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Against All Expectations #7
Love Comes Calling
Dreaming of becoming an actress, Boston socialite Ellis Eaton captures Griff Phillips' attention. But while filling in for a look-alike friend at the telephone exchange, she overhears a call that threatens Griff's safety. With handsome policeman Jack Flanigan investigating - and her heart in a muddle - will she discover what might be the role of a lifetime?
400 pages, Paperback
First published February 25, 2014
32 people are currently reading
1345 people want to read
About the author
Siri Mitchell
17 books752 followersalso published under the name Siri L. Mitchell & Iris Anthony
Siri Mitchell graduated from the University of Washington with a business degree and worked in various levels of government. As a military spouse, she has lived all over the world, including Paris and Tokyo. Siri enjoys observing and learning from different cultures. She is fluent in French and loves sushi.
But she is also a member of a strange breed of people called novelists. When they’re listening to a speaker and taking notes, chances are, they’ve just had a great idea for a plot or a dialogue. If they nod in response to a really profound statement, they’re probably thinking, “Yes. Right. That’s exactly what my character needs to hear.” When they edit their manuscripts, they laugh at the funny parts. And cry at the sad parts. Sometimes they even talk to their characters.
Siri wrote 4 books and accumulated 153 rejections before signing with a publisher. In the process, she saw the bottoms of more pints of Ben & Jerry’s than she cares to admit. At various times she has vowed never to write another word again. Ever. She has gone on writing strikes and even stooped to threatening her manuscripts with the shredder.
Siri Mitchell graduated from the University of Washington with a business degree and worked in various levels of government. As a military spouse, she has lived all over the world, including Paris and Tokyo. Siri enjoys observing and learning from different cultures. She is fluent in French and loves sushi.
But she is also a member of a strange breed of people called novelists. When they’re listening to a speaker and taking notes, chances are, they’ve just had a great idea for a plot or a dialogue. If they nod in response to a really profound statement, they’re probably thinking, “Yes. Right. That’s exactly what my character needs to hear.” When they edit their manuscripts, they laugh at the funny parts. And cry at the sad parts. Sometimes they even talk to their characters.
Siri wrote 4 books and accumulated 153 rejections before signing with a publisher. In the process, she saw the bottoms of more pints of Ben & Jerry’s than she cares to admit. At various times she has vowed never to write another word again. Ever. She has gone on writing strikes and even stooped to threatening her manuscripts with the shredder.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 160 reviews
March 31, 2020
2.5 stars and a generous roundup
A few weeks ago, as our lives began taking a dramatic turn and people were busy hoarding toilet paper and dry pasta, I decided that it would probably be more beneficial to hoard novels instead, and so rushed to my local library to get a nice little haul (despite the fact that I own dozens of unread books, it's just...not the same).
Love Comes Calling was among the pile of delectables I brought home, along with Laura Frantz's The Lacemaker and another book called The Little Paris Bookshop. I decided to start with this one because I'd been wanting to read it for a while now, and was in a 1920s mood.
Well, this book literally makes no sense. It just doesn't.
The whole plot relies on the fact that Ellis Eton (heroine) manages to take the place of a friend at work, simply because they look alike. Ellis has never worked as a telephone operator, but who cares right? She'll just...figure it out, right? Because that's totally how life works.
And if that wasn't bad enough, she then overhears a phone call in which she thinks one of her friends is going to be murdered, and proceeds to do absolutely nothing about it.
Oh, she THINKS she's helping, because we get the "but I can't, I have to stop Griff from getting murdered!" line nearly every page, but she doesn't actually DO anything to "prevent" this "murder". Her way of keeping Griff "safe" includes asking him weird questions to figure out his daily whereabouts, staying inside to play sardines with him and her nephews instead of going to the beach (because the beach is the perfect place for this murder), and showing up on his doorstep at the odd hour of 9 pm.
Other than that, she pretty much just keeps living her life, somehow managing to impersonate her friend Janie at the telephone job, and lying to her family right left and center about her whereabouts.
NOTHING IN THIS STORY MAKES SENSE. IT MAKES NO SENSE THAT SHE THINKS SOMEONE IS ABOUT TO GET MURDERED, WHAT SHE DOES TO TRY TO PREVENT IT MAKES NO SENSE, AND IT DOESN'T EVEN MAKE SENSE FOR HER TO BE WORKING IN THE FIRST PLACE.
It's bad enough that her friend's name is "Griffin".
And every single interaction between her and Jack also made no sense. I couldn't follow what they were trying to do, they weren't working together to solve this "murder mystery", but neither were they really working against each other, and just....it made no sense.
This book confused me so much for the choices it made.
And YET. I still quite enjoyed it.
The writing is superb, which is a real shame, because if the plot had made sense, than the book would have been downright smashin'. It has many lovely 1920s details like references to movies and actors and Hollywood and old record songs. The beginning chapters when Ellis is at college were super fun, and I wanted more of that.
I loved all the details of working as a hello girl even if the premise was ridiculous. As a huge fan of the Spanish Netlix series Cable Girls, I hugely enjoyed learning how a switchboard actually worked, and would have loved to know more and see more of it if the plot had made more sense.
Ellis herself was equal parts annoying and charming, but if we forget for a second that the plot made no sense, I did really like her narration and fun commentary, and greatly admired her pluck and confidence. After all, you really have to believe in yourself to feel confident about replacing someone at work for a job you have literally no idea how to do.
Sadly, I can't forget about the implausible plot for more than a second.
A few weeks ago, as our lives began taking a dramatic turn and people were busy hoarding toilet paper and dry pasta, I decided that it would probably be more beneficial to hoard novels instead, and so rushed to my local library to get a nice little haul (despite the fact that I own dozens of unread books, it's just...not the same).
Love Comes Calling was among the pile of delectables I brought home, along with Laura Frantz's The Lacemaker and another book called The Little Paris Bookshop. I decided to start with this one because I'd been wanting to read it for a while now, and was in a 1920s mood.
Well, this book literally makes no sense. It just doesn't.
The whole plot relies on the fact that Ellis Eton (heroine) manages to take the place of a friend at work, simply because they look alike. Ellis has never worked as a telephone operator, but who cares right? She'll just...figure it out, right? Because that's totally how life works.
And if that wasn't bad enough, she then overhears a phone call in which she thinks one of her friends is going to be murdered, and proceeds to do absolutely nothing about it.
Oh, she THINKS she's helping, because we get the "but I can't, I have to stop Griff from getting murdered!" line nearly every page, but she doesn't actually DO anything to "prevent" this "murder". Her way of keeping Griff "safe" includes asking him weird questions to figure out his daily whereabouts, staying inside to play sardines with him and her nephews instead of going to the beach (because the beach is the perfect place for this murder), and showing up on his doorstep at the odd hour of 9 pm.
Other than that, she pretty much just keeps living her life, somehow managing to impersonate her friend Janie at the telephone job, and lying to her family right left and center about her whereabouts.
NOTHING IN THIS STORY MAKES SENSE. IT MAKES NO SENSE THAT SHE THINKS SOMEONE IS ABOUT TO GET MURDERED, WHAT SHE DOES TO TRY TO PREVENT IT MAKES NO SENSE, AND IT DOESN'T EVEN MAKE SENSE FOR HER TO BE WORKING IN THE FIRST PLACE.
It's bad enough that her friend's name is "Griffin".
And every single interaction between her and Jack also made no sense. I couldn't follow what they were trying to do, they weren't working together to solve this "murder mystery", but neither were they really working against each other, and just....it made no sense.
This book confused me so much for the choices it made.
And YET. I still quite enjoyed it.
The writing is superb, which is a real shame, because if the plot had made sense, than the book would have been downright smashin'. It has many lovely 1920s details like references to movies and actors and Hollywood and old record songs. The beginning chapters when Ellis is at college were super fun, and I wanted more of that.
I loved all the details of working as a hello girl even if the premise was ridiculous. As a huge fan of the Spanish Netlix series Cable Girls, I hugely enjoyed learning how a switchboard actually worked, and would have loved to know more and see more of it if the plot had made more sense.
Ellis herself was equal parts annoying and charming, but if we forget for a second that the plot made no sense, I did really like her narration and fun commentary, and greatly admired her pluck and confidence. After all, you really have to believe in yourself to feel confident about replacing someone at work for a job you have literally no idea how to do.
Sadly, I can't forget about the implausible plot for more than a second.
February 23, 2018
Siri Mitchell did it again. She delivered an amazing novel. Somehow, even though faith wasn't mentioned directly much, the message was powerful all the same.
A character with ADHD in the 1920's (although it is never called that in the story) was well done. The romance was sweet - two people who love each other because of the character of the other and who they really are was refreshing.
Oh, and the narrator, she was perfect.
A character with ADHD in the 1920's (although it is never called that in the story) was well done. The romance was sweet - two people who love each other because of the character of the other and who they really are was refreshing.
Oh, and the narrator, she was perfect.
February 12, 2014
I already love this author, and each time I read another one of her books, I love her even more. Her books are guaranteed good reads!
November 24, 2014
Very good and heart touching story set in the 1920's. I enjoyed reading it! :)
December 30, 2017
Ellis would like to be better than she is. But she isn't. Not good enough to please her professors at Radcliffe College. Or her Mother. And certainly not good enough for Griff, who is constantly threatening to ask Ellis to wear his fraternity pin.
Nope. The only thing Ellis is good at is trying to be someone else, which is precisely the reason she is headed for Hollywood. As soon as she can save the money, which isn't easy.
Then Janie--a lookalike friend from Ellis's childhood prankster days--asks for a favor. Could Ellis pretend to be her, one more time, and fill in for Janie as a Hello Girl at the telephone office for two weeks? Ellis can even keep the money.
