3.5 stars (WHEN is Goodreads going to get half stars? )
I've read many other books by this author and have enjoyed most of them. This one, for some rea3.5 stars (WHEN is Goodreads going to get half stars? )
I've read many other books by this author and have enjoyed most of them. This one, for some reason, just wasn't among my favorite. The setting was lovely, and I enjoyed reading about a place that I haven't visited yet. The plot was fine, but it was very predictable, and I called the "twist" very early on. I guess it just felt a bit formulaic to me, but I still did thing it was a good read.
One last shout out to the cover designer. One thing that all of Kate Frost's "escapist" novels have in common is that they have fabulous covers, which really entice the reader. ...more
I'm usually a huge fan of Kate Quinn's novels, but this one wasn't my favorite. First of all, I absolutely hate massively long chapters. When3.5 stars
I'm usually a huge fan of Kate Quinn's novels, but this one wasn't my favorite. First of all, I absolutely hate massively long chapters. When my Kindle said each chapter was over an hour long, I groaned. I'm also not a fan of multiple POVs / main characters. I had a hard time remembering who each woman was and what her backstory was. I also thought this book really dragged. It's not that it was boring, per se, it just wasn't all that captivating. And while it may seem cutesy to have the house itself be one of the POVs, I don't think magical realism worked well with this book. I also don't think the various recipes added anything. It didn't interest me in the least, so I just skipped them.
What I did love about this book was the camaraderie between the women, and how those friendships grew under the care and (literal) feeding from Grace. It was interesting to read the differing backstories, but there were definitely some characters I enjoyed more than others. I wasn't sure how Quinn was going to include her usual historical aspects, but in the end it comes together and makes sense.
Overall this was an enjoyable read, and I'll for sure read anything else Quinn writes - but I probably won't be recommending this to others. ...more
I think I've read 80% or more of Hilderbrand's novels. Some are hits, some are misses, and some are just meh. I think this one falls into the3.5 stars
I think I've read 80% or more of Hilderbrand's novels. Some are hits, some are misses, and some are just meh. I think this one falls into the last category. For it being her own Swan Song, in that she claims she won't be writing any more Nantucket novels, it really didn't go out with a bang. It was more of an unenthusiastic thump.
What I did like was Blond Sharon finally getting a positive storyline, after being mostly maligned all these years. I also loved the inclusion of Chief Kapenash, as he's always been a favorite character. There were several mentions of other characters, situations, and various Easter Eggs from other previous novels (i.e., two of the boats were named Golden Girl and Beautiful Day). And of course I love that Nantucket itself is a character, but for this being the "final" novel, it didn't have as much of a part as I had expected.
What I did NOT like was ... well the rest. The story, the "crime", the house, and the general feel reminded me of The Perfect Couple. It would've been nice to have something a little more different. I feel like the Richardsons were hyped up so much, with so much intrigue, that I really expected them to have a more sinister background. The reveal was very flat. Or, there just wasn't a reveal, which was disappointing. Lots of unanswered questions about Leslee and Bull, such as (view spoiler)[ why didn't they ever talk about their past? What exactly did they do in the other places they lived that caused people to blacklist them? I expected it would be some sort of grift or even something criminal, but was it just that they were pretentious and unlikeable, so all the locals in each place eventually turned on them, like they did in Nantucket? Why did Leslee's credit card get declined? Was it because Bull's business was failing due to the IRS thing? Was he intentionally committing tax fraud, or was it a crooked accountant? Or was his business failing because of the plastics thing in Indonesia? How/why did they not have any friends or family who they ever talked about? Why didn't they want to pay Coco above board, why only in cash? Why did Leslee want Coco to take such meticulous notes about her whereabouts and doings each day? And most important of all, why in the world would Bull put up with all of Leslee's crap and infidelity? (hide spoiler)] There were just so many things that were never answered about the Richardsons, which was pretty annoying.
I also didn't love all the meticulous descriptions of food (yes, I know, a Hilderbrand thing), I definitely didn't care for the play-by-play (literally) of Pickleball, and for years I've been irritated at the long list of ridiculous character names in these novels. I don't expect everyone to be named Sarah or John, but come on.
The novel ends with a very ambiguous event that leaves us wondering if a key character dies. That kind of stuff really irritates me. I don't want it to be up to my own imagination, just tell me what happens. So now I feel like this probably isn't the actual final book.
