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klreeher's reviews
399 reviews
I, Claudia by Marilyn Todd
4.0
I really liked this book; our hero, the Claudia of the title, was a really great character, and very, very human. I loved the relationship with her husband, and I thought the author managed to get across a lot of the Roman sensibility of the time in a way that didn't stand out as strange or weird, but none the less read very true to me. (I've had *a lot* of background in Roman history, including a lot of Latin translation, and this can and has been a thing to throw me out of historical novels before.)
So, very much recommended on that account.
Some nitpicks, however, were that the way the author used British slang to get across class differences started standing out A LOT about mid-way through the book. You might not find it as distracting as I, a very American reader, did. It was an effective method, but idk, I felt like it got a little over the top at points.
Another is that the love interest's POV on Claudia gets weirdly rapey at points? Like, in a fantasy, never even hinted at acting upon, but that combined with the "if I can't have her no-one will" angle to the murders, it was a little jarring.
That all said, I'm definitely planning on picking up the next book.
So, very much recommended on that account.
Some nitpicks, however, were that the way the author used British slang to get across class differences started standing out A LOT about mid-way through the book. You might not find it as distracting as I, a very American reader, did. It was an effective method, but idk, I felt like it got a little over the top at points.
Another is that the love interest's POV on Claudia gets weirdly rapey at points? Like, in a fantasy, never even hinted at acting upon, but that combined with the "if I can't have her no-one will" angle to the murders, it was a little jarring.
That all said, I'm definitely planning on picking up the next book.
Belinda by Peggy Webb
4.0
This book felt over the top and RIDICULOUS for the first third. And then, somewhere along the way, these larger than life tropes became people I was fond of and I was hooked. Not a complicated plot, and honestly, I've seen this plot done better, but it was cute and fluffy, and I loved the female friendship. You got a real sense of her friends, even through just emails. Was a quick read, but I picked up the next one.