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Storm and Silence #1
Storm and Silence
Goodreads Choice Award
Nominee for Readers' Favorite Romance (2016)Freedom – that is what Lilly Linton wants most in life. Not marriage, not a brood of squalling brats, and certainly not love, thank you very much!
But freedom is a rare commodity in 19th-century London, where girls are expected to spend their lives sitting at home, fully occupied with looking pretty. Lilly is at her wits’ end – until a chance encounter with a dark, dangerous and powerful stranger changes her life forever...
Enter the world of Mr Rikkard Ambrose, where the only rule is: Knowledge is power is time is money!
But freedom is a rare commodity in 19th-century London, where girls are expected to spend their lives sitting at home, fully occupied with looking pretty. Lilly is at her wits’ end – until a chance encounter with a dark, dangerous and powerful stranger changes her life forever...
Enter the world of Mr Rikkard Ambrose, where the only rule is: Knowledge is power is time is money!
793 pages, Kindle Edition
First published March 19, 2016
1560 people are currently reading
39334 people want to read
About the author
Robert Thier
24 books4,654 followersRobert Thier is a German historian, lover of old books and award-winning writer, whose novels and stories encompass the historical, satirical, and fantastical. For the way he manages to make the past come alive, as if he himself lived as a medieval knight, his inventive fans have given him the nickname “Sir Rob.” All of his stories are characterized by his very own brand of humor that has gained him a diverse readership ranging from teenagers to retired grandmothers.
For Robert, becoming a writer followed naturally from his interest in history. “In Germany,” he says, “we use the same word for story and history. And I've always loved the one as much as the other. Becoming a storyteller, a writer, is what I've always wanted.”
Besides writing and researching in dusty old archives, on the lookout for a mystery to put into his next story, Robert enjoys classical music and long walks in the country. The helmet you see in the picture he does not wear because he is a cycling enthusiast, but to protect his literary skull in which a bone has been missing from birth. Robert lives in the south of Germany in a small village between the three Emperor Mountains.
For Robert, becoming a writer followed naturally from his interest in history. “In Germany,” he says, “we use the same word for story and history. And I've always loved the one as much as the other. Becoming a storyteller, a writer, is what I've always wanted.”
Besides writing and researching in dusty old archives, on the lookout for a mystery to put into his next story, Robert enjoys classical music and long walks in the country. The helmet you see in the picture he does not wear because he is a cycling enthusiast, but to protect his literary skull in which a bone has been missing from birth. Robert lives in the south of Germany in a small village between the three Emperor Mountains.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 2,674 reviews
June 29, 2020
Why I think this book was, quite frankly, terrible:
- It's set in the 19th century yet the speech and thoughts used by the characters are very modern and quite out of time/place
- The heroine is supposedly a "feminist" which, according to this book, means she must hate and/or resent all men. A man wrote this book? You don't say!
- A major part of the plot is that Lilly, a female, takes on a male persona in order to work for Mr. Ambrose. This is not a deception, he knows the whole time that she is a female and yet he still consistently calls her by her fake male name, even in private. It's weird.
- There's basically no actual romance in this book. So despite the fact that this book was listed in the romance category of the Goodreads Choice Awards, don't read this entire book waiting and waiting for romance to eventually become a part of the plot because you are going to be very disappointed.
- There are several chapters that are not about the main protagonists and they are BORING BEYOND BELIEF AND NEVER ENDING. No, seriously. Even positive reviews for this book repeatedly mention how these chapters are the worst.
- You may notice that all the chapters tend to end in a cliffhanger-ish way, and that would be because this book was written and released one chapter at a time on a website called wattpad, where you can still read this book in it's entirety for free
- Speaking of wattpad, since it was originally published on that site, this book has not been professionally edited in any way, shape, or form. So lower your expectations accordingly. A lack of editing is not always a terrible thing, I do love some indie authors who do not have editors, but it is definitely a bad thing for this book in particular. It could have been cut in half easily and you would have lost nothing of substance.
- If you manage to successfully struggle through reading this entire (way, way too long because it wasn't edited) book you are treated with an ending that is basically a rip off of the Titanic. I am not even making that up.
So, if you really want to read a romance novel in a historical setting that isn't believably set in historic times and also does not actually involve any romance, then this is the book for you! Otherwise, you might want to give this book a pass.
This book has an OBSCENELY INFLATED AVERAGE RATING . I would love to show you receipts proving that it's inflated, and was not entirely the result of actual individual people rating this book so highly, but I can't because unfortunately when I previously did that, Goodreads deleted my review because apparently it's a violation of "review guidelines". They deleted my review twice now, in fact.
Why did they delete my review the second time? Because it turns out I can't even tell you in the comments section what happened because, per Goodreads's email to me: "...attempting to circumvent our review guidelines by posting the text of the review in the comments also violates our rules."
- It's set in the 19th century yet the speech and thoughts used by the characters are very modern and quite out of time/place
- The heroine is supposedly a "feminist" which, according to this book, means she must hate and/or resent all men. A man wrote this book? You don't say!
- A major part of the plot is that Lilly, a female, takes on a male persona in order to work for Mr. Ambrose. This is not a deception, he knows the whole time that she is a female and yet he still consistently calls her by her fake male name, even in private. It's weird.
- There's basically no actual romance in this book. So despite the fact that this book was listed in the romance category of the Goodreads Choice Awards, don't read this entire book waiting and waiting for romance to eventually become a part of the plot because you are going to be very disappointed.
- There are several chapters that are not about the main protagonists and they are BORING BEYOND BELIEF AND NEVER ENDING. No, seriously. Even positive reviews for this book repeatedly mention how these chapters are the worst.
- You may notice that all the chapters tend to end in a cliffhanger-ish way, and that would be because this book was written and released one chapter at a time on a website called wattpad, where you can still read this book in it's entirety for free
- Speaking of wattpad, since it was originally published on that site, this book has not been professionally edited in any way, shape, or form. So lower your expectations accordingly. A lack of editing is not always a terrible thing, I do love some indie authors who do not have editors, but it is definitely a bad thing for this book in particular. It could have been cut in half easily and you would have lost nothing of substance.
- If you manage to successfully struggle through reading this entire (way, way too long because it wasn't edited) book you are treated with an ending that is basically a rip off of the Titanic. I am not even making that up.
So, if you really want to read a romance novel in a historical setting that isn't believably set in historic times and also does not actually involve any romance, then this is the book for you! Otherwise, you might want to give this book a pass.
This book has an OBSCENELY INFLATED AVERAGE RATING . I would love to show you receipts proving that it's inflated, and was not entirely the result of actual individual people rating this book so highly, but I can't because unfortunately when I previously did that, Goodreads deleted my review because apparently it's a violation of "review guidelines". They deleted my review twice now, in fact.
Why did they delete my review the second time? Because it turns out I can't even tell you in the comments section what happened because, per Goodreads's email to me: "...attempting to circumvent our review guidelines by posting the text of the review in the comments also violates our rules."
September 10, 2015
One of the best books on Wattpad. It is historical fiction and takes place in London when women couldn't vote or do anything really. It follows Lilly Linton as she gets the opportunity to get a job...so long as she is dressed like a man. Her and her boss (Rikkard Ambrose) must learn to deal with each other and you can feel the connection between them even if she (a feminist) goes out of her way to deny ever wanting to be married and getting stuck as a housewife and he (a brooding money saving millionaire) tries to get rid of her any way he can. I love love love this book, it gets updated every Wednesday and hopefully one day it will get published and I can buy it, Robert Thier interacts with his fans and is just a great guy all around and his English is remarkable for someone who doesn't speak English as a first language. READ IT
December 10, 2015
Storm and Silence is so good! This made me think of it
lol
lol
November 7, 2016
“Chains of gold are still chains.”
After I finished Storm and Silence last night I was overwhelmed with so many different and powerful feelings that I could not utter a single sentence that made sense. And now I've been staring at my computer screen for hours and I don't know what to type. It's kind of disorienting people. Just like the book's finale.
What's the story?
Victorian era, balls, politics, mystery, slow burning romance and a brooding and rude male lead, I could not possibly ask for more! Lilly Linton is not your typical lady, her story begins when she tries (and fails) to vote in the elections because she strongly believes in gender equality and despises the idea that a woman's place is at home, giving birth to a horde of children, always ruled and overshadowed by her master and husband. She craves freedom and independence, and when she accidentally lands a job as a secretary to the most powerful man in the British Empire, she thinks her future is bright. But Mr Ambrose is a stubborn and infuriating chauvinist who can't stand her and enjoys torturing her. When a document of value is stolen from his possession, Lilly finds herself in the middle of a dangerous vendetta and the events that follow endanger her position, her life, her ideals and worst of all, her heart.
“Life is not about living the safer option. Life is about living a life worth living.”
Pros
➺ The narrative was extremely amusing, full of snarky inner dialogues and witty banters that made me chuckle countless times!
“So we have one more thing on our to-do list. Achieve women's suffrage and get the inventor of solid chocolate bars knighted for his achievements.”
➺ It gave me plenty food for thought. Every day I wake up, attend college, study, engage in political conversations and it is totally normal, something as certain and expected as breathing. I forget how many hardships women endured through the ages so that I can take everything for granted, how many sacrifices and battles took place so that I can proudly claim that I am equal to any man, that I have the same rights and responsibilities. Lilly's fights reminded me of that and I am truly grateful.
➺ The mystery, while it unfolded slowly, set the bases for some gripping last chapters and agonizing, nail-biting moments!
➺ I am quite enamored with Mr Ambrose! The man was the world's biggest miser, with an easy temper and and zero tolerance to anyone who opposed him, but I was enchanted by his rare protective, considerate and vulnerable moments. His harsh lines and rude manners just added to his allure!
“A man.
A really manly man with a lot of mannishness in his manliness.”
➺ The romance was building slowly but steadily, you could feel the tension and the fruitless struggle for control oozing from both Lilly and Mr Ambrose, but alas! they came to find that the heart does not follow what the mind dictates, it sets its own path and burns the readers with anticipation in the process!
Cons
➺ There were parts where the story dragged on and could be tiring. Some scenes were longer than they should and I would have enjoyed it more if it was 100-200 pages shorter.
➺ Lilly could be really annoying at times, she had some traits I admired but she could also be so darn naive, childish and stubborn when she shouldn't! Following orders is not always a bad thing, especially when they try to save your life, girl! And being a feminist doesn't mean you can't develop feelings for a man! Gosh I wanted to talk some sense into her thick skull!
But nothing mattered after that jaw-dropping end! Congratulations Mr Thier, I had a heart attack and now I can't wait to get the second books in my hands!
*Free copy generously provided by the author in exchange for an honest review*
March 28, 2016
4.25 ‘My little Ifrit,’ stars
What does a suffragette and a chauvinist, have in common ???? Absolutely nothing, BUT it makes for great entertaining reading. I enjoyed this in it's entirety, because it had a little bit of everything that kept me engaged throughout it's 885 pages. It is LONG, but it's also very well written that it makes the pages just fly by.
Lilly Linton aka Mr. Linton wants nothing more than her freedom, to do as she pleases and provide for herself. She does not want to rely on a marriage to want for nothing, that is just simply moving from one prison to another. She wants to be an equal, recognized and respected; she just never thought that she would get all that only if she dressed as a man. She finds her chance in Mr. Ambrose, a most infuriating and mysterious man, who she hasn't decided yet if she wants to strangle or hug...after all he is the man who will pay her wages.
Lucky for Lilly, the feeling is mutual, if he hadn't given her his word, this would be a mute discussion, however he is a man who means what he says. To bad for him she refuses to do as she is told, finding every loophole manageable, knowing when to argue and purposely disobeying ever command he decrees.
On top of Lily's ongoing campaign for women's rights, she has to find a way to save her younger sister form a arranged betrothal, she sets her plan in motion to make Mr. Ambrose see reason to need her as much as she needs him.
Storm and Silence is a PG-rated book that I had fun with, it was witty, funny, and enlightening. Although this took place in the past, it was written in a way that can be enjoyed by everyone. Their banter, their frustration, their stubbornness with each other is the main reason that I enjoyed this book. It really had a little of everything, we got the sweet love story from Lilly's younger sister, some spy action and a look into how limited women's rights were. Now my only complaint is the ending, in a way I am glad there will be more, but the cliff hanger left me literally with my mouth hanging open. Suffice to say, I do recommend this read for those who can appreciate the journey and not rush towards a destination. I can't wait for the next one!
ARC kindly provided by the author, in exchange for an honest review.
***Quotes above are taken from the ARC version of the book and may differ upon publication.
‘Knowledge is power is time is money!’
What does a suffragette and a chauvinist, have in common ???? Absolutely nothing, BUT it makes for great entertaining reading. I enjoyed this in it's entirety, because it had a little bit of everything that kept me engaged throughout it's 885 pages. It is LONG, but it's also very well written that it makes the pages just fly by.
Lilly Linton aka Mr. Linton wants nothing more than her freedom, to do as she pleases and provide for herself. She does not want to rely on a marriage to want for nothing, that is just simply moving from one prison to another. She wants to be an equal, recognized and respected; she just never thought that she would get all that only if she dressed as a man. She finds her chance in Mr. Ambrose, a most infuriating and mysterious man, who she hasn't decided yet if she wants to strangle or hug...after all he is the man who will pay her wages.
I remain Sincerely Yours Miss Lilly Linton
.............................................................
And incidentally, I do not want you as mine, sincerely or otherwise. Rikkard Ambrose
.............................................................
Yours (as your secretary, whether you like it or not) Lilly Linton
Lucky for Lilly, the feeling is mutual, if he hadn't given her his word, this would be a mute discussion, however he is a man who means what he says. To bad for him she refuses to do as she is told, finding every loophole manageable, knowing when to argue and purposely disobeying ever command he decrees.
‘You know, Mr Linton, you have a way of saying “Sir” that makes it sound astonishingly like a synonym for “miserable chauvinist worm”.’
‘I wonder why that is.’
On top of Lily's ongoing campaign for women's rights, she has to find a way to save her younger sister form a arranged betrothal, she sets her plan in motion to make Mr. Ambrose see reason to need her as much as she needs him.
Yours always (Which means you’re not getting rid of me!) Miss Lilly Linton
Storm and Silence is a PG-rated book that I had fun with, it was witty, funny, and enlightening. Although this took place in the past, it was written in a way that can be enjoyed by everyone. Their banter, their frustration, their stubbornness with each other is the main reason that I enjoyed this book. It really had a little of everything, we got the sweet love story from Lilly's younger sister, some spy action and a look into how limited women's rights were. Now my only complaint is the ending, in a way I am glad there will be more, but the cliff hanger left me literally with my mouth hanging open. Suffice to say, I do recommend this read for those who can appreciate the journey and not rush towards a destination. I can't wait for the next one!
ARC kindly provided by the author, in exchange for an honest review.
***Quotes above are taken from the ARC version of the book and may differ upon publication.
August 2, 2020
4.5 Stars
Great. Now I’m hooked on historical romance. Something I thought would NEVER happen.
You see, I’m not a fan of historical romance. The reason is pretty simple.
Ever been forced by your teachers to read Sophocles’ Antigone, Homer's Iliad and Odyssey or Dante’s Divine Comedy at the age of fifteen?
So history in my leisure time? Yeahno...
Still, I picked up this book because of two reasons: First, it made the finals of the Goodreads Choice Awards this year. Second, I read that the hero was a cold, stoic jerk. My favorite.
Ladies and gents, meet Mr Rikkard Ambrose...
Honorable, moral, mysterious, broody, unreachable, disinterested, impolite, stingy, randomly considerate, forbidding, reserved, stony, distant, taciturn and cold as the North Pole.
The words that come out of his mouth ...
"Mr" Linton...
A woman disguised as a man in order to fight for women’s suffrage. An insufferable nuisance to every man. One of the most badass heroines in the literature.
I love love her personality! She has a stormy temperament and she’s independent, fierce, passionate, rebellious, adventurous, courageous, loyal, persistent and sassy.
And although she wants to do with her life more 'than exist as an appendix to some chauvinist blockhead', she can’t resist falling for His Mightiness, Ambrose the Icy.
Who could, anyway?
This book was so freaking good. I can’t remember the last time I laughed so hard.
Some things were a bit unrealistic and some scenes seemed silly and over the top but Mr. Thier’s writing is so refreshing and so full of sarcasm, wit and personality that you can’t help but fall in love with his style, with this adventurous, mysterious and suspenseful story and amazingly well-developed characters.
Oh, and just to be clear...
Enjoyment:: 4.5/5
Writing style: 5/5
Storyline: 5/5
Hero: 5/5
Heroine: 5/5
Secondary characters: 5/5
Hotness/chemistry: 4/5
Romance: 4/5
Angst: 3/5
Darkness level: 3/5
Humor: 5/5
Depth of the book: 5/5
POV: heroine, 1st person
Triggers:
Note:
Great. Now I’m hooked on historical romance. Something I thought would NEVER happen.
You see, I’m not a fan of historical romance. The reason is pretty simple.
Ever been forced by your teachers to read Sophocles’ Antigone, Homer's Iliad and Odyssey or Dante’s Divine Comedy at the age of fifteen?
So history in my leisure time? Yeahno...
Still, I picked up this book because of two reasons: First, it made the finals of the Goodreads Choice Awards this year. Second, I read that the hero was a cold, stoic jerk. My favorite.
Ladies and gents, meet Mr Rikkard Ambrose...
Honorable, moral, mysterious, broody, unreachable, disinterested, impolite, stingy, randomly considerate, forbidding, reserved, stony, distant, taciturn and cold as the North Pole.
A moment later, the door opened and he stood before me: Mr Rikkard Ambrose in all his cold, stony glory. His eyes were like dark pools of unfathomable deep water. His mouth could have been carved from granite. And his lips…
He seemed to radiate negative noise.
The words that come out of his mouth ...