I generally love Hilderbrand books, but this one was not my favorite. ...more
I've read almost all of Hilderbrand's novels, and this one was among my least favorite. I do appreciate that she found a different format in 2.5 stars
I've read almost all of Hilderbrand's novels, and this one was among my least favorite. I do appreciate that she found a different format in which to tell this story, in terms of one of the main characters actually being dead and watching/influencing things from "Beyond". I'm not really a fan of that kind of thing, but it wasn't preachy, so I went with it. What I disliked the most was that there were too many POVs from different characters, and many of those characters were irrelevant, boring, or just someone I had zero interest in reading about. I wanted more from the handful of more interesting characters, and I wanted more of the 'crime' to be solved. The storyline just crawled and was really boring in many parts - and then at the end it all just quickly came together in like 2 chapters. It was weird, and just not great. I'm still a fan of Hilderbrand and will continue to read her books, but this one was a miss for me. ...more
This short story is essentially the epilogue for "28 Summers".
We catch up with all the main characters, back once again on Nantucket for Labor Day - This short story is essentially the epilogue for "28 Summers".
We catch up with all the main characters, back once again on Nantucket for Labor Day - but this time without Mallory. It was good to see what happened next with them, and for the most part, I felt each of their paths were fitting.
But then I got to the last page and was livid with how Jake's story ended. What an absolute cop-out, and definitely NOT the path he should be going down. He deserves so much more. Boo.
I've read so many of Hilderbrand's novels, and while some of them seem a bit formulaic, I've been pleasantly surprised that there are others, like thiI've read so many of Hilderbrand's novels, and while some of them seem a bit formulaic, I've been pleasantly surprised that there are others, like this one, that have a completely different format and method of telling the story.
There are several reviews that express vehement dislike of this novel because of the subject matter, which at its core could be boiled down to infidelty. Others say this novel is anti-marriage and full of marriage-bashing. I look at it differently; love is complicated, and so is marriage. There are a host of complexities in any relationship, and decisions are impacted by feelings, commitments, fears, insecurities, selfishness, selflessness, and many many more internal and external factors. I can argue that this book is actually about fidelity, in many ways - just not the way someone would traditionally define it.
I actually really liked the premise of the story, it was unusual and spurred some introspection; how would you have reacted if in the same position? It's easy to judge from the outside, but you don't really know how you would've handled it if it was you. As we learned more about Jake and Mallory over the years, both their flaws and deep love for each other were exposed. I didn't love all the other sub-characters, and definitely didn't understand why any of them made certain decisions - but that made them human.
As usual, Nantucket itself is one of the characters in this novel, and having been there, I always love picturing the different places that are mentioned. It always feels like summer to read a Hilderbrand novel, and I love that.
The ending of the novel is sad - but at the beginning, you knew it was going to be. I had many questions about what happened next, and wanted an epilogue - but fortunately the short story "The Sixth Wedding" (which I read right after this one) answered many of them....more
**spoiler alert** This novel was good, but not great.
I usually enjoy dual-timeline stories, but in this case, I had zero interest in Rainey's story b**spoiler alert** This novel was good, but not great.
I usually enjoy dual-timeline stories, but in this case, I had zero interest in Rainey's story because she had no personality. Evie's story was more compelling, but it was just such a slow burn (really slow) to get to the revelations in the story, where we could learn more about Evie and what happened to her. Then just when we were getting some answers, the book ends. I absolutely hate when books end without answering questions, and in this case there were a few different plot points that were left hanging. Just to name a few -- What the rest of Harding's story? Why did she leave her parents, lie about her name and background, and essentially run away? Why she was involved in the black market? What was the truth about where the money came from? What happened to the money in the end?
It also irritated me that the entire story was predicated on the letters - and what for? Evie wrote them, she knew what was in them, so what was the big deal? She never even got to give them to Alby, so again, what was the point?
I also feel like there was a huge miss in not talking more about why Evie's parents essentially abandoned her for most of her life, never giving her any of the love and attention she so desired. We find out at the end, but it was essentially one paragraph. If Evie was so emotionally scarred by the lack of love and attention from her parents, why did she essentially do the same thing to her own daughter?
Also, I don't like kids/babies, and don't enjoy stories that revolve so much around them - so I skimmed most of the parts related to that.
Overall, this book was just missing a lot in terms of story structure and details. I know many people loved it, but I just didn't. ...more
I have enjoyed many of this authors other books, and I especially love the novels that are set in Greece. I've been to Ke3.5 stars, rounding up to 4.