Perfect.
Unfortunately, of course, Ellis isn't.
Siri Mitchell's Love Comes Calling is an entertaining romp through 1920's high society, low society, and an ever-entertaining young mind constantly on fast-forward and headed for disaster. You'll want to jump right in with Ellis AKA Janie and enjoy the ride.
Nope. The only thing Ellis is good at is trying to be someone else, which is precisely the reason she is headed for Hollywood. As soon as she can save the money, which isn't easy.
Then Janie--a lookalike friend from Ellis's childhood prankster days--asks for a favor. Could Ellis pretend to be her, one more time, and fill in for Janie as a Hello Girl at the telephone office for two weeks? Ellis can even keep the money.
Perfect.
Unfortunately, of course, Ellis isn't.
Siri Mitchell's Love Comes Calling is an entertaining romp through 1920's high society, low society, and an ever-entertaining young mind constantly on fast-forward and headed for disaster. You'll want to jump right in with Ellis AKA Janie and enjoy the ride.
September 8, 2018
Love comes calling is my first novel from author Siri Mitchell, and honestly it just wasn’t my cup of tea. I don’t think a main character has ever annoyed me as much as Ellis Eaton. Ellis dreams of being a Hollywood actress (don’t quit your day job girl) but is pressed by her family to further her education. Even though I realize Ellis is supposed to be an overly eccentric character, I couldn’t stop sighing at her decisions and choices. Ellis learns to live outside of her sheltered upbringing and learns about the middle class. Ellis is shocked to learn that some women cannot afford further schooling or the luxury of not working. Every time I thought she was having a breakthrough and realizing her self centeredness...just kidding her old self is back! The same statement goes for Jack, a policeman that Ellis comes into contact with that struggles with his involvement in the police department and his past war memories.
While the story line is unique, there just isn’t too much going on besides Ellis’ adventure in helping her friend Jannie, and I grew bored of Ellis messing everything up. I can say that I enjoyed the historical aspects of the novel, especially learning more about women in the 1920’s working as switchboard operators. Since I have one or two more Siri Mitchell novels in my TBR pile, I’ll give them a try and see if I am able to connect to the characters in those novels!
While the story line is unique, there just isn’t too much going on besides Ellis’ adventure in helping her friend Jannie, and I grew bored of Ellis messing everything up. I can say that I enjoyed the historical aspects of the novel, especially learning more about women in the 1920’s working as switchboard operators. Since I have one or two more Siri Mitchell novels in my TBR pile, I’ll give them a try and see if I am able to connect to the characters in those novels!
March 24, 2014
Love Comes Calling by Siri Mitchell is set in the 1920s. I haven't read too many novels written from this time period so I found it interesting, and I loved the facts in the back of the book about the Roaring Twenties. I have mixed feelings about this book. On one hand, I liked how I felt transported back to that time, but on the other hand, I didn't really like the main character, Ellis Eton. I know the author was trying to depict Ellis with ADHD, but the choppiness from her lack of concentration made it a hard read. I wouldn't recommend this book if you are a first time reader of Siri Mitchell, but if you are a fan, you might still enjoy it.
Ellis Eton is failing college. Her parents expect her to graduate especially since her older sister didn't, but she is tired of feeling like a failure and disappointing her parents at every turn. Her dream is to go to Hollywood and become an actress, but without the resources to get there she can't. Then the cook's daughter, Janie, comes to her with an unusual request - can Ellis cover her job as a phone operator for two weeks while she tries to get in contact with her father. Since they look remarkably alike, it seems like the perfect idea, and it would give Ellis the money she needs to get to California. But what sounded like an easy way to make some money turned into much more than she bargained for when she accidentally overheard a conversation about Griffin Phillips, the man she loves. Determined to find the rogues before they can harm him, Ellis starts her investigation in the unlikeliest of ways.
The twist with the love story is how inadequate Ellis feels. She is positive she would ruin Griff's bright career in politics with her scatterbrained ways and determines not to marry him for his own good. I like stories when the two couples already know they love each other because it's not the norm in fiction.
Ellis is a very innocent, immature girl who seems to always be in her own little world. Her immaturity was irritating, and though she did learn and grow in the story, she still seemed so clueless even at the end. I get the inattention, difficulty concentrating, and the impulsiveness is from the ADHD, but the other parts of her character were the more frustrating aspects to me. Most of what she did was just plain confusing! All of that aside, I did like the story especially Griffin. He was written very well, and one of the best parts of the book was their interactions. Ellis made me giggle at her thought processes during those moments. The history woven throughout was done well and got you thinking about how enforcing laws to govern behaviour/sins tends to make things much worse. I liked the premise of accepting who God made you to be which is something we all need to learn how to accept at some point in our lives. If you are a fan of Siri Mitchell, you'll probably like this story well enough. :-)
I was given this book free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
May 14, 2014
Ellis Eton is all over the page in this book. You realize right off the bat that there is nothing ordinary about her! She flits from one thing to the next, despite her family’s disappointment and her desire to be a film star.
As a person that is driven by duty and desire to accomplish tasks, I struggled to relate to her at first. However, the historical story set in the 1930’s, the telephone operator’s tasks and the issues dealing with the prohibition intrigued me. When I read that the author wanted you to feel what someone would have faced at that time period with ADD or ADHD, it really caught my attention.
I didn’t find this book as descriptive in the historical sense as some of Ms. Mitchell’s, but more a very enjoyable story that was a little lighter than some of her subject matter. As always she touches on a topic not discussed as often, with learning disabilities being looked down upon as laziness or stupidity before recent times. I found Ellis a little frustrating because of her inability to concentrate. It seemed that it jumped all over, but I had to keep reminding myself that it was on purpose. It really got the point across about how difficult it would have been.
This book was given to me for review by Bethany House Publishers and the thoughts contained therein are my own!
As a person that is driven by duty and desire to accomplish tasks, I struggled to relate to her at first. However, the historical story set in the 1930’s, the telephone operator’s tasks and the issues dealing with the prohibition intrigued me. When I read that the author wanted you to feel what someone would have faced at that time period with ADD or ADHD, it really caught my attention.
I didn’t find this book as descriptive in the historical sense as some of Ms. Mitchell’s, but more a very enjoyable story that was a little lighter than some of her subject matter. As always she touches on a topic not discussed as often, with learning disabilities being looked down upon as laziness or stupidity before recent times. I found Ellis a little frustrating because of her inability to concentrate. It seemed that it jumped all over, but I had to keep reminding myself that it was on purpose. It really got the point across about how difficult it would have been.
This book was given to me for review by Bethany House Publishers and the thoughts contained therein are my own!
April 11, 2017
ARGH! Goodreads just ate my mini review!
Anyway, just listened to the audiobook in March, loved every second of it, have listened to it at least once a year since 2014, can't recommend it highly enough. Morgan Hallett is a terrific narrator, and I just LOVE that the story is set in the 1920s. There's just enough romance to satisfy, but not an overwhelming amount, and its entertaining if a little crazy having a heroine who suffers from ADHD before we even knew there was such a thing. The book itself is well worth the read and the audiobook is definitely well worth a listen!
Anyway, just listened to the audiobook in March, loved every second of it, have listened to it at least once a year since 2014, can't recommend it highly enough. Morgan Hallett is a terrific narrator, and I just LOVE that the story is set in the 1920s. There's just enough romance to satisfy, but not an overwhelming amount, and its entertaining if a little crazy having a heroine who suffers from ADHD before we even knew there was such a thing. The book itself is well worth the read and the audiobook is definitely well worth a listen!
July 17, 2016
As someone with a psychiatric condition, I have to say that it's great to see a book where the protagonist has ADHD. With the historical setting and the oft-mentioned dream of jetting off to Tinseltown, this novel also had plenty of old-school charm. Fans of clean, old-school-style romance/mysteries will likely enjoy this one.
September 3, 2018
I'm really glad I read the author's note at the end before getting deep into this story, since it gave me a heads-up on some of the content issues that would be present. After glancing through a few more scenes, this is definitely not the kind of story I'm interested in.
June 21, 2019
Ellis Eton was entertaining and scattered. But in the end she pulled it all together. There were times I was irritated and times in the book I felt sorry for her. The book drew my attention and it was hard to put it down to be sure she made it through the next disaster she created. I thoroughly enjoyed the History lesson at the end that explained the book so much and how true to history it was.
October 9, 2024
Love Comes Calling by Siri Mitchelle was a fun read. Mitchelle created wonderful characters set in 1920s Boston. You could tell a lot of research went into this story and I appreciate that. If you're looking for a light-hearted story I recommend this one.
August 14, 2016
Love Comes Calling, Siri Mitchell’s latest offering takes a unique turn in that her main character Ellis Eton is not the stereotypical heroine- she does not have it all together…at all. As we meet Ellis at the beginning of the story, she is a failing co-ed who is poised to pursue her dream of acting and basically bolt from her education at Radcliffe to escape to Hollywood to be a movie star. The problem is, even though she comes from a wealthy family, that plan would never fly with her family or her pretty wonderful long time friend who wants to be something more -Griffin Phillips. With Ellis constantly failing to meet her family’s expectations, she alway’s hear’s the phrase “Oh, Ellis” and is pretty pressed down by the feeling of constantly disappointing those around her- professors, family, etc. Our heroine is comical in all the scrapes she finds herself in, but she yearns to be able to do something that she feels good at.
