Reviews

A Purely Private Matter by Darcie Wilde

_surri_'s review against another edition

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mysterious

4.0

incandescentreads's review against another edition

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1.5

Rating : 1,5 ⭐
The solution to this mystery really came out of nowhere and, in my opinion, played on some ableist tropes in way that didn't subvert them in the way the author seemed to expect. The line of succession angle was way too convoluted to make for a satisfying plot line. The ending was definitely the low point of this story, but I still think the rest of it is salvageable. I hope the next one doesn't rely on the same old tropes.

chelle493's review against another edition

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slow-paced

3.75

rlse's review against another edition

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3.0

These are entertaining mysteries, but it’s annoying to have the setting researched so poorly when it comes to modes of reference and address. I also hate love triangles.

laileanah's review against another edition

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funny lighthearted mysterious slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

2.25

This was slow and needlessly complicated.
My main gripe is the author doesn't really understand British Aristocracy, inheritance or the use of proper titles so this storyline was just doomed.

emilybordelovewrites's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional mysterious tense

eserafina42's review against another edition

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3.0

3.5 stars. I do enjoy these books and will probably read more of them, but the pacing is way too leisurely for me and the plots seem overly complex. That's not necessarily a fault - more a matter of personal taste. I assume that the author has the dual goal of both writing an interesting mystery and providing a window into Regency culture in all its Byzantine complexity, which may be echoed in the plotting.

samoflarsen's review against another edition

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adventurous mysterious medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.5

dodie_sullivan's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional mysterious medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.75

panda_incognito's review against another edition

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Dropped at 86 pages.

I found the first book in this series promising but plodding, and hoped that the next installment would be an improvement. Instead, I found this much more dull, and even though I tried to get into it, I didn't want to pick it up again. There's way too much detail and long trains of thought, and too little dramatization. Also, I couldn't be less interested in the love triangle that the author is setting up, and couldn't bear to stick around for that when the mystery plot was unfolding so slowly.