Mr Linton,
Please correct your address of me to coincide with the truth. I am not ‘dear’ to anyone, least of all, I am sure, to you. Also, it is my ink you are wasting by writing unnecessary words. A bottle of ink costs 3 pence apiece. Therefore, I order you to refrain from all endearments in the future.
‘Mr Linton?’
‘I can feel your smile. Dispose of it immediately.’
I waved my arms, making the uniform stretch uncomfortably. ‘The uniform is rather tight over my other clothes.’
‘It may surprise you to hear this, Mr Linton, but I do not care. This is not a Paris fashion show.’
‘N-no, Sir. I simply find it rather hot in here. Don’t you, Sir?’
‘To be absolutely accurate, I could not care less about the climatic conditions in here, Mr Linton.’
"Mr" Linton...
A woman disguised as a man in order to fight for women’s suffrage. An insufferable nuisance to every man. One of the most badass heroines in the literature.
I love love her personality! She has a stormy temperament and she’s independent, fierce, passionate, rebellious, adventurous, courageous, loyal, persistent and sassy.
And although she wants to do with her life more 'than exist as an appendix to some chauvinist blockhead', she can’t resist falling for His Mightiness, Ambrose the Icy.
Who could, anyway?
This book was so freaking good. I can’t remember the last time I laughed so hard.
Some things were a bit unrealistic and some scenes seemed silly and over the top but Mr. Thier’s writing is so refreshing and so full of sarcasm, wit and personality that you can’t help but fall in love with his style, with this adventurous, mysterious and suspenseful story and amazingly well-developed characters.
Oh, and just to be clear...
Enjoyment:: 4.5/5
Writing style: 5/5
Storyline: 5/5
Hero: 5/5
Heroine: 5/5
Secondary characters: 5/5
Hotness/chemistry: 4/5
Romance: 4/5
Angst: 3/5
Darkness level: 3/5
Humor: 5/5
Depth of the book: 5/5
POV: heroine, 1st person
Triggers:
Note:
August 28, 2019
3 "Cinder(f)ella meets Nancy Drew meets James Bond meets musical theatre" stars !!!
2016 Book Where I Wished I Was Editor
Please note I received a complimentary e-book from the author in exchange for a book review.
First of all I want to say I am really excited to be writing this review! Many of my 3-star reviews are tinged with disappointment of what "could have been amazing" where with this book I have so much hope that it can reach its full potential and become a 4 or even 4.5 star young adult read.
This book won the 2015 people's choice Watty award on Wattpad. I had not heard of this website (can you believe it? - of course you can) and has received millions of reads and votes. This is phenomenal and well-deserved. The book is to be published I believe in March 2016 due to its immense popularity.
I am very happy and excited for Mr. Thier or Sir Rob as his fans call him.
Not since reading The Goldfinch have I itched to be a book editor (soooo bad). I want to make this "good" book a "phenomenal" book as it has all the elements in it to be so. I hope I do not sound too pompous when I say this as there were many moments when I enjoyed this book immensely and others where I wanted to pull my hair out.
Let's start with what I LOVED in this romantic comedy adventure:
1. the overall story arc was exciting, sweet, fun, clean, and lovely.
2. Lilly and Rikkard (the reluctant lovebirds) were a wonderful match. Lilly was fun, feisty, principled and downright adorable. Rikkard was smouldering, sexy, powerful, intelligent and even caring. They were both such dynamic and interesting characters.
3. some sweet melodramatic subplots (Ella and Edmund, the suffragettes etc.)
4. the internal conflict between Lilly's feminist principles and the fire that is triggered in heterosexual desire.
5. this could be turned into a really amazing family musical (in fact in my mind's eye all I saw was singing, dancing, acrobatics) I would give Chillina Kennedy the role of Lilly and I'm still pondering who I would give the role of Rikkard to. Does anybody know if Ryan Reynolds can sing?
What I HATED (so sorry to his fans). I feel sooooo strongly that the following detracted HUGELY from what could make this YA book almost perfect.
1. the length....this went on for way too long for the amount of story....I could easily cut out a third of this book.....very repetitive at times.
2. the amount of humor was EXCESSIVE....way toooooo much of it....rather than make me laugh it would often make me faux-angry as it detracted from the adventure or sweetness or both. Some the humor was very funny but some of it (sorry Sir Rob) was just plain awful and I mean awful.
3. the repetitiveness of many of the adjectives.....some of them I swear were used upwards of a hundred times. This annoyed the hell out of me.
4. I also felt that many of Lilly's thought patterns were extremely anachronistic as was the use of some the language. This could be very jarring to the reader...well this reader anyway.
I want to end off by saying that what comes through in spades is:
A lovely light spirited novel where the conflict between principles, beliefs, dogmas is juxtaposed with the human desire for love, belonging and a little bit of passion and adventure.
Kudos to you Sir Rob. I wish you the very best in your writing endeavors
Now if you need anybody to help you write lyrics for the musical....you know where to find me ;)
2016 Book Where I Wished I Was Editor
Please note I received a complimentary e-book from the author in exchange for a book review.
First of all I want to say I am really excited to be writing this review! Many of my 3-star reviews are tinged with disappointment of what "could have been amazing" where with this book I have so much hope that it can reach its full potential and become a 4 or even 4.5 star young adult read.
This book won the 2015 people's choice Watty award on Wattpad. I had not heard of this website (can you believe it? - of course you can) and has received millions of reads and votes. This is phenomenal and well-deserved. The book is to be published I believe in March 2016 due to its immense popularity.
I am very happy and excited for Mr. Thier or Sir Rob as his fans call him.
Not since reading The Goldfinch have I itched to be a book editor (soooo bad). I want to make this "good" book a "phenomenal" book as it has all the elements in it to be so. I hope I do not sound too pompous when I say this as there were many moments when I enjoyed this book immensely and others where I wanted to pull my hair out.
Let's start with what I LOVED in this romantic comedy adventure:
1. the overall story arc was exciting, sweet, fun, clean, and lovely.
2. Lilly and Rikkard (the reluctant lovebirds) were a wonderful match. Lilly was fun, feisty, principled and downright adorable. Rikkard was smouldering, sexy, powerful, intelligent and even caring. They were both such dynamic and interesting characters.
3. some sweet melodramatic subplots (Ella and Edmund, the suffragettes etc.)
4. the internal conflict between Lilly's feminist principles and the fire that is triggered in heterosexual desire.
5. this could be turned into a really amazing family musical (in fact in my mind's eye all I saw was singing, dancing, acrobatics) I would give Chillina Kennedy the role of Lilly and I'm still pondering who I would give the role of Rikkard to. Does anybody know if Ryan Reynolds can sing?
What I HATED (so sorry to his fans). I feel sooooo strongly that the following detracted HUGELY from what could make this YA book almost perfect.
1. the length....this went on for way too long for the amount of story....I could easily cut out a third of this book.....very repetitive at times.
2. the amount of humor was EXCESSIVE....way toooooo much of it....rather than make me laugh it would often make me faux-angry as it detracted from the adventure or sweetness or both. Some the humor was very funny but some of it (sorry Sir Rob) was just plain awful and I mean awful.
3. the repetitiveness of many of the adjectives.....some of them I swear were used upwards of a hundred times. This annoyed the hell out of me.
4. I also felt that many of Lilly's thought patterns were extremely anachronistic as was the use of some the language. This could be very jarring to the reader...well this reader anyway.
I want to end off by saying that what comes through in spades is:
A lovely light spirited novel where the conflict between principles, beliefs, dogmas is juxtaposed with the human desire for love, belonging and a little bit of passion and adventure.
Kudos to you Sir Rob. I wish you the very best in your writing endeavors
Now if you need anybody to help you write lyrics for the musical....you know where to find me ;)
March 17, 2016
Ebook copy kindly provided by the author in exchange for an honest review. Thank you so much.
Gah. This book. Where do I even start?
If you're a Jane Austen fan, drop everything and go pick up this book. You won't regret it, I promise.
I have a strong suspicion that Robert Thier is actually a descendant of Jane Austen somehow. I can't prove it but there's no other possible explanation.
Here's what you can expect from this book:
➨ Miss Lilly Linton AKA Mr Linton is not your typical Victorian period female character. She is a feminist young girl who wants to get the right to vote for women and the right to work in order to provide for herself without having to rely on anyone else. Obviously, these things were not possible at that time so she gets herself in all sorts of shenanigans.
➨Mr Rikkard Ambrose: *cough* Mr Darcy *cough*
I have to admit Mr Ambrose acts like a complete jerk throughout the majority of the book but we can't help but love him. I think it's the blue eyes. *fans self*
➨An entertaining journey: If I could describe this book in just one word it would be "entertaining" you can just forget about everything that's bugging you in your life and have a fun time reading this book.
A few things I didn't enjoy about this book:
➨The cover:
It doesn't rightfully reflect the vibe of the book. To be honest, when I look at it I expect some new adult/erotic novel while in fact it is a young adult historical fiction so don't be fooled by the cover.
➨The length:
The book was a little too big for my taste, I felt like some parts could have been cut out without harming the book but that's just my opinion.
Overall, I honestly believe that this book would appeal to a variety of people, you don't really have to be into this genre in order to enjoy this book. Highly recommend it to you guys.
Thanks for reading. Share your thoughts.
Gah. This book. Where do I even start?
If you're a Jane Austen fan, drop everything and go pick up this book. You won't regret it, I promise.
I have a strong suspicion that Robert Thier is actually a descendant of Jane Austen somehow. I can't prove it but there's no other possible explanation.
Here's what you can expect from this book:
➨ Miss Lilly Linton AKA Mr Linton is not your typical Victorian period female character. She is a feminist young girl who wants to get the right to vote for women and the right to work in order to provide for herself without having to rely on anyone else. Obviously, these things were not possible at that time so she gets herself in all sorts of shenanigans.
➨Mr Rikkard Ambrose: *cough* Mr Darcy *cough*
I have to admit Mr Ambrose acts like a complete jerk throughout the majority of the book but we can't help but love him. I think it's the blue eyes. *fans self*
➨An entertaining journey: If I could describe this book in just one word it would be "entertaining" you can just forget about everything that's bugging you in your life and have a fun time reading this book.
A few things I didn't enjoy about this book:
➨The cover:
It doesn't rightfully reflect the vibe of the book. To be honest, when I look at it I expect some new adult/erotic novel while in fact it is a young adult historical fiction so don't be fooled by the cover.
➨The length:
The book was a little too big for my taste, I felt like some parts could have been cut out without harming the book but that's just my opinion.
Overall, I honestly believe that this book would appeal to a variety of people, you don't really have to be into this genre in order to enjoy this book. Highly recommend it to you guys.
Thanks for reading. Share your thoughts.
January 31, 2016
A huge thank you to Mr. Robert Thier for providing a free Ebook for review. Your book was amazing and I can't wait to read more from you!
What did I just read? I am simply amazed with the book that I have no words to express myself. I still can't get over this book. It feels like I need to recover from all of the adventure.
When I finished this book this is exactly what had happened:
And then, even that was gone, and there was only silence. I sat there, reading the last sentence of the book Storm and Silence by Robert Thier. It was 12:02 AM and I couldn't get over what I had just read. I don't know if I should cry or smile at how awesome the book was but at how it ended. I was frozen and stared at my phone. I was shocked and I clutched my phone and tried to flip the pages of the Ebook.
This cannot be the ending, no no no no no, I need more, please let there be more! I thought and continued to flip the pages. Then, I came across the chapter "None Of Your Business" and was excited to read a little bit from Rikkard's point of view.
"What are you doing?" a voice said from behind me and I jumped. A few seconds later, I realized that it was my mom. She looked at me like I was a crazy person and said "Why are you on your phone, usually, you would stay up and read?"
"I am reading, it's an Ebook, you could read it on your phone."
"Technology these days, anyway, are you finished? You have that look on you face that says you are super tired and yet you haven't done anything but read on your phone."
"It's because I have just been on a crazy adventure with awesome characters named Lilly and Rikkard. It was so much fu-," I said but was interrupted.
"It is 12 AM, there is no time for adventures and stories, I am going to bed, and you have an exam to study for.. It's the day after tomorrow right? Alright, you could continue to babble about the book, but don't be too long, go to bed, okay?"
Although I stay up and read all the time, I knew that I had to go to bed and so I went to bed. But I couldn't sleep because I couldn't stop thinking about how the book ended. What will happen next, will all the characters be alright? Are we going on anymore crazy adventures? Will women be recognized and will Lilly be accepted for who she really is? I need to find out.
I only slept for 3 hours... It was like I couldn't recover from the book, I had so many questions.
And now, I am here and writing this review and I can't wait to hear everyone's thoughts on this book.
“Knowledge is power is time is money.”
If you haven't head about this book, it is about a girl named Lilly Linton who is a 19 years old who believes that females should be treated as equals. Since this book takes place in the 19th century, women are not allowed to do many things other then impress men with their beauty, go to balls, marry and become housewives. This book takes place in London and Lilly lives with her aunt and her sisters. She has no choice but to follow everything that her aunt says and go to balls that shes hates. She wanted to start working so she had a plan. After she succeeded in this plan, Lilly was the secretary of a really mysterious man named Rikkard Ambrose. The only problem was that Mr. Ambrose did not want Miss Lilly Linton to work as his secretary. He wanted Mr. Linton to work as his secretary. In other words, Lilly had to work as a male secretary...
“Life is not about living the safer option. Life is about living a life worth living.��
While reading this book, people would always ask me why I was laughing and I would tell them about this book and they would give me a weird look. IT'S NOT WEIRD TO LAUGH AT A BOOK, GOSH!
Me when I am reading:
The characters were the highlight to why I loved this book so much. I loved Lilly Linton, she was so easy to relate to. She is so sassy and does not care what other people think. She will say what she wants to say, whenever she wants to say it. But she is strong and brave, it made me want to speak out more for myself. I found her character to be very inspiring because if you know me well, I can't speak up for myself, and I feel like I will more because I will think about the way she does things. Rikkard Ambrose on the other hand is so mysterious, the guy with ice cold eyes, who doesn't show that much emotion. The guy who makes you want to know what he is thinking because he is so silent... Ella is an amazing sister, I loved her character and her side story was kind of like Romeo and Juliet. Lilly's aunt was the worst possible nightmare, she was one of those characters that you want to hide from. Karim is an amazing character too, he is really loyal. Captain Carter was a character who stood out and I really would like to read more about him, he is so funny and interesting.
Me when Lilly's Aunt shows up:
“I would prefer a sword to fight duel, but a pen to plan a war.”
The introduction to the story wants to keep you reading because it starts off beautifully. The writing was awesome and it just keeps me reading, I forgot all about the real world because I am so focused on what was happening in the book. There were so many things going on and every page had me laughing or scared about what was to come. The plot was another strong point and the suspense keeps you reading. You want to know what is going on, and you want to know more about all of the characters.
“Marriage is supposed to be a union between two equals who love and support each other, not a master-slave relationship in which the man commands a docile woman.”
The bonds between the characters was another strong point about why I loved this book so much. The bonds made the story more realistic. The bond between Lilly and Ambrose was hilarious and everything they said to each other made me laugh. They were so confused about their feelings and they were always fighting and it was so much fun to read. Karim and Ambrose have a strong connection of trust and I like that a lot. Lilly and her Aunt have an uneasy relationship and I could see why. Lilly and Ella's relationship was so sweet, me and my sister don't have a bond as strong as theirs. All these bonds were a great addition to the story.
“Chains of gold are still chains.”
The setting of this book in the 19th century was really interesting and I loved how it took place in London. Women and their beautiful dresses, although it was a pain to run in it. Men and how they had all the jobs and how women couldn't vote. :( There were so many things that I learned in this book, it was like a history lesson filled with entertainment. Since I had my History Exam coming up, this book helped out a lot. :)
“His blue-green eyes were dark pools of immeasurable depth, pools you could drown yourself in and never again come up for air.”
The ending was the only part where my heart dropped. ( I know it's a bit dramatic but that's exactly how I felt!)
And if someone were to ask me what I did after I read the ending, this is what I would have said:
“You expect me to come and work for you dressed up as a man?” I gasped.”
I highly, highly recommend this book to everyone! It won the People's Choice Award in the Wattys 2015, it is hilarious, it has a lot of adventure, and perfect amount of romance. The pace is perfect, there is so much suspense that it kept me reading til the very end, (with a lot of interruptions from studying and duties). I can't wait to read everyone's thoughts on this book!
“A man. A really manly man with a lot of mannishness in his manliness.”
What did I just read? I am simply amazed with the book that I have no words to express myself. I still can't get over this book. It feels like I need to recover from all of the adventure.
When I finished this book this is exactly what had happened:
And then, even that was gone, and there was only silence. I sat there, reading the last sentence of the book Storm and Silence by Robert Thier. It was 12:02 AM and I couldn't get over what I had just read. I don't know if I should cry or smile at how awesome the book was but at how it ended. I was frozen and stared at my phone. I was shocked and I clutched my phone and tried to flip the pages of the Ebook.
This cannot be the ending, no no no no no, I need more, please let there be more! I thought and continued to flip the pages. Then, I came across the chapter "None Of Your Business" and was excited to read a little bit from Rikkard's point of view.
"What are you doing?" a voice said from behind me and I jumped. A few seconds later, I realized that it was my mom. She looked at me like I was a crazy person and said "Why are you on your phone, usually, you would stay up and read?"
"I am reading, it's an Ebook, you could read it on your phone."
"Technology these days, anyway, are you finished? You have that look on you face that says you are super tired and yet you haven't done anything but read on your phone."
"It's because I have just been on a crazy adventure with awesome characters named Lilly and Rikkard. It was so much fu-," I said but was interrupted.
"It is 12 AM, there is no time for adventures and stories, I am going to bed, and you have an exam to study for.. It's the day after tomorrow right? Alright, you could continue to babble about the book, but don't be too long, go to bed, okay?"
Although I stay up and read all the time, I knew that I had to go to bed and so I went to bed. But I couldn't sleep because I couldn't stop thinking about how the book ended. What will happen next, will all the characters be alright? Are we going on anymore crazy adventures? Will women be recognized and will Lilly be accepted for who she really is? I need to find out.
