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Keeping the Castle #2
A School for Brides
The eagerly awaited companion to the award-winnng Keeping the Castle.
The Winthrop Hopkins Female Academy of Lesser Hoo, Yorkshire, has one goal: to train its students in the feminine arts with an eye toward getting them married off. This year, there are five girls of marriageable age. There’s only one problem: the school is in the middle of nowhere, and there are no men.
Set in the same English town as Keeping the Castle, and featuring a few of the same characters, here’s the kind of witty tribute to the classic Regency novel that could only come from the pen of Patrice Kindl!
The Winthrop Hopkins Female Academy of Lesser Hoo, Yorkshire, has one goal: to train its students in the feminine arts with an eye toward getting them married off. This year, there are five girls of marriageable age. There’s only one problem: the school is in the middle of nowhere, and there are no men.
Set in the same English town as Keeping the Castle, and featuring a few of the same characters, here’s the kind of witty tribute to the classic Regency novel that could only come from the pen of Patrice Kindl!
272 pages, Hardcover
First published July 14, 2015
42 people are currently reading
1434 people want to read
About the author
Patrice Kindl
11 books174 followersChildhood:
I was born in Alplaus New York in 1951, the youngest of four daughters. My father is a mechanical engineer, my mother a housewife. My family is very nice – I like them all a lot. As a child I loved animals and read obsessively.
We had (still have) a family cottage on Lake George. The people who live next door are life-long friends. On summer weekdays during my childhood there were ten females in the two houses, no males. As a result of this background I feel that I understand girls better than boys, which is why I write primarily for girls.
Education and other jobs:
After high school I went to Webster College in St. Louis, Missouri. Oddly enough, given the location, it was a well-thought-of theater school. I attended for a year and a half and then (this was the 60’s, early 70’s) dropped out and decamped for New York City and a real drama school (not a liberal arts college like Webster). I appeared in a few television commercials, waitressed, auditioned and did a little modeling.
After three or four years of this sort of thing I realized I was going nowhere fast. I came back upstate and worked, at first full-time and then, after I married and my son was born, part-time, as a secretary at a consulting engineering firm called Encotech. As a result, I am an excellent touch typist today, which is handy for a writer.
I only began writing seriously when I was in my late thirties and was first published in my early forties. While I worked on OWL IN LOVE (my first book) I became involved in a program called Helping Hands, in which I raised two monkeys to be aides to quadriplegics. You can check it out at www.helpinghandsmonkeys.org. You can see a photograph of Kandy on this page and Susi on the FAQ page.
Family:
My husband Paul is president of Encotech (that’s where I met him). My son Alex is 25. He and his art rock band Bible Study (no religious connotation) live with us part-time. They rehearse directly over my office, so it is lucky that I think they are great musicians (Click here to listen to one of their songs). The vocalist is one of America’s few female Master Falconers. When the band is in residence we also have several hawks or falcons.
I was born in Alplaus New York in 1951, the youngest of four daughters. My father is a mechanical engineer, my mother a housewife. My family is very nice – I like them all a lot. As a child I loved animals and read obsessively.
We had (still have) a family cottage on Lake George. The people who live next door are life-long friends. On summer weekdays during my childhood there were ten females in the two houses, no males. As a result of this background I feel that I understand girls better than boys, which is why I write primarily for girls.
Education and other jobs:
After high school I went to Webster College in St. Louis, Missouri. Oddly enough, given the location, it was a well-thought-of theater school. I attended for a year and a half and then (this was the 60’s, early 70’s) dropped out and decamped for New York City and a real drama school (not a liberal arts college like Webster). I appeared in a few television commercials, waitressed, auditioned and did a little modeling.
After three or four years of this sort of thing I realized I was going nowhere fast. I came back upstate and worked, at first full-time and then, after I married and my son was born, part-time, as a secretary at a consulting engineering firm called Encotech. As a result, I am an excellent touch typist today, which is handy for a writer.
I only began writing seriously when I was in my late thirties and was first published in my early forties. While I worked on OWL IN LOVE (my first book) I became involved in a program called Helping Hands, in which I raised two monkeys to be aides to quadriplegics. You can check it out at www.helpinghandsmonkeys.org. You can see a photograph of Kandy on this page and Susi on the FAQ page.