I have enjoyed many of this authors other books, and I especially love the novels that are set in Greece. I've been to Kefalonia, and can attest that it's a beautiful island, which is much different than many of the other Greek islands. I could absolutely be onboard with inheriting a villa on the island, so that part of the story was definitely swoon-worthy.
I can't really put my finger on why I didn't love this book as much as I thought I would. It's definitely not the setting or the descriptions of the scrumptious Greek food, nor the boistrous yet lovable Greeks she meets there. I think part of it is that I wasn't interested in Xanthe's life as a stage actress, so I skimmed everything related to that. I also was a bit irritated with how long it took to find out why Xanthe's Mom had completely divorced herself from her Greek life and her Greek family, and why she was so angry with her father and Agatha -- and then when we did finally find out why, it was like "that's it?". Not that the reason wasn't bad, but that was enough to cut off all ties with all your friends and family on the island and never return? It seemed a little unnecessarily overdramatic.
When I saw the direction the ending was going, I was admittedly a little upset, as it seemed pretty unrealistic that the person involved would uproot their life like they did -- but then after the progression of their lives was explained, it made a little more sense, and I was happy with the way it turned out.
Overall, this was another lovely bit of escapism from Frost, and as always, I look forward to the next. ...more
I have enjoyed other books by this author, and in general, she's a solid writer. This book has gotten so many stellar rati3.5 stars, rounding up to 4.
I have enjoyed other books by this author, and in general, she's a solid writer. This book has gotten so many stellar ratings and reviews, so my opinion will not be the norm. While I liked it this book, I didn't love it. Here are my pros and cons:
PROS - I learned a lot about the roles women played in the Vietnam conflict, the lies the government told the American people about what was happening there, and the way women were treated when they returned home from the war. I knew that soldiers were spit on and called "babykillers", and that the war was wildly unpopular, but I didn't know the extent of it. I also didn't know that people essentially denied the fact or didn't know that women were in Vietnam. That just seems so ridiculous to me, since women very much were involved in WWII and Korea, so it would seem to follow that women served in Vietnam as well. - I loved the relationship between Frankie, Barb, and Ethel. Their bond felt real and solid and brought humanity to a story that often was full of inhumanity.
CONS - This book was far too long. There was too much unnecessary detail in the beginning, and too much repetition in the middle and the end regarding all the traumatic events Frankie endured. While it was important to explain just how traumatic the experience was for nurses in Vietnam, after a while, I was tired of the repetition regarding the mass casualty events, the blood and gore, the dirt and mud and rain and heat and humidity, on and on and on. It was important detail, it just should've been shortened. - I also could've completely done without all the schmoopy unrealistic romance, which IMO detracted from the story. I mean, really, how can it be that every man who meets Frankie falls in love with her? And she falls instantly in love with them, and continues to make bad decisions about every one of them. So cringy. - While much of the story seemed to be researched quite extensively, there were some aspects that bothered me, as they felt very unrealistic or misleading. For example, there were at least two times where Barb and Ethel just hopped a plane from a southern or mid-Atlantic state and flew to Frankie's aid in California. In the late 60's/early 70's, this would simply not have been an easy thing to do because of both the availability and affordability of air travel. Especially for women, who until 1974 couldn't even have their own credit cards or bank accounts. In addition, I think it's fairly unrealistic that a VA medical center would completely turn away a woman seeking treatment (not once, but twice), essentially saying she's lying when she says she served in Vietnam. Her service records would plainly be available to them proving exactly when and where she did serve. - I didn't think Frankie was likeable at all. In fact, I didn't actually connect with any of the characters. - I did not like the title of the book, and feel it doesn't do justice to the story itself. Something better should've been chosen.
Overall, this was still a very good read, and I would encourage anyone who's interested in this topic or who enjoys this author to give it a try. I just didn't love it as much as I had hoped I would. ...more
This book had such potential. The premise was intruiging, the title interesting, and the cover beautiful. It's **spoiler alert** 2.5 rounded up to 3.
This book had such potential. The premise was intruiging, the title interesting, and the cover beautiful. It's sad it was all such a let-down.
