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3.68 AVERAGE
3.68 AVERAGE
Not a fan. (Returned to get my $5 back from Audible and planning on donating my physical copy to the library.)
- Main character is confident when it's convenient for the plot and a puddle of indecision and self-doubt when it isn't
- Main character dwells on the sadness she feels about the death of the guy who 1) masturbated over her while she was sleeping multiple times and would have raped her if she hadn't woken up in time 2) tried to kill her and 3) betrayed the organization she loves and works for
- Main love interest has zero personality
- Main character and love interest have copious amounts of unprotected sex without contraceptives but pregnancy doesn't occur to them as a possible result
- Main character doesn't realize that evil person who is doing evil things is the bad guy and feels responsible for everything going wrong even when the evil person goes into hysterical cover up mode and clearly violates established rules
- Otherwise responsible doctor has conversation with main character about obviously sensitive and secret miscarriage while separated by only a curtain from enemy who has publicly sworn to ruin main character
- Main character forgives main love interest immediately after he publicly calls her a slut and speculates on who she's secretly slutting around with because she didn't tell him immediately about the miscarriage she had when she was alone, poor, ill, and nearly homeless. (It's obvious to everyone that it's definitely his kid.). Instead, SHE feels bad for HIM.
- Main character is confident when it's convenient for the plot and a puddle of indecision and self-doubt when it isn't
- Main character dwells on the sadness she feels about the death of the guy who 1) masturbated over her while she was sleeping multiple times and would have raped her if she hadn't woken up in time 2) tried to kill her and 3) betrayed the organization she loves and works for
- Main love interest has zero personality
- Main character and love interest have copious amounts of unprotected sex without contraceptives but pregnancy doesn't occur to them as a possible result
- Main character doesn't realize that evil person who is doing evil things is the bad guy and feels responsible for everything going wrong even when the evil person goes into hysterical cover up mode and clearly violates established rules
- Otherwise responsible doctor has conversation with main character about obviously sensitive and secret miscarriage while separated by only a curtain from enemy who has publicly sworn to ruin main character
- Main character forgives main love interest immediately after he publicly calls her a slut and speculates on who she's secretly slutting around with because she didn't tell him immediately about the miscarriage she had when she was alone, poor, ill, and nearly homeless. (It's obvious to everyone that it's definitely his kid.). Instead, SHE feels bad for HIM.
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
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:
Complicated
Fantastic. Light hearted, fast paced. Solid writing. Lots of unexpected twists and turns. Great audiobook version as well.
adventurous
funny
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
4.5* I've had this Series on my TBR pile for some time. From the book's description, I was under the impression it would be a light, humorous, somewhat farcical jolly good read. It is so much more than that. Yes, there is a humorous angle, but there are also deeply, tragic and somewhat "racy" ones too! This book is a rollicking great adventure set in the present with delightful transitions into the past. History is brought to life and plays it's own important role as well. Every time I thought I knew where the story was going, it threw me for another loop. Madeline Maxwell is a fantastic lead, surrounded by the captivating staff of the well imagined St. Mary's organization. I loved everything about the St. Mary's Universe that was so skilfully established in this first entry. I am looking forward to diving further into the series.
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This book was just one damned thing after another.
During the first half of the book, I could not put it down. Time-traveling historians! Snarkiness left and right! Sexual tension galore! Around 2:30 in the morning, I had to stop in mid-chapter, because every time I hit another cliff-hanger chapter ending, I was forced to keep reading. I placed a library hold request for the second book in the series.
Then it all fell apart for me.
*Too much happens. There are several books worth of plot stuffed into one. The pacing is inconsistent, too. At one point, Madeleine "Max" Maxwell reflects on five years having passed since she came to St. Mary's. I thought it had only been about a year.
*Characters act inconsistently just to move the plot along. Someone Max trusts turns out to be completely despicable, just before something terrible happens to that character. So, of course, the fate was deserved. Max's love interest has an outburst that is completely inconsistent with his behavior up to that point, again because it sets certain other events into action. And then there's the weird little reveal that
*Ms. Taylor tends to tell, rather than show: exposition through conversation, being told over and over that the St. Mary's crew is wild and crazy, etc. And Max, who is narrating, doesn't portray herself very accurately (at least in comparison to what other characters say to/about her) or clearly (so much mysterious childhood that is alluded to, but never ties into the story).