Family:
My husband Paul is president of Encotech (that’s where I met him). My son Alex is 25. He and his art rock band Bible Study (no religious connotation) live with us part-time. They rehearse directly over my office, so it is lucky that I think they are great musicians (Click here to listen to one of their songs). The vocalist is one of America’s few female Master Falconers. When the band is in residence we also have several hawks or falcons.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 216 reviews
June 15, 2019
Keeping the Castle was delightful. I liked the ending so much I re-read it a few times just to get it firmly planted in my memory.
A School for Brides...much less so.
This is a companion book more than a sequel to Keeping the Castle. It follows 8 young ladies who attend a school in the middle of nowhere. They want to get married but, alas, options are slim.
Gentlemen arrive and romance kindles. It ought to be a funny comedy of manners.
Instead...it is just boring. The girls were easier than expected to keep track of but none of the couples got nearly enough development. Quite a few had potential to be lovely romances but I did not know enough about them to care.
The framework is there but lacking the emotional tug that makes the reader care.
A School for Brides...much less so.
This is a companion book more than a sequel to Keeping the Castle. It follows 8 young ladies who attend a school in the middle of nowhere. They want to get married but, alas, options are slim.
Gentlemen arrive and romance kindles. It ought to be a funny comedy of manners.
Instead...it is just boring. The girls were easier than expected to keep track of but none of the couples got nearly enough development. Quite a few had potential to be lovely romances but I did not know enough about them to care.
The framework is there but lacking the emotional tug that makes the reader care.
August 21, 2018
So I didn't really finish. Made it to page 50 and I couldn't go on... based on the first 50 pages i rated it .5 stars. It was sooooo dull and nothing happened and so many characters I couldn't keep up. The imagination in my head died... Found it at the Dollar Tree. Should have been a sign...
September 23, 2015
This book was dreadfully dull.
I'm sorry to have to say that, but that is my honest opinion.
Nothing of importance happens until at least halfway in and in a book of only 250 pages, I'd expect something to start before that point. It is a short book, but took a long time to read as there is just nothing going on and the characters are interchangeable. Until the villain/s appear, there is no one memorable. No one is described beyond this man is handsome, this girl is fair. If you aren't even going to give me some idea of their personalities, then kindly give me a clue to their appearance.
Yes, eventually, you do get to know some of the girls, but there is no focus for the story. It is about all of them and none of them. I think it is trying to mimic Austen's style and while that is an admirable attempt, Austen's stories were always seen through one character's point of view, whether it be Elizabeth Bennett, Marianne Dashwood, Emma Woodhouse or Anne Elliott. There is a focus to the story which this book is totally lacking.
I enjoyed the first book about Lesser Hoo, but this one is a "Hoo Cares?"
I'm sorry to have to say that, but that is my honest opinion.
Nothing of importance happens until at least halfway in and in a book of only 250 pages, I'd expect something to start before that point. It is a short book, but took a long time to read as there is just nothing going on and the characters are interchangeable. Until the villain/s appear, there is no one memorable. No one is described beyond this man is handsome, this girl is fair. If you aren't even going to give me some idea of their personalities, then kindly give me a clue to their appearance.
Yes, eventually, you do get to know some of the girls, but there is no focus for the story. It is about all of them and none of them. I think it is trying to mimic Austen's style and while that is an admirable attempt, Austen's stories were always seen through one character's point of view, whether it be Elizabeth Bennett, Marianne Dashwood, Emma Woodhouse or Anne Elliott. There is a focus to the story which this book is totally lacking.
I enjoyed the first book about Lesser Hoo, but this one is a "Hoo Cares?"
May 20, 2016
I really quite liked Keeping the Castle; it was charming and fun to read. And I guess I rather expected this to be similar in vein.
Silly me?
Honestly it was so dull. Nothing happens, you never get a good sense of the characters, considering they are all as bland as cardboard, and quite frankly, I didn't care one single whit for anybody.
Silly me?
Honestly it was so dull. Nothing happens, you never get a good sense of the characters, considering they are all as bland as cardboard, and quite frankly, I didn't care one single whit for anybody.
