she asks questions and tries to uncover the mystery, she begins to fear for her own safety when it becomes clear that everyone around her is keeping secrets and her questions are drawing the wrong kind of attention. Only Reid Armstrong, the heir to a silver fortune, agrees to help her. Remembering his middle class roots, Reid forgoes propriety to help Rosalind, a servant in another house, much to the dismay of some of society's members.
Though it's not a fast-paced action kind of story, it is intriguing and held my attention. I wanted to know what happened to Rosalind's sister, and I was interested in the World's Fair come to life in the lives of ordinary Chicagoans of the day. The relationship between Reid and Rosalind is full of potential problems and it was fun to see how their story played out.
Secrets of Sloane House is the first in a series that I would continue reading. If you've read any of Gray's Amish fiction, you'll find this a departure from those stories, but if you're not interested in Amish fiction, this one is worth a try.
And it makes me wish for a Downton Abbey style show set in Chicago!
sad
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I was very happy to receive this book through Goodreads First Reads program. While I enjoy reading about the "Upstairs, Downstairs" Downton Abbey-esque portions of this book, it just wasn't enough to keep my interest. The story is interesting, but I found the pacing too slow with a somewhat rushed ending.