Ellis tries to help out her friend Janie by filling in for her as a switchboard operator, as she was not permitted leave by her job to attend her mother’s funeral, and take her away for a two week period. Ellis and Janie share an uncanny resemblance and since Ellis is an aspiring actress and needs the money to help her make her trek to Hollywood, she decides to go to work in Janie’s stead, posing as Janie. As she is trying to learn the ropes of being a switchboard operator, she accidentally forgets to flip a switch and in turn hears a conversation that she shouldn’t be listening to, one where her very own Griffin is at the center of things and sadly it all sounds very dangerous. Thus begins a journey for Ellis that starts to quickly spiral out of control, meeting shady characters, seeing the insides of a Speakeasy and seeing first hand the many issues surrounding Prohibition.
I have to say that the author’s research and after notes in the back of the book are most impressive. It was a fascinating concept to me to take a modern day issue - the heroine having ADHD- and placing her in a historical setting (the 20’s) and see what that might look like. Exploring the idea of that ADHD translating into always feeling like a disappointment to her parents, worked well I believe. This is tough for me because I really wanted to like this book and for me, with no pun intended , it was just hard for me to connect to it. Trust me, I love a bumbling, scatter-brained heroine, (I feel that is me most of the time ), but I didn’t feel like the relationship with Ellis and Griffin developed in a way that made me cheer for them at the end. I just needed a little bit more to their story. It also would have been nice to know how things worked out for poor Janie as well. However, I believe that if you are a Siri Mitchell fan, then you will enjoy this book as her usual excellent attention to historical research is present and accounted for.
3 stars
Ellis tries to help out her friend Janie by filling in for her as a switchboard operator, as she was not permitted leave by her job to attend her mother’s funeral, and take her away for a two week period. Ellis and Janie share an uncanny resemblance and since Ellis is an aspiring actress and needs the money to help her make her trek to Hollywood, she decides to go to work in Janie’s stead, posing as Janie. As she is trying to learn the ropes of being a switchboard operator, she accidentally forgets to flip a switch and in turn hears a conversation that she shouldn’t be listening to, one where her very own Griffin is at the center of things and sadly it all sounds very dangerous. Thus begins a journey for Ellis that starts to quickly spiral out of control, meeting shady characters, seeing the insides of a Speakeasy and seeing first hand the many issues surrounding Prohibition.
I have to say that the author’s research and after notes in the back of the book are most impressive. It was a fascinating concept to me to take a modern day issue - the heroine having ADHD- and placing her in a historical setting (the 20’s) and see what that might look like. Exploring the idea of that ADHD translating into always feeling like a disappointment to her parents, worked well I believe. This is tough for me because I really wanted to like this book and for me, with no pun intended , it was just hard for me to connect to it. Trust me, I love a bumbling, scatter-brained heroine, (I feel that is me most of the time ), but I didn’t feel like the relationship with Ellis and Griffin developed in a way that made me cheer for them at the end. I just needed a little bit more to their story. It also would have been nice to know how things worked out for poor Janie as well. However, I believe that if you are a Siri Mitchell fan, then you will enjoy this book as her usual excellent attention to historical research is present and accounted for.
3 stars
April 20, 2014
I was very excited when I got the opportunity to review Siri Mitchell's latest novel, so I signed up right away. Then I waited. And waited. Waited. Love Comes Calling refused to call on me (forgive the pun). That is, until I found out there had been a mix up in shipping the book out of the warehouse to reviewers. At last, though, it arrived. I couldn't help myself. Though I had other books I needed to read to review, I skipped the to-be-read line and went right to Love Comes Calling.
At first, I was a wee bit confused as to how the back cover blurb tied into the story I was reading. Ellis and Griff's relationship was different than I thought it was going to be. I was under the (misguided) impression that he worked at the telephone company. Not so. After I figured out what was going on, though, I really got into the story. Ellis's character was really fun to read, though she frustrated me at times with her lies to herself and family, as well as broken promises. I enjoyed that Siri made her character unique, in that Ellis has ADHD, though that is never stated by any of the characters in the book. It was intriguing to see how Ellis handled this aspect of herself and how those around her reacted to her. This book is also set during Prohibition. Siri tackles the question of whether people's morality can be governed by law, and if it even should. So if you would like to learn a little something about Prohibition and the feelings of people at the time, Love Comes Calling would be a great read.
As I came towards the end of the book, I was so ready for the spiritual tie-in I was sure was coming. Ellis struggles with being good enough for those around her, but instead of Ellis learning for herself that God makes her adequate, the book ends with someone else expressing to her that she's good enough for them. So that was a let-down for me. I was looking for something with a more obvious message, I guess, and that just wasn't to be found in this book.
If you're looking for a peek into the Prohibition era, the Roaring Twenties, and the famous Hello Girls, then Love Comes Calling is a book that you're going to want to pick up.
I was given a review copy of Love Comes Calling from Bethany House, a division of Baker Publishing Group, in exchange for an honest review. I received no monetary compensation for my review. The opinions expressed are solely my own.
At first, I was a wee bit confused as to how the back cover blurb tied into the story I was reading. Ellis and Griff's relationship was different than I thought it was going to be. I was under the (misguided) impression that he worked at the telephone company. Not so. After I figured out what was going on, though, I really got into the story. Ellis's character was really fun to read, though she frustrated me at times with her lies to herself and family, as well as broken promises. I enjoyed that Siri made her character unique, in that Ellis has ADHD, though that is never stated by any of the characters in the book. It was intriguing to see how Ellis handled this aspect of herself and how those around her reacted to her. This book is also set during Prohibition. Siri tackles the question of whether people's morality can be governed by law, and if it even should. So if you would like to learn a little something about Prohibition and the feelings of people at the time, Love Comes Calling would be a great read.
As I came towards the end of the book, I was so ready for the spiritual tie-in I was sure was coming. Ellis struggles with being good enough for those around her, but instead of Ellis learning for herself that God makes her adequate, the book ends with someone else expressing to her that she's good enough for them. So that was a let-down for me. I was looking for something with a more obvious message, I guess, and that just wasn't to be found in this book.
If you're looking for a peek into the Prohibition era, the Roaring Twenties, and the famous Hello Girls, then Love Comes Calling is a book that you're going to want to pick up.
I was given a review copy of Love Comes Calling from Bethany House, a division of Baker Publishing Group, in exchange for an honest review. I received no monetary compensation for my review. The opinions expressed are solely my own.
April 22, 2014
Love Comes Calling-
Born into one of Boson's First Families, Ellis Eton has high expectations placed upon her shoulders. Ellis has difficulty meeting those expectations and she considers herself a 'dumb Dora'. It seems no matter her intentions every attempt to succeed ends with the refrain 'Oh, Ellis!' She dreams of running away to Hollywood and becoming an actress. Ellis believes that the only time she can do well is when she is pretending to be someone else.
She is asked to take the place of her friend Janie as a telephone operator, while Janie attends her mother's funeral. Janie and Ellis look so much like twins family members can be fooled. Ellis can't let her parents know she is posing as a working girl. So she pretends to be Janie.
On her first day as a telephone operator, Ellis accidently overhears a conversation in which two men discuss harming her next door neighbor and friend Griffin.
Using her knowledge of movies plots, Ellis decides to become a sleuth and solve the mystery of who is threatening Griff. The madcap investigation has begun. Reminiscent of old Hollywood movies, Ellis moves between the worlds of prohibition era speakeasys, Boston's Beacon Hill and the 1920's workplace in order to solve the mystery and save her beau.
Ellis is a very different type if heroine. Insecure, with undiagnosed attention deficit she finds herself failing as a student at Radcliffe. I believe her lack of self esteem will resonate with readers. She wants to please her parents who expect her to fill a traditional role, but can't make herself fit the mold. She doesn't believe she will be loved if she is herself.
The storyline is both humorous as we follow Ellis's adventures, and serious as she and her friends deal with issues of drinking, out of wedlock pregnancy and the graft and corruption of public officials during prohibition. Griffin is a football star with a future in politics. Although he easily fits into his role in society, he is the only one who loves Ellis just as she is.
Love Comes Calling by Siri Mitchell is an accurate look at life in the 'Roaring 20's'. At the same time, the book includes issues that readers can relate to in today's society. Ellis is a sweet girl and you will want her to find her happily ever after.
Born into one of Boson's First Families, Ellis Eton has high expectations placed upon her shoulders. Ellis has difficulty meeting those expectations and she considers herself a 'dumb Dora'. It seems no matter her intentions every attempt to succeed ends with the refrain 'Oh, Ellis!' She dreams of running away to Hollywood and becoming an actress. Ellis believes that the only time she can do well is when she is pretending to be someone else.
She is asked to take the place of her friend Janie as a telephone operator, while Janie attends her mother's funeral. Janie and Ellis look so much like twins family members can be fooled. Ellis can't let her parents know she is posing as a working girl. So she pretends to be Janie.
On her first day as a telephone operator, Ellis accidently overhears a conversation in which two men discuss harming her next door neighbor and friend Griffin.
Using her knowledge of movies plots, Ellis decides to become a sleuth and solve the mystery of who is threatening Griff. The madcap investigation has begun. Reminiscent of old Hollywood movies, Ellis moves between the worlds of prohibition era speakeasys, Boston's Beacon Hill and the 1920's workplace in order to solve the mystery and save her beau.
Ellis is a very different type if heroine. Insecure, with undiagnosed attention deficit she finds herself failing as a student at Radcliffe. I believe her lack of self esteem will resonate with readers. She wants to please her parents who expect her to fill a traditional role, but can't make herself fit the mold. She doesn't believe she will be loved if she is herself.
The storyline is both humorous as we follow Ellis's adventures, and serious as she and her friends deal with issues of drinking, out of wedlock pregnancy and the graft and corruption of public officials during prohibition. Griffin is a football star with a future in politics. Although he easily fits into his role in society, he is the only one who loves Ellis just as she is.