The book started out good, there were a lot of clues to unravel and I couldn't wait for the reveal. Except there really was no big reveal, and even worse, there were FAR too many unanswered questions. That's my absolute pet peeve and a sure-fire way to get me to hate a book. Here are just a few:
- What was in the other envelope Alexander gave her, regarding who was vying for her land? Why introduce that detail, but not give the answer? - What part did Rebecca have in that fraudulent behavior? And Tony was also involved, but Samir had no reaction to that when he was told? - What in the world was the big deal about Samir's first novel? - Why was nothing ever discussed/determined about all the panitings that were the exact same size, in a rainbow pattern? What did that all mean? Were some of them copies, or were they real? - What happened with the Restoration Diva show? Did they continue filming? Did it help raise money or interest? - What happened with Rosemere in general? Was it saved? What happened to the estate? - How exactly was Samir's aunt killed? We know Olivia's uncle tried to burn her body, but how did he kill her, and why? - Who was Olivia's father, and why did her Mom keep it a secret? - What was the deal with the black and white cat?
This book really needed a couple more chapters to explain all of this, or at a minimum, an epilogue to wrap it up. If it was a question of trying to keep the book to a certain page/word count, I would've preferred way fewer details about Samir's hair and body, and less discussion about all the food being cooked/eaten. In fact, I'd have been good if the entire romance was completely omitted, as it did nothing for me but take up time. Instead of trying to make this a romance, it would've been better suited as a mystery/general fiction.
I really wanted to like this book, but I turned the last page being VERY frustrated at the lack of answers, so that left a bad taste in my mouth and therefore did not enjoy the book as a whole and will not be recommending it to others. ...more
I have enjoyed most of Kate Quinn's novels, and was really excited to try this one, as it seemed like it would be a little different than what she usuI have enjoyed most of Kate Quinn's novels, and was really excited to try this one, as it seemed like it would be a little different than what she usually writes. I'm sad to say that it was pretty lackluster. I'm not sure if it was due to the subject matter, or the dual writing, but it just wasn't great for me.
The first half of the story was so slow, and there was too much detail in some parts - and the last half was too fast, and felt more like a quick summary of what happened.
I enjoyed the camaraderie between the main female characters, and the strengths they each showed. But they just didn't have enough character development individually for me to really feel like I knew them or to root for them.
It was interesting to read the Author's Note at the end, to see what inspired this novel, and to learn about the pieces that were true.
Overall, this was worth a read - just not one of my favorites. ...more
I enjoyed 'When We Were Mermaids' by this author, so thought I'd give this one a try based on the ratings. Overall, I thought it was pretty good, but I enjoyed 'When We Were Mermaids' by this author, so thought I'd give this one a try based on the ratings. Overall, I thought it was pretty good, but a couple minor points prevent me from giving it a 5-star rating.
The premise of the story is good, and the characters are fairly well-developed. The two main characters of Phoebe and Suze were actually not my favorite. I thought Ben and Joel were more interesting, and each had such great qualities. The drama between the girls was actually a bit over the top to the point of being annoying. These girls love each other enough to call each other sisters, but their petty jealousies really got old. Keeping those secrets for 40 years was also very odd, and I feel like somehow the truth would've been revealed long ago. Also, you're really trying to tell me that Suze didn't try to look him up on the internet all those years, despite not knowing if he wanted her to? Not very realistic.
The alternating POVs and timelines were a little more confusing than necessary. I understand the reason for it, to prevent revealing the secrets until the right time. But the changes from 1st person to 3rd person didn't flow well, and I think it's really odd that the letters and diary entries from when the girls were young didn't have a full year on the date, it just showed 19--. Why? That's just weird.
The setting on the Oregon coast deserves a mention, as it felt like a character itself, and definitely helped with the overall feel of the book. The cover of the book is also beautiful.
I definitely enjoyed this book, but am not going to consider it a grand slam. I'll probably look into more books by this author. ...more
This was a fairly short novel that went by pretty quickly for me, which makes sense because I'm not sure how you could make a longer story out of the This was a fairly short novel that went by pretty quickly for me, which makes sense because I'm not sure how you could make a longer story out of the main premise. This novel is an interesting thought-experiment regarding what you would do if you were in the same situation as Emma. Ultimately, the decision Emma made was, I think, what I would do as well. That is to say, I thought the reasoning was sound, and for me, she ended up with the right man.
