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A review by celeste57
The Elusive Miss Ellison by Carolyn Miller
4.0
Full review now posted!
Sometimes, you need a radical change of pace. Since October, I’ve read more fantasy in a shorter period of time than I’ve ever read in my life. Don’t get me wrong; fantasy is my favorite genre, and it always will be. But there is such a thing as too much of a good thing. So I decided that I needed a little fantasy break. This book was about as far away from fantasy as is possible, and it was a breath of fresh air.
The Elusive Miss Ellison is a Christian historical romance, set in the Regency era. This is a genre that is very hit or miss for me, but this one was a hit. There were occasional sections that felt stilted, but all in all the book flowed well. The writing, while not that of the classic authors emulated, was solid. The romance was compelling, and the differences between our two main characters added interest. The setting was convincing, and felt exactly like Regency England. There were a couple of instances where modernity made itself felt, generally in medical practices, but the instances were few and understandable. As for the faith aspect, it was heavy-handed in places, but for the most part it was very well-handled and seemed neither forced nor an afterthought, either of which seem to be the case with a lot of Christian fiction.
I really enjoyed this book. It felt light and fresh to me in a way that historical fiction often does not. It was a nice departure from the fantasy and horror I’ve been consuming almost exclusively these past eight months. I needed it. I’m going to start making more room for Christian fiction in my life again, because it’s something my mind and spirit need that I’ve missed. And this was a good book to restart that habit with.
For more of my reviews, as well as my own fiction and thoughts on life, check out my blog, Celestial Musings.
Sometimes, you need a radical change of pace. Since October, I’ve read more fantasy in a shorter period of time than I’ve ever read in my life. Don’t get me wrong; fantasy is my favorite genre, and it always will be. But there is such a thing as too much of a good thing. So I decided that I needed a little fantasy break. This book was about as far away from fantasy as is possible, and it was a breath of fresh air.
The Elusive Miss Ellison is a Christian historical romance, set in the Regency era. This is a genre that is very hit or miss for me, but this one was a hit. There were occasional sections that felt stilted, but all in all the book flowed well. The writing, while not that of the classic authors emulated, was solid. The romance was compelling, and the differences between our two main characters added interest. The setting was convincing, and felt exactly like Regency England. There were a couple of instances where modernity made itself felt, generally in medical practices, but the instances were few and understandable. As for the faith aspect, it was heavy-handed in places, but for the most part it was very well-handled and seemed neither forced nor an afterthought, either of which seem to be the case with a lot of Christian fiction.
I really enjoyed this book. It felt light and fresh to me in a way that historical fiction often does not. It was a nice departure from the fantasy and horror I’ve been consuming almost exclusively these past eight months. I needed it. I’m going to start making more room for Christian fiction in my life again, because it’s something my mind and spirit need that I’ve missed. And this was a good book to restart that habit with.
For more of my reviews, as well as my own fiction and thoughts on life, check out my blog, Celestial Musings.