Love Comes Calling by Siri Mitchell is an accurate look at life in the 'Roaring 20's'. At the same time, the book includes issues that readers can relate to in today's society. Ellis is a sweet girl and you will want her to find her happily ever after.
July 22, 2016
This book smells like cucumbers and grapefruit, which happens to be two of my most favorite smells. I love them because one's fresh and crisp while the other's citrusey clean with a taste of tartness. So I guess what I'm saying is that this book made me feel how I feel when I smell those smells, all crispy fresh and clean with a little punch of spunk.
I loved Ellis. Loved her! Mostly because she shimmied. Yes shimmied. She shimmied into her shirt and skirt, she shimmied when she walked across the room, and she even shimmied when she got into bed. I think life would be a whole lot more pleasant if we all could just shimmy once in a while. And if you don't feel comfortable shimmying, well then just saying the word shimmy seems to work. I've said it like eight times already in this paragraph alone and I feel positively giddy.
I also loved her for her language. I've started and had to stop so many books lately with crappy and crude language that just makes everything smell like a rotten tomato. So when I heard her exclamations like, "Oysters and clambakes!" or "Oh banana oil!' well I could have just reached into the book and given her a big shimmying squeeze of appreciation. Call me old fashioned, but language can be too delicious to waste it on smelly tomato words.
I loved being immersed into her attentionally challenged mind. I loved her genuineness and her kind-hearted nature, but most especially I loved that all her intentions and desires were to do good and to be good. I loved that there was nothing cringe worthy and nothing I had to skip over, especially in regards to the male characters. And lastly, I loved seeing the social issues (laws, government, prohibition, human rights, moral responsibility) through her eyes.
So all in all I'm giving this five stars. Maybe four stars would be more accurate, but I'm bumping it up to five based on the fact that its becoming harder and harder to find little gems of goodness like this in today's literary world. And besides being just plain fun, this book made me think about a time period I've never really given much thought.
I did the audio book on this one and I think it made all the difference. The reader was just plain adorable.
I loved Ellis. Loved her! Mostly because she shimmied. Yes shimmied. She shimmied into her shirt and skirt, she shimmied when she walked across the room, and she even shimmied when she got into bed. I think life would be a whole lot more pleasant if we all could just shimmy once in a while. And if you don't feel comfortable shimmying, well then just saying the word shimmy seems to work. I've said it like eight times already in this paragraph alone and I feel positively giddy.
I also loved her for her language. I've started and had to stop so many books lately with crappy and crude language that just makes everything smell like a rotten tomato. So when I heard her exclamations like, "Oysters and clambakes!" or "Oh banana oil!' well I could have just reached into the book and given her a big shimmying squeeze of appreciation. Call me old fashioned, but language can be too delicious to waste it on smelly tomato words.
I loved being immersed into her attentionally challenged mind. I loved her genuineness and her kind-hearted nature, but most especially I loved that all her intentions and desires were to do good and to be good. I loved that there was nothing cringe worthy and nothing I had to skip over, especially in regards to the male characters. And lastly, I loved seeing the social issues (laws, government, prohibition, human rights, moral responsibility) through her eyes.
So all in all I'm giving this five stars. Maybe four stars would be more accurate, but I'm bumping it up to five based on the fact that its becoming harder and harder to find little gems of goodness like this in today's literary world. And besides being just plain fun, this book made me think about a time period I've never really given much thought.
I did the audio book on this one and I think it made all the difference. The reader was just plain adorable.
August 21, 2014
I received a free copy through Goodreads.
---
Let me start off by saying that Ellis annoyed and irritated me so much that I was eager (aka desperate) enough to finish this book in a hurry!
I did not like Ellis at all. She is so scattered brained for the majority of the book, there were times I wanted to reach in and shake her and tell her to focus! She's not exactly selfish in a way, but she is a bit self centered in only thinking about herself and how things would work out for her if she only want to Hollywood. And quite honestly, since Ellis is supposed to be portrayed as having ADHD, she really wasn't endearing at all and her lack of concentration took away a lot from the potential this book had. While it was amusing to read her account of her short 2 week period as a "Hello Girl", it was funny to read how she quickly jumped to certain conclusions from overhearing a certain conversation.
I haven't read a lot of books based upon this era but it was fun and exciting to read up on the prohibition, speakeasies and other underground stuff that was going on.
I liked Griffin, there was decent amount of character development of him, making him seem more defined, less prince like and more determined/solid character.
The ending...it's good to see that Ellis has matured a tiny bit but would have liked it better if more was done to develop the ending instead of her happily ever after with Griffin and the establishment of the scholarship program. Also would have been nice if we found out for sure what happened with Janie, besides her returning to school.
---
Let me start off by saying that Ellis annoyed and irritated me so much that I was eager (aka desperate) enough to finish this book in a hurry!
I did not like Ellis at all. She is so scattered brained for the majority of the book, there were times I wanted to reach in and shake her and tell her to focus! She's not exactly selfish in a way, but she is a bit self centered in only thinking about herself and how things would work out for her if she only want to Hollywood. And quite honestly, since Ellis is supposed to be portrayed as having ADHD, she really wasn't endearing at all and her lack of concentration took away a lot from the potential this book had. While it was amusing to read her account of her short 2 week period as a "Hello Girl", it was funny to read how she quickly jumped to certain conclusions from overhearing a certain conversation.
I haven't read a lot of books based upon this era but it was fun and exciting to read up on the prohibition, speakeasies and other underground stuff that was going on.
I liked Griffin, there was decent amount of character development of him, making him seem more defined, less prince like and more determined/solid character.
The ending...it's good to see that Ellis has matured a tiny bit but would have liked it better if more was done to develop the ending instead of her happily ever after with Griffin and the establishment of the scholarship program. Also would have been nice if we found out for sure what happened with Janie, besides her returning to school.
April 17, 2023
A truly fun read! I just love Siri's books and, like this one, usually devour them! LOL! Ellis is such a funny character! I LOVED her! She is totally spastic and yet completely lovable!!! Highly misunderstood her family drove me a little nuts with their opinions of her. But then there's Griff [deep swooning sigh ;) ]; he has got to be one of the best guys I've read about in a while! Or if not, he has made me forget the recent ones! LOL! He is so good!!!! There's no way Ellis' heart or mine stands a chance when he starts to speak! :D This is a completely entertaining and highly funny read, with a dash of conspiracy! I really wanted more faith scenes though, the moments God is mentioned I gobbled up I just wanted more! I also wish the story had gone a little father than it did; there were somethings I felt where left hanging when the book ended. I absolutely loved all the interesting historical details and opinions. Especially Siri's Author's notes and piece on Prohibition in the back. This book had a touch of almost everything for me, sad moments, mystery, interesting historical details, explanations of switch boards in clear detail, roll on the floor funny scenes, fabulous characters, and much more! I recommend this read! :)
Song: "Just as I am" (my favorite is from Alan Jackson)
Songs etc. May be changed and/or added in the future. ~ASC
Matthew 7:1-5
~ASC
Song: "Just as I am" (my favorite is from Alan Jackson)
Songs etc. May be changed and/or added in the future. ~ASC
Matthew 7:1-5
~ASC
December 9, 2015
Ellis Eaton is a hoot! A society gal, she fears she is a disappointment to her family, especially to her mother. She studies hard at college, but hardly remembers studying. She is easily distracted, and her attention wanders endlessly. Yes, she has an attention deficiency problem long before such things were diagnosed. But she is a kind and caring person as well as intelligent, even if she doesn’t realize it. She has big plans to go to Hollywood to be an actress, even though she has no steps to carry it out. She agrees to do a big favor for a friend, even though she has no idea what she has agreed to do! Poor Ellis! But her heart is in the right place; she just has to realize for herself what a wonderful girl she really is. A delightful tale with likable characters, this novel has achieved the right balance of seriousness, with the inclusion of speakeasies and prohibition, and lightheartedness, with the somewhat spacy heroine. It has enough romance in it to be interesting without overpowering the plot and enough humor to entertaining. The audio version just adds to the enjoyment.
April 16, 2014
Can I please give this book six out of five stars please.... ??!?!?! Thanks.
July 28, 2015
I really enjoyed this book. It did take me a few chapters to get into it but once I did I couldn't put it down. This is the way I like to learn about history.
February 9, 2018
How to describe this word in three words?
Fun but frustrating.
*cracks knuckles* Let's get this party started.
Lovely Things:
- The setting. GOOD GOLLY THE SETTING. It's set in the '20s, which is an era that really fascinates me for whatever reason. (I know, it was a bit of a sketchy time . . . what with all the crime and drinking and whatnot BUT HEY it's also Very Intriguing.) The author really did a stellar job making it feel like the '20s. "Hello girls," the Charleston, bobbed hair . . . it just all screamed Jazz Age.
- The characters. HM OKAY. So I loved Ellis, but she also drove me crazy . . . more on that in a bit. :P She was so flighty and distracted, but she tried so hard and was overall endearing. (In a rather frustrating way. *cough*) AND GRIFF. Excuse me, but he was THE BEST. Oh my goodness. He was such a sweet guy. A bit awkwardly adorable around Ellis at times, but he was also such a great FRIEND to her. Which is super important. I love the way he balances Ellis out with his good sense and more subdued demeanor. HE'S JUST A DARLING. <3
- The themes. A bit mixed on this again, but I LOVE the theme of not pretending to be someone you're not. It's something I could always use a reminder of.