November 16, 2021
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https://wordnerdy.blogspot.com/2021/1...
Kindl's latest, a sequel/companion to Keeping the Castle, had me in RAPTURES OF DELIGHT. One of the stepsisters from the previous book is now running a finishing school in their tiny Yorkshire town, and all the girls there are worried they'll never meet any eligible men to marry. So it's very convenient that a young man breaks his leg nearby, and then several of his friends come to visit! We only get to know a few of the girls, but they're all interesting and likable (one, a budding scientist, is even named Rosalind Franklin!) and I was definitely rooting for all their respective romances to work out. There is even a touch of mystery and intrigue. It was just so easy to get caught up in this book and completely lose track of time. And I was FURTHER delighted to discover that Kindl plans a trilogy set in the town, and cannot wait to see what happens in the third one. These books are so charming and fun, while lightly pointing out that sometimes being a woman in olden times was a trial. A!
https://wordnerdy.blogspot.com/2021/1...
Kindl's latest, a sequel/companion to Keeping the Castle, had me in RAPTURES OF DELIGHT. One of the stepsisters from the previous book is now running a finishing school in their tiny Yorkshire town, and all the girls there are worried they'll never meet any eligible men to marry. So it's very convenient that a young man breaks his leg nearby, and then several of his friends come to visit! We only get to know a few of the girls, but they're all interesting and likable (one, a budding scientist, is even named Rosalind Franklin!) and I was definitely rooting for all their respective romances to work out. There is even a touch of mystery and intrigue. It was just so easy to get caught up in this book and completely lose track of time. And I was FURTHER delighted to discover that Kindl plans a trilogy set in the town, and cannot wait to see what happens in the third one. These books are so charming and fun, while lightly pointing out that sometimes being a woman in olden times was a trial. A!
August 21, 2015
The young ladies of The Winthrop Hopkins Female Academy have all been sent by their one remaining parent to be "finished" before finding a husband. The parents seem to have forgotten more than their children; they neglected to realize that there are no eligible men in all of Lesser Hoo. (Unless one counts Mr. Goldalming, the local magistrate). When a young gentleman is found collapsed and injured in the bushes, the young ladies are delighted. They are even more delighted when his friends come to visit. The Honorable Jane Crump is the highest born of the eight young ladies, so she should be the first to marry, but she is so painfully shy, she can not bring herself to remove her bonnet. She has nightmares each night and now it seems her nightmares are turning to reality. Miss Pffolliott has a secret she isn't sure she's happy about; Miss Franklin would rather pursue scientific study than find a husband and Miss Asquith worries that no one will marry her because her father is a gin distiller. Meanwhile, Mrs. Fredericks plot to make her niece Miss Mainwaring happy. This story spoils events from Keeping the Castle. At first the author gives her readers a chance to go back and read or reread by withholding the first names of Mrs. Boring and Mrs. Fredericks. Soon though, the reader is clued in and spoilers happen.
I didn't like this book as much as Keeping the Castle. The premise sounded cute but it wasn't quite as satirical as the first. The humor is still present and I enjoyed it, but Keeping the Castle was laugh out loud funny and this was not. There are some darker elements to the story, namely the villain.
I also think the book suffers from too many characters. I had a really hard time remembering which was girl was which. Even after their individual stories started, I still couldn't keep track of which one was the niece of Mrs. and Mr. Fredericks and which was the gin distiller. (I don't even remember him having a sister). It didn't help that they kept calling each other Miss (last name) for most of the story and not all the school girls got an individual plot, but had been mentioned in the beginning. The villain in the story was so completely cruel and sadistic. I didn't really understand why she was so sadistic. One can be proud and greedy without being deliberately evil. She reminded me of a Disney villain. Maybe I identify too strongly with Jane. There's another, more typical Regency novel villain in the story. I saw through them right away though I was a bit surprised by an unexpected twist.
