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3.52 AVERAGE
3.52 AVERAGE
B O O K R E V I E W
Triggers : domestic/sexual abuse
What I thought :
I DID NOT want this book to end!! I really enjoyed getting to know Eleanor Dumont. She was a fierce female character and it was fun seeing how she changed and grew into a very strong woman. There was conflicts, drama, romance and SO MUCH detail. You can tell A LOT of research was done to tell this story from accurate points of time. I continued to want to know what happened next in the life she lived. It felt so exciting like I was physically there. I loved all of it.
Characters :
Some were short lived and some were carried throughout. This book has one main character and that was Simone Jules - Eleanor Dumont.
Read if you like : strong female lead
Would I pick it up again? Yes
I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
Triggers : domestic/sexual abuse
What I thought :
I DID NOT want this book to end!! I really enjoyed getting to know Eleanor Dumont. She was a fierce female character and it was fun seeing how she changed and grew into a very strong woman. There was conflicts, drama, romance and SO MUCH detail. You can tell A LOT of research was done to tell this story from accurate points of time. I continued to want to know what happened next in the life she lived. It felt so exciting like I was physically there. I loved all of it.
Characters :
Some were short lived and some were carried throughout. This book has one main character and that was Simone Jules - Eleanor Dumont.
Read if you like : strong female lead
Would I pick it up again? Yes
I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
adventurous
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
A fun read and an interesting take on a historical woman.
Fact and fiction mix for a touching, inspiring story.
Fact and fiction mix for a touching, inspiring story.
informative
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
Not something I would have picked up if not for it being the Once Upon a Book Club pick.
While I enjoyed the history of Simone Jules/Madame Dumont/Madame Mustache, I felt that the second half of the book was weaker than the first half. In particular, why did Reuban have to come back at the very end? Having him arrive after so long jolted me out of the story because it wasn't believable and awkward.
With all of Dumont's travels at the end of the book, I just wasn't very interested in her life after she left Nevada. I get that the author was following the storyline of the actual woman, the pacing of the story was much different in the last portion of the book.
I don't know if it was because I received the Once Upon a Book Club version of the book, but there were quite a few errors in the book itself. Multiple spellings of one name, misspelling, and time/age jumps that don't make sense. All little things, but things that I felt detracted from the overall story.
My review sounds negative, but I did enjoy the read. As someone who grew up in the West, I enjoy reading the romanticism of the West in the 1800s. Walsh did an excellent job bringing the setting to life and making the West feel wild and adventurous.
While I enjoyed the history of Simone Jules/Madame Dumont/Madame Mustache, I felt that the second half of the book was weaker than the first half. In particular, why did Reuban have to come back at the very end? Having him arrive after so long jolted me out of the story because it wasn't believable and awkward.
With all of Dumont's travels at the end of the book, I just wasn't very interested in her life after she left Nevada. I get that the author was following the storyline of the actual woman, the pacing of the story was much different in the last portion of the book.
I don't know if it was because I received the Once Upon a Book Club version of the book, but there were quite a few errors in the book itself. Multiple spellings of one name, misspelling, and time/age jumps that don't make sense. All little things, but things that I felt detracted from the overall story.
My review sounds negative, but I did enjoy the read. As someone who grew up in the West, I enjoy reading the romanticism of the West in the 1800s. Walsh did an excellent job bringing the setting to life and making the West feel wild and adventurous.
adventurous
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Thanks to the author for a free review copy of this book for an honest review!
I've mentioned so many times that some of my favorite historical fiction is the kind that tells the story of a remarkable woman whose story I would otherwise have never heard. In A Betting Woman, Jenni L. Walsh introduced me to Simone Jules- also known as Eleanor DuMont and Madame Moustache- who took on the western United States on her own at a young age in the mid 1800s, making a living and a reputation as the first person to bring vingt-et-un (blackjack) to that part of the country. Much about her early life is unknown and there are some gaps in the known timeline that the author had to creatively fill, but it all blends together well, and allows space for Eleanor to recognize the social issues of her time. She faces a lot of hardships as a single woman in this time and the places she sets up, but finds creative ways to stay safe and successful. She is truly a character that time shouldn't forget, and it's wonderful that the author is bringing her name and story to modern readers.
I've mentioned so many times that some of my favorite historical fiction is the kind that tells the story of a remarkable woman whose story I would otherwise have never heard. In A Betting Woman, Jenni L. Walsh introduced me to Simone Jules- also known as Eleanor DuMont and Madame Moustache- who took on the western United States on her own at a young age in the mid 1800s, making a living and a reputation as the first person to bring vingt-et-un (blackjack) to that part of the country. Much about her early life is unknown and there are some gaps in the known timeline that the author had to creatively fill, but it all blends together well, and allows space for Eleanor to recognize the social issues of her time. She faces a lot of hardships as a single woman in this time and the places she sets up, but finds creative ways to stay safe and successful. She is truly a character that time shouldn't forget, and it's wonderful that the author is bringing her name and story to modern readers.
adventurous
medium-paced