- The writing. WELL GUESS WHAT?? I have mixed feelings on this, too! *shocked gasp* (Yes, I know, it's such a surprise.) On one hand, I loved the unique writing style. It fit Ellis's distracted, bouncy personality very well. Buuuuut . . . it also kind of made me super confused?? Like I could not keep up with Ellis's thoughts. #help As a whole, however, I enjoyed how unique it was.
Not-So-Lovely Things:
- ELLIS. Okay yes, so I loved her . . . but she also drove me crazy. She was 100% clueless sometimes, seemed to lack common sense, and just did some things that left me scratching my head for about ten lightyears. (Like, WHY DOESN'T SHE TELL ANYONE ANYTHING?? It would have made everything waaaaay simpler if she didn't have to keep everything a secret and awkwardly try to cover it all up. Ugh. It made me so frustrated.) Don't get me wrong, she's a darling . . . but she caused my stress levels to escalate quite a bit at times. :P
- Her family. I do see where they're coming from, but her family just made things worse. All they seemed to do was interrupt Ellis ALL THE TIME and basically disapprove of her every .057 seconds. Which is NOT how a family should act. No sir. They made me rather mad at times. Maybe if they were more encouraging Ellis wouldn't try to hide things from them all the time. *shakes head*
- Just . . . things. I feel very frustrated with how the last 50 pages went down. It felt too hasty and kind of like it had built up to a rather boring conclusion. I also feel SO MESSED WITH. My brain is really confused and frustrated. The writing style was amusingly similar to Ellis, and I liked that . . . but it also made my poor, organized self endlessly frustrated when it kept jumping all over the place. ANYWAY. I'm not really sure what I'm trying to say here. THIS BOOK MADE ME SO CONFUSED.
I really thought this was a fun story. It had a vivid setting and memorable characters. It made me LAUGH and GRIN and want to hug some of the characters. (Some funny situations arose from Ellis's distracted nature . . . those were amusing. ;)) I'm feeling so perplexed right now. I feel like I just got off the teacups ride at an amusement park. :P
CONTENT: It's set in the '20s, so lots of drinking/immoral things. Several scenes take place in speakeasies, some suggestive remarks are made my characters (nothing ever explicit), one character was mentioned to have gotten pregnant, a couple light kisses are exchanged, a couple characters found alone in a bedroom (they weren't doing anything wrong - just talking - but it was assumed otherwise). There was quite a bit of emphasis placed on Prohibition and the morals of the time. (It is the '20s, keep in mind.) So for those reasons, I wouldn't recommend reading this unless you're an older teen, probably about 15+.
3 stars
Fun but frustrating.
*cracks knuckles* Let's get this party started.
Lovely Things:
- The setting. GOOD GOLLY THE SETTING. It's set in the '20s, which is an era that really fascinates me for whatever reason. (I know, it was a bit of a sketchy time . . . what with all the crime and drinking and whatnot BUT HEY it's also Very Intriguing.) The author really did a stellar job making it feel like the '20s. "Hello girls," the Charleston, bobbed hair . . . it just all screamed Jazz Age.
- The characters. HM OKAY. So I loved Ellis, but she also drove me crazy . . . more on that in a bit. :P She was so flighty and distracted, but she tried so hard and was overall endearing. (In a rather frustrating way. *cough*) AND GRIFF. Excuse me, but he was THE BEST. Oh my goodness. He was such a sweet guy. A bit awkwardly adorable around Ellis at times, but he was also such a great FRIEND to her. Which is super important. I love the way he balances Ellis out with his good sense and more subdued demeanor. HE'S JUST A DARLING. <3
- The themes. A bit mixed on this again, but I LOVE the theme of not pretending to be someone you're not. It's something I could always use a reminder of.
- The writing. WELL GUESS WHAT?? I have mixed feelings on this, too! *shocked gasp* (Yes, I know, it's such a surprise.) On one hand, I loved the unique writing style. It fit Ellis's distracted, bouncy personality very well. Buuuuut . . . it also kind of made me super confused?? Like I could not keep up with Ellis's thoughts. #help As a whole, however, I enjoyed how unique it was.
Not-So-Lovely Things:
- ELLIS. Okay yes, so I loved her . . . but she also drove me crazy. She was 100% clueless sometimes, seemed to lack common sense, and just did some things that left me scratching my head for about ten lightyears. (Like, WHY DOESN'T SHE TELL ANYONE ANYTHING?? It would have made everything waaaaay simpler if she didn't have to keep everything a secret and awkwardly try to cover it all up. Ugh. It made me so frustrated.) Don't get me wrong, she's a darling . . . but she caused my stress levels to escalate quite a bit at times. :P
- Her family. I do see where they're coming from, but her family just made things worse. All they seemed to do was interrupt Ellis ALL THE TIME and basically disapprove of her every .057 seconds. Which is NOT how a family should act. No sir. They made me rather mad at times. Maybe if they were more encouraging Ellis wouldn't try to hide things from them all the time. *shakes head*
- Just . . . things. I feel very frustrated with how the last 50 pages went down. It felt too hasty and kind of like it had built up to a rather boring conclusion. I also feel SO MESSED WITH. My brain is really confused and frustrated. The writing style was amusingly similar to Ellis, and I liked that . . . but it also made my poor, organized self endlessly frustrated when it kept jumping all over the place. ANYWAY. I'm not really sure what I'm trying to say here. THIS BOOK MADE ME SO CONFUSED.
I really thought this was a fun story. It had a vivid setting and memorable characters. It made me LAUGH and GRIN and want to hug some of the characters. (Some funny situations arose from Ellis's distracted nature . . . those were amusing. ;)) I'm feeling so perplexed right now. I feel like I just got off the teacups ride at an amusement park. :P
CONTENT: It's set in the '20s, so lots of drinking/immoral things. Several scenes take place in speakeasies, some suggestive remarks are made my characters (nothing ever explicit), one character was mentioned to have gotten pregnant, a couple light kisses are exchanged, a couple characters found alone in a bedroom (they weren't doing anything wrong - just talking - but it was assumed otherwise). There was quite a bit of emphasis placed on Prohibition and the morals of the time. (It is the '20s, keep in mind.) So for those reasons, I wouldn't recommend reading this unless you're an older teen, probably about 15+.
3 stars
March 17, 2014
Ellis Eton is sick and tired of being a disappointment to her strait-laced, well-to-do Boston family. Though she tries, she never seems to have any follow-through, personally or academically, leaving a trail of frustrated chaos in her wake. The only thing her restless, active mind and boundless energy allow her to do well is act -- and on stage she can escape who she is and be anyone she wants, anyone but herself, the disappointing Eton daughter. When she's informed by a professor that she's failed economics and is in danger of flunking out of Radcliffe College, she hatches a daring plan -- she'll runaway to seek her fortune as an actress in Hollywood. The only problem is her lack of funds...
Making the stars in her eyes a Hollywood reality seems like another failed Ellis scheme in the making until Janie Winslow, daughter of a family servant, begs for help. Janie needs Ellis to leverage their similar looks and her acting talent to pose as Janie for two weeks as a "hello girl," where Janie operates a telephone switchboard, while she attends to a family emergency. Ellis is thrilled -- posing as Janie will give her a chance to flex her acting muscles and earn much-needed funds. But the work proves more challenging than she'd anticipated, particularly when she accidentally overhears a conversation threatening Griff Phillips. Griff, her childhood best friend, is now a football star with dreamy blue eyes -- and the one person who tempts Ellis to think twice about fleeing to Hollywood. Intent on saving Griff, will Ellis miss the truth he's always known --- that what she views as her biggest weakness is her greatest strength, and that her uniqueness isn't, in fact, a mistake?
From start to finish, Love Comes Calling is an absolute delight. With her trademark attention to detail and her unique, unparalleled flair for bringing history to life with a Technicolor-clarity, Mitchell brings the roaring, raucous 1920s to vibrant life on the page. And in a stroke of brilliance she allows readers to witness this tumultuous, transformative decade through the eyes of a woman whose restless mind and unfocused energies would today see her diagnosed with ADHD. As a daughter of privilege, Ellis is in the position to embrace the increased freedoms the postwar years brought to women, from college educations to opportunities in the workforce -- only unlike the "hello girls" she meets when posing as Janie, Ellis has the safety net of family wealth. This realization not only allows Ellis to appreciate where she's come from, and the gifts she's been given, but plants within her a growing desire to help other women embrace the new opportunities afforded to them in this great decade of social change, giving her restless energies a heartfelt focus that cannot help but succeed.
Mitchell has a gift for bringing wildly disparate historical periods to life in her novels with pitch-perfect clarity, from the glamour of the Gilded Age in She Walks in Beauty to a Quaker struggling to survive the Revolutionary War in The Messenger. Here she brings the Roaring Twenties to life with all of the vibrancy and energy of the early Hollywood films that Ellis loves. There is more humor within these pages than one familiar with Mitchell's past works might expect to find, but for me that is part of the magic of her work. She manages to capture the essence of a time period, faded to black and white in the history books, and with a few deft strokes of her pen bring it back to life. Although Ellis post-dates the initial incarnation of The Perils of Pauline by a decade, I couldn't help but liken the madcap nature of her adventures to the early Hollywood serial -- the stakes are high, and despite obstacles and occasional failures, there is an infectious enthusiasm to her adventures for which one cannot help but cheer.
Within the framework of Ellis's story, Mitchell tackles the topic of Prohibition, and through the historical lens asks readers to examine the intersection of faith and politics -- as potentially volatile and timely a subject today as it was nearly a century ago. With the passage of Prohibition, the rise of corruption in government and law enforcement exploded, and the ease with which one can access illegal alcohol forces Ellis to examine both her personal beliefs and her role -- if any -- as a believer in a society whose mantra was increasingly "anything goes." More than seeking to enforce an arguably unenforceable law, as Ellis enters the workforce and experiences the best and worst society has to offer, she realizes the critical importance of living her faith, for the potential of her life, well and faithfully lived, to speak louder than any law. As Mitchell states in her Author's Note, "we were designed for the freedom of choice....[and] only God can change hearts" -- a particularly timely reminder for those today who, like Ellis and Griff nearly a hundred years before, are passionately concerned for the state of their culture.