The heroines all have their own stories starting around the middle of the book. I was most interested in Miss Franklin's story. I liked how the author incorporated scientific study of the day and showed that young ladies were doing more than learning how to dance, sing, play the pianoforte and sew. I was impressed she could see as far as the rings of Saturn with a telescope and really blown away by her theory of how to figure out if there's more planets after Uranus. I identified with her spurning the idea of marriage. She's a bit odd though. She's all analytical and not emotional. She tends to immerse herself in something and forget about everything else. I thought and hoped her story would end differently. I also identified with Jane. I sympathized with her shyness and desire to be invisible. I empathized with her as she relived her worst nightmare over and over. I really liked her character development but was disappointed it was mostly all told and not shown. I also liked Miss Pffolliott, though not at first. I deplored her secrecy but I grew to like her once she adopted Wolfie (who is hands down my favorite character).
The gentlemen are also indistinguishable. There's the usual gamut of Regency heroes. There's the not so intelligent sporting gentlemen and the fortune hunters, but these gentlemen all fare much better than in a typical Regency romance. I was pleasantly surprised by Mr. Hadley and Mr. Henry Crabble. Even Mr. Goldalming becomes likeable once the reader gets to know him, despite his poor performance in the opening scene of Keeping the Castle.
The story also gives us some brief glimpses into what is happening with the characters from Keeping the Castle and adds some new minor characters.
I didn't like this book as much as Keeping the Castle. The premise sounded cute but it wasn't quite as satirical as the first. The humor is still present and I enjoyed it, but Keeping the Castle was laugh out loud funny and this was not. There are some darker elements to the story, namely the villain.
I also think the book suffers from too many characters. I had a really hard time remembering which was girl was which. Even after their individual stories started, I still couldn't keep track of which one was the niece of Mrs. and Mr. Fredericks and which was the gin distiller. (I don't even remember him having a sister). It didn't help that they kept calling each other Miss (last name) for most of the story and not all the school girls got an individual plot, but had been mentioned in the beginning. The villain in the story was so completely cruel and sadistic. I didn't really understand why she was so sadistic. One can be proud and greedy without being deliberately evil. She reminded me of a Disney villain. Maybe I identify too strongly with Jane. There's another, more typical Regency novel villain in the story. I saw through them right away though I was a bit surprised by an unexpected twist.
The heroines all have their own stories starting around the middle of the book. I was most interested in Miss Franklin's story. I liked how the author incorporated scientific study of the day and showed that young ladies were doing more than learning how to dance, sing, play the pianoforte and sew. I was impressed she could see as far as the rings of Saturn with a telescope and really blown away by her theory of how to figure out if there's more planets after Uranus. I identified with her spurning the idea of marriage. She's a bit odd though. She's all analytical and not emotional. She tends to immerse herself in something and forget about everything else. I thought and hoped her story would end differently. I also identified with Jane. I sympathized with her shyness and desire to be invisible. I empathized with her as she relived her worst nightmare over and over. I really liked her character development but was disappointed it was mostly all told and not shown. I also liked Miss Pffolliott, though not at first. I deplored her secrecy but I grew to like her once she adopted Wolfie (who is hands down my favorite character).
The gentlemen are also indistinguishable. There's the usual gamut of Regency heroes. There's the not so intelligent sporting gentlemen and the fortune hunters, but these gentlemen all fare much better than in a typical Regency romance. I was pleasantly surprised by Mr. Hadley and Mr. Henry Crabble. Even Mr. Goldalming becomes likeable once the reader gets to know him, despite his poor performance in the opening scene of Keeping the Castle.
The story also gives us some brief glimpses into what is happening with the characters from Keeping the Castle and adds some new minor characters.
July 24, 2024
Characters: 4 / 5
Character development: 3.5 / 5
Hook: 4 / 5
Plot development: 4 / 5
Romance 3 / 5
Historical accuracy ? / 5
Humor 4 / 5
Bonus points: Bridgerton vibes, giant dog
Not quite as good as its predecessor, but a joy nonetheless. Solid 4 stars
Character development: 3.5 / 5
Hook: 4 / 5
Plot development: 4 / 5
Romance 3 / 5
Historical accuracy ? / 5
Humor 4 / 5
Bonus points: Bridgerton vibes, giant dog
Not quite as good as its predecessor, but a joy nonetheless. Solid 4 stars
December 6, 2020
Ahoy there me mateys! For those of ye who are new to me log, a word: though this log’s focus is on sci-fi, fantasy, and young adult, this Captain does have broader reading tastes. Occasionally I will share some novels that I enjoyed that are off the charts (a non sci-fi, fantasy, or young adult novel), as it were.
