A review by connorshirs
Mariana by Monica Dickens

3.0

I have mixed feelings about this novel. The prose was beautiful, the characters were beautiful. I didn't quite understand why it's categorized primarily as a romance novel, it's more a bildungsroman, but the beginning and end of the novel make it seem like it wants to be a romance novel. You go into the story not knowing who Mary's husband is, which would have been a great setup for a "who-is-she-going-to-choose?" situation.

We spent way too long following Mary's romance with Denys, way too long with Pierre, and not enough time with Sam. It felt as though I didn't really know Sam enough to care about his character, I only knew I was supposed to care about him, even though I didn't. Overall, I think I would give this a 3.5/5 stars.