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emilynehrt 's review for:
Edenbrooke
by Julianne Donaldson
What a treat. I thoroughly enjoyed this book, and when I closed it, I wished I could live in the world of Edenbrooke for a little longer. I still do. The romance between Marianne and Philip was delightful - their easy friendship and their slide into a companionable love felt so believable as to remind me genuinely of what it felt like when I met my own husband. I'm a real sucker for PINING, and let me tell you, Philip's pining for Marianne was top notch.
This could easily have been a 5-star review for me, except for a few qualms about the writing. As a regency romance, the story could have had a bit more specificity of time and place - since I'm a reader of regency stories, I could fill in the gaps fairly easily, but I'd have appreciated more historical richness! I also felt (as I have with the author's other works) that the side characters and female relationships were not as well fleshed out as they could have been. Marianne's complex relationship with her twin could have been a source of so much more beauty, and though we get a resolution to their conflict at the end, I would have loved to see a deeper exploration of the sisterly bond.
That said, I'd consider this a must read for fans of regency romance, soulmates/"fated mates" tropes, *swoonworthy pining,* and strong historical females. I'm sure I'll be reading it again soon <3
This could easily have been a 5-star review for me, except for a few qualms about the writing. As a regency romance, the story could have had a bit more specificity of time and place - since I'm a reader of regency stories, I could fill in the gaps fairly easily, but I'd have appreciated more historical richness! I also felt (as I have with the author's other works) that the side characters and female relationships were not as well fleshed out as they could have been. Marianne's complex relationship with her twin could have been a source of so much more beauty, and though we get a resolution to their conflict at the end, I would have loved to see a deeper exploration of the sisterly bond.
That said, I'd consider this a must read for fans of regency romance, soulmates/"fated mates" tropes, *swoonworthy pining,* and strong historical females. I'm sure I'll be reading it again soon <3