This be historical fiction and the companion book to keeping the castle. Ye don’t have to read the first one first but I do think it makes book two more fun. This is a light regency feeling novel. Fluffy, fun, and a little bit (okay really) silly.
The story follows the school where eight young ladies are being prepped for marriage. Five of them are at the correct age, only there is one eligible bachelor in town and he isn’t good looking! What are the girls to do?
Well shenanigans ensue and entertainment be had. The flaw to this novel is that is has a large cast of characters and ye lose a lot of the fun of the first book. None of the characters, love interests, or plot lines are particularly developed. I still very much enjoyed how it all worked out. I would read another book set in Lesser Hoo. Arrr!
This be historical fiction and the companion book to keeping the castle. Ye don’t have to read the first one first but I do think it makes book two more fun. This is a light regency feeling novel. Fluffy, fun, and a little bit (okay really) silly.
The story follows the school where eight young ladies are being prepped for marriage. Five of them are at the correct age, only there is one eligible bachelor in town and he isn’t good looking! What are the girls to do?
Well shenanigans ensue and entertainment be had. The flaw to this novel is that is has a large cast of characters and ye lose a lot of the fun of the first book. None of the characters, love interests, or plot lines are particularly developed. I still very much enjoyed how it all worked out. I would read another book set in Lesser Hoo. Arrr!
March 26, 2025
It's boring and difficult to keep track of all the girls at first, but please keep reading. I really enjoyed the characters and it was written differently than most books I read, but I found it very charming and cute. It made me smile, but it took too long to get interesting (so be patient 🙂)
3.7☆
3.7☆
July 27, 2015
In the tiny village of Lesser Hoo is found the Winthrop Hopkins School for Females. It is a small school with eight young ladies being trained in the finer arts in preparation of making a good marital catch. However, Lesser Hoo is sadly lacking in the single gentlemen category. In point of fact, it contains one eligible bachelor, and in the opinion of many a young lady, he is likely to remain in that state for quite a while. The girls are about to despair of ever putting the arts they have perfected to the test of husband catching, when lo and behold a young, handsome, eligible young man quite literally stumbles into their grounds. Mr. Arbuthnot had the great misfortune of breaking his leg while out riding on his way to a hunting party. His misfortune may just be the answer to all the young ladies' prayers, because he has to stay at the school and many of his other gentlemen friends hear of his plight and come visiting. Not all the visitors that descend on Lesser Hoo are welcome though, one is a crook in disguise, and one is a greedy governess returned to terrorize her former charge. And all will show their true colors of love or falsehood by the time of Mrs Franklin's ball.
This book takes place in the same town as Keeping Castle and while some of the characters are the same, the main characters from that book take lesser roles in this one for the pupils of Winthrop Hopkins to shine. In some ways that left me a tiny bit disappointed, though I still like this story and many of its characters (though due to the brevity of the book and the expansive cast, you don't get to know any of them super well). The start of the book is a little slow, mainly because there are just so very many characters to get to know. Eventually it gets moving at a good clip, and everything comes together quite satisfactorily in the end. This one has less elements which can be directly linked to any specific Austen or Brontë character/plot but it still has a good Regency feel. It was a most pleasantly diverting read, made all the more so because I had no idea it was in the works until I heard it was ready to be snatched up in a bookstore. I like nice surprises from Patrice Kindl. Oh, and I must say, Wolfie was my favorite character in the entire book. Including a giant ferocious-looking dog who adores everyone and fails sheepdogging was a stroke of comic genius.
Notes on content: No language issues. No sexual content. No violence.