Love Comes Calling is Mitchell's most cinematic novel to date, a love letter to the early pictures that captivated Ellis's imagination and a gorgeously-rendered, engaging reflection of the medium's energy and humor. The Roaring Twenties in all its capacity for change and possibility and excess spring to life within the pages of the novel with a captivating energy. The carefully-meted detail and ephemera through which Mitchell brings to life Ellis and her world makes for an utterly fascinating, absorbing read. And Ellis herself is an absolute gem, her voice not only pitch-perfect for the time in which she lived but an engrossing and compassionate glimpse into the mind of a woman wired to think in a manner and at a pace that, frankly, leaves most of the world in the dust. For anyone who ever wanted to be anyone but who they were, Love Comes Calling is a sweetly-told love letter. This is Mitchell at her most engaging -- fascinating history and captivating characters laced with thought-provoking spiritual truths.
Making the stars in her eyes a Hollywood reality seems like another failed Ellis scheme in the making until Janie Winslow, daughter of a family servant, begs for help. Janie needs Ellis to leverage their similar looks and her acting talent to pose as Janie for two weeks as a "hello girl," where Janie operates a telephone switchboard, while she attends to a family emergency. Ellis is thrilled -- posing as Janie will give her a chance to flex her acting muscles and earn much-needed funds. But the work proves more challenging than she'd anticipated, particularly when she accidentally overhears a conversation threatening Griff Phillips. Griff, her childhood best friend, is now a football star with dreamy blue eyes -- and the one person who tempts Ellis to think twice about fleeing to Hollywood. Intent on saving Griff, will Ellis miss the truth he's always known --- that what she views as her biggest weakness is her greatest strength, and that her uniqueness isn't, in fact, a mistake?
From start to finish, Love Comes Calling is an absolute delight. With her trademark attention to detail and her unique, unparalleled flair for bringing history to life with a Technicolor-clarity, Mitchell brings the roaring, raucous 1920s to vibrant life on the page. And in a stroke of brilliance she allows readers to witness this tumultuous, transformative decade through the eyes of a woman whose restless mind and unfocused energies would today see her diagnosed with ADHD. As a daughter of privilege, Ellis is in the position to embrace the increased freedoms the postwar years brought to women, from college educations to opportunities in the workforce -- only unlike the "hello girls" she meets when posing as Janie, Ellis has the safety net of family wealth. This realization not only allows Ellis to appreciate where she's come from, and the gifts she's been given, but plants within her a growing desire to help other women embrace the new opportunities afforded to them in this great decade of social change, giving her restless energies a heartfelt focus that cannot help but succeed.
Mitchell has a gift for bringing wildly disparate historical periods to life in her novels with pitch-perfect clarity, from the glamour of the Gilded Age in She Walks in Beauty to a Quaker struggling to survive the Revolutionary War in The Messenger. Here she brings the Roaring Twenties to life with all of the vibrancy and energy of the early Hollywood films that Ellis loves. There is more humor within these pages than one familiar with Mitchell's past works might expect to find, but for me that is part of the magic of her work. She manages to capture the essence of a time period, faded to black and white in the history books, and with a few deft strokes of her pen bring it back to life. Although Ellis post-dates the initial incarnation of The Perils of Pauline by a decade, I couldn't help but liken the madcap nature of her adventures to the early Hollywood serial -- the stakes are high, and despite obstacles and occasional failures, there is an infectious enthusiasm to her adventures for which one cannot help but cheer.
Within the framework of Ellis's story, Mitchell tackles the topic of Prohibition, and through the historical lens asks readers to examine the intersection of faith and politics -- as potentially volatile and timely a subject today as it was nearly a century ago. With the passage of Prohibition, the rise of corruption in government and law enforcement exploded, and the ease with which one can access illegal alcohol forces Ellis to examine both her personal beliefs and her role -- if any -- as a believer in a society whose mantra was increasingly "anything goes." More than seeking to enforce an arguably unenforceable law, as Ellis enters the workforce and experiences the best and worst society has to offer, she realizes the critical importance of living her faith, for the potential of her life, well and faithfully lived, to speak louder than any law. As Mitchell states in her Author's Note, "we were designed for the freedom of choice....[and] only God can change hearts" -- a particularly timely reminder for those today who, like Ellis and Griff nearly a hundred years before, are passionately concerned for the state of their culture.
Love Comes Calling is Mitchell's most cinematic novel to date, a love letter to the early pictures that captivated Ellis's imagination and a gorgeously-rendered, engaging reflection of the medium's energy and humor. The Roaring Twenties in all its capacity for change and possibility and excess spring to life within the pages of the novel with a captivating energy. The carefully-meted detail and ephemera through which Mitchell brings to life Ellis and her world makes for an utterly fascinating, absorbing read. And Ellis herself is an absolute gem, her voice not only pitch-perfect for the time in which she lived but an engrossing and compassionate glimpse into the mind of a woman wired to think in a manner and at a pace that, frankly, leaves most of the world in the dust. For anyone who ever wanted to be anyone but who they were, Love Comes Calling is a sweetly-told love letter. This is Mitchell at her most engaging -- fascinating history and captivating characters laced with thought-provoking spiritual truths.
February 2, 2019
The first thing that struck me about this book was how much I loved the main character. She was so realistic and loveable. Sure, she had some annoying moments, but don't we all? I loved the real view of someone with ADHD.
My second favorite thing was the romance. It wasn't super passionate (though they were attracted to each other), but it was based in real things, not just feelings.
The plot was incredibly well thought out.
While I hated that she lied, I loved that there were consequences for every action. Every time she talked to her mom, I just wanted to hug her. But I loved that she didn't get to just escape from the hard things, she had to face them head-on.
I wasn't expecting quite that amount of references to adult content. While it was handled fairly well, it made me a bit uncomfortable. Also, I was sad that there wasn't more Christian content.
I feel like this wasn't very cohesive review, but I honestly don't quite know how to put it into words. I loved this book and the characters were amazing (Griff. <3).
I wouldn't recommend this for anyone under 15 due to mature content.
My second favorite thing was the romance. It wasn't super passionate (though they were attracted to each other), but it was based in real things, not just feelings.
The plot was incredibly well thought out.
While I hated that she lied, I loved that there were consequences for every action. Every time she talked to her mom, I just wanted to hug her. But I loved that she didn't get to just escape from the hard things, she had to face them head-on.
I wasn't expecting quite that amount of references to adult content. While it was handled fairly well, it made me a bit uncomfortable. Also, I was sad that there wasn't more Christian content.
I feel like this wasn't very cohesive review, but I honestly don't quite know how to put it into words. I loved this book and the characters were amazing (Griff. <3).
I wouldn't recommend this for anyone under 15 due to mature content.
December 27, 2014
I've had the pleasure of being able to read several of Siri Mitchell's previous novels including She Walks In Beauty (and absolute favorite novel of mine!), as well as Unrivaled. Being that her writing style is very diverse in time periods and themes, I was excited to see what she did with this new novel based in the early 1920s in Boston. While I did enjoy reading it, I don't think it's a favorite, though I'm glad I did read it. However for sure, She Walks In Beauty takes the cake for being my favorite novel she has written; which quite honestly I don't see changing in the future.
This novel was different than I expected it to be in the fact that it was a very fun, light and quick read, that I found very personable and humorous-while at the same time having very serious strains within the pages. I really ended up reading this book with "spare moments". Basically I started it on a day where I had an extra 15 minutes, and then read a bit more a few other times I had a few minutes, and then it seemed like all the sudden I'd finished it without putting lots of time into reading it. I think this was mainly because the story flowed well and the story line was relaxed and not super complex like other stories that take a while to "connect" (no pun intended! :D) in your brain with all the different plots and characters. So in a way, this book was very simple, but also very nice. Since the plot was very simple, it made it easier to read, and also made it a light read, but one I did enjoy.
The main character Ellis Eaton's personality was quite honestly a bit difficult for me to "get". I felt like at times I totally related with her clumsiness and difficulty remembering things. I laughed at the situations it brought her into, but also felt a deeply like I could totally relate, being that her character was so real and showed honestly that people make mistakes! However, at other times I felt like her mind may not have been "all there", and I felt like she might almost have a disorder or something of the sort. Her character is one of very high energy and one of easily forgetting things or loose track of situations. While it wasn't so bad to where I thought she was mental, I did get a feel like there was something not quite right, from ways she would respond verbally to certain situations that reminded me of someone who might have a compulsive disorder. True enough, at the end of the book the author described how she created Ellis's character with ADHD, and I was glad to know that wasn't just a feeling I got, but that the author made the character like that on purpose. So while at times I just loved the "real" situations her compulsive disorder brought, I felt like at other times I didn't quite relate with other bits of her personality.
Despite the title which may suggest this novel to be a big romance, it's not. I felt like the title worked perfectly with the story since Ellis fills in for a friend at her telephone job as a "hello girl", where she is constantly connecting and disconnecting calls. I liked how the story mainly focused on Ellis and didn't heavily rely on a romance to make the story interesting. While there was a nice bit of clean romance, I felt like it wasn't overly done, and for sure very clean.
