What do you think?
Rate this book
All Is Fair
Lady Mina Tretheway knows she's destined for greater things than her fancy boarding school, where she's being taught to be a proper English lady. It's 1918, and war is raging across Europe. Unlike her father and brother, who are able to assist in the war effort, Mina is stuck sorting out which fork should be used with which dinner course.
When Mina receives a telegram that's written in code, she finally has her chance to do something big. She returns to her childhood home of Hallington Manor, joined by a family friend, Lord Andrew Graham, and a dashing and mysterious young American, Lucas. The three of them must band together to work on a dangerous project that could turn the tide of the war.
Thrilled that she gets to contribute to the war effort at least, Mina jumps headfirst into the world of cryptic messages, spycraft, and international intrigue. She, Lucas, and Andrew have to work quickly, because if they don't succeed, more soldiers will disappear into the darkness of war.
When Mina receives a telegram that's written in code, she finally has her chance to do something big. She returns to her childhood home of Hallington Manor, joined by a family friend, Lord Andrew Graham, and a dashing and mysterious young American, Lucas. The three of them must band together to work on a dangerous project that could turn the tide of the war.
Thrilled that she gets to contribute to the war effort at least, Mina jumps headfirst into the world of cryptic messages, spycraft, and international intrigue. She, Lucas, and Andrew have to work quickly, because if they don't succeed, more soldiers will disappear into the darkness of war.
278 pages, Hardcover
First published January 22, 2019
12 people are currently reading
2710 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 112 reviews
December 29, 2018
You can find the full review and all the fancy and/or randomness that accompanies it at It Starts at Midnight
1.5*
World War I books are basically unicorns. There are quite a few WWII books floating around, but WWI? So rare, and I was so excited to finally dive into one! Which is probably why my disappointment stings extra in this particular case. I keep trying to come up with more positives, because the Goodreads reviews I have skimmed seem to quite like this, so perhaps I am being a real black sheep here? Or perhaps it is that my expectations were too high? Regardless, I am having trouble. Anyway! Let's start with positives!
The Good:
•The second half picked up. After a slow start, the second half of the book did move at a much better pace.
•The time period, it is awesome! Like I said, how many WWI books can you think of?
The Not-So-Good:
•The first half was painfully slow. Especially for such a short book, it felt like nothing happened. There was a lot of chat about England and the War, and then a play, which... why? Why was that there? Perhaps I am missing something, but it didn't exactly pull me in. I kept waiting for the exciting stuff and it just... it took awhile.
•The setting didn't even feel particularly special? I mean, considering we're going for a "WWI England" vibe, I should be feeling that, yeah? It just didn't seem memorable for me, that with a few minor changes it could have been anywhere, anytime.
•I knew how basically all the things were going to play out. There's a "twist" that I guessed in seriously the first few pages. Actually, is it even supposed to be a twist? Maybe this is my mistake.
•It's just all too easy. And I'm pretty sure that World Wars aren't supposed to be easy? I never felt a sense of urgency. Sure, logically I knew it was a war, hence there would be, but I never felt it. It felt too safe, and things ended up working out wayyy too simply.
•I felt zero connection to the characters. I mean, don't get me wrong, I didn't want them to die in some fiery battle or anything, but I also probably wouldn't lose any sleep over it if they had. Even Lina, who was supposed to be this "badass" girl, was just... kind of there. And not that I think every hero has to be super brave or fearless, not at all! But I just didn't get any vibe from her, brave or otherwise. And, I kind of felt that the only reason she was "useful" was because of her privilege anyway, which would open up a whole other can of worms but I am too tired and apathetic to delve into it.
•Shannon. Was. Bored. Honestly it just boils down to my sheer boredom and apathy. When you care about none of the characters, (correctly) feel like you know the whole plot, and find it plodding at best, you're bound to be bored. And I was. Terribly so.
Bottom Line: I so, so badly wanted to love this. It just happens that I didn't.
1.5*
World War I books are basically unicorns. There are quite a few WWII books floating around, but WWI? So rare, and I was so excited to finally dive into one! Which is probably why my disappointment stings extra in this particular case. I keep trying to come up with more positives, because the Goodreads reviews I have skimmed seem to quite like this, so perhaps I am being a real black sheep here? Or perhaps it is that my expectations were too high? Regardless, I am having trouble. Anyway! Let's start with positives!
The Good:
•The second half picked up. After a slow start, the second half of the book did move at a much better pace.
•The time period, it is awesome! Like I said, how many WWI books can you think of?
The Not-So-Good:
•The first half was painfully slow. Especially for such a short book, it felt like nothing happened. There was a lot of chat about England and the War, and then a play, which... why? Why was that there? Perhaps I am missing something, but it didn't exactly pull me in. I kept waiting for the exciting stuff and it just... it took awhile.
•The setting didn't even feel particularly special? I mean, considering we're going for a "WWI England" vibe, I should be feeling that, yeah? It just didn't seem memorable for me, that with a few minor changes it could have been anywhere, anytime.
•I knew how basically all the things were going to play out. There's a "twist" that I guessed in seriously the first few pages. Actually, is it even supposed to be a twist? Maybe this is my mistake.