This book takes place in the same town as Keeping Castle and while some of the characters are the same, the main characters from that book take lesser roles in this one for the pupils of Winthrop Hopkins to shine. In some ways that left me a tiny bit disappointed, though I still like this story and many of its characters (though due to the brevity of the book and the expansive cast, you don't get to know any of them super well). The start of the book is a little slow, mainly because there are just so very many characters to get to know. Eventually it gets moving at a good clip, and everything comes together quite satisfactorily in the end. This one has less elements which can be directly linked to any specific Austen or Brontë character/plot but it still has a good Regency feel. It was a most pleasantly diverting read, made all the more so because I had no idea it was in the works until I heard it was ready to be snatched up in a bookstore. I like nice surprises from Patrice Kindl. Oh, and I must say, Wolfie was my favorite character in the entire book. Including a giant ferocious-looking dog who adores everyone and fails sheepdogging was a stroke of comic genius.
Notes on content: No language issues. No sexual content. No violence.
August 10, 2016
More frothy Austen-esque fun! Even more fun than the previous one, I daresay -- a comedy draped in historical dress. All of the plot twists unfold pretty much how you guess they would, although I was surprised by the outcome of Miss Franklin's suitor, and it's perfect.
The girls at the school are all adorable and there are as many cute friendships as there are budding romances with the sudden influx of well-bred young men arriving to visit their injured companion. Still, my favorite part is when one girl acquires a wonderful giant sheepdog named "Wolfie," so named for his terrifying appearance but who actually loves nothing better than professionally adoring humans, especially his new mistress. I have never wanted to hug a book dog so much.
I even forgot my annoyance with Mr. Fredericks from the last book and utterly loved the glimpses we got of his & Althea's cheerful verbal sparring, where she seems quite happy in her roles as wife/new mother (ignoring her husband's complaints that she should be resting post-birth)/lady of the newly renovated and relocated Crooked Castle.
Finally, the names continue to be wonderfully, outlandishly creative and/or ridiculous, my favorite this time being Lord Pauncefoot, which I hope you know is a name I plan to bestow upon a very large and undignified tabby cat someday.
The girls at the school are all adorable and there are as many cute friendships as there are budding romances with the sudden influx of well-bred young men arriving to visit their injured companion. Still, my favorite part is when one girl acquires a wonderful giant sheepdog named "Wolfie," so named for his terrifying appearance but who actually loves nothing better than professionally adoring humans, especially his new mistress. I have never wanted to hug a book dog so much.
I even forgot my annoyance with Mr. Fredericks from the last book and utterly loved the glimpses we got of his & Althea's cheerful verbal sparring, where she seems quite happy in her roles as wife/new mother (ignoring her husband's complaints that she should be resting post-birth)/lady of the newly renovated and relocated Crooked Castle.
Finally, the names continue to be wonderfully, outlandishly creative and/or ridiculous, my favorite this time being Lord Pauncefoot, which I hope you know is a name I plan to bestow upon a very large and undignified tabby cat someday.
July 22, 2015
A School for Brides by Patrice Kindl: 3.5 stars
This companion book to Keeping the Castle has the same Regency vibe that readers will love. There are a ton of characters, a lot of fun situations, and it reads very fast. I enjoy delving into this world and look forward to future books!
Head over to the HEA Blog for some Q&A with Patrice like...
Tell us about the mystery!
Patrice: There are several, actually. Who stole the ruby necklace? What is Mr. Hadley up to, wooing Miss Crump in such a peculiar manner? And who is the stranger at the inn, and why won't he make his intentions known? There are secret identities, duplicitous suitors, deceitful governesses and all manner of riddles that need to be solved.
And more!
http://www.usatoday.com/story/life/bo...
This companion book to Keeping the Castle has the same Regency vibe that readers will love. There are a ton of characters, a lot of fun situations, and it reads very fast. I enjoy delving into this world and look forward to future books!
Head over to the HEA Blog for some Q&A with Patrice like...
Tell us about the mystery!
Patrice: There are several, actually. Who stole the ruby necklace? What is Mr. Hadley up to, wooing Miss Crump in such a peculiar manner? And who is the stranger at the inn, and why won't he make his intentions known? There are secret identities, duplicitous suitors, deceitful governesses and all manner of riddles that need to be solved.
And more!
http://www.usatoday.com/story/life/bo...