Overall, it was a fun read that just had too many flaws and didn't go anywhere. I canceled my hold. I'd rather wait for the next Invisible Library book to be released.
During the first half of the book, I could not put it down. Time-traveling historians! Snarkiness left and right! Sexual tension galore! Around 2:30 in the morning, I had to stop in mid-chapter, because every time I hit another cliff-hanger chapter ending, I was forced to keep reading. I placed a library hold request for the second book in the series.
Then it all fell apart for me.
*Too much happens. There are several books worth of plot stuffed into one. The pacing is inconsistent, too. At one point, Madeleine "Max" Maxwell reflects on five years having passed since she came to St. Mary's. I thought it had only been about a year.
*Characters act inconsistently just to move the plot along. Someone Max trusts turns out to be completely despicable, just before something terrible happens to that character. So, of course, the fate was deserved. Max's love interest has an outburst that is completely inconsistent with his behavior up to that point, again because it sets certain other events into action. And then there's the weird little reveal that
Spoiler
Sybil de Winter and Cleo Partridge are actually immortals???*Ms. Taylor tends to tell, rather than show: exposition through conversation, being told over and over that the St. Mary's crew is wild and crazy, etc. And Max, who is narrating, doesn't portray herself very accurately (at least in comparison to what other characters say to/about her) or clearly (so much mysterious childhood that is alluded to, but never ties into the story).
Overall, it was a fun read that just had too many flaws and didn't go anywhere. I canceled my hold. I'd rather wait for the next Invisible Library book to be released.
**couldn’t agree more with previous reviewer Trin**
This book came highly recommended to me from a friend as a “fun romp,” one to not think too hard about but just to enjoy. Well, I tried. I really did. I even finished it just to see if it got better. It did not.
The characters were so poorly written - even the protagonist - that I would be bereft to tell you a personality detail about any of them. I couldn’t tell one from the other, including her love interest, with a totally out of the blue sex scene thrown in there. It made it extremely difficult to follow who was who and what was going on half the time. The story was told in first person, and “Max” frequently says things like “such and such trait should be obvious, given what we know about so-and-so,” and I was thinking, “nope.”
Then, the premise. “Historians” as they call themselves, bouncing around history time traveling to just “observe” history, but then you send a couple of them to the Cretaceous period? Why?! They’re not paleontologists! Just because it sounds cool?
I mean, there were so many moments I rolled my eyes at this book for so many reasons, it’s exhausting to consider writing them all down. Nope nope. I should’ve put it down way before I did, and then I resented it for the last couple hours trying to muscle through to the hard-fought lame conclusion. In case you couldn’t tell, I won’t be continuing this series.
One tiny bit of positivity: I listened on Audible and I liked the reader.
This book came highly recommended to me from a friend as a “fun romp,” one to not think too hard about but just to enjoy. Well, I tried. I really did. I even finished it just to see if it got better. It did not.
The characters were so poorly written - even the protagonist - that I would be bereft to tell you a personality detail about any of them. I couldn’t tell one from the other, including her love interest, with a totally out of the blue sex scene thrown in there. It made it extremely difficult to follow who was who and what was going on half the time. The story was told in first person, and “Max” frequently says things like “such and such trait should be obvious, given what we know about so-and-so,” and I was thinking, “nope.”
Then, the premise. “Historians” as they call themselves, bouncing around history time traveling to just “observe” history, but then you send a couple of them to the Cretaceous period? Why?! They’re not paleontologists! Just because it sounds cool?
I mean, there were so many moments I rolled my eyes at this book for so many reasons, it’s exhausting to consider writing them all down. Nope nope. I should’ve put it down way before I did, and then I resented it for the last couple hours trying to muscle through to the hard-fought lame conclusion. In case you couldn’t tell, I won’t be continuing this series.
One tiny bit of positivity: I listened on Audible and I liked the reader.
Clever read, interesting concept, great series starter. I'm excited to read the others. Casually already in love with the characters.