"The Other Daughter" - Lauren Willig

Hello fellow bibliophiles! Today's book, The Other Daughter by Lauren Willig, was possible thanks to NetGalley. Thank you! First off, if you read one of my recent post, The Secret History of the Pink Carnation (found here), you will understand my feelings towards Willig. I have thoroughly enjoyed her books both series and non series books. I have also wrote a review on one of her other books, The Last Summer, which can be found here! I have never read a book of her's that I did not like. That said, I had some pretty high standards and hopes for this book. Here's a brief summary:

A governess in France who receives word that her mother has fallen ill, Rachel Woodley flees back home to England. Upon arrival, Rachel finds out that her mother has already passed and is now left on her own, penniless and jobless. While cleaning out her mother's room, Rachel discovers a society news clipping of what appears to be her father dated only a few months before. But how can that be? Her father died when she was very young. Rachel sets out to find out who this man is and if he really is her father. If so, that would mean her whole was a sham. In order to discover the truth, Rachel sets out to immerse herself into the high society England, new identity in tow. Will the truth set her free or will it ruin not only her life but the family of the man she believes is her father?

What I found difficult when reading this book was the writing itself. From the beginning it moves through each scene very quickly, often darting and taking leaps that just happen to pop up at the right time. The book only scraped on the surface of having depth and the ending was rushed along, basically leaving you hanging out to dry. Yes questions were answered but then nothing more. Compared to Willig's other books, this was a huge let down. I was very disappointed. Maybe my standards were just too high. I would have liked more into the ending of the story and less of the middle. But once again, that's just my opinion. As always, feel free to share any recommendations, suggestions, or comments!

Happy reading fools :)

"The Secret History of the Pink Carnation" - Lauren Willig

Hello fellow bibliophiles! For this post, I have a throwback to the first book in one of my favorite series! The Secret History of the Pink Carnation by Lauren Willig is the first of twelve books in this same titled series. I have an itch to go back and reread the complete series as the last, and final, book will be coming out this fall. I love this series for many reasons. I'll list a few of them for you :)

1. The story is wrote from two different perspectives. Present day Eloise, the scholar who is desperately trying to complete her dissertation on aristocratic spies during the late 1700's, and the spies themselves. If you've read any of my previous reviews, you know I love a good past and present story line!

2. Spies. Spies who name themselves after different flowers. Spies who wear masks and dash around in tights and capes in 18th century England. Dashingly handsome, witty, and clever spies. Spies with titles who write their messages in code and seal the envelopes with wax and a seal. Did I mention spies?

3. Letter writing. Stage coaches. Manors in the country. Balls and masquerades.

4. Present day relatives of these dashing spies who are trying to hold their families secrets of these spies.

5. A wonderful woman named Mrs. Arabelle Selwick-Alderly and her charming, handsome, and sometimes rude,grandson Colin.

I could go on and on! Short version: Elosie, down on her luck, goes to England to finish researching the spies for her dissertation. Mrs. Selwick-Alderly holds these secrets, and their stories. Through them both, the reader is transported back to 18th century England on a whirlwind of espionage. And what kind of story would this be without a little bit of romance?! Don't worry. You don't have to fret. There's romance and plenty of it. Ball gowns and corsets. Men in tights. These books are fantastic. Willig is a great writer. She's descriptive, but not overly descriptive. Historical yet comical. I often find myself laughing out loud throughout the story. The reader is on a fast-paced struggle of wanting to know how the story comes together yet covering the next page to prevent yourself from jumping ahead. I highly recommend this series to all fans of historicall intrigue, mystery, and a little bit of romance. I cannot wait for the final book in the series!

Happy reading fools :)

"That Summer" - Lauren Willig

Hello fellow bibliophiles! Second review for the day is ready to go! This week in addition to Yes Please by Amy Poehler, I also finished a book by one of my favorite authors, Lauren Willig. I have been a fan of Willig's ever since I randomly picked up The Secret History of the Pink Carnation while perusing the bargain books at Barnes and Noble. I was instantly enthralled with the series and have been a diligent reader since. As that series has been coming to an end, Willig has been branching out and writing stand alone fiction books that are just as amazing. I love her writing! I am constantly recommending her books to friends, colleagues, random strangers :)  If you have read any of my previous reviews, you know I am a fan of books that tell two, entertwining stories between the past and present. Willig is the queen of this. She also writes strong, female main characters which is always a positive in my opinion!

That Summer by Lauren Willig tells the story of present day Julia, living in NYC, who inherits a house in Herne Hill, England, a place she has not been to since her mother died when she was 5. The other half of the story is set in the 1840's with Imogen Grantham who lives at Herne Hill, dealing with decisions that have not always ending the way she was hoping. While Julia is trying to remember the past she has worked so hard to forget, Imogen is struggling to deal with right, wrong, and virtues with the hear. The whole book also has a center around art. Artists, paintings, mysterious pictures, and lives as art historians in both the past and the present. The reader is lead on a journey of self discovery, love, and trust through twists and turns that leave the you wanting for more. I thoroughly enjoyed the book. Another home run for Lauren Willig! Make sure to check out her other books. I will be posting a throwback review for you later this week about her Pink Carnation series!

As always, feel free to share any recommendations, opinions, or suggestions! I'd love to hear from you!

Happy reading fools :)