I only slept for 3 hours... It was like I couldn't recover from the book, I had so many questions.
And now, I am here and writing this review and I can't wait to hear everyone's thoughts on this book.
“Knowledge is power is time is money.”
If you haven't head about this book, it is about a girl named Lilly Linton who is a 19 years old who believes that females should be treated as equals. Since this book takes place in the 19th century, women are not allowed to do many things other then impress men with their beauty, go to balls, marry and become housewives. This book takes place in London and Lilly lives with her aunt and her sisters. She has no choice but to follow everything that her aunt says and go to balls that shes hates. She wanted to start working so she had a plan. After she succeeded in this plan, Lilly was the secretary of a really mysterious man named Rikkard Ambrose. The only problem was that Mr. Ambrose did not want Miss Lilly Linton to work as his secretary. He wanted Mr. Linton to work as his secretary. In other words, Lilly had to work as a male secretary...
“Life is not about living the safer option. Life is about living a life worth living.��
While reading this book, people would always ask me why I was laughing and I would tell them about this book and they would give me a weird look. IT'S NOT WEIRD TO LAUGH AT A BOOK, GOSH!
Me when I am reading:
The characters were the highlight to why I loved this book so much. I loved Lilly Linton, she was so easy to relate to. She is so sassy and does not care what other people think. She will say what she wants to say, whenever she wants to say it. But she is strong and brave, it made me want to speak out more for myself. I found her character to be very inspiring because if you know me well, I can't speak up for myself, and I feel like I will more because I will think about the way she does things. Rikkard Ambrose on the other hand is so mysterious, the guy with ice cold eyes, who doesn't show that much emotion. The guy who makes you want to know what he is thinking because he is so silent... Ella is an amazing sister, I loved her character and her side story was kind of like Romeo and Juliet. Lilly's aunt was the worst possible nightmare, she was one of those characters that you want to hide from. Karim is an amazing character too, he is really loyal. Captain Carter was a character who stood out and I really would like to read more about him, he is so funny and interesting.
Me when Lilly's Aunt shows up:
“I would prefer a sword to fight duel, but a pen to plan a war.”
The introduction to the story wants to keep you reading because it starts off beautifully. The writing was awesome and it just keeps me reading, I forgot all about the real world because I am so focused on what was happening in the book. There were so many things going on and every page had me laughing or scared about what was to come. The plot was another strong point and the suspense keeps you reading. You want to know what is going on, and you want to know more about all of the characters.
“Marriage is supposed to be a union between two equals who love and support each other, not a master-slave relationship in which the man commands a docile woman.”
The bonds between the characters was another strong point about why I loved this book so much. The bonds made the story more realistic. The bond between Lilly and Ambrose was hilarious and everything they said to each other made me laugh. They were so confused about their feelings and they were always fighting and it was so much fun to read. Karim and Ambrose have a strong connection of trust and I like that a lot. Lilly and her Aunt have an uneasy relationship and I could see why. Lilly and Ella's relationship was so sweet, me and my sister don't have a bond as strong as theirs. All these bonds were a great addition to the story.
“Chains of gold are still chains.”
The setting of this book in the 19th century was really interesting and I loved how it took place in London. Women and their beautiful dresses, although it was a pain to run in it. Men and how they had all the jobs and how women couldn't vote. :( There were so many things that I learned in this book, it was like a history lesson filled with entertainment. Since I had my History Exam coming up, this book helped out a lot. :)
“His blue-green eyes were dark pools of immeasurable depth, pools you could drown yourself in and never again come up for air.”
The ending was the only part where my heart dropped. ( I know it's a bit dramatic but that's exactly how I felt!)
And if someone were to ask me what I did after I read the ending, this is what I would have said:
“You expect me to come and work for you dressed up as a man?” I gasped.”
I highly, highly recommend this book to everyone! It won the People's Choice Award in the Wattys 2015, it is hilarious, it has a lot of adventure, and perfect amount of romance. The pace is perfect, there is so much suspense that it kept me reading til the very end, (with a lot of interruptions from studying and duties). I can't wait to read everyone's thoughts on this book!
“A man. A really manly man with a lot of mannishness in his manliness.”
September 19, 2017
ARC provided by the author in exchange for an honest review.
After receiving a request from the author to read and review this book, I read the description, saw all of the positive reviews and decided to give it a go. I love historical fiction and wasn’t sure what to expect with this story.
My first reaction when I opened the book up after receiving it? Holy sh*% this is a long book. I’m talking Outlander long. Luckily, a long book does not scare me off. My second reaction after reading the first chapter? This is not going to be a typical romance and I like it!!!
How to describe the story…. Well, let’s start with the main character, Miss Lilly Linton. A secret suffragette in 19th century London, I likened Lilly to a modern-day feminist transported (against her will) back in time, slang, attitude and all. She seemed to be trapped in a time that didn’t know what to do with her, doomed to be enslaved into a life of marriage and children. She was funny, sarcastic and relentless in her pursuit for “freedom”.
Mr Rikkard Ambrose was very much like every romance novel’s “asshole boss”, but to the extreme. He came across as uncaring and often cruel in his dealings with Lilly. What I loved about their interactions, though, was Lilly’s reaction to him. She never ceased to throw Mr. Ambrose off his game. I found their interactions endlessly amusing.
This is what I imagine every character’s reactions in the book to be as they were listening to something come out of Lilly’s mouth:
The description listed for the book is vague, so I won’t give too much of the story away in my review. I think it is much better to go into blind. I will say that I found life, through Lilly’s eyes, to be sooo funny. I laughed out loud so many times during the story. Her reaction to everything in life made me smile and in turn, the reactions to Lilly’s antics by all of the characters in the story were hilarious.
This was a very engaging read for me. Truly, I loved every minute of it. I loved the way Lilly gave Mr. Ambrose a run for his money every time he tried to get his way. As the story went on, it was great to see Lilly fighting jealousy and growing emotions for Mr. Ambrose, which went against everything she thought she wanted in life. In particular, her jealous reaction to a lady Mr. Ambrose proclaimed to have feelings for.
I loved all of Mr. Ambrose’s employee’s reactions to Lilly, in particular Karim.
I laughed out loud during every ball held throughout the book and the way Lilly treated all of her would-be suitors.
Sir Philip and Ella’s story, as a backdrop, was great. What made it truly enjoyable, though, was Lilly’s sarcastic spin on it. She had no patience for Philip’s nonsense nor did she see the world in Ella’s romantic old-fashioned way. I loved the way she looked out for Ella and shielded her from hurt.
Though the overall arc of the story centered around mystery and danger of a serious nature, Lilly’s exasperated point of view made me giggle through what would have been some very tense moments.
Thanks so much to the author for giving me the opportunity to read and review this book. It was a very enjoyable read. Looking forward to seeing how Lilly’s story unfolds (and what kind of shenanigans she gets up to) in the next book!
After receiving a request from the author to read and review this book, I read the description, saw all of the positive reviews and decided to give it a go. I love historical fiction and wasn’t sure what to expect with this story.
My first reaction when I opened the book up after receiving it? Holy sh*% this is a long book. I’m talking Outlander long. Luckily, a long book does not scare me off. My second reaction after reading the first chapter? This is not going to be a typical romance and I like it!!!
How to describe the story…. Well, let’s start with the main character, Miss Lilly Linton. A secret suffragette in 19th century London, I likened Lilly to a modern-day feminist transported (against her will) back in time, slang, attitude and all. She seemed to be trapped in a time that didn’t know what to do with her, doomed to be enslaved into a life of marriage and children. She was funny, sarcastic and relentless in her pursuit for “freedom”.
Mr Rikkard Ambrose was very much like every romance novel’s “asshole boss”, but to the extreme. He came across as uncaring and often cruel in his dealings with Lilly. What I loved about their interactions, though, was Lilly’s reaction to him. She never ceased to throw Mr. Ambrose off his game. I found their interactions endlessly amusing.
This is what I imagine every character’s reactions in the book to be as they were listening to something come out of Lilly’s mouth:
The description listed for the book is vague, so I won’t give too much of the story away in my review. I think it is much better to go into blind. I will say that I found life, through Lilly’s eyes, to be sooo funny. I laughed out loud so many times during the story. Her reaction to everything in life made me smile and in turn, the reactions to Lilly’s antics by all of the characters in the story were hilarious.
This was a very engaging read for me. Truly, I loved every minute of it. I loved the way Lilly gave Mr. Ambrose a run for his money every time he tried to get his way. As the story went on, it was great to see Lilly fighting jealousy and growing emotions for Mr. Ambrose, which went against everything she thought she wanted in life. In particular, her jealous reaction to a lady Mr. Ambrose proclaimed to have feelings for.
“What was it that caught your fancy? Her figure? Her eyes?’
‘Her eyes. And her figure, too. And her dress, her manners, and her… well, she does not have anything more to catch fancies with, but all that she does have is very fancy-catching. You could say that I have passionately fallen in love with the entirety of her, not just the individual components.’
‘But you like her eyes.’
‘Yes, indeed.’
‘What is so special about them?’ I demanded to know, still not daring to look up. I had a suspicion why my eyes were stinging, and if it was correct I wanted nothing less than for him to see my face right now. ‘I saw nothing extraordinary about them!’
He cleared his throat again. ‘Well… they look very… very ocular, for one thing.’
‘What is that supposed to mean?’
‘Pardon?’
‘This word, “ocular”. What’s that supposed to mean?’
‘It is Latin. It is a word denoting everything that refers to eyes.’
‘So… what you’re in fact saying is that what’s special about her eyes is that they look very much like eyes.”
I loved all of Mr. Ambrose’s employee’s reactions to Lilly, in particular Karim.
“Gesturing to Karim. ‘I can’t let you walk into danger with only him around for protection.’
The Mohammedan’s eyes bulged, and I fancy he would have said something pretty explicit, had not Mr Ambrose spoken first.”
I laughed out loud during every ball held throughout the book and the way Lilly treated all of her would-be suitors.
“A few minutes later a cough distracted me, and I looked up only to be confronted with another officer asking me to dance. I turned him down like a bedspread. And the one after that. And the one after the one after that. And the other gentlemen who followed, from captains to colonels, from misters to majors. It was amazing - the more of them I sent packing, the more seemed to pop up everywhere. You’d think that by now they would have gotten the message.”
Sir Philip and Ella’s story, as a backdrop, was great. What made it truly enjoyable, though, was Lilly’s sarcastic spin on it. She had no patience for Philip’s nonsense nor did she see the world in Ella’s romantic old-fashioned way. I loved the way she looked out for Ella and shielded her from hurt.
Though the overall arc of the story centered around mystery and danger of a serious nature, Lilly’s exasperated point of view made me giggle through what would have been some very tense moments.
Thanks so much to the author for giving me the opportunity to read and review this book. It was a very enjoyable read. Looking forward to seeing how Lilly’s story unfolds (and what kind of shenanigans she gets up to) in the next book!
May 20, 2025
Update on December 14th 2016
I initially accepted this ARC because of the book plot as well as its high rating. It wasn't that good for me, but out of respect for the author and his work, I forced myself to finish it.
This November, I noticed that this book came second in the "Goodreads Choice Awards 2016" in the "Romance" category with over 44,000 votes, despite having fewer than 10,000 ratings in total. I didn’t think much of it at the time. Things really started a couple of days ago, when around 10 new users liked this review—users who had no friends, no other ratings except for Robert Thier's book, had all voted for the book in the "Romance" category, and whose accounts were all created in Nov. 2016. I checked the top reviews and saw that all the positive ones were massively liked by the same kinds of profiles. The same pattern showed up when I sorted the ratings by "newest." Hundreds of accounts were possibly created for the sole purpose of inflating Storm and Silence’s rating.
I'm not trying to accuse anyone, so I reported it to GR support and left the decision to them.
However, today, I came across Holly's review. It basically says the same thing, except it goes further (quoting the author's Wattpad, for instance). I really hope we’re both wrong. Nonetheless, I needed to write about it.
____________
~ ARC kindly provided by the author in exchange for an honest review ~
Minor spoilers below
Finishing this book resulted in an excruciatingly long internal struggle. I almost put it down and DNF’d it multiple times, especially during the first half. The second half was somewhat better, but still not satisfying enough to change my opinion.
“London, August 1839.” The opening line had all the ingredients to make this my next favourite book. I’m in love with the Victorian/Edwardian Eras and have always had a soft spot for London—both past and present. If I could pick any time and place to live, it would be there and then. For instance, Clockwork Princess, one of my favourite series, is set during that same period. When I first read the synopsis, I felt both skeptical and hopeful. As a feminist, I thought a book on this topic written by a man could go either way—promising or full-on mansplaining. I gave it a shot because the hopeful part of me usually wins.
Let me present how this book starts: Lilly Linton is an avant-gardist. She lives in a time when ladies are expected to behave, look pretty, attend balls, and hope to be chosen by the most eligible bachelors in London. But she doesn’t see it that way. She only wants one thing: FREEDOM. She’s what would be called a “suffragette” (btw, this word was coined in 1903—65 years after this story takes place), fighting for women's rights. Her main cause: the right to vote. The story opens with Lilly dressed in her uncle’s clothes, trying to sneak into a polling station. Along the way, she overhears a group of businessmen and offers unsolicited (but brilliant) advice on a risky investment. One of the men, impressed, hires her, thinking she’s a promising young man. For Lilly, this is a dream come true: a job, financial independence, and freedom from marriage and the obligations imposed on women. However, she is soon discovered, arrested, and brought to the police station—where she’s exposed in front of her new employer. Yet, she boldly declares that she’ll show up for work the next day.
This first chapter had me thinking: this book has potential! It seemed like the author had done his research. But the more I read, the more I felt he didn’t truly understand women. It felt like *every* woman except the heroine was perfectly fine with the patriarchy, blindly obeying men and caring only about gossip and dresses. Lilly is oh-so-special for wanting more, while all the other women are one-dimensional caricatures. For example, when she tries to talk politics with her sisters (or any woman, really), they respond with: ‘Oh, leave us alone with your talks of politics and adventure stories and God knows what else, Lilly. We’re too busy with serious talk to be bothered with your nonsense.’ What’s that “serious talk” about, you ask? Gossip, of course.
While Lilly was badass at first, she quickly turned childish, stubborn (not in a good way—she insists on doing things her way even when she’s proven wrong), and hypocritical. To me, the author confuses feminism with misandry, as every “feminist” character in this book (and there are only three) seems to outright hate men. I mean, when I read books like this, I almost understand the hate—but it just makes the whole thing feel cliché.
The author also drags things out far too much. The book is slow-paced—we wait 20% before characters are properly introduced, and nearly 50% before the plot takes shape. Some parts feel like fanfiction. A third of the book is pure repetition that a decent editor could have cut (and I believe it’s self-published, so that might explain it). It could easily have been half its length without losing anything essential—and would have been less boring.
What I did like about Lilly was her independence and how fierce, loyal, and smart she could be at times. We get to see more of that in the second half, although it still feels uneven. There are a few scenes I enjoyed—especially the ball, when Lilly has to pretend to be demure. It was so much more entertaining than her usual smart-mouthed 90’s-teen energy. I wish we’d seen more of that Lilly.
Now, let’s talk about the French Island: What. The. Heck. Was. That? The book already contained several anachronisms, but that scene was the final blow. It felt like the author completely changed his writing style mid-way. The depiction of the French was full of clichés and inaccuracies. In fact, the image below shows what French women wore to the beach in 1875 (which is 37 years after this book takes place)—not the outrageous bikinis the author describes.
The ending: I won’t elaborate much except to say that, to me, it was borderline plagiarism of a very famous movie—which is probably the one film most men guess when trying to name a woman’s favourite movie (and I’m not judging, because it’s one of mine). Was the author so desperate to please a female audience that he thought we’d swoon just because it mimicked ? It made me feel like I’d wasted my time reading a book that used feminism as bait. Thankfully, I didn’t pay for it—because if I had, I’d be furious (though I heard Amazon might refund it due to false advertising).
I initially accepted this ARC because of the book plot as well as its high rating. It wasn't that good for me, but out of respect for the author and his work, I forced myself to finish it.
This November, I noticed that this book came second in the "Goodreads Choice Awards 2016" in the "Romance" category with over 44,000 votes, despite having fewer than 10,000 ratings in total. I didn’t think much of it at the time. Things really started a couple of days ago, when around 10 new users liked this review—users who had no friends, no other ratings except for Robert Thier's book, had all voted for the book in the "Romance" category, and whose accounts were all created in Nov. 2016. I checked the top reviews and saw that all the positive ones were massively liked by the same kinds of profiles. The same pattern showed up when I sorted the ratings by "newest." Hundreds of accounts were possibly created for the sole purpose of inflating Storm and Silence’s rating.
I'm not trying to accuse anyone, so I reported it to GR support and left the decision to them.
However, today, I came across Holly's review. It basically says the same thing, except it goes further (quoting the author's Wattpad, for instance). I really hope we’re both wrong. Nonetheless, I needed to write about it.
____________
“I would prefer a sword to fight a duel, but a pen to plan a war.”Initial review posted on March 9th 2016.
~ ARC kindly provided by the author in exchange for an honest review ~
Minor spoilers below
Finishing this book resulted in an excruciatingly long internal struggle. I almost put it down and DNF’d it multiple times, especially during the first half. The second half was somewhat better, but still not satisfying enough to change my opinion.
“London, August 1839.” The opening line had all the ingredients to make this my next favourite book. I’m in love with the Victorian/Edwardian Eras and have always had a soft spot for London—both past and present. If I could pick any time and place to live, it would be there and then. For instance, Clockwork Princess, one of my favourite series, is set during that same period. When I first read the synopsis, I felt both skeptical and hopeful. As a feminist, I thought a book on this topic written by a man could go either way—promising or full-on mansplaining. I gave it a shot because the hopeful part of me usually wins.