The only con I'd mention is that there is a minor-character who is rather immoral, and there was one scene at a bar where she was inappropriately dancing on stage. I'd probably just recommend to skip over that paragraph when it comes, if this is an area you'd rather just avoid. Since it's only one paragraph it makes it easy to just skip over once. There are several scenes at a bar, with people being getting/being drunk, with an over-all not good feeling, and we also learn of the dangerous effects that drinking can give a body, leading to a very good moral to the story.
Overall, I enjoyed this novel and loved Ellis's personality and the humorously light style that makes this book easy to read in a short amount of time. I'd highly recommend this book to historical fiction fans, or those who enjoy very unique novels from Christian authors.
D I C L A I M E R :: I received a free copy of Love Comes Calling from the publisher for the sole purpose of this review. I was not paid to write this review, and all thoughts expressed in my review are completely honest and unbiased.
This novel was different than I expected it to be in the fact that it was a very fun, light and quick read, that I found very personable and humorous-while at the same time having very serious strains within the pages. I really ended up reading this book with "spare moments". Basically I started it on a day where I had an extra 15 minutes, and then read a bit more a few other times I had a few minutes, and then it seemed like all the sudden I'd finished it without putting lots of time into reading it. I think this was mainly because the story flowed well and the story line was relaxed and not super complex like other stories that take a while to "connect" (no pun intended! :D) in your brain with all the different plots and characters. So in a way, this book was very simple, but also very nice. Since the plot was very simple, it made it easier to read, and also made it a light read, but one I did enjoy.
The main character Ellis Eaton's personality was quite honestly a bit difficult for me to "get". I felt like at times I totally related with her clumsiness and difficulty remembering things. I laughed at the situations it brought her into, but also felt a deeply like I could totally relate, being that her character was so real and showed honestly that people make mistakes! However, at other times I felt like her mind may not have been "all there", and I felt like she might almost have a disorder or something of the sort. Her character is one of very high energy and one of easily forgetting things or loose track of situations. While it wasn't so bad to where I thought she was mental, I did get a feel like there was something not quite right, from ways she would respond verbally to certain situations that reminded me of someone who might have a compulsive disorder. True enough, at the end of the book the author described how she created Ellis's character with ADHD, and I was glad to know that wasn't just a feeling I got, but that the author made the character like that on purpose. So while at times I just loved the "real" situations her compulsive disorder brought, I felt like at other times I didn't quite relate with other bits of her personality.
Despite the title which may suggest this novel to be a big romance, it's not. I felt like the title worked perfectly with the story since Ellis fills in for a friend at her telephone job as a "hello girl", where she is constantly connecting and disconnecting calls. I liked how the story mainly focused on Ellis and didn't heavily rely on a romance to make the story interesting. While there was a nice bit of clean romance, I felt like it wasn't overly done, and for sure very clean.
The only con I'd mention is that there is a minor-character who is rather immoral, and there was one scene at a bar where she was inappropriately dancing on stage. I'd probably just recommend to skip over that paragraph when it comes, if this is an area you'd rather just avoid. Since it's only one paragraph it makes it easy to just skip over once. There are several scenes at a bar, with people being getting/being drunk, with an over-all not good feeling, and we also learn of the dangerous effects that drinking can give a body, leading to a very good moral to the story.
Overall, I enjoyed this novel and loved Ellis's personality and the humorously light style that makes this book easy to read in a short amount of time. I'd highly recommend this book to historical fiction fans, or those who enjoy very unique novels from Christian authors.
D I C L A I M E R :: I received a free copy of Love Comes Calling from the publisher for the sole purpose of this review. I was not paid to write this review, and all thoughts expressed in my review are completely honest and unbiased.
April 27, 2014
This book was such a delight! I've been a Siri Mitchell fan for several years, but my favorites of her historicals tend to be ones on the more serious side, such as "The Messenger" or "Love's Pursuit". "Love Comes Calling" stars a heroine who reminded me very much of Amelia Bedelia, because even with the best intentions she ends up in one scrape after another, with no idea how she got there or how to fix it!
Ellis Eton feels like she has been a disappointment her whole life. All she hears from her parents, friends, and professors is "Oh, Ellis." Expectations are so high for the daughter of one of Boston's elite in the Prohibition Era, but Ellis just can't measure up. She longs to run away and be an actress in Hollywood, and she knows she'd be a good one because she's been putting on an act for years trying to hide her real scatterbrained self. As soon as she can save up for a ticket to California, which is awfully hard because she enjoys spending money, Ellis plans to make an escape.
All of her problems seem solved when her friend Janie has a family emergency and asks Ellis to pose at her job for two weeks. Surely pretending to be a switchboard operator at a phone company would be easier than the economics class she just flunked! If only Ellis can remember everything she needs to, and not draw attention from any of the supervisors, then at the end of two weeks she'll have the funds needed to head to Hollywood.
Things change dramatically on the first day at work, when Ellis accidentally stays on the line after transferring a call and overhears two Irish men discussing her friend Griffin Phillips. They said that if Griff didn't cooperate with what they wanted, they were planning to take him "out of the picture." Griff is the star of the Harvard football team who is spending the summer working at the commissioner's office investigating Boston's unscrupulous mayor. Greatly disturbed at what she believes to be a plot to murder her friend, Ellis begins an investigation to save his life. It's a little tricky, though, because she's certain Griff wants to pin her with his fraternity pin, and she doesn't want to have any regrets when she leaves. Oh well, she'll just be careful not to spend too much time with him, even as she tries to spend extra time with him to protect him from unknown bad guys.
Ellis is stepping into more danger than she knows as she tries to track down the Irish callers. Still using Janie's identity, she's whisked into the underground world of speakeasies, police officers who look the other way, and all kinds of double standards. What really is right and wrong? If there is a law, shouldn't it be upheld and enforced? Meanwhile her days are running short to save Griff before she leaves for Hollywood.
One of my favorite things about this book was Griff's love for Ellis. Having known her for all his life, he has a very mature love for her, the kind born out of friendship. He knows her limitations and he loves her exactly the way she is. Ellis was a comical and endearing character, and I feared that she'd come to harm in her quest to protect Griff. I can't tell you how this ends, but I can tell you that I enjoyed every page, and highly encourage you to check out all of Mitchell's releases. This one earned its place among my favorite of her novels!
I received my copy from the publisher in exchange for this honest review. All opinions are my own.
This review originated at http://reviewsbyerin.livejournal.com
Ellis Eton feels like she has been a disappointment her whole life. All she hears from her parents, friends, and professors is "Oh, Ellis." Expectations are so high for the daughter of one of Boston's elite in the Prohibition Era, but Ellis just can't measure up. She longs to run away and be an actress in Hollywood, and she knows she'd be a good one because she's been putting on an act for years trying to hide her real scatterbrained self. As soon as she can save up for a ticket to California, which is awfully hard because she enjoys spending money, Ellis plans to make an escape.
All of her problems seem solved when her friend Janie has a family emergency and asks Ellis to pose at her job for two weeks. Surely pretending to be a switchboard operator at a phone company would be easier than the economics class she just flunked! If only Ellis can remember everything she needs to, and not draw attention from any of the supervisors, then at the end of two weeks she'll have the funds needed to head to Hollywood.
Things change dramatically on the first day at work, when Ellis accidentally stays on the line after transferring a call and overhears two Irish men discussing her friend Griffin Phillips. They said that if Griff didn't cooperate with what they wanted, they were planning to take him "out of the picture." Griff is the star of the Harvard football team who is spending the summer working at the commissioner's office investigating Boston's unscrupulous mayor. Greatly disturbed at what she believes to be a plot to murder her friend, Ellis begins an investigation to save his life. It's a little tricky, though, because she's certain Griff wants to pin her with his fraternity pin, and she doesn't want to have any regrets when she leaves. Oh well, she'll just be careful not to spend too much time with him, even as she tries to spend extra time with him to protect him from unknown bad guys.
Ellis is stepping into more danger than she knows as she tries to track down the Irish callers. Still using Janie's identity, she's whisked into the underground world of speakeasies, police officers who look the other way, and all kinds of double standards. What really is right and wrong? If there is a law, shouldn't it be upheld and enforced? Meanwhile her days are running short to save Griff before she leaves for Hollywood.
One of my favorite things about this book was Griff's love for Ellis. Having known her for all his life, he has a very mature love for her, the kind born out of friendship. He knows her limitations and he loves her exactly the way she is. Ellis was a comical and endearing character, and I feared that she'd come to harm in her quest to protect Griff. I can't tell you how this ends, but I can tell you that I enjoyed every page, and highly encourage you to check out all of Mitchell's releases. This one earned its place among my favorite of her novels!
I received my copy from the publisher in exchange for this honest review. All opinions are my own.
This review originated at http://reviewsbyerin.livejournal.com
May 13, 2014
Tuesday, May 13, 2014
Love Comes Calling by Siri Mitchell, © 2014
Janie Winslow. Janie Winslow. I needed to become Janie Winslow. I took a deep breath and reminded myself that being Janie would be as difficult a role to play as I'd ever had. Usually I played characters people paid attention to, but Janie had never been very remarkable. She was never noticed because she really wasn't very noticeable. So as long as no one noticed me, then they wouldn't notice I wasn't her, and I'd succeed at playing the toughest role I'd every had!
--Love Comes Calling, 92-93
Love Comes Calling is an interesting read about the 1920's haves and have-nots, as our protagonist, Ellis Eton stays back for a two-week sprint covering for her friend Janie Winslow as a hello girl at the phone company while her family begins their summer sojourn to the beach away from the sweltering city temperatures.