That all being said, there were some unrealistic aspects to the story and/or the behavior of the main characters: (view spoiler)[ 1. Jesse would've come back with WAY more PTSD than this narrative lets on. He did finally acknowledge it, but still. 2. Jesse seemed to capitulate to Emma's decision rather quickly, considering how strongly he was against her making that decision just an hour prior. 3. Even after Emma made her decision to stay with Sam, she slept with Jesse one last time? I'm not ok with that. 4. I realize Sam really wanted Emma to return to / choose him, but him seemingly not caring that Emma slept with Jesse is just unrealistic. (hide spoiler)]
Overall, I did enjoy this book, and even though the film didn't get good reviews, I'll probably check it out just to see how they adapted it....more
The premise of this novel was very promising, but the execution fell flat.
On the negative side - the story starts out really slow. The first2.5 stars
The premise of this novel was very promising, but the execution fell flat.
On the negative side - the story starts out really slow. The first half of the book dragged on, and it finally picked up toward the end. The characters were, for the most part, either boring or unlikeable (with a couple minor exceptions), or they just had personalities that were so uninteresting, it was hard to enjoy reading about them. Hanna, the main character, is like a wet blanket - and her mother is absolutely intolerable. I thought there'd be more focus on the renovation of her new home, and it was a big miss to omit more details about Fury as a character and why he is the way he is (he was one of the few interesting characters). It really irrirates me when questions are unanswered by the end of the book, and in this case, we never found out if Oliver found his 'dog book'. Such a minor thing that could've been resolved somehow. I didn't realize this book is part of a series, but maybe it'll be answered in the next book.
On the plus side - the fictional setting in rural western Ireland was lovely to read about, and I liked the idea of the mobile library truck (which was less of a plot point than I thought it would be). I liked the idea of the library bringing people together to find a solution for the problem, although Hanna was reluctant to let it happen because of her curmudgeonly ways. I also thought that said solution was creative and realistic.
Overall, this book was okay, but not great. It definitely wasn't good enough to read the next book in the series, which I understand focuses on Jazz (who has zero personality) and Hanna's ex-husband (what a jerk, not interested in reading more about him). ...more
I've read many of Hilderbrand's novels, so her writing style is familiar to me and I generally enjoy the books. This one wasn't my favorite, but it waI've read many of Hilderbrand's novels, so her writing style is familiar to me and I generally enjoy the books. This one wasn't my favorite, but it wasn't awful, either.
I was intrigued by the idea of bringing together friends from different 'seasons' of your life - but I think it's a bit unrealistic that four of them actually would want to show up, or would be in positions to show up (time off from work, money, etc.). I cringed at all the female-drama, it's so annoying to me - but I loved the times the women truly came together to listen and support each other. I liked that some of the women found resolutions to their issues -but it all felt a bit too resolved in the end. I loved the descriptions of Nantucket, as always - but there was so much name-dropping in terms of the restaurants, bars, and shops, that it felt a bit like a paid advertisement.
The biggest eye-roll to me in this book was the sheer number of unusual and/or ridiculous names that the characters had. Thankfully, most of these characters were only mentioned in passing, because there were enough main characters to try and keep straight anyway. It's not a bad thing for characters to have unusual names, but sometimes the names can be so strange that the name itself becomes a distracting focal point for me. Just to end this review on a humorous note, I'll list them below:
This book had so much promise, with such a seemingly interesting premise. But it fell flat for me in so many ways.
There were too many storyl2.5 stars
This book had so much promise, with such a seemingly interesting premise. But it fell flat for me in so many ways.
There were too many storylines going on, and the flow from one to the other wasn't great. Different timelines and POVs are okay, but it just didn't work here. There were pieces that could've been left out (Armand, Lyndon, Jane, even Martha's brother). All of that just made the story unnecessarily complicated. I would've preferred for the story to focus on the core characters of Opaline and Martha, and the curiosity shop/bookshop. The shop was seriously the most interesting part (other than Madame Bowden), and it didn't get enough attention, time in the story, or description.
I also sincerely detest when major pieces of a story are left unanswered. I don't want to use my imagination to come up with answers or an ending, I want the author to tell me. So I'm pretty irritated that after all that, we have no idea who Madame Bowden actually was (if she was real at all), or what happened with the manuscript (beyond what was in the Epilogue), or what happened with Opaline, or what Martha's hang-up was with books and/or education, or why Martha's Mom was a self-imposed mute, or how exactly Martha's husband met his demise (especially if Madame Bowden wasn't real), and I could go on. I also think the two different characters who learned about the abandonment/adoption in their family was really oddly placed and not well-explained as to how it impacts the story.
The magical realism in the story was fine, and I actually wish that it was fleshed out a bit more. The rest of the novel just didn't work for me.