Let me present how this book starts: Lilly Linton is an avant-gardist. She lives in a time when ladies are expected to behave, look pretty, attend balls, and hope to be chosen by the most eligible bachelors in London. But she doesn’t see it that way. She only wants one thing: FREEDOM. She’s what would be called a “suffragette” (btw, this word was coined in 1903—65 years after this story takes place), fighting for women's rights. Her main cause: the right to vote. The story opens with Lilly dressed in her uncle’s clothes, trying to sneak into a polling station. Along the way, she overhears a group of businessmen and offers unsolicited (but brilliant) advice on a risky investment. One of the men, impressed, hires her, thinking she’s a promising young man. For Lilly, this is a dream come true: a job, financial independence, and freedom from marriage and the obligations imposed on women. However, she is soon discovered, arrested, and brought to the police station—where she’s exposed in front of her new employer. Yet, she boldly declares that she’ll show up for work the next day.
“Knowledge is power is time is money.”
This first chapter had me thinking: this book has potential! It seemed like the author had done his research. But the more I read, the more I felt he didn’t truly understand women. It felt like *every* woman except the heroine was perfectly fine with the patriarchy, blindly obeying men and caring only about gossip and dresses. Lilly is oh-so-special for wanting more, while all the other women are one-dimensional caricatures. For example, when she tries to talk politics with her sisters (or any woman, really), they respond with: ‘Oh, leave us alone with your talks of politics and adventure stories and God knows what else, Lilly. We’re too busy with serious talk to be bothered with your nonsense.’ What’s that “serious talk” about, you ask? Gossip, of course.
While Lilly was badass at first, she quickly turned childish, stubborn (not in a good way—she insists on doing things her way even when she’s proven wrong), and hypocritical. To me, the author confuses feminism with misandry, as every “feminist” character in this book (and there are only three) seems to outright hate men. I mean, when I read books like this, I almost understand the hate—but it just makes the whole thing feel cliché.
The author also drags things out far too much. The book is slow-paced—we wait 20% before characters are properly introduced, and nearly 50% before the plot takes shape. Some parts feel like fanfiction. A third of the book is pure repetition that a decent editor could have cut (and I believe it’s self-published, so that might explain it). It could easily have been half its length without losing anything essential—and would have been less boring.
What I did like about Lilly was her independence and how fierce, loyal, and smart she could be at times. We get to see more of that in the second half, although it still feels uneven. There are a few scenes I enjoyed—especially the ball, when Lilly has to pretend to be demure. It was so much more entertaining than her usual smart-mouthed 90’s-teen energy. I wish we’d seen more of that Lilly.
Now, let’s talk about the French Island: What. The. Heck. Was. That? The book already contained several anachronisms, but that scene was the final blow. It felt like the author completely changed his writing style mid-way. The depiction of the French was full of clichés and inaccuracies. In fact, the image below shows what French women wore to the beach in 1875 (which is 37 years after this book takes place)—not the outrageous bikinis the author describes.
The ending: I won’t elaborate much except to say that, to me, it was borderline plagiarism of a very famous movie—which is probably the one film most men guess when trying to name a woman’s favourite movie (and I’m not judging, because it’s one of mine). Was the author so desperate to please a female audience that he thought we’d swoon just because it mimicked ? It made me feel like I’d wasted my time reading a book that used feminism as bait. Thankfully, I didn’t pay for it—because if I had, I’d be furious (though I heard Amazon might refund it due to false advertising).
August 23, 2016
It’s been a long time since I’ve read historical fictions and I was thankful that when I chance upon reading another one, I full on liked it. I never read on Wattpad so I have no idea that this story was sensational and the book has its own fandom! Most reviews I’ve seen so far rated 5 stars but I don’t always believe the hype. The cover was not that very captivating, it looks more modern and not fitting of the Victorian Era but I guess the fans were already used to the cover. What compelled me to read this book were the fan-arts. I was intrigued; I wanted to read the book to see what the hype is all about, also to prove them all wrong, that all those gushing reviews are bollocks!!!!
Guess what ifrits?! Lords and ladies! You’re right! Now you can all put your parasols down and hear me out. I like the book okay, I really like it but I do have some issues with it that I liked to point out.
Set in 19th century, an era when women had no rights to suffrage and no freedom. Women are chained in marriage, can’t own any property and don’t have the license to get a job. Lillian “Lily” Linton wants to change that, she’s a feminist and wants to be a suffragette and vote for the rights of women. I think her character was inspired by the real suffragette Christabel Pankhurst and that of Elizabeth Bennet in Pride and Prejudice. I love how Lilly was able to bring out her sass and unladylike behavior in the most charming way but though I like her cheekiness she tends to get a little annoying and stubborn at times.
Dressed as a man, she walked the streets of London to infiltrate a polling station and bumped into a wealthy but very dark and dangerous businessman, Mr. Rikkard Ambrose. He offered her a job to his company only he’s in for a big surprise when he learned that what he employed was a female, an abomination, a scandal that will ruin his Empire, this is where all the fun begins!!!
I like how Robert Thier was able to create two antagonizing characters; a feminist and chauvinist and somehow able tangle them in a slow burning harmony. Humor is another thing that I liked in this novel, I had a good laugh whenever Lily’s feministic ideas clash with that of Mr. Rikkard Ambrose’s close-minded superior way of thinking. The romance is no insta-love obviously which made it more realistic and you’re going to read the romance part when you're about sixty percent done with the book but oh my it was hot and they’re not even naked! It’s purely wholesome and oh such a tease! LOL
Another thing, though I like the dark and mysterious Mr. Ambrose, I love him even! Still, I’m quite bothered by his manhandling behaviors to Lily, he’s supposed to a gentleman, and I hate how he denied her, gods I hate it. Uh uh, He's no Mr. Darcy everyone. I’m just curious as to why Mr. Ambrose has this over the top brooding personality but I guess I’m just going to wait for the sequel. Another thing that needs to be pointed out were the dragging chapters, most of them were the part with Lily’s sister, Ella. I know it’s significant to Lily’s feelings but I got tired reading about her romance with Edmund. Apart from that I think I enjoyed most of the chapters and I commend how Robert Thier ended each one with suspense not to mention the cliffhanger that almost killed me. Oh the agony!
Overall this book is a very engaging read, quite spiffing actually (*wink*), a historical fiction mixed with romance and adventure. I highly recommend this book to all kinds of people. (^^)
~A digital ARC was provided by Author Robert Thier in exchange for an honest review.~
Guess what ifrits?! Lords and ladies! You’re right! Now you can all put your parasols down and hear me out. I like the book okay, I really like it but I do have some issues with it that I liked to point out.
Set in 19th century, an era when women had no rights to suffrage and no freedom. Women are chained in marriage, can’t own any property and don’t have the license to get a job. Lillian “Lily” Linton wants to change that, she’s a feminist and wants to be a suffragette and vote for the rights of women. I think her character was inspired by the real suffragette Christabel Pankhurst and that of Elizabeth Bennet in Pride and Prejudice. I love how Lilly was able to bring out her sass and unladylike behavior in the most charming way but though I like her cheekiness she tends to get a little annoying and stubborn at times.
Dressed as a man, she walked the streets of London to infiltrate a polling station and bumped into a wealthy but very dark and dangerous businessman, Mr. Rikkard Ambrose. He offered her a job to his company only he’s in for a big surprise when he learned that what he employed was a female, an abomination, a scandal that will ruin his Empire, this is where all the fun begins!!!
I like how Robert Thier was able to create two antagonizing characters; a feminist and chauvinist and somehow able tangle them in a slow burning harmony. Humor is another thing that I liked in this novel, I had a good laugh whenever Lily’s feministic ideas clash with that of Mr. Rikkard Ambrose’s close-minded superior way of thinking. The romance is no insta-love obviously which made it more realistic and you’re going to read the romance part when you're about sixty percent done with the book but oh my it was hot and they’re not even naked! It’s purely wholesome and oh such a tease! LOL
Another thing, though I like the dark and mysterious Mr. Ambrose, I love him even! Still, I’m quite bothered by his manhandling behaviors to Lily, he’s supposed to a gentleman, and I hate how he denied her, gods I hate it. Uh uh, He's no Mr. Darcy everyone. I’m just curious as to why Mr. Ambrose has this over the top brooding personality but I guess I’m just going to wait for the sequel. Another thing that needs to be pointed out were the dragging chapters, most of them were the part with Lily’s sister, Ella. I know it’s significant to Lily’s feelings but I got tired reading about her romance with Edmund. Apart from that I think I enjoyed most of the chapters and I commend how Robert Thier ended each one with suspense not to mention the cliffhanger that almost killed me. Oh the agony!
Overall this book is a very engaging read, quite spiffing actually (*wink*), a historical fiction mixed with romance and adventure. I highly recommend this book to all kinds of people. (^^)
~A digital ARC was provided by Author Robert Thier in exchange for an honest review.~
November 17, 2016
DNF after 24%.
A place in final nominations in Romance Category of this year's GR Choice Awards and an average rating of 4.77, it was hard to resist this book. But within few chapters, I knew i was going to hate this book. Language and female protagonist was horrible. I am very disappointed, wasted my time.
A place in final nominations in Romance Category of this year's GR Choice Awards and an average rating of 4.77, it was hard to resist this book. But within few chapters, I knew i was going to hate this book. Language and female protagonist was horrible. I am very disappointed, wasted my time.
February 13, 2016
(Source: I received a digital copy of this book for free on a read-to-review basis. Thanks to author Robert Thier.)
This was a YA historical novel, about a girl who wanted women to be equal to men.
Lillian/Lily was quite a head-strong character, and she was determined to make a stand and make people see that women were just as capable as men, even if her methods were a little naïve!
Mr Ambrose was also quite a character, and his letters that he wrote were certainly to the point, even if Lily thought them rude.
The storyline in this was about Lily bluffing her way into a man’s job working as a secretary to Mr Ambrose, and then about a missing document, which Mr Ambrose was intent on finding. The pace in this was really slow though, and I found that I would want to put this down after only a couple of chapters.
There was a bit of romance, but it was very slow, and we didn’t get much!
The ending to this was a giant cliff-hanger!
6.5 out of 10
“That’s exactly what I intend! Votes, ladies and gentlemen, votes for women!”
This was a YA historical novel, about a girl who wanted women to be equal to men.
Lillian/Lily was quite a head-strong character, and she was determined to make a stand and make people see that women were just as capable as men, even if her methods were a little naïve!
Mr Ambrose was also quite a character, and his letters that he wrote were certainly to the point, even if Lily thought them rude.
The storyline in this was about Lily bluffing her way into a man’s job working as a secretary to Mr Ambrose, and then about a missing document, which Mr Ambrose was intent on finding. The pace in this was really slow though, and I found that I would want to put this down after only a couple of chapters.
There was a bit of romance, but it was very slow, and we didn’t get much!
The ending to this was a giant cliff-hanger!
6.5 out of 10
November 24, 2016
GOOD NEWS!!!!! AMAZON WILL REFUND YOUR MONEY FOR THIS BOOK!!!!
If you were duped like me by the FAKE ratings for this utterly awful book and spent precious dollars from your monthly book budget, Amazon refunds kindle purchases!
I read this book because it had over 7000 reviews and was rated, what? 4.7 or something really high. Y'all it was Not good. The author droned on and on. The dialogue was repetitive. There's a scene that we read about forever, and then he repeats it all in the very next chapter as she's remembering what happened. Plot holes. Historical inaccuracies. Nope. Just nope.
If you were duped like me by the FAKE ratings for this utterly awful book and spent precious dollars from your monthly book budget, Amazon refunds kindle purchases!
I read this book because it had over 7000 reviews and was rated, what? 4.7 or something really high. Y'all it was Not good. The author droned on and on. The dialogue was repetitive. There's a scene that we read about forever, and then he repeats it all in the very next chapter as she's remembering what happened. Plot holes. Historical inaccuracies. Nope. Just nope.
July 6, 2015
This is not just some fiction, it is an incredibly well-written and intelligent book, with the most interesting characters and a real reflection on the Victorian era. Far from being one of those corny romantic stories, Rob Thier's novel succeeds in creating an intense tension between the reckless Lilly and the handsome yet dangerous Ambrose. Moreover, the plotline draws our attention to the condition of women, which makes the book even more subtle and brilliant (Lilly's speach while the demonstration is indeed "memorable"). The author's talent is undeniable, for his sharp humour and his incredible capacity to describe the authentic Victorian England.
In short, I would have never thought I could say that about a Wattpad fiction but it really is a GREAT book (that deserves to be edited in a real proper one I think).
In short, I would have never thought I could say that about a Wattpad fiction but it really is a GREAT book (that deserves to be edited in a real proper one I think).
February 22, 2021
Book: Storm and Silence
Author: Robert Thier
Type: Storm and Silence #1
Genre: Historical
POV: First Person - Lilly
Rating: 4 Hearts!
Name/Age: Lilly Linton - 19 ┃ Rikkard Ambrose - 25?
Setting: 1839 London
Published: May 19, 2016
The world around me seemed to be lit in colors brighter than the sun, and he was the brightest of all. Damn him.
Storm and Silence was HILARIOUS, laugh out loud, my-first-ever historical. The
On the rare occasions that I glanced between the covers of a romance novel, I had chanced upon an expression that seemed to be a favorite with romantic writers - lips 'melting together'.
Well, our lips didn't melt. They collided. They collided like a ship and an iceberg. They collided like two stars, one red hot, one icy blue. They collided like two wolves, bent on devouring each other. And so did we.
Also, is it too much to hope for that a book tagged romance by 390,3-FREAKING-90 people—and one that is 760 something pages long—would actually have some romance? There was one kiss, ONE FREAKING KISS, you people. I'm not even gonna count the second pathetic excuse of a peck on the lips as a kiss. Did I somehow miss the romance part?! Talk about a blue vagina. Storm and Silence was extreme slow-burn. It even beat MARIANA ZAPATA in the slow burn department, probably because the story is stretched out in 6 long books.
The hard muscles of his chest, his arms, his abdomen... they all pressed into my softness in a way that made it all too clear what he was.
A man.
A really manly man with a lot of mannishness in his manliness.
Lilly Linton is a one-of-a-kind character. Her monologue was hysterically funny, especially her distaste for all gentlemen. For the better part of the plot, she's impersonating a man and working for Mr. Rikkard Ambrose. Rikkard was frankly kind of a dick. At one point, These memes depict their personalities to a T.
As other reviewers already pointed out, there were several inaccuracies but since I'm not a history major, I looked past them and enjoyed the story for all it's worth. This is so not a quick read book, not to be devoured but to be savored over several days. I really think Robert is an amazing author and I enjoyed his work but I'm not going to read the other books in the series. There are SIX total books and I'm just not ready for that type of commitment.
His blue-green eyes were dark pools of immeasurable depth, pools you could drown yourself in and never again come up for air.
November 18, 2015
Really hope Sir Rob has the chance to publish this when he has finishes it! I can't even explain how many times I have stayed up on a Tuesday until midnight just to read the new chapter. This story drew me in from the very beginning. The characters are extremely well written and I can't get enough of the sexual tension between Mr. Ambrose and Lilly. Lilly Linton is a head strong independent feminist who will not back down but Mr. Ambrose might just be her match. He is a cold and mysterious man who just so happens to be the wealthiest man in London. The interaction between the two is very amusing and sometimes even had me laughing. I usually go for full on romances and even though the romance is very slow in this because of the time in history. I am extremely pleased. Even the slightest touch between the two had me jumping for joy. Im very excited to see how this story will play out!
Read
May 10, 2017DNF at 8%. This is a case of "this book is really not my thing and I don't want to waste time with it" as opposed to "this book was so horrible I couldn't finish it", so I won't give it a rating.
If you don't know anything about the Victorian era, don't know that women couldn't vote, that they wore petticoats, crinolines and their hair up, that their role was to embroider cushions, hem handkerchiefs and produce heirs, then perhaps you will appreciate this tale told in first person POV by the heroine, who seems to be telling her story to a modern audience she assumes knows nothing about the Victorian era. If, on the other hand, you are a high stickler for historical accuracy and your definition of an independent, strong Victorian female protagonist is something along the lines of Miss Jane Eyre, I wouldn't recommend this novel.
The heroine, Lilly Linton, does not at all depict a 19th century suffragette bent on fighting for women's rights. She most definitely comes across as a 21st century feminist about to free bleed in front of Parliament. She doesn't just want equal rights for both genders. Miss Lilly is out there to prove that women are superior to men. With her it's "men are jerks, men know nothing, I don't like men, I don't want men, I don't need men". That is modern-day thinking.
"I disliked all men as a matter of principle, but handsome men, especially ones with a strong chin and overbearing manner, were at the top of my 'things to exterminate to make this world a better place' list."
And it's not just her attitude that comes across as modern, but the way she talks and acts.
"Hurriedly, I placed myself behind the last man in the line, thanking the Lord the British government hadn't yet adopted the practice of putting pictures of people in passports."
The book seems to be written with the intent to educate readers about the early Victorian era, but instead of making us learn by creating an authentic atmosphere and developing characters that act true to the period, we have a heroine telling her story to modern readers whom she assumes know nothing of her time and practices. How does she know that there WILL be pictures in passport at a future date? She makes sure to explain the smallest things, to make sure we understand the lives of women in 1838. She dresses up in men's clothes to go voting at a poll station, and makes sure to explain that in England, women aren't allowed to vote. She describes her breakfast to every last detail to make sure we understand that Victorian women did not just grab a bagel on the go, but had to sit down to a full, proper meal in the morning. She makes sure to tell us a calling card is a rectangular piece of cardboard. She highlights the fact that women in England must learn to embroider and work at home. And she makes sure to tell us that women as supposed to be wearing dresses.
The thing is, Lilly should be narrating as though people of HER time were reading her story, not us. She isn't supposed to know about us!! That way, there would be no need to specifically state that the government of England doesn't allow women to vote, or that breakfast was an important meal, or that normal, non-Lilly women were supposed to enjoy gossip and society outings. Those things would still be included, but should be written about in a way that assumes the reader already KNOWS how Victorian society functions. That way, you still learn things about the era, but you have to pick up the clues for yourself, as opposed to having all the infos dumped at you by a heroine who isn't supposed to know that her readers don't live in 1838.
