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A review by mcevee
Marrying Christopher by Michele Paige Holmes
3.0
I enjoyed Marrying Christopher.
I hadn't read any of the Hearthfire books, not realising this was part of a trilogy.
I found the beginning of the book to be a little disjointed. It seemed to be more an extension of the previous books, the tying up of loose ends and a nod towards the characters of those books, more than the first chapter of a book in its own right. The Marrying Christopher story didn't really seem to start until the second chapter.
The story was a bit slow to get going. There was so much character introspection, too much. I'm a believer in 'show don't tell'. I want to get to know a character by seeing how they react in certain situations and interact with other characters, not by reading a manual to the inner workings of their psyche and personality, before they even do anything. In other words it felt contrived.
None the less once you make it past everyone explaining away themselves, and actually get to see the characters in action things take a turn for the better.
The first part of the story is unique though predictable. It is original enough to keep you interested and familiar enough to kickback and relax to.
I was impressed by the overall character development, even the secondary characters were as real and dynamic as the main.
I found the romance a bit rushed, but in the timeframe of the story it is understandable.
Now the second part of the book took a brilliant unexpected twist. The stakes were high, the fairytale was dashed, hope was utterly lost and everything just got a little more real. We all knew what had to happen in the end but all the obstacles and setbacks had me growing increasingly frustrated and anxious too see it through to the end so that I could sleep easy knowing how it all turned out.
I was hooked and thoroughly invested in the happiness and wellbeing of the characters, rooting for them until the end.
Overall a very enjoyable read.
*I received a complimentary copy of Marrying Christopher in exchange for an honest review.
I hadn't read any of the Hearthfire books, not realising this was part of a trilogy.
I found the beginning of the book to be a little disjointed. It seemed to be more an extension of the previous books, the tying up of loose ends and a nod towards the characters of those books, more than the first chapter of a book in its own right. The Marrying Christopher story didn't really seem to start until the second chapter.
The story was a bit slow to get going. There was so much character introspection, too much. I'm a believer in 'show don't tell'. I want to get to know a character by seeing how they react in certain situations and interact with other characters, not by reading a manual to the inner workings of their psyche and personality, before they even do anything. In other words it felt contrived.
None the less once you make it past everyone explaining away themselves, and actually get to see the characters in action things take a turn for the better.
The first part of the story is unique though predictable. It is original enough to keep you interested and familiar enough to kickback and relax to.
I was impressed by the overall character development, even the secondary characters were as real and dynamic as the main.
I found the romance a bit rushed, but in the timeframe of the story it is understandable.
Now the second part of the book took a brilliant unexpected twist. The stakes were high, the fairytale was dashed, hope was utterly lost and everything just got a little more real. We all knew what had to happen in the end but all the obstacles and setbacks had me growing increasingly frustrated and anxious too see it through to the end so that I could sleep easy knowing how it all turned out.
I was hooked and thoroughly invested in the happiness and wellbeing of the characters, rooting for them until the end.
Overall a very enjoyable read.
*I received a complimentary copy of Marrying Christopher in exchange for an honest review.