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A review by awall14
Madensky Square by Eva Ibbotson
4.0
This book started off slow -- I found it hard to get invested in the story, and I was worried that this would be a hard book to get through. And then suddenly, about a third of the way through it took a remarkable turn. Suddenly, I couldn't put it down. I was 100% invested in the drama of Madensky Square. This book is labelled as romance, but this is entirely misleading. Although romance does play a role, this book is more about various relationships and how they evolve, how people heal after tragedy, and how we can all create beautiful places for ourselves among those who love us best - our friends.
In another way this novel reminded me a bit of Jane Austen's books: people falling in love with the wrong people, matchmaking, complicated relationships almost spoiled by poor communication, and in the end some very convenient solutions to fix all the issues of our characters. It was a fun read that had a wonderful air of nostalgia about it.
There were a few things I didn't love about this book: The fact that no one seems to be happily married, and the emphasis throughout the book that you have to be beautiful to be happy. It sometimes made for some uncomfortable reading, and I think contributed to the bad start I had with this novel.
In another way this novel reminded me a bit of Jane Austen's books: people falling in love with the wrong people, matchmaking, complicated relationships almost spoiled by poor communication, and in the end some very convenient solutions to fix all the issues of our characters. It was a fun read that had a wonderful air of nostalgia about it.
There were a few things I didn't love about this book: The fact that no one seems to be happily married, and the emphasis throughout the book that you have to be beautiful to be happy. It sometimes made for some uncomfortable reading, and I think contributed to the bad start I had with this novel.