•It's just all too easy. And I'm pretty sure that World Wars aren't supposed to be easy? I never felt a sense of urgency. Sure, logically I knew it was a war, hence there would be, but I never felt it. It felt too safe, and things ended up working out wayyy too simply.
•I felt zero connection to the characters. I mean, don't get me wrong, I didn't want them to die in some fiery battle or anything, but I also probably wouldn't lose any sleep over it if they had. Even Lina, who was supposed to be this "badass" girl, was just... kind of there. And not that I think every hero has to be super brave or fearless, not at all! But I just didn't get any vibe from her, brave or otherwise. And, I kind of felt that the only reason she was "useful" was because of her privilege anyway, which would open up a whole other can of worms but I am too tired and apathetic to delve into it.
•Shannon. Was. Bored. Honestly it just boils down to my sheer boredom and apathy. When you care about none of the characters, (correctly) feel like you know the whole plot, and find it plodding at best, you're bound to be bored. And I was. Terribly so.
Bottom Line: I so, so badly wanted to love this. It just happens that I didn't.
February 20, 2023
"Gather ye rosebuds while ye may, Old Time is still a-flying; and this same flower that smiles today tomorrow will be dying."
This book was an overall enjoyable story, with likeable characters and a sweet romance, which is why I'm giving it four stars. However, as a historical fiction mystery it was a little disappointing.
Considering it just from the lens of a historical fiction mystery, and for its 'mystery-thriller and action' aspect, I'd say it was more a 3 star at most.
I jumped into this with very high expectations after that blurb. I was expecting high level espionage, a lot more mystery, jam-packed action, and just more...oomph I guess, that this book lacked.
The first half of the book was honestly quite bland, nothing really happened. I guess the author was just attempting to set up the scene for later events.
However, the second half really picked up and it started to get a lot more entertaining after that. I loved seeing Lucas and Mina get closer and their blossoming romance develop.
Overall, as a book in general, I'd give it a 4 stars, because despite the fact that it didn't quite reach my expectations, I still really enjoyed this as a book in general.
Song: Legendary by Welshly Arms
This book was an overall enjoyable story, with likeable characters and a sweet romance, which is why I'm giving it four stars. However, as a historical fiction mystery it was a little disappointing.
Considering it just from the lens of a historical fiction mystery, and for its 'mystery-thriller and action' aspect, I'd say it was more a 3 star at most.
I jumped into this with very high expectations after that blurb. I was expecting high level espionage, a lot more mystery, jam-packed action, and just more...oomph I guess, that this book lacked.
The first half of the book was honestly quite bland, nothing really happened. I guess the author was just attempting to set up the scene for later events.
However, the second half really picked up and it started to get a lot more entertaining after that. I loved seeing Lucas and Mina get closer and their blossoming romance develop.
Overall, as a book in general, I'd give it a 4 stars, because despite the fact that it didn't quite reach my expectations, I still really enjoyed this as a book in general.
Song: Legendary by Welshly Arms
July 11, 2019
For some reason, I thought that Mina would do a lot more code breaking than she did, and that her father would have a bigger role in the story. The first half seemed completely unnecessary (what was the point of having that play at their house? Or having the sister Margaret have a secret affair with Prince Albert?). The identity of the spy was completely anticlimactic. The love interest was alllll over the place. One minute he’s being all flirty with Mina, then he’s judgmental of her, then he’s aloof and ignoring her - and the whole time she’s captivated by him. I can’t stand a wishy-washy love interest, so he did nothing for me.
The second half had a bit more excitement, but parts of it felt rushed. I didn’t really buy the ending either, and I thought the book ended very abruptly.
There are not many YA WWI books, so I was intrigued by this one, but it didn’t quite deliver.
The second half had a bit more excitement, but parts of it felt rushed. I didn’t really buy the ending either, and I thought the book ended very abruptly.
There are not many YA WWI books, so I was intrigued by this one, but it didn’t quite deliver.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 1, 2020
This book was one of the first ones I had read on SwoonReads, and when I found out it was being published traditionally, I knew I needed to get a copy, and re-read it. Set in 1918, as the war in Europe is still being fought, Lady Mina Tretheway goes home from her boarding school at the request of her father, and finds that childhood friend, Lord Andrew, and a young American, Lucas Mueller, will be visiting, and she needs to help them. This could be her only chance to help in the war effort, and she will stop at nothing to be useful, especially if it could turn the tide of the war, and stop so many people being killed. Mina, Andrew, and Lucas need to become spies, and may even need to go behind enemy lines in order to stop the senseless killing.
Mina was a fantastic character, and she really reminded me a bit of Lady Sybil from Downton Abbey. She wanted to be more than just a Lady, expected to marry well and know just want she needs to, and not too much. With both her father and brother being involved in the war effort, it having affected the country for nearly 4 years, and her not being able to do anything because she's a girl, any chance to help is one that she would jump at, and that's exactly what she does here. At first, she's not too sure how she can help, but the more she learns about what Andrew and Lucas have been up to, and the fact that she would be crucial to helping because of her language skills, she will stop at nothing to be