I've read several books by this author, and this was by far my least favorite. I just couldn't connect with the characters, and they lacked depth to mI've read several books by this author, and this was by far my least favorite. I just couldn't connect with the characters, and they lacked depth to me. The storyline was also predictable and a bit boring. I'm a big fan of Greece, but this setting didn't entice me. By the story blurb, I thought the book was going to be set on Kefalonia, not some inland village near Thessaloniki. I definitely won't be reading the sequel to this one. ...more
I've read so many Hilderbrand novels, and many of them have the same basic formula. This one, however, was different.
I really loved that this novel wI've read so many Hilderbrand novels, and many of them have the same basic formula. This one, however, was different.
I really loved that this novel was essentially a murder/mystery, but with the same backdrop of Nantucket that we know and love. The characters were intriguing, with complex relationships that were often highly relatable. As the murder investigation unfurled, each chapter revealed a tangled web of relationships and deceit.
The only reason I'm not giving this 5 stars is that two major questions were left unanswered for me, which bothers me. One is that although the victim's cause of death was pretty much answered, the person responsible was not definitively revealed. The other is that who Celeste ultimately ended up with wasn't part of this story, although I honestly hope it was the one her heart truly pined for. As unrealistic as that relationship may be -- sometimes animal attraction (no pun intended) is a powerful thing....more
I've read several of Hilderbrand's novels, and many are a hit, while a few are a miss. This one was a hit for me.
This has all the usual things I love I've read several of Hilderbrand's novels, and many are a hit, while a few are a miss. This one was a hit for me.
This has all the usual things I love with a Hilderbrand novel; vivid descriptions of life on Nantucket, including the architecture, the scenery, the beaches, the local haunts, and other quirks of the island and the islanders.
Although I'm not a foodie or a fashionista, I also enjoy how she sets scenes with descriptions of what the characters are eating and wearing, or what a restaurant/bar/store looks like. It gives the story such an authentic feeling, and I appreciate all the nods to actual local businesses.
The writing seemed much more 'playful' than some of her other novels, in terms of dialogue, and the inclusion of the ghost. Definitely a more fun side than I'd previously seen with her novels, and I really enjoyed that.
The cast of characters in this novel was also interesting, and it seemed each one had their own secrets that were eventually unraveled. There were a couple twists that I didn't see coming, and I felt the ending was satisfying.
Overall, this was a very enjoyable read -- and I'd love to see a sequel to this, to find out what happens next for the hotel and the characters.
I really would love to give this book 4 stars, because I did like it. But the overly-confusing format with the dual timelines did not help. A3.5 stars
I really would love to give this book 4 stars, because I did like it. But the overly-confusing format with the dual timelines did not help. And there were far too many characters, who ended up with even more confusing storylines and genetic relationships, which all together made this story too hard to follow to truly enjoy it.
I'm actually glad I found the family tree at the end of the book before I even started reading the novel. It didn't make much sense at the time, but I referred to it constantly as I was reading, just to try and understand what was going on. I get why it wasn't placed at the beginning of the novel, as it would've spoiled everything. Well, sort of - there were still many unanswered questions by the end of the book. More on that down below (spoilers).
I loved the setting of the book, and the author did a nice job describing what the Outer Banks were like in both the 1950s and present day. I was very intrigued by the notion of the exposed shipwrecks, and will have to do more research on that. I also loved the descriptions of the beach, the dunes, and the weathered cottages on pylons.
This novel includes a lot of themes related to family secrets, unknown sides of family members, people running from lives they don't want/bad decisions, and missing fathers. The story does unravel bit by bit, and mysteries are revealed. But what really annoys me is when questions are left unanswered. For example: - Who fathered Edna's children? Was he not mentioned because it didn't matter to the story? - Who was Ruth's father? (I suspect it was Henry) Did Ruth ever learn who her real mother really was? - Why did Ruth and Talley join Carlotta on the showboat? - Was there really an Irish wolfhound on the beach, or was it a 'ghost'? - Wasn't there a vague mention at one point of Ruth's mother Carol having sight issues? Why was that not brought up again after Ruth learned of Dani's medical situation? Why was the only genetic connection back to Edna's sister Patsy? - Was it just a coincidence that Dalton was also adopted, or was there a point to that? Maybe just to make he and Ivy not be related by blood for their romance?
So for me, there were far too many unanswered questions to give this book higher than a 3 star rating. I did still enjoy reading it, but the ending didn't leave me satisfied. ...more
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