February 10, 2025
This is so over the top, it's pretty much a parody of Austen-like romances, but I have to say, it's also so well done that it's enormously entertaining. Between the ridiculous naming conventions (Mr. Godalming, Miss Le Strange, the setting of Lesser Hoo in Yorkshire), the mild scheming involved in the romantic comedy of manners (Miss Pffolliott's adoption of a terrifying friendly dog to escape a suitor, Miss Franklin's sabotaging of her own work to pay back a theft) and the sheer unadulterated happy endings, it would be a pity to miss this one.
August 27, 2016
Cute, fun, clean, quick read. I didn't realize it's book two in a series. I wish I read the first one first! The only thing I didn't care for was the quick introduction of so many Miss's. I couldn't keep them all straight.
November 17, 2022
I like this second book of the Keeping the Castle series even better than the first one. The two of them together would make a great BBC series! There would be some juicy female leads both in the hero and villain categories.
November 13, 2015
While I greatly enjoyed the first book, I found this one to be very dull. I had to force myself to finish it, and in the end, I didn't know why I had.
November 6, 2015
A nice parody of regency romances.
March 20, 2019
Fun & clean, if not brilliant literature.
July 1, 2019
What a fun and delightful read! I’ve been eying this book in the library for years and I’m so glad I finally took it out! I couldn’t help but smile and laugh as I read this book. Loved seeing each characters story- especially Miss Franklin, her ardor for science and discovery amongst a group of women whose primary goal in life was to obtain a husband was so refreshing to read. I like how the author paid homage to the real Rosalind Franklin who an incredible scientist that made miracle discoveries about the structure of DNA but whose work someone else took credit for.
Overall enjoyed the wooing, the balls, the hint of mystery, and of course Wolfie- the dog who looks like a beast but has a heart of gold!
Overall enjoyed the wooing, the balls, the hint of mystery, and of course Wolfie- the dog who looks like a beast but has a heart of gold!
December 22, 2023
I as looking for something like Jane Austen, a cleaner Bridgeton. A School for Brides cover and title had me skeptical, but the fun characters, setting, and writing captured me. I love the subtle humor and complex plot developed. Overall, a great read to fill my adult English society fix.
October 5, 2016
When I finished reading this, I repeated over and over again, through my grin: "this was a delight !"
Seriously, it was.
I pulled this one randomly of off the library shelves, and I was pleasantly surprised to find that it was actually a sequel to a book I've read! The first one, I found to be cute, but I didn't love. This one was just so much fun-she definitely got better when it comes to writing characters. I wasn't so interested in the leading lady and man of the last book, but I adored all of these girls. Especially the proper and prim Ms. Ariadne Evans. What even is that name?! It looks so pretty, but I can't begin to guess how it's pronounced.
I think I liked the fact that there were a lot of different stories going on, some romances, some family troubles, everything that would make Jane Austen proud.
The author's note made me angry on behalf of woman scientists at the time. That was very upsetting, and it added some seriousness to the book. Ugh, it just made me so mad.
Other than that: The whole thing was a frothy satire with a happy ending, and I honestly LOVED it. I officially look forward to reading more from this talented author!
Seriously, it was.
I pulled this one randomly of off the library shelves, and I was pleasantly surprised to find that it was actually a sequel to a book I've read! The first one, I found to be cute, but I didn't love. This one was just so much fun-she definitely got better when it comes to writing characters. I wasn't so interested in the leading lady and man of the last book, but I adored all of these girls. Especially the proper and prim Ms. Ariadne Evans. What even is that name?! It looks so pretty, but I can't begin to guess how it's pronounced.
I think I liked the fact that there were a lot of different stories going on, some romances, some family troubles, everything that would make Jane Austen proud.
The author's note made me angry on behalf of woman scientists at the time. That was very upsetting, and it added some seriousness to the book. Ugh, it just made me so mad.
Other than that: The whole thing was a frothy satire with a happy ending, and I honestly LOVED it. I officially look forward to reading more from this talented author!
November 7, 2017
Ultimately disappointing. I loved Keeping the Castle and while this story is also set in Lesser Ho and has some of the same characters that I enjoyed so much this was let down. There were so many 'brides' all of them named Miss something, as were the teachers at the school I had a hard time keeping them straight. Not because I'm not a close reader but because we spent so little time on them most had a few distinguishing features - she's the youngest or she sings - and that's about all they amounted to. I did enjoy Miss Franklin and felt she was the most well developed character I cheered at her revenge on her erstwhile suitor. And as a dog lover I had a soft spot for Wolfie. It was ok but not, I feel up to Kindl's usual standards.
June 15, 2015
I'm a fan of regency style books and I loved the premise of this. I didn't read the companion book, so I wasn't really sure what it was going on.
It did take some time to get into the tempo of the story. There are a lot of characters and a lot of switching to each one. Sometimes there would be full chapters following a character, sometimes it was a paragraph. For me, that was the real struggle.
There were some pretty amusing sections. A few of the ladies were quite witty and I enjoyed following along with them. All in all, it was a quick read that was fairly enjoyable.
**Huge thanks to Viking and Edelweiss for providing the arc in exchange for an honest review**
It did take some time to get into the tempo of the story. There are a lot of characters and a lot of switching to each one. Sometimes there would be full chapters following a character, sometimes it was a paragraph. For me, that was the real struggle.
There were some pretty amusing sections. A few of the ladies were quite witty and I enjoyed following along with them. All in all, it was a quick read that was fairly enjoyable.
**Huge thanks to Viking and Edelweiss for providing the arc in exchange for an honest review**
March 28, 2016
I enjoyed the author's note at the end of the book more than the book itself. For people like me who go for character-driven books, A School for Brides falls a little flat. There are altogether too many characters, none of them well-developed (except maybe Wolfie, the dog). Same for romances, although like in its predecessor Keeping the Castle, romance is sidelined in favor of more practical concerns. I did like the allusion to Rosalind Franklin, which I didn't catch until way too late in the book, and the writing overall is light, ironic, and slyly funny. Patrice Kindl has a knack for unpredictability; I might read a third book.
July 12, 2015
I wasn't too thrilled with Keeping the Castle, so I wasn't sure how I would like the companion novel... but I'm happy to report that it was an enjoyable read! It took a while to get to know the cast of characters at the school. But each one did get her own spotlight and backstory, enough so that I felt like I knew them well by the end of the book. The men weren't always as developed, but still fun to see which young man fell for which lady. And Wolfie. He stole the show (yay for scary-looking-softie dogs!)!
August 6, 2015
Buzzwords: Debutantes, Girl's boarding school, absent family, intelligence, trickery, objectionable persons, friendship, love/romance, dogs
Adorable, light, silliness. Reads like cotton candy. A read-alike that is sort of reminded me of is The Scandalous Sisterhood of Prickwillow Place.
Adorable, light, silliness. Reads like cotton candy. A read-alike that is sort of reminded me of is The Scandalous Sisterhood of Prickwillow Place.
September 2, 2015
"The Winthrop Hopkins Female Academy has everything needed to make a young girl into a perfect bride: lessons, exercise, and superb instructions on manners. However, they are missing one crucial element: men for them to consider marrying. Located in the middle of nowhere, there are few opportunities for the ladies to secure a husband but in their case, they have plenty to keep them happy." Full review at Fresh Fiction: http://freshfiction.com/review.php?id...
September 3, 2015
Upper class girls' finishing school...I remember really liking Keeping the Castle, so I thought this one would be fun, too. Alas. I didn't care about any of the characters, the shenanigans were boring, the overall story just barely worth my time in reading. (I put it down several times, thinking I'd give up. But I endured.)
March 22, 2021
This book is quite a lot of fun, but the large cast of characters keeps it from being a very intimate experience. I'd love to have had more insight into Miss Emily Asquith or Miss Rosalind Franklin's POV. I hope Patrice Kindl writes another in the series or this style, although I've loved all her books, as varied as they are.
July 16, 2015
#30 in #summerreading challenge.
Charming regency featuring 8 young women attending the Winthrop Hopkins Female Academy (in the quaint town of Lesser Hoo in Yorkshire), all of whom are hoping to attract a husband...in a town with no eligible men. Hinjinks ensue.
Charming regency featuring 8 young women attending the Winthrop Hopkins Female Academy (in the quaint town of Lesser Hoo in Yorkshire), all of whom are hoping to attract a husband...in a town with no eligible men. Hinjinks ensue.
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