What opportune timing! Ellis is not doing so well at college and decides she is hopping a train to Hollywood instead of returning to the autumn session. However... she needs a little cash of her own to get her there. Not hopping a train as in boxcar, but needing to buy her ticket without her family money. Janie's mother, who had been the Eton family's cook, has passed away and Janie asks Ellis to fill in for her at the switchboard. How hard can that be? With Ellis's father being chairman of the board of the telephone company, she doubly has to be incognito. As children, she and Janie were always being mistaken for each other ~ a little blackening of eyebrows and they could still pass for each other.
"My board only has a hundred and twenty telephone numbers. They're all marked. If a call comes to you, then it has to be one of them."
"Right."
--Ibid., 80
"I'll return on Sunday. I'll meet you here when I get back into the city in case there's anything you need to tell me before I go back to work."
--Ibid., 83
And, our story begins...
As an operator B, connecting the calls, how hard can it be? Remembering to "sound" like Janie and keep a low profile, time will fly! With her head in the skies, Ellis takes on this acting job with gusto. Except... with several calls coming to her board at once, she forgets to flip the switch after connecting two calls together, and unexpectedly overhears the conversation to injure her next-door neighbor, Griffin Phillips ~ and... she reprimanded them before leaving the line. A policeman comes calling to see what she remembers, as he was one part of that call coming through her board's telephone numbers. He proceeds to socially take her to a speakeasy where she runs into her previous college roommate, Irene. Overcome by expectations, Irene needs rescuing each time Ellis sees her. And, of course, ... Irene calls her Ellis instead of Janie, as Officer Jack Feeney knows her by. Quick thinking, she tells him they had been in a play together and that is what her role name was.
Love Comes Calling is a story set during Prohibition in the 1920s and the bending of the law ~ depending on who your contact was; mobs, corruption within the ranks of looking the other way, or consumption in the home or clubs ~ like Hernando's Hideaway ~ knock three times.
Ellis has her hands full with her new job and trying to keep Griff safe without telling him why she is coming back and forth between their homes at odd hours. Impulsive and uncertain at times, Ellis continues her pursuit in finding out the other caller's identity. Brave and caring, she stumbles naively into dangerous surroundings.
***Thank you to author Siri Mitchell for sending me a copy of Love Comes Calling to read as part of her review team. This review was written in my own words. No other compensation was received.***
Love Comes Calling by Siri Mitchell, © 2014
Janie Winslow. Janie Winslow. I needed to become Janie Winslow. I took a deep breath and reminded myself that being Janie would be as difficult a role to play as I'd ever had. Usually I played characters people paid attention to, but Janie had never been very remarkable. She was never noticed because she really wasn't very noticeable. So as long as no one noticed me, then they wouldn't notice I wasn't her, and I'd succeed at playing the toughest role I'd every had!
--Love Comes Calling, 92-93
Love Comes Calling is an interesting read about the 1920's haves and have-nots, as our protagonist, Ellis Eton stays back for a two-week sprint covering for her friend Janie Winslow as a hello girl at the phone company while her family begins their summer sojourn to the beach away from the sweltering city temperatures.
What opportune timing! Ellis is not doing so well at college and decides she is hopping a train to Hollywood instead of returning to the autumn session. However... she needs a little cash of her own to get her there. Not hopping a train as in boxcar, but needing to buy her ticket without her family money. Janie's mother, who had been the Eton family's cook, has passed away and Janie asks Ellis to fill in for her at the switchboard. How hard can that be? With Ellis's father being chairman of the board of the telephone company, she doubly has to be incognito. As children, she and Janie were always being mistaken for each other ~ a little blackening of eyebrows and they could still pass for each other.
"My board only has a hundred and twenty telephone numbers. They're all marked. If a call comes to you, then it has to be one of them."
"Right."
--Ibid., 80
"I'll return on Sunday. I'll meet you here when I get back into the city in case there's anything you need to tell me before I go back to work."
--Ibid., 83
And, our story begins...
As an operator B, connecting the calls, how hard can it be? Remembering to "sound" like Janie and keep a low profile, time will fly! With her head in the skies, Ellis takes on this acting job with gusto. Except... with several calls coming to her board at once, she forgets to flip the switch after connecting two calls together, and unexpectedly overhears the conversation to injure her next-door neighbor, Griffin Phillips ~ and... she reprimanded them before leaving the line. A policeman comes calling to see what she remembers, as he was one part of that call coming through her board's telephone numbers. He proceeds to socially take her to a speakeasy where she runs into her previous college roommate, Irene. Overcome by expectations, Irene needs rescuing each time Ellis sees her. And, of course, ... Irene calls her Ellis instead of Janie, as Officer Jack Feeney knows her by. Quick thinking, she tells him they had been in a play together and that is what her role name was.
Love Comes Calling is a story set during Prohibition in the 1920s and the bending of the law ~ depending on who your contact was; mobs, corruption within the ranks of looking the other way, or consumption in the home or clubs ~ like Hernando's Hideaway ~ knock three times.
Ellis has her hands full with her new job and trying to keep Griff safe without telling him why she is coming back and forth between their homes at odd hours. Impulsive and uncertain at times, Ellis continues her pursuit in finding out the other caller's identity. Brave and caring, she stumbles naively into dangerous surroundings.
***Thank you to author Siri Mitchell for sending me a copy of Love Comes Calling to read as part of her review team. This review was written in my own words. No other compensation was received.***
May 7, 2014
This book is a full submersion into the roaring twenties- the language, attitudes and history is all there. As a reader, you feel transported back in time, which is why I love historical fiction. I love learning about the way daily life was in any given period of time that is far enough removed from the one I live in. The Author's notes show just how much she prepared for this novel and shows you how much truth was weaved into the fiction- I loved it!
Ellis took some getting used to for me. Initially, though I found her insecurities annoying, I appreciated that Ms. Mitchell was consistent in her characterization and I respected her uniqueness as a heroine. For a while, every time Ellis despaired of not measuring up, I felt more and more irritated... until I met her family. While I didn't understand why they treated her the way they did, I (finally) did understand how Ellis got it into her head that she was a disappointment, a failure, and a constant source of exasperation.
After I warmed to her, I really enjoyed the humor she brought to most situations and appreciated her honesty. I liked that she didn't always have an answer, that she sometimes felt confused, and that not everyone liked her (and that they, in turn, weren't written off as evil or useless for not being TeamEllis). Even when I found her reasoning flawed, I still could see how she got there and I appreciated such an authentic point of view. Reading the Author's note on how ADHD played a role in this was fascinating to me and, while it made total sense, it made me want to go back and read it again with that in mind. So well done.
There were only two things that kept this book from perfection for me.
The first and most important thing: I never bought into Ellis' refusal/avoidance of Griff's affections; it just did not seem natural at all to me. I have never known someone to reject love because they thought they didn't deserve the person. I've seen such insecurities manifest themselves in jealousy, fear of losing the other person, clinginess, trust issues, etc., inevitably destroying the relationship, but I have never seen them stop the relationship -before- it starts. It's human nature to dream of the fairy tale ending (getting more than we deserve) so I just didn't buy it.
Secondly, Jack Feeney was a little (sometimes a lot) too naive/trusting. Bless her, but Ellis did not do a very good job of fishing information from him subtly, so how did he not suspect anything? Or if he did, then why didn't he do anything about it? It seemed to me that someone who was so afraid of crossing those he "owed favors to" wouldn't risk incurring their wrath by overlooking her rather obvious display of memory, interest, and connection. And what was with his somewhat random spilling of his past? I felt like they hardly knew each other and these weren't the things you confided in someone you've only hung out with/talked to a couple of times.
On the whole though, I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I'd recommend it to anyone who loves historical fiction, particularly set in the twenties and anyone who is itching for a fresh, strong female lead.
Ellis took some getting used to for me. Initially, though I found her insecurities annoying, I appreciated that Ms. Mitchell was consistent in her characterization and I respected her uniqueness as a heroine. For a while, every time Ellis despaired of not measuring up, I felt more and more irritated... until I met her family. While I didn't understand why they treated her the way they did, I (finally) did understand how Ellis got it into her head that she was a disappointment, a failure, and a constant source of exasperation.
After I warmed to her, I really enjoyed the humor she brought to most situations and appreciated her honesty. I liked that she didn't always have an answer, that she sometimes felt confused, and that not everyone liked her (and that they, in turn, weren't written off as evil or useless for not being TeamEllis). Even when I found her reasoning flawed, I still could see how she got there and I appreciated such an authentic point of view. Reading the Author's note on how ADHD played a role in this was fascinating to me and, while it made total sense, it made me want to go back and read it again with that in mind. So well done.
There were only two things that kept this book from perfection for me.
The first and most important thing: I never bought into Ellis' refusal/avoidance of Griff's affections; it just did not seem natural at all to me. I have never known someone to reject love because they thought they didn't deserve the person. I've seen such insecurities manifest themselves in jealousy, fear of losing the other person, clinginess, trust issues, etc., inevitably destroying the relationship, but I have never seen them stop the relationship -before- it starts. It's human nature to dream of the fairy tale ending (getting more than we deserve) so I just didn't buy it.
Secondly, Jack Feeney was a little (sometimes a lot) too naive/trusting. Bless her, but Ellis did not do a very good job of fishing information from him subtly, so how did he not suspect anything? Or if he did, then why didn't he do anything about it? It seemed to me that someone who was so afraid of crossing those he "owed favors to" wouldn't risk incurring their wrath by overlooking her rather obvious display of memory, interest, and connection. And what was with his somewhat random spilling of his past? I felt like they hardly knew each other and these weren't the things you confided in someone you've only hung out with/talked to a couple of times.
On the whole though, I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I'd recommend it to anyone who loves historical fiction, particularly set in the twenties and anyone who is itching for a fresh, strong female lead.
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