As I've said before, if really you didn't know all this already about the Victorian era and don't mind a modern-minded heroine as the main character, this book will work for you just fine. It's well-written if you're not looking for an authentic early-Victorian feel, the plot is rather good if incredibly slow, and the romance seemed somewhat promising. I was interested in the hero enough that I pushed on reading until he met again with the heroine, at which point he offers her a job as his secretary provided she come to work dressed as a man, and that is where I decided I couldn't take anymore and it was better for me just to stop before I grew really exasperated.
I was able to overlook the anachronistic cover and the fact that the heroine cross-dresses, since some of my top favourite books feature both those issues, but I honestly don't have the patience for a heroine who says things like:
"Running from my problems had never been my style. Grabbing them by the throat and shaking them until they capitulated, that was more my way of dealing with things."
and
"I was wearing trousers! Why is that infamous? They're just a piece of cloth and don't make me any less of a girl. If you went around dressed in a ball gown, would that make you any less of a man?"
and
"We have been kept down for centuries, but you'll see, one day women will conquer their rightful place in the world! One day there will be hundreds, maybe thousands of women working as secretaries. We will be so good at it that we will put men out of their jobs, and just about secretary will be female!"
Just. So. Modern.
This book would have worked so much better if it had been a time-travel romance where the heroine WAS from the 21st century and rebelled and sought to change the position of women in the 19th century. But it wasn't, and Lilly was way too modern to be believable. If she really wanted a job, she would have become a governess. That's what women did in the Victorian era when they were impoverished. This book did not even mention the word governess. Lilly belonged to a really, really poor family, who despite their completely reduced circumstances, still went out into high society parties and had incredibly high social and marriage aspirations.
I like my historical romances historical. There's a reason I tend to stay away from contemporary-set novels.
I was provided a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Many thanks to the author for this opportunity, and I'm sorry I wasn't able to finish it.
If you don't know anything about the Victorian era, don't know that women couldn't vote, that they wore petticoats, crinolines and their hair up, that their role was to embroider cushions, hem handkerchiefs and produce heirs, then perhaps you will appreciate this tale told in first person POV by the heroine, who seems to be telling her story to a modern audience she assumes knows nothing about the Victorian era. If, on the other hand, you are a high stickler for historical accuracy and your definition of an independent, strong Victorian female protagonist is something along the lines of Miss Jane Eyre, I wouldn't recommend this novel.
The heroine, Lilly Linton, does not at all depict a 19th century suffragette bent on fighting for women's rights. She most definitely comes across as a 21st century feminist about to free bleed in front of Parliament. She doesn't just want equal rights for both genders. Miss Lilly is out there to prove that women are superior to men. With her it's "men are jerks, men know nothing, I don't like men, I don't want men, I don't need men". That is modern-day thinking.
"I disliked all men as a matter of principle, but handsome men, especially ones with a strong chin and overbearing manner, were at the top of my 'things to exterminate to make this world a better place' list."
And it's not just her attitude that comes across as modern, but the way she talks and acts.
"Hurriedly, I placed myself behind the last man in the line, thanking the Lord the British government hadn't yet adopted the practice of putting pictures of people in passports."
The book seems to be written with the intent to educate readers about the early Victorian era, but instead of making us learn by creating an authentic atmosphere and developing characters that act true to the period, we have a heroine telling her story to modern readers whom she assumes know nothing of her time and practices. How does she know that there WILL be pictures in passport at a future date? She makes sure to explain the smallest things, to make sure we understand the lives of women in 1838. She dresses up in men's clothes to go voting at a poll station, and makes sure to explain that in England, women aren't allowed to vote. She describes her breakfast to every last detail to make sure we understand that Victorian women did not just grab a bagel on the go, but had to sit down to a full, proper meal in the morning. She makes sure to tell us a calling card is a rectangular piece of cardboard. She highlights the fact that women in England must learn to embroider and work at home. And she makes sure to tell us that women as supposed to be wearing dresses.
The thing is, Lilly should be narrating as though people of HER time were reading her story, not us. She isn't supposed to know about us!! That way, there would be no need to specifically state that the government of England doesn't allow women to vote, or that breakfast was an important meal, or that normal, non-Lilly women were supposed to enjoy gossip and society outings. Those things would still be included, but should be written about in a way that assumes the reader already KNOWS how Victorian society functions. That way, you still learn things about the era, but you have to pick up the clues for yourself, as opposed to having all the infos dumped at you by a heroine who isn't supposed to know that her readers don't live in 1838.
As I've said before, if really you didn't know all this already about the Victorian era and don't mind a modern-minded heroine as the main character, this book will work for you just fine. It's well-written if you're not looking for an authentic early-Victorian feel, the plot is rather good if incredibly slow, and the romance seemed somewhat promising. I was interested in the hero enough that I pushed on reading until he met again with the heroine, at which point he offers her a job as his secretary provided she come to work dressed as a man, and that is where I decided I couldn't take anymore and it was better for me just to stop before I grew really exasperated.
I was able to overlook the anachronistic cover and the fact that the heroine cross-dresses, since some of my top favourite books feature both those issues, but I honestly don't have the patience for a heroine who says things like:
"Running from my problems had never been my style. Grabbing them by the throat and shaking them until they capitulated, that was more my way of dealing with things."
and
"I was wearing trousers! Why is that infamous? They're just a piece of cloth and don't make me any less of a girl. If you went around dressed in a ball gown, would that make you any less of a man?"
and
"We have been kept down for centuries, but you'll see, one day women will conquer their rightful place in the world! One day there will be hundreds, maybe thousands of women working as secretaries. We will be so good at it that we will put men out of their jobs, and just about secretary will be female!"
Just. So. Modern.
This book would have worked so much better if it had been a time-travel romance where the heroine WAS from the 21st century and rebelled and sought to change the position of women in the 19th century. But it wasn't, and Lilly was way too modern to be believable. If she really wanted a job, she would have become a governess. That's what women did in the Victorian era when they were impoverished. This book did not even mention the word governess. Lilly belonged to a really, really poor family, who despite their completely reduced circumstances, still went out into high society parties and had incredibly high social and marriage aspirations.
I like my historical romances historical. There's a reason I tend to stay away from contemporary-set novels.
I was provided a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Many thanks to the author for this opportunity, and I'm sorry I wasn't able to finish it.
January 10, 2022
Completely, brilliantly amazing. Love it so much; Lily is such a reckless, stubborn woman, a little dense at times, but an overall lovable female protagonist. Big thanks to Wattpad for helping me discover it!! Keep up the great work Rob!!
June 19, 2015
I was a little surprised to say the least when I first started the book and saw that women weren't allowed to vote.. (this might have something to do with the fact that I very briefly skimmed over the blurb and didn't notice it was set wayy back in 19th century England). As someone who normally doesn't read historical romance, this book was quite enjoyable and funny in many parts.
I was expecting the tone to be considerably more serious and focused on but the exchanges between Lilly and Mr. Ambrose were so amusing that I just got absorbed into the story. Lilly was a strong female protaganist, headstrong and dense at times, but still generally lovable. And can we just talk about Mr. Rikkard Ambrose for a second here? He's nothing short of what Austen's Darcy is: cold, brooding, but secretly warm inside. I suspect he is really more warm than we gave him credit for because everytime there was a Lilly and Mr. Ambrose scene, all I could think was:
Even though the romance only started to pick up near the end, I'm totally okay with it since it is supposed to be a historical romance. And now I'm just patiently waiting for Rob to stop this agonizing pain I've been feeling all day for being fed the worst possible cliffhanger ever.
I was expecting the tone to be considerably more serious and focused on but the exchanges between Lilly and Mr. Ambrose were so amusing that I just got absorbed into the story. Lilly was a strong female protaganist, headstrong and dense at times, but still generally lovable. And can we just talk about Mr. Rikkard Ambrose for a second here? He's nothing short of what Austen's Darcy is: cold, brooding, but secretly warm inside. I suspect he is really more warm than we gave him credit for because everytime there was a Lilly and Mr. Ambrose scene, all I could think was:
Even though the romance only started to pick up near the end, I'm totally okay with it since it is supposed to be a historical romance. And now I'm just patiently waiting for Rob to stop this agonizing pain I've been feeling all day for being fed the worst possible cliffhanger ever.
Read
June 15, 2024dnf
this looks good. and looking at the rating and the love for this couple this might be phenomenal. but i can't do it. atleast not now. firstly no one told me it's a historical romance. and secondly, this book, this series, it's sooo long. i'm all about slow burns, everyone knows that, but someone said they get together in like 3rd or 4th book. BOOK. nopes!
this looks good. and looking at the rating and the love for this couple this might be phenomenal. but i can't do it. atleast not now. firstly no one told me it's a historical romance. and secondly, this book, this series, it's sooo long. i'm all about slow burns, everyone knows that, but someone said they get together in like 3rd or 4th book. BOOK. nopes!
March 25, 2017
Positive - This may have sucked any will I usually have to want books to be longer. For at least a month. Still me we're talking about here.
I'm a huge fan of Don't Trust the B in Apartment 23 and as I read this, I was constantly thinking about this scene.
This story is extremely, EXTREMELY long and there were still no payoffs. The main couple somewhat acknowledge an attraction but we only get some smooches and cheek touching. The romance part of this went in circles, repeatedly.
The mystery/searching/villain part was interesting but was drowned out by how much needed to be edited out, pointless scenes and the slow, going nowhere romance. It's first person from the heroine's point of view, so we know her character a bit more. In the beginning, I was seriously wondering if this was satire, tongue-in-cheek, or a male rights activist treatise on feminist women. The heroine calls all men chauvinist (this word is used so much I'll probably have nightmares) and basically the militant hate all men because they are men, that people who rail against feminism like to constantly talk (invent) about. This exaggerated anti-male attitude disappeared as the focus of the heroine's personality about half way through, thank goodness.
The hero mostly stayed in the shadows as we got no point of view from him and never really learn anything about him. I'm guessing in the next book we'll get more his background story but here without it, he never made a big impression on me.
There was a secondary romance with the heroine's sister but it was so childish, exaggerated, and over-the-top with the conversations and proclaimed love between the couple that started skipping any pages/scenes dedicated to them, I just couldn't, y'all.
I didn't see a young adult categorization but I would place it under that. There were footnotes on a decent amount of historical words/events mentioned in the story that it felt like an acknowledgement to beginning readers. Also, the only thing that makes this historical is because the author placed it during English woman's suffrage. The speech/language of heroine and characters is extremely modern.
This was a Goodreads best of 2016 nominee, obviously I'm in the minority but I won't be continuing in the series because:
I've read, like, 600pgs and I don't even feel romance.
Oh, that's because there's no love or sex in there.
So I'm just reading, like a kid?
What is happening at these best of romance rewards is ridiculous.
I'm a huge fan of Don't Trust the B in Apartment 23 and as I read this, I was constantly thinking about this scene.
This story is extremely, EXTREMELY long and there were still no payoffs. The main couple somewhat acknowledge an attraction but we only get some smooches and cheek touching. The romance part of this went in circles, repeatedly.
The mystery/searching/villain part was interesting but was drowned out by how much needed to be edited out, pointless scenes and the slow, going nowhere romance. It's first person from the heroine's point of view, so we know her character a bit more. In the beginning, I was seriously wondering if this was satire, tongue-in-cheek, or a male rights activist treatise on feminist women. The heroine calls all men chauvinist (this word is used so much I'll probably have nightmares) and basically the militant hate all men because they are men, that people who rail against feminism like to constantly talk (invent) about. This exaggerated anti-male attitude disappeared as the focus of the heroine's personality about half way through, thank goodness.
The hero mostly stayed in the shadows as we got no point of view from him and never really learn anything about him. I'm guessing in the next book we'll get more his background story but here without it, he never made a big impression on me.
There was a secondary romance with the heroine's sister but it was so childish, exaggerated, and over-the-top with the conversations and proclaimed love between the couple that started skipping any pages/scenes dedicated to them, I just couldn't, y'all.
I didn't see a young adult categorization but I would place it under that. There were footnotes on a decent amount of historical words/events mentioned in the story that it felt like an acknowledgement to beginning readers. Also, the only thing that makes this historical is because the author placed it during English woman's suffrage. The speech/language of heroine and characters is extremely modern.
This was a Goodreads best of 2016 nominee, obviously I'm in the minority but I won't be continuing in the series because:
I've read, like, 600pgs and I don't even feel romance.
Oh, that's because there's no love or sex in there.
So I'm just reading, like a kid?
What is happening at these best of romance rewards is ridiculous.
March 1, 2016
Wow. This book blew me away. I finished this last night and was staring at my ceiling wide awake trying to figure out my feelings.
So Lilly is a feminist that lives in 19th century London where women cannot work, or vote. And the only aspirations in life are to get married and be dependent on a husband. This obviously doesn't work with her.
She ends up acquiring a job working for the notorious, powerful, and intimidating Mr. Ambrose by The story follows her pursuit for independence in her work and family life getting into many whacky and dangerous situations with Mr. Ambrose. Reading her thoughts was truly a joy, the author made her personality so funny and easygoing that it was nice to escape into the world of Lilly Linton for a while.
I found it hilarious how she denied the attraction she felt towards Mr. Ambrose because she felt she was betraying her feminist ways...
"I was a proud suffragette and should be thinking about promoting women's rights, not the contents of men's tights!"
Now I have read some pretty raunchy and descriptive sex scenes in romance novels over the years. And I've come to expect them in every romance novel I read, but there really weren't any scenes like that in this book. But somehow I felt the passion that Lilly and Mr. Ambrose felt for each other without the need to constantly pledge their love and passion for one another. He had his own way of caring for her and it really showed in his mannerism without spelling it out. I really wish wish wish that they told each other how they felt but the novel just left me wanting more!
I can't wait to read the next book!! That cliffhanger almost killed me. My heart broke a little when I saw the words THE END.
Copy received by author for honest review
So Lilly is a feminist that lives in 19th century London where women cannot work, or vote. And the only aspirations in life are to get married and be dependent on a husband. This obviously doesn't work with her.
She ends up acquiring a job working for the notorious, powerful, and intimidating Mr. Ambrose by The story follows her pursuit for independence in her work and family life getting into many whacky and dangerous situations with Mr. Ambrose. Reading her thoughts was truly a joy, the author made her personality so funny and easygoing that it was nice to escape into the world of Lilly Linton for a while.
I found it hilarious how she denied the attraction she felt towards Mr. Ambrose because she felt she was betraying her feminist ways...
"I was a proud suffragette and should be thinking about promoting women's rights, not the contents of men's tights!"
Now I have read some pretty raunchy and descriptive sex scenes in romance novels over the years. And I've come to expect them in every romance novel I read, but there really weren't any scenes like that in this book. But somehow I felt the passion that Lilly and Mr. Ambrose felt for each other without the need to constantly pledge their love and passion for one another. He had his own way of caring for her and it really showed in his mannerism without spelling it out. I really wish wish wish that they told each other how they felt but the novel just left me wanting more!
I can't wait to read the next book!! That cliffhanger almost killed me. My heart broke a little when I saw the words THE END.
Copy received by author for honest review
March 18, 2016
3.75 STARS
This story takes place in 19th century London where women can’t vote, work and really don’t have many rights.
Some would classify Lilly Linton as a feminist; I’d say she was a strong, determined and intelligent heroine. Her POV was witty, funny – at times, her inner dialogue had me chuckling. Lilly finds employment with Rikkard Ambrose, a powerful, silent and direct man, provided she disguises herself as a man.
This tale unfolds as these two work together and a letter goes missing that Mr. Ambrose is desperate to find. This was well written and these two characters were interesting however, I found the story dragged at times with some repetition and lengthy prose. There is also a bit of romance but it’s not front and centre. Still, this was a refreshing story and I must say, it ends on a cliffhanger.
**ARC generously provided by author in exchange for an honest review.**
This story takes place in 19th century London where women can’t vote, work and really don’t have many rights.
Some would classify Lilly Linton as a feminist; I’d say she was a strong, determined and intelligent heroine. Her POV was witty, funny – at times, her inner dialogue had me chuckling. Lilly finds employment with Rikkard Ambrose, a powerful, silent and direct man, provided she disguises herself as a man.
This tale unfolds as these two work together and a letter goes missing that Mr. Ambrose is desperate to find. This was well written and these two characters were interesting however, I found the story dragged at times with some repetition and lengthy prose. There is also a bit of romance but it’s not front and centre. Still, this was a refreshing story and I must say, it ends on a cliffhanger.
**ARC generously provided by author in exchange for an honest review.**
March 22, 2017
I received a free copy of this book in exchange for a review.
At first I wasn't sure what to think as the author has hit on a unique approach to the story with it having Historical fiction, Mystery, Romance and Adventure all in one. I wasn't sure how so many facets could be brought together or if it would make for an enjoyable read. Well it certainly did indeed as Robert Thier has a skill for telling a story that is intriguing, exciting and mysterious.
Storm and Silence is based around two main characters, the irrepressible Lily Linton and the inimitable Mr Rikkard Ambrose. Lily is on a mission fighting for freedom and the rights of herself and other women to be treated as equals to men, including supporting the efforts of the Suffragette movement. In her schemes to do this she meets Rikkard Ambrose a powerful business man. The book follows their story and the dangerous mysterious world that Mr Ambrose inhabits.
It is a thoroughly enjoyable book with lots of twists, turns and unexpected revelations at times. A story of suffrage, power, underhand dealings, family, relationships, secret machinations of powerful organizations, adventure, danger, mystery, societal pressures and restrictions, plus love in different guises. It's a thoroughly enjoyable page turner and I would like to see more books developed with these characters, I think it would make a great series.
At first I wasn't sure what to think as the author has hit on a unique approach to the story with it having Historical fiction, Mystery, Romance and Adventure all in one. I wasn't sure how so many facets could be brought together or if it would make for an enjoyable read. Well it certainly did indeed as Robert Thier has a skill for telling a story that is intriguing, exciting and mysterious.
Storm and Silence is based around two main characters, the irrepressible Lily Linton and the inimitable Mr Rikkard Ambrose. Lily is on a mission fighting for freedom and the rights of herself and other women to be treated as equals to men, including supporting the efforts of the Suffragette movement. In her schemes to do this she meets Rikkard Ambrose a powerful business man. The book follows their story and the dangerous mysterious world that Mr Ambrose inhabits.
It is a thoroughly enjoyable book with lots of twists, turns and unexpected revelations at times. A story of suffrage, power, underhand dealings, family, relationships, secret machinations of powerful organizations, adventure, danger, mystery, societal pressures and restrictions, plus love in different guises. It's a thoroughly enjoyable page turner and I would like to see more books developed with these characters, I think it would make a great series.
February 17, 2016
*Digital copy kindly provided by the author in exchange for an honest review. Thank you very much.
3.5/5 stars
That was such a lovely surprised! I did not expect this book to be so entertaining. Historical Fiction is not a genre I read often, but this author kindly aproached me asking if I was interested in reading his novel, and of course I said yes. Storm and Silence was hell of a fun read. Not the book of my life, but it did keep up reading all night and had lovely characters that made me laugh A LOT.
First off I have to say that at first sign this doesn't look like a YA book. The suited man on the cover gives me New Adult/Erotic novel vibes. Also, it is not appealing to me; so many men on covers nowadays! - it bores me.
The book takes place in the 19th century London. Lillian Linton is a young feminist girl who wants to work towards getting suffrage for women. Lillian wishes to get a job, not having to depend from her uncle's money or any other man's. But obviously in those days no woman was allowed to vote or -even worst!- make a living. No one in their sane mind would ever think of giving jobs to the female population. How crazy! That is until one of the richest men in the Britain Empire does it. Poor Mr Ambrose didn't know he was hiring a girl as his secretary.
Don't hate me for this, Lilly, but I would have had you fired inmediately. I admire Mr Ambrose patience. He did not succumb to Lillian's crazy personality and lack of professionalism. Lilly was such a lively young girl. Funny, even hilarious! But she wasn't that good at her job. If I were busy with work and my secretary were distracting me by asking too many questions and trying to get into my personal business, I would have that person dismiss. Lilly made me laugh so hard, but in real life I wouldn't have her under my employ. Nothing personal, Lilly.
That doesn't mean I hated her character. She was refresing; didn't care about other people's opinions nor wasn't afraid of telling others what was on her mind. Certainly she wasn't shy, but she faught for what she believe in, and that is something I respect.
Isn't she lovely?
My eyes narrowed. I didn’t know much about etiquette, but I did know that the inferior person was always introduced to the superior. By deciding to introduce me to his friend and not the other way around, he had put me on a level below him. And that was something, considering the complacent smile on the lieutenant’s face, which I did not appreciate at all.
This is an actual pic of lovely Miss Linton.
Mr Ambrose woudn't refer to her as Miss while she were under his employ, but that didn't slow her down. One of my favorite aspects about Lilly is that she hold on to her principles. No man was ever going to talk her out of them. She kept her mind on what was right and important to her, and didn't fear to fight back to those who made fun of her for thinking outside the box. Nor was she insecure, and that is something I always find atractive in a character. To me Lillian was more like a friend. Her disastrous seek for acceptance and adventure was a hell of fun to read. It didn't give me any rest. However, I wish she were a bit more cautious under certain situations. Getting oneself into trouble isn't a brilliant idea, Lilly. The adventurous part of her loved it but, was it really necessary to be joining Mr Ambrose in every likely-to-get-you-killed situation?
The love interest in this book was a JERK. You heard right, Mr Ambrose. Lucky for this book I have a soft spot for jerks. Mr Ambrose. Mr Ambrose. Mr Ambrose. How is it?? Oh right, Knowledge is power is time is money! That richy bastard gave me a headache and a rising urge to kill. I hated him, but also found him very..... readable. He was a nice jerk. (Forgive me for trying to find positive adjetives to describe him.) Lilly said he was a modern Mr Darcy who woudn't spend a thousand pounds on anybody, and she was right. God, that man was cheap! Imagine having one of the wealthiest gentleman in the country as your boss, but that person wouldn't do anything for anyone. At all. Mr Ambrose was so uptight and self-centered that I thought I'd hate hate for the rest of my read.
My thoughts exactly. What a horrible boss!!
Was he always like this? Mostly, yeah. Ambrose didn't do feelings. His romantic relationship with Lilly didn't begin until a couple hundred pages, and I am really thankful for that. The instalove would have destroyed my positive thoughts about the book. I must admit that I am so into the love/hate type of romance. I don't know why but I love it when a couple doesn't get along but instead share a mutual hate for each other. Their constant fights over simple subjects made this a pleasing and fast-paced book, and it was definitely my favorite part of it.
The ending broke my heart. I didn't love it or hate it - I just wish it hadn't looked so rushed. It felt like there were still more pages to read but they had been cut short. How is it possible to end a book like that?! It is not fair and it should be illegal! I didn't sign up to get my hopes high and then end up this messy with my feelings. You don't do that to someone who's enjoying you're book! YOU JUST DON'T!
So that was me ranting over the messy (and painful) ending. But the rest of the book was just great. If I had had more time to read I would've finished this long ago (Damn you, life!) But overall the story was well-built and its characters weren't such a pain in the ass. I just had few issues: a) To me it felt a bit too similar to Pride & Prejudice sometimes - with the sister in love and the rest of the annoying relatives as backgroud, but that was normal family at that time, b) How did Lilly convince her family to not care about where she went all day? Weren't girls in that period highly guarded?, and c) Ah, couldn't they just accept the fact they were in love?! For once I thought I was gonna punch someone (my brother who was there while I read) in the face because they were oblivious to the tension around them! Lilly kept asking herself why would Mr Ambrose care about her well-being, and that just tiring since their chemistry was a palpable thing.
I would highly recommend Storm and Silence because even when it was not a perfect book, I believe everyone should be able to enjoy the pleasure of hating -and loving- Mr Ambrose. You just be careful with the ending - it hurts a little.
3.5/5 stars
I cannot and will not accept a female secretary. I will not be made a fool of in front of the entire city. Either you come dressed as a man, or you never return.
That was such a lovely surprised! I did not expect this book to be so entertaining. Historical Fiction is not a genre I read often, but this author kindly aproached me asking if I was interested in reading his novel, and of course I said yes. Storm and Silence was hell of a fun read. Not the book of my life, but it did keep up reading all night and had lovely characters that made me laugh A LOT.
First off I have to say that at first sign this doesn't look like a YA book. The suited man on the cover gives me New Adult/Erotic novel vibes. Also, it is not appealing to me; so many men on covers nowadays! - it bores me.
The book takes place in the 19th century London. Lillian Linton is a young feminist girl who wants to work towards getting suffrage for women. Lillian wishes to get a job, not having to depend from her uncle's money or any other man's. But obviously in those days no woman was allowed to vote or -even worst!- make a living. No one in their sane mind would ever think of giving jobs to the female population. How crazy! That is until one of the richest men in the Britain Empire does it. Poor Mr Ambrose didn't know he was hiring a girl as his secretary.
Don't hate me for this, Lilly, but I would have had you fired inmediately. I admire Mr Ambrose patience. He did not succumb to Lillian's crazy personality and lack of professionalism. Lilly was such a lively young girl. Funny, even hilarious! But she wasn't that good at her job. If I were busy with work and my secretary were distracting me by asking too many questions and trying to get into my personal business, I would have that person dismiss. Lilly made me laugh so hard, but in real life I wouldn't have her under my employ. Nothing personal, Lilly.
That doesn't mean I hated her character. She was refresing; didn't care about other people's opinions nor wasn't afraid of telling others what was on her mind. Certainly she wasn't shy, but she faught for what she believe in, and that is something I respect.
Now that you are regularly running around in men’s clothes you might as well claim male privileges, such as shooting anybody whose face you didn’t like.
Isn't she lovely?
My eyes narrowed. I didn’t know much about etiquette, but I did know that the inferior person was always introduced to the superior. By deciding to introduce me to his friend and not the other way around, he had put me on a level below him. And that was something, considering the complacent smile on the lieutenant’s face, which I did not appreciate at all.
This is an actual pic of lovely Miss Linton.
Mr Ambrose woudn't refer to her as Miss while she were under his employ, but that didn't slow her down. One of my favorite aspects about Lilly is that she hold on to her principles. No man was ever going to talk her out of them. She kept her mind on what was right and important to her, and didn't fear to fight back to those who made fun of her for thinking outside the box. Nor was she insecure, and that is something I always find atractive in a character. To me Lillian was more like a friend. Her disastrous seek for acceptance and adventure was a hell of fun to read. It didn't give me any rest. However, I wish she were a bit more cautious under certain situations. Getting oneself into trouble isn't a brilliant idea, Lilly. The adventurous part of her loved it but, was it really necessary to be joining Mr Ambrose in every likely-to-get-you-killed situation?
An image flashed in front of my eyes: I, entering the big hall downstairs, in an undoubtedly feminine dress, my head held high, going up to work for one of London’s most powerful businessmen. The first ever lady to earn her own way in this world...
The love interest in this book was a JERK. You heard right, Mr Ambrose. Lucky for this book I have a soft spot for jerks. Mr Ambrose. Mr Ambrose. Mr Ambrose. How is it?? Oh right, Knowledge is power is time is money! That richy bastard gave me a headache and a rising urge to kill. I hated him, but also found him very..... readable. He was a nice jerk. (Forgive me for trying to find positive adjetives to describe him.) Lilly said he was a modern Mr Darcy who woudn't spend a thousand pounds on anybody, and she was right. God, that man was cheap! Imagine having one of the wealthiest gentleman in the country as your boss, but that person wouldn't do anything for anyone. At all. Mr Ambrose was so uptight and self-centered that I thought I'd hate hate for the rest of my read.
Oh how I would have loved to skin that man alive. And then maybe roast him slowly over an open fire...
My thoughts exactly. What a horrible boss!!
It wasn’t long until my feet began to ache and I had numerous paper cuts on my fingers from hastily leafing through files. When I got bloodstains on one of them, he accused me of wilfully damaging company material and ordered me to stop bleeding.
Was he always like this? Mostly, yeah. Ambrose didn't do feelings. His romantic relationship with Lilly didn't begin until a couple hundred pages, and I am really thankful for that. The instalove would have destroyed my positive thoughts about the book. I must admit that I am so into the love/hate type of romance. I don't know why but I love it when a couple doesn't get along but instead share a mutual hate for each other. Their constant fights over simple subjects made this a pleasing and fast-paced book, and it was definitely my favorite part of it.
The ending broke my heart. I didn't love it or hate it - I just wish it hadn't looked so rushed. It felt like there were still more pages to read but they had been cut short. How is it possible to end a book like that?! It is not fair and it should be illegal! I didn't sign up to get my hopes high and then end up this messy with my feelings. You don't do that to someone who's enjoying you're book! YOU JUST DON'T!
So that was me ranting over the messy (and painful) ending. But the rest of the book was just great. If I had had more time to read I would've finished this long ago (Damn you, life!) But overall the story was well-built and its characters weren't such a pain in the ass. I just had few issues: a) To me it felt a bit too similar to Pride & Prejudice sometimes - with the sister in love and the rest of the annoying relatives as backgroud, but that was normal family at that time, b) How did Lilly convince her family to not care about where she went all day? Weren't girls in that period highly guarded?, and c) Ah, couldn't they just accept the fact they were in love?! For once I thought I was gonna punch someone (my brother who was there while I read) in the face because they were oblivious to the tension around them! Lilly kept asking herself why would Mr Ambrose care about her well-being, and that just tiring since their chemistry was a palpable thing.
I would highly recommend Storm and Silence because even when it was not a perfect book, I believe everyone should be able to enjoy the pleasure of hating -and loving- Mr Ambrose. You just be careful with the ending - it hurts a little.
October 17, 2020
4-4.5 stars
Forgot to mention: This is fairly unrealistic too, since I'd never believe the dress up could fool people as much as it did. Also, the term suffragist was brought to use in 1906 not in 1839. And the stereotyping of various countries like India, USA, France got a little....out of hand at a few places.
And I totally digged the fanart, I mean:
And you need the memes, you need them in your life. Search them now. I'll give you one:
She's hardcore into that shit, I can attest.
Okay, this had every potential of being a 5 star for me. I loved the characters, to death. In the start, I felt like dropping it at the 20% mark, but I'm glad I didn't. But let's get over the part(s) that held me back first:
1. This is a historical romance book but the writing didn't feel like it. It felt a mix between historical and contemporary, which worked in my favor since although I'm a 'classics' person, I'm not a historical romance person.
2.Lilly is supposed to be a feminist, but it felt more like she was anti-men, totally prejudiced against that particular breed of humankind and to be honest, if I were alive during that time and had to hear what men said, I would be anti-men too. But I don't like that it's called feminism, because it's technically incorrect. But I loved her!
3. The number of times she mentioned how 'cold' and 'stoic' Mr Ambrose was- it felt like the starting of an ice age. It didn't irritate me much, but sure as heck wasn't required as much too. Plus sometimes I wondered if anyone could be that stoic- je n'en pense pas mes amis.
4. I get why he called her 'Mr Linton' almost all the time, since she was dressed as a man, but they both knew it was just a pretense for the outer world and him calling her Mr in private didn't bother me because I think he wanted to maintain the distance, so as to not fall for her (kiss your delusions goodbye, Ambrose), but in some situations, I would've preferred Miss.
5. At first when Ambrose was introduced, it was like seeing Roarke(In Death series) and my eyes glazed over- literally. But blasphemy! Rikkard Ambrose is a fuckin' miser. I hate misers. You are the richest man in London- own seventy percent of hotels there and you're a miser? Disgrace. Roarke indulged in his wealth, almost too much, and this man hoards it like he's taking it with him after he dies. But....but.....fudge it, I love him.
Hmm, I think this was all, apart from some little things, insignificant really.
Now, I loved the banter- it was witty, childish at some places, but totally hilarious and it's my crack in books. Lilly was an amazing character- fiery, courageous, smart, wise (okay not that much), and above all gave it as good as she got it! She was just a 19 year old girl, a suffragist fighting for her rights with her amazing friends, and somehow ended up tangled with the coldest man I've ever read- Mr Ambrose. He was a tough nut, icy cold, frigid really, reserved, silent, broody but he did really like her, even if his first impressions were.....ahem.....faulty. Really faulty. I'm sure his left little finger will agree with my inference. (Read the book, you'll understand)
I liked some of the secondary characters too, but the younger sister and her secret lover have to take the award for the cheesiest, cringiest people alive, who won my heart over. I absolutely cannot go without mentioning Captain Carter, even though he had like two chapters- that man was total BFF material. I think there might be a little romantic interest from his side in the next books, but I hope it doesn't get too much because I'd hate to not cheer for him, since yeah, Mr Ambrose still is my nominee for who-wins-Lilly's-heart award (you're halfway there man, don't disappoint me).
And the sexual tension? Seeped through the pages, but was dampened by that Mister sometimes too *side eyed glare*. And the first kiss (es) were so good, I would have loved them if not for the fact that Lilly was drunk. Oooh well. Still liked them. A lot.
And I knew the book was going to end on a cliffhanger and I know they both will get together again (not in the relationship sense, that hasn't even started folks), but the ending still hurt like hell. I'll let it simmer before picking the next one, I want to space this series as long as I can.
Forgot to mention: This is fairly unrealistic too, since I'd never believe the dress up could fool people as much as it did. Also, the term suffragist was brought to use in 1906 not in 1839. And the stereotyping of various countries like India, USA, France got a little....out of hand at a few places.
And I totally digged the fanart, I mean:
And you need the memes, you need them in your life. Search them now. I'll give you one:
She's hardcore into that shit, I can attest.
Okay, this had every potential of being a 5 star for me. I loved the characters, to death. In the start, I felt like dropping it at the 20% mark, but I'm glad I didn't. But let's get over the part(s) that held me back first:
1. This is a historical romance book but the writing didn't feel like it. It felt a mix between historical and contemporary, which worked in my favor since although I'm a 'classics' person, I'm not a historical romance person.
2.Lilly is supposed to be a feminist, but it felt more like she was anti-men, totally prejudiced against that particular breed of humankind and to be honest, if I were alive during that time and had to hear what men said, I would be anti-men too. But I don't like that it's called feminism, because it's technically incorrect. But I loved her!
3. The number of times she mentioned how 'cold' and 'stoic' Mr Ambrose was- it felt like the starting of an ice age. It didn't irritate me much, but sure as heck wasn't required as much too. Plus sometimes I wondered if anyone could be that stoic- je n'en pense pas mes amis.
4. I get why he called her 'Mr Linton' almost all the time, since she was dressed as a man, but they both knew it was just a pretense for the outer world and him calling her Mr in private didn't bother me because I think he wanted to maintain the distance, so as to not fall for her (kiss your delusions goodbye, Ambrose), but in some situations, I would've preferred Miss.
5. At first when Ambrose was introduced, it was like seeing Roarke(In Death series) and my eyes glazed over- literally. But blasphemy! Rikkard Ambrose is a fuckin' miser. I hate misers. You are the richest man in London- own seventy percent of hotels there and you're a miser? Disgrace. Roarke indulged in his wealth, almost too much, and this man hoards it like he's taking it with him after he dies. But....but.....fudge it, I love him.
Hmm, I think this was all, apart from some little things, insignificant really.
Now, I loved the banter- it was witty, childish at some places, but totally hilarious and it's my crack in books. Lilly was an amazing character- fiery, courageous, smart, wise (okay not that much), and above all gave it as good as she got it! She was just a 19 year old girl, a suffragist fighting for her rights with her amazing friends, and somehow ended up tangled with the coldest man I've ever read- Mr Ambrose. He was a tough nut, icy cold, frigid really, reserved, silent, broody but he did really like her, even if his first impressions were.....ahem.....faulty. Really faulty. I'm sure his left little finger will agree with my inference. (Read the book, you'll understand)
I liked some of the secondary characters too, but the younger sister and her secret lover have to take the award for the cheesiest, cringiest people alive, who won my heart over. I absolutely cannot go without mentioning Captain Carter, even though he had like two chapters- that man was total BFF material. I think there might be a little romantic interest from his side in the next books, but I hope it doesn't get too much because I'd hate to not cheer for him, since yeah, Mr Ambrose still is my nominee for who-wins-Lilly's-heart award (you're halfway there man, don't disappoint me).
And the sexual tension? Seeped through the pages, but was dampened by that Mister sometimes too *side eyed glare*. And the first kiss (es) were so good, I would have loved them if not for the fact that Lilly was drunk. Oooh well. Still liked them. A lot.
And I knew the book was going to end on a cliffhanger and I know they both will get together again (not in the relationship sense, that hasn't even started folks), but the ending still hurt like hell. I'll let it simmer before picking the next one, I want to space this series as long as I can.
December 10, 2015
Okay, before I start, I would like to say that I—out of self-preservation—generally stay away from Wattpad. Unlike Fictionpress or other online story archives, Wattpad does not allow users to sort stories based on number of favorites, reviews, or ratings. Thus, more often than not, a story is a miss rather than a hit, and by ‘miss’, I mean can’t-hit-the-broad-side-of-a-barn miss.
That being said, this story is truly a wonderful read. The story is set in 1839, shortly after Queen Victoria began her reign, and right when the Industrial Revolution in England picked up steam (haha, get it? Because one of the major innovations during the time period was the steam engine, and I just said that the Revolution picked up… okay, I’ll stop). The main protagonist is a feminist named Lilly Linton whodeviously tricked politely convinced a rich, powerful businessman named Rikkard Ambrose into hiring her as his secretary.
Now, this is a very common cliché—rich, powerful man gets stuck with ordinary, not-very-powerful-at-all girl. And normally, I would have rolled my eyes into the back of my head and exited the web browser. But Robert Thier's amusing writing style got me to continue reading, and I'm glad I did.
I could write a dozen pages on why I enjoy reading this book, but I'm sure the majority of them have already been written about in other reviews. However, I have three personal big reasons why I like this story, and they are: the characters, the history, and the writing style.
First—the characters. One of the reasons I stayed with this book is because the characters are human. I’ll say that one more time: The. Characters. Are. Human. And I don’t mean just by species. Every character in this story is three-dimensional, with their own personal thoughts, feelings, behaviors, actions, etc. that make them feel real. None of them are perfect. Lilly makes mistakes every now and then and even Rikkard is shown to slip up on occasions. And most importantly, Lilly and Rikkard’s worlds do not revolve around each other. As the book is written from Lilly’s POV, a good chunk of the book is focused on her family and friends, which in turn influences her decisions and actions. They’re not permanently attached at the hip, which is a good thing in both romance stories and real life relationships.
Second—the history. I love historical fiction, and will scrutinize every story I read for historical accuracy. Storm and Silence is remarkably accurate in both setting and events. Everything from the unit of measurement to the etiquette of introductions is integrated into the story. I don’t know much about the history of the Victorian Era, but every time I find an interesting fact or tidbit, I always go back to the story to see if I can find it, and so far, I’ve found all but one. If you love the Victorian era, I highly suggest you check out this book.
Third—the writing style. Robert Thier possesses a unique sort of humor that shows in his writing. You know how when you read something funny online, you usually just exhale a bit harder instead of actually laughing? I really laughed when reading Storm and Silence. Really. I’m not going to say at what part, because spoilers, but I definitely chuckled. The plotline itself is full of twists and turns. Sir Rob has thevery, very, very, VERY bad habit of putting cliffhangers at the end of every chapter tendency to steer the plotline off the rails, so to speak. Suspenseful moments can quickly turn casual, and casual moments can quickly turn suspenseful. He always leaves the readers guessing, and it’s difficult to predict how events will unfold, and that’s what makes this story such an interesting read.
Overall, this story is very much a slow-burn sort of romance, which I greatly enjoy. The characters are lovable (or at least relatable), the history is accurate, and the writing is excellent.
So, if I enjoy this story so much, why did I rate it 4 stars instead of 5? Well, you see, Rikkard did something to Lilly that he hasn’t apologized for, and I—being me—can’t just dismiss that so easily. I do not accept “because they’re hot” as an excuse for bad behavior. I like my male romance characters to be attractive, confident, and HELD RESPONSIBLE FOR THEIR ACTIONS LIKE EVERYONE ELSE.
Okay, that wasn’t the real reason this got 4 stars (but I still think he should be held accountable). The actual reason is that a few of the scenes tend to feel a bit long. Like, for example, the scenes with Lilly’s sister and someone in a rendezvous. The scenes don’t actually drag on, because they are a big influence on Lilly’s decisions, but I feel like that scene in particular would have a lot more impact if Thier emphasized on the social consequences of… what Lilly’s sister almost did. This is a wonderful book, but it could be greatly improved through some editing and rewriting.
But hey—this book hasn’t been professionally published yet as of me writing this. Who knows? Maybe I’ll turn my review into a 5-star after reading the published version.
That being said, this story is truly a wonderful read. The story is set in 1839, shortly after Queen Victoria began her reign, and right when the Industrial Revolution in England picked up steam (haha, get it? Because one of the major innovations during the time period was the steam engine, and I just said that the Revolution picked up… okay, I’ll stop). The main protagonist is a feminist named Lilly Linton who
Now, this is a very common cliché—rich, powerful man gets stuck with ordinary, not-very-powerful-at-all girl. And normally, I would have rolled my eyes into the back of my head and exited the web browser. But Robert Thier's amusing writing style got me to continue reading, and I'm glad I did.
I could write a dozen pages on why I enjoy reading this book, but I'm sure the majority of them have already been written about in other reviews. However, I have three personal big reasons why I like this story, and they are: the characters, the history, and the writing style.
First—the characters. One of the reasons I stayed with this book is because the characters are human. I’ll say that one more time: The. Characters. Are. Human. And I don’t mean just by species. Every character in this story is three-dimensional, with their own personal thoughts, feelings, behaviors, actions, etc. that make them feel real. None of them are perfect. Lilly makes mistakes every now and then and even Rikkard is shown to slip up on occasions. And most importantly, Lilly and Rikkard’s worlds do not revolve around each other. As the book is written from Lilly’s POV, a good chunk of the book is focused on her family and friends, which in turn influences her decisions and actions. They’re not permanently attached at the hip, which is a good thing in both romance stories and real life relationships.
Second—the history. I love historical fiction, and will scrutinize every story I read for historical accuracy. Storm and Silence is remarkably accurate in both setting and events. Everything from the unit of measurement to the etiquette of introductions is integrated into the story. I don’t know much about the history of the Victorian Era, but every time I find an interesting fact or tidbit, I always go back to the story to see if I can find it, and so far, I’ve found all but one. If you love the Victorian era, I highly suggest you check out this book.
Third—the writing style. Robert Thier possesses a unique sort of humor that shows in his writing. You know how when you read something funny online, you usually just exhale a bit harder instead of actually laughing? I really laughed when reading Storm and Silence. Really. I’m not going to say at what part, because spoilers, but I definitely chuckled. The plotline itself is full of twists and turns. Sir Rob has the
Overall, this story is very much a slow-burn sort of romance, which I greatly enjoy. The characters are lovable (or at least relatable), the history is accurate, and the writing is excellent.
So, if I enjoy this story so much, why did I rate it 4 stars instead of 5? Well, you see, Rikkard did something to Lilly that he hasn’t apologized for, and I—being me—can’t just dismiss that so easily. I do not accept “because they’re hot” as an excuse for bad behavior. I like my male romance characters to be attractive, confident, and HELD RESPONSIBLE FOR THEIR ACTIONS LIKE EVERYONE ELSE.
Okay, that wasn’t the real reason this got 4 stars (but I still think he should be held accountable). The actual reason is that a few of the scenes tend to feel a bit long. Like, for example, the scenes with Lilly’s sister and someone in a rendezvous. The scenes don’t actually drag on, because they are a big influence on Lilly’s decisions, but I feel like that scene in particular would have a lot more impact if Thier emphasized on the social consequences of… what Lilly’s sister almost did. This is a wonderful book, but it could be greatly improved through some editing and rewriting.
But hey—this book hasn’t been professionally published yet as of me writing this. Who knows? Maybe I’ll turn my review into a 5-star after reading the published version.
December 15, 2016
Thank you to the author for providing a copy in exchange for an honest review.
This was a hit on wattpad, and now, it's being published on the 19th of March!
Quick Review. 4.5 Stars Gawdbloodyhell, if you love cold but secretly sweet though not bipolar male love interests, pick this up! If you love a female protagonist who's kickass all the way through even in the toughest of moments (though she acts even when scared) and won't let a man tell her she can't do anything. Then pick this up! If you love Historical Romance, a female character who's a feminist, suffragette (but not extremely hardcore feminist/suffragette, but rather, values the principles of feminism and acts on it), then YES you got it! If you're a bit of a fan of gender bendering, humorous interactions between female protagonist and love interest, you got it. And most importantly, if you like action, this has plenty of it!
Highlights of the book (quick and briefly)
- Miss Lilly Linton and Mr Ambrose. They kept me up until the early hours of Saturday morning because I just wanted so much more of them!
- Pure/clean romance (but there is kissing! Actually quite a lot of kissing at one questionable moment, but it doesn't go any further than that.)
If you want to know more, keep reading below (because although my quick review is gushing over it, there were several things that nagged at me. BUT definitely not enough for me to rate this down tooo much.)
Full & proper review to come!
Initial Thoughts Before Reading
I want to point out that, although I was intrigued by the premise. (Although even the premise is very brief and says little). And that cover! You know, I love a beautiful cover, and this one, is just, well, so very intriguing and simple! Though, it did make me frown. Why? Because the 19th century, in particularly the beginning of, is one of my favourite time periods ever. Storm and Silence is set about 20 years later than the Regency, located in the Victorian Era - another era I do love reading about, because hell yes, Queen! on the throne - and the cover just looks like a guy in a suit. Then again, because you can't see the back of, and I'm not expert on clothes unless I'm looking at the actual thing, my head debated for a bit, before settling down on, OKAY it still passes as being somewhat accurate! And since my brain clearly agreed on that, we moved onto the next thing. Intrigued by premise and cover, I did in fact check out some of the previous reviews, reviews given by people who loved the book on Wattpad.
-.-
I won't lie. Those reviews made me so gawdawfully suspicious. Everyone loved it! PRAISES FOR ALL. LOVE. LOVE. LOVE. THREE CHEERS.
Ugh. I hate books that have too many praises, and though I love reading people's reviews (both positive and negative), sometimes it's just so hard for me to believe them! (Hence why I go out and read the book for myself. Though usually, the higher the praise a book gets, the longer it takes for me to read it. But sometimes, I might just jump right in.)
And so YES. I started this book with all intentions of hating it. THAT and also, I started it because I'd already finished the book in my bag on my morning trip to uni, and had ABSOLUTELY NOTHING TO READ on my way home. And when one has absolutely nothing to read they’ll read anything.
It was really good that my first impression was low. Because if it was high, then I might have found it harder to like.
Or maybe, this book really is just that likeable :P? Because I know, by the end of the book, I was crying for more. Craving, dying, wanting. So glad Thier is an author on Wattpad, and that I have Wattpad, and I can follow and read the sequel!
First Impressions Comparison
- I was reminded of A Spy in the House – the Agency series with the whole mystery angle.
- I was also reminded a little of A School for Unusual Girls, with the whole smart girl thing. Though Lilly is smart in her own little way.
- And Newt's Emerald, for the gender bending, cross dressing! And also, the mystery aspect again, and the desperate need to recover something.
- Andddd A Matter of Magic, again, for a bit of the crossdressing, but also, the older, more authoritative figure, and the younger, assistant relationship (but mind, the age difference is around 5-ish/6-ish years).
- AND it has all the intense chemistry of any good slow burn romance book.
- OH I had like a Pride & Prejudice feel here, only less classic! Rather simply the values that each character has reminds me of P+P. But other than it's nothing like the classic!
P L O T
The premise is a bit short in details about the plot. But yes, it does highlight one important aspect of the book. Lilly Linton wants freedom. And in a time when women’s rights are somewhat oppressed, Lilly and her small band of friends take part in small protests for women’s rights. Since this is set in the late 1830s of the Victorian Era, and before any serious suffrage movements take place. At the very beginning of the book, we see Lilly dressed up as a guy heading towards the polling booth. On the way, she helps out a gentleman businessman, who then offers her a job. If it weren’t for her tiny mistake at the polling booths, well, her potential new Employer, according to his card, Mr Ambrose, wouldn’t have found out she was a girl.
Even so, she turns up at his office as he had requested, and even though she’s dressed as a woman, she makes her way to meet him (to the surprise of everyone in the office). Of course, Mr Ambrose, a man of his time, and averse to the idea of a woman working, yet true and honourable to his word as a businessman, he allows Lilly to accept the job, on the condition that she dresses as a man – just like she had been when they first met.
But Mr Ambrose, thinking he knew better, didn’t expect her to return as such, finds himself a crossdressing female as his private secretary.
Throughout the whole book, Lilly fights him constantly about her right to work, and since she does her job impeccably, Mr Ambrose, true to his word as a businessman, cannot make her go. So, in turn, he does everything he can to get rid of her.
In the process, an important file goes missing, and Lilly finds herself unable to keep out of Mr Ambrose’s business, proving herself to be very resourceful and useful in the process, which of course, makes it harder and harder for Mr Ambrose to get rid of her. A lot of this plot focusses on this file and leads to the major cliffhanger at the end.
Action is a significant portion of the novel, and so is the romance between Lilly and Mr Ambrose. Though, mind you, it’s slow burn (my favourite type!) yet with plenty of chemistry and humorous encounters. This book, while categorized as historical romance, does not simply focus on these two people. Lilly does have her own problems, and must deal with it, in a dress, and with a fan, and must also be at work on time.
Some parts of this story lag a bit, specially when Lilly comes across her younger sister and her secret assignation with her lover. These scenes to me, felt a bit like a parody, like a caricature of forbidden loves, but at the same time, no less sweet. Admittedly, I just kept rolling my eyes at their interactions, mostly because the conversations were so silly! Bordering on satirical (which is also something I think this whole book does about that time period, but here's why I also compare it to Heyer, since she wrote serious but humorous romances so the characters fall in love and yet do it humorously along the way). My favourite parts of this subplot however, was the ball scene towards the end.
C H A R A C T E R S
Lilly Linton, one of six daughters who are left with their aunt when her parents died. She’s nineteen, and couldn’t care less about balls, dances, and chauvinistic males. She’s more interested in wearing pants, fighting for rights as a woman, and a way out of her Aunt’s good gracious, to lift the burden, but also, so that she doesn’t ever have to marry anyone! What I love about her. She has a really interesting personality. Lots of humorous thoughts in her head, and doesn’t know how to really be a girl either. Even though in the company of men, she’s pretty feminine, except when she’s in full guy mode and allowed to swear up a storm and act like a guy. She’s clever, and resourceful, and refuses to give up her principles. She’s not invincible though. She doesn’t mind pushing her aunt to her limits, but so long as she plays towards her aunt's desires (for her to go out and throw herself at gentleman to get married to), then she can be as free as a bird (well sort of free). When she’s in a dangerous situation, she gets scared and angry, but knows how to keep her head and follow orders (well not orders that tell her to stay away, but orders during the most intense moments). ON THE DOWNSIDE, Lilly's stubbornness and inability to stay away from danger, throwing herself into tough situations might be dislikeable to some. However, I liked her enough because her character was justified and when she made a decision she stuck with it and acted as brave as possible, and not at all like a stupid-damsel-in-distress.
Mr Ambrose. His interactions with Lilly are the highlight of this book! I LOVE him. Well, rather, what I love, is how he was created. Indeed, he is somewhat your romantic love interest, the broody kind I mean. BUT BETTER. Broody typical love interests are always like, well, cavemen, broody and somewhat depressing. Mr Ambrose, is a sensible, logical, non-joking male, who knows how to use sarcasm (or rather he tells truths in a sarcastic way), likes to order people around, a miser who loves threatening Lilly by telling her that all the expenses are coming out of her wage, dresses well but plainly, is considered the richest man in all of England, has a somewhat shady background everyone is always speculating on, and though he acts like he only cares about Lilly because he needs a well working secretary, he does actually care about her, even though he never explicitly shows it because he’s always putting work first. You'll understand what I mean when you read it! And work, as a man in his line of business, gets dangerous. Usually when it gets dangerous, he sends Lilly home, but she always manages to end up right at his side in the midst of danger, simply because she’s not the kind who takes well to be being ordered away simply because ‘she’s a girl’. Mr Ambrose though, usually after trying his best to send her away, allows her to stay. He does, respect her enough to let her stay, simply because he knows she won’t go away anyway.
Supporting characters mention: KARIM. YES. This guy who is Mr Ambrose bodyguard. HE IS AWESOME. Every time he pops up, he’s nearly the comic relief, even when Lilly and Mr Ambrose are at each other’s next in the most humourous way as possible without downgrading the importance of their arguments. I give Karim a special mention, because he plays an important throughout the book as Mr Ambrose’s bodyguard and trusted person. He does, after all, give Lilly the nickname that Mr Ambrose calls her rarely when he’s in a good mood. AND He’s terrified of Lilly simply because she’s a firecracker female!
S E T T I N G
1830s England, about the time when Victoria is crowned Queen, and the industrial revolution is blooming. My knowledge of this era is scattered, though I knew enough to be pleased with the accuracies. (Except I frowned a bit in confusion about the women suffrage movement, but after some research, I realized that the details in the book were still pretty accurate, since the proper movement didn’t begin until around the 1870s for the UK, but before that, there were smaller, little protests from the middle to upper class. And the notes that Thier added helped sort out the confusion in my head.)
W R I T I N G
Witty. It has it’s personal flair – Robert Thier flair. And by god. I can’t believe it. He can actually write from a female perspective EXCELLENTLY. Generally I don’t like genders writing for the opposite gender mainly because the guys come out extra whiny, or not convincingly enough male. And the females become overly obsessed with shoes and dresses and all, mainly over over exaggerated female stereotypes. However, Thier doesn't do that. He gives Lilly’s principles, values, morals, habits, likes and dislikes, and writes a very convincing female tomboy without sounding like a man writing a female. Loved it. (And while Lilly freaks out over her feelings for Mr Ambrose, she usually has her head on straight and focussed on the task.)
Also, written in first person, and definitely all through the book a very characteristic YA style. More colloquial than historical in terms of language BUT there is enough era sensitive language used for the book to feel like it is set during the time it is supposed to! But just a fair warning, this book isn't written in your usual historical style. It is also has a very contemporary feel that may put some readers off. But if you're after a light read based in a historical setting, then this is it.
He doesn’t waste too much time on description, but thankfully there is enough detail to give a full picture.
But the best part, is that he interweaves plenty of wittiness to love, and I find it absolutely humorous. Although the review copy I received had a few spelling errors and (of which will probably be filtered out before it's actually published), I found the writing style likeable. There’s a cliffhanger at the end of nearly every chapter (hence why I ended up staying up to the ridiculous hour of 4am simply because I wanted to finish this AND STILL COULDN’T; if I wasn't so rational, I would have kept going until 9am and forgoed sleep, but unfortunately, my eyes were just inadequately falling asleep on me!)
OH BUT WARNING. As much as I love scenes where the guy shoves a girl up against a wall (whether to intimidate, make a point, or just be a brute – I usually don’t really like the last option), this does happen a little too often in Storm & Silence, and while it’s not annoying (okay maybe a little) since it is a pretty intense scene each time, even though it’s absolutely pure each time! it does become a little bit repetitive. I think I counted 4 scenes? But well, like I said, the scenes are intense, and so much sparkly, steamy, clean & pure chemistry sparking between Lilly and Mr Ambrose, and it’s usually when they’re arguing! (And also another warning, depending on how you like your historicals, this one borders a bit onto the types where there's more physical touching (for now I can only think of the Her Fair Assassin trilogy by Robin LaFevers and The Luxe series by Anna Godbersen as examples of such and less of the distant intense chemistry of Heyer's historical romances.)
O V E R A L L
I really enjoyed this. I did. Reading it, I was somewhat reminded of Georgette Heyer’s regencies (yes I know, I say this often, but if you follow my reviews, then y’all know well enough how much I love her books, and how they’re like my ultimate historicals) with outrageous scenarios (well in Heyer’s novels, this doesn’t always happen but still), a headstrong, somewhat feisty female protagonist, and a swoony busy love interest. (Still, Silence and Storm cannot really be compared to Heyer, because Heyer is a gem from another century, and her uniqueness makes her Queen Overlord of Historical Regency Romances. But what Thier has in common is his ability to thread his own flair and style into his story.) Either I was really craving a romance like this at this moment, and this just came by a the right time, or this book really is as good as its ratings, whichever, I think this is a pretty good book and I would definitely suggest it!
You know after finishing the review, I feel like I didn't put in enough cons....but there were some, it's just that my enjoyment overrode any negative feelings I might have had about the cons! I suppose if I were to pick some cons, it would be that although Silence and Storm felt like a whole and complete novel, sometimes I felt like it could be revisited and edited a bit more, and yet...while I wouldn't say it's perfect, it sure as hell is an interesting story (the highlight, the slowly blooming romance of Lilly and Mr Ambrose).
So if anything above catches your eye, give this book a chance. I can't guarantee you'll love it, but I sure as did. So maybe you won't like, but hopefully you will since I do and don't know how I read through this YA historical romance all at once and wanted more. Sometimes I think, wow there was a lot of silliness happening but then my brain morphs and justifies the scenes with the seriousness of the situation!
P.s. have I mentioned somewhere, this is one of the first ebooks I don't have a problem with reading on the kindle phone app? I usually don't like ebooks because I always feel like I'm reading some kind of draft, but well, this time, it didn't feel like that at all! (except for the typos of course.)
This was a hit on wattpad, and now, it's being published on the 19th of March!
Quick Review. 4.5 Stars Gawdbloodyhell, if you love cold but secretly sweet though not bipolar male love interests, pick this up! If you love a female protagonist who's kickass all the way through even in the toughest of moments (though she acts even when scared) and won't let a man tell her she can't do anything. Then pick this up! If you love Historical Romance, a female character who's a feminist, suffragette (but not extremely hardcore feminist/suffragette, but rather, values the principles of feminism and acts on it), then YES you got it! If you're a bit of a fan of gender bendering, humorous interactions between female protagonist and love interest, you got it. And most importantly, if you like action, this has plenty of it!
Highlights of the book (quick and briefly)
- Miss Lilly Linton and Mr Ambrose. They kept me up until the early hours of Saturday morning because I just wanted so much more of them!
- Pure/clean romance (but there is kissing! Actually quite a lot of kissing at one questionable moment, but it doesn't go any further than that.)
If you want to know more, keep reading below (because although my quick review is gushing over it, there were several things that nagged at me. BUT definitely not enough for me to rate this down tooo much.)
Full & proper review to come!
Initial Thoughts Before Reading
I want to point out that, although I was intrigued by the premise. (Although even the premise is very brief and says little). And that cover! You know, I love a beautiful cover, and this one, is just, well, so very intriguing and simple! Though, it did make me frown. Why? Because the 19th century, in particularly the beginning of, is one of my favourite time periods ever. Storm and Silence is set about 20 years later than the Regency, located in the Victorian Era - another era I do love reading about, because hell yes, Queen! on the throne - and the cover just looks like a guy in a suit. Then again, because you can't see the back of, and I'm not expert on clothes unless I'm looking at the actual thing, my head debated for a bit, before settling down on, OKAY it still passes as being somewhat accurate! And since my brain clearly agreed on that, we moved onto the next thing. Intrigued by premise and cover, I did in fact check out some of the previous reviews, reviews given by people who loved the book on Wattpad.
-.-
I won't lie. Those reviews made me so gawdawfully suspicious. Everyone loved it! PRAISES FOR ALL. LOVE. LOVE. LOVE. THREE CHEERS.
Ugh. I hate books that have too many praises, and though I love reading people's reviews (both positive and negative), sometimes it's just so hard for me to believe them! (Hence why I go out and read the book for myself. Though usually, the higher the praise a book gets, the longer it takes for me to read it. But sometimes, I might just jump right in.)
And so YES. I started this book with all intentions of hating it. THAT and also, I started it because I'd already finished the book in my bag on my morning trip to uni, and had ABSOLUTELY NOTHING TO READ on my way home. And when one has absolutely nothing to read they’ll read anything.
It was really good that my first impression was low. Because if it was high, then I might have found it harder to like.
Or maybe, this book really is just that likeable :P? Because I know, by the end of the book, I was crying for more. Craving, dying, wanting. So glad Thier is an author on Wattpad, and that I have Wattpad, and I can follow and read the sequel!
First Impressions Comparison
- I was reminded of A Spy in the House – the Agency series with the whole mystery angle.
- I was also reminded a little of A School for Unusual Girls, with the whole smart girl thing. Though Lilly is smart in her own little way.
- And Newt's Emerald, for the gender bending, cross dressing! And also, the mystery aspect again, and the desperate need to recover something.
- Andddd A Matter of Magic, again, for a bit of the crossdressing, but also, the older, more authoritative figure, and the younger, assistant relationship (but mind, the age difference is around 5-ish/6-ish years).
- AND it has all the intense chemistry of any good slow burn romance book.
- OH I had like a Pride & Prejudice feel here, only less classic! Rather simply the values that each character has reminds me of P+P. But other than it's nothing like the classic!
P L O T
The premise is a bit short in details about the plot. But yes, it does highlight one important aspect of the book. Lilly Linton wants freedom. And in a time when women’s rights are somewhat oppressed, Lilly and her small band of friends take part in small protests for women’s rights. Since this is set in the late 1830s of the Victorian Era, and before any serious suffrage movements take place. At the very beginning of the book, we see Lilly dressed up as a guy heading towards the polling booth. On the way, she helps out a gentleman businessman, who then offers her a job. If it weren’t for her tiny mistake at the polling booths, well, her potential new Employer, according to his card, Mr Ambrose, wouldn’t have found out she was a girl.
Even so, she turns up at his office as he had requested, and even though she’s dressed as a woman, she makes her way to meet him (to the surprise of everyone in the office). Of course, Mr Ambrose, a man of his time, and averse to the idea of a woman working, yet true and honourable to his word as a businessman, he allows Lilly to accept the job, on the condition that she dresses as a man – just like she had been when they first met.
But Mr Ambrose, thinking he knew better, didn’t expect her to return as such, finds himself a crossdressing female as his private secretary.
Throughout the whole book, Lilly fights him constantly about her right to work, and since she does her job impeccably, Mr Ambrose, true to his word as a businessman, cannot make her go. So, in turn, he does everything he can to get rid of her.
In the process, an important file goes missing, and Lilly finds herself unable to keep out of Mr Ambrose’s business, proving herself to be very resourceful and useful in the process, which of course, makes it harder and harder for Mr Ambrose to get rid of her. A lot of this plot focusses on this file and leads to the major cliffhanger at the end.
Action is a significant portion of the novel, and so is the romance between Lilly and Mr Ambrose. Though, mind you, it’s slow burn (my favourite type!) yet with plenty of chemistry and humorous encounters. This book, while categorized as historical romance, does not simply focus on these two people. Lilly does have her own problems, and must deal with it, in a dress, and with a fan, and must also be at work on time.
Some parts of this story lag a bit, specially when Lilly comes across her younger sister and her secret assignation with her lover. These scenes to me, felt a bit like a parody, like a caricature of forbidden loves, but at the same time, no less sweet. Admittedly, I just kept rolling my eyes at their interactions, mostly because the conversations were so silly! Bordering on satirical (which is also something I think this whole book does about that time period, but here's why I also compare it to Heyer, since she wrote serious but humorous romances so the characters fall in love and yet do it humorously along the way). My favourite parts of this subplot however, was the ball scene towards the end.
C H A R A C T E R S
Lilly Linton, one of six daughters who are left with their aunt when her parents died. She’s nineteen, and couldn’t care less about balls, dances, and chauvinistic males. She’s more interested in wearing pants, fighting for rights as a woman, and a way out of her Aunt’s good gracious, to lift the burden, but also, so that she doesn’t ever have to marry anyone! What I love about her. She has a really interesting personality. Lots of humorous thoughts in her head, and doesn’t know how to really be a girl either. Even though in the company of men, she’s pretty feminine, except when she’s in full guy mode and allowed to swear up a storm and act like a guy. She’s clever, and resourceful, and refuses to give up her principles. She’s not invincible though. She doesn’t mind pushing her aunt to her limits, but so long as she plays towards her aunt's desires (for her to go out and throw herself at gentleman to get married to), then she can be as free as a bird (well sort of free). When she’s in a dangerous situation, she gets scared and angry, but knows how to keep her head and follow orders (well not orders that tell her to stay away, but orders during the most intense moments). ON THE DOWNSIDE, Lilly's stubbornness and inability to stay away from danger, throwing herself into tough situations might be dislikeable to some. However, I liked her enough because her character was justified and when she made a decision she stuck with it and acted as brave as possible, and not at all like a stupid-damsel-in-distress.
Mr Ambrose. His interactions with Lilly are the highlight of this book! I LOVE him. Well, rather, what I love, is how he was created. Indeed, he is somewhat your romantic love interest, the broody kind I mean. BUT BETTER. Broody typical love interests are always like, well, cavemen, broody and somewhat depressing. Mr Ambrose, is a sensible, logical, non-joking male, who knows how to use sarcasm (or rather he tells truths in a sarcastic way), likes to order people around, a miser who loves threatening Lilly by telling her that all the expenses are coming out of her wage, dresses well but plainly, is considered the richest man in all of England, has a somewhat shady background everyone is always speculating on, and though he acts like he only cares about Lilly because he needs a well working secretary, he does actually care about her, even though he never explicitly shows it because he’s always putting work first. You'll understand what I mean when you read it! And work, as a man in his line of business, gets dangerous. Usually when it gets dangerous, he sends Lilly home, but she always manages to end up right at his side in the midst of danger, simply because she’s not the kind who takes well to be being ordered away simply because ‘she’s a girl’. Mr Ambrose though, usually after trying his best to send her away, allows her to stay. He does, respect her enough to let her stay, simply because he knows she won’t go away anyway.
Supporting characters mention: KARIM. YES. This guy who is Mr Ambrose bodyguard. HE IS AWESOME. Every time he pops up, he’s nearly the comic relief, even when Lilly and Mr Ambrose are at each other’s next in the most humourous way as possible without downgrading the importance of their arguments. I give Karim a special mention, because he plays an important throughout the book as Mr Ambrose’s bodyguard and trusted person. He does, after all, give Lilly the nickname that Mr Ambrose calls her rarely when he’s in a good mood. AND He’s terrified of Lilly simply because she’s a firecracker female!
S E T T I N G
1830s England, about the time when Victoria is crowned Queen, and the industrial revolution is blooming. My knowledge of this era is scattered, though I knew enough to be pleased with the accuracies. (Except I frowned a bit in confusion about the women suffrage movement, but after some research, I realized that the details in the book were still pretty accurate, since the proper movement didn’t begin until around the 1870s for the UK, but before that, there were smaller, little protests from the middle to upper class. And the notes that Thier added helped sort out the confusion in my head.)
W R I T I N G
Witty. It has it’s personal flair – Robert Thier flair. And by god. I can’t believe it. He can actually write from a female perspective EXCELLENTLY. Generally I don’t like genders writing for the opposite gender mainly because the guys come out extra whiny, or not convincingly enough male. And the females become overly obsessed with shoes and dresses and all, mainly over over exaggerated female stereotypes. However, Thier doesn't do that. He gives Lilly’s principles, values, morals, habits, likes and dislikes, and writes a very convincing female tomboy without sounding like a man writing a female. Loved it. (And while Lilly freaks out over her feelings for Mr Ambrose, she usually has her head on straight and focussed on the task.)
Also, written in first person, and definitely all through the book a very characteristic YA style. More colloquial than historical in terms of language BUT there is enough era sensitive language used for the book to feel like it is set during the time it is supposed to! But just a fair warning, this book isn't written in your usual historical style. It is also has a very contemporary feel that may put some readers off. But if you're after a light read based in a historical setting, then this is it.
He doesn’t waste too much time on description, but thankfully there is enough detail to give a full picture.
But the best part, is that he interweaves plenty of wittiness to love, and I find it absolutely humorous. Although the review copy I received had a few spelling errors and (of which will probably be filtered out before it's actually published), I found the writing style likeable. There’s a cliffhanger at the end of nearly every chapter (hence why I ended up staying up to the ridiculous hour of 4am simply because I wanted to finish this AND STILL COULDN’T; if I wasn't so rational, I would have kept going until 9am and forgoed sleep, but unfortunately, my eyes were just inadequately falling asleep on me!)
OH BUT WARNING. As much as I love scenes where the guy shoves a girl up against a wall (whether to intimidate, make a point, or just be a brute – I usually don’t really like the last option), this does happen a little too often in Storm & Silence, and while it’s not annoying (okay maybe a little) since it is a pretty intense scene each time, even though it’s absolutely pure each time! it does become a little bit repetitive. I think I counted 4 scenes? But well, like I said, the scenes are intense, and so much sparkly, steamy, clean & pure chemistry sparking between Lilly and Mr Ambrose, and it’s usually when they’re arguing! (And also another warning, depending on how you like your historicals, this one borders a bit onto the types where there's more physical touching (for now I can only think of the Her Fair Assassin trilogy by Robin LaFevers and The Luxe series by Anna Godbersen as examples of such and less of the distant intense chemistry of Heyer's historical romances.)
O V E R A L L
I really enjoyed this. I did. Reading it, I was somewhat reminded of Georgette Heyer’s regencies (yes I know, I say this often, but if you follow my reviews, then y’all know well enough how much I love her books, and how they’re like my ultimate historicals) with outrageous scenarios (well in Heyer’s novels, this doesn’t always happen but still), a headstrong, somewhat feisty female protagonist, and a swoony busy love interest. (Still, Silence and Storm cannot really be compared to Heyer, because Heyer is a gem from another century, and her uniqueness makes her Queen Overlord of Historical Regency Romances. But what Thier has in common is his ability to thread his own flair and style into his story.) Either I was really craving a romance like this at this moment, and this just came by a the right time, or this book really is as good as its ratings, whichever, I think this is a pretty good book and I would definitely suggest it!
You know after finishing the review, I feel like I didn't put in enough cons....but there were some, it's just that my enjoyment overrode any negative feelings I might have had about the cons! I suppose if I were to pick some cons, it would be that although Silence and Storm felt like a whole and complete novel, sometimes I felt like it could be revisited and edited a bit more, and yet...while I wouldn't say it's perfect, it sure as hell is an interesting story (the highlight, the slowly blooming romance of Lilly and Mr Ambrose).
So if anything above catches your eye, give this book a chance. I can't guarantee you'll love it, but I sure as did. So maybe you won't like, but hopefully you will since I do and don't know how I read through this YA historical romance all at once and wanted more. Sometimes I think, wow there was a lot of silliness happening but then my brain morphs and justifies the scenes with the seriousness of the situation!
P.s. have I mentioned somewhere, this is one of the first ebooks I don't have a problem with reading on the kindle phone app? I usually don't like ebooks because I always feel like I'm reading some kind of draft, but well, this time, it didn't feel like that at all! (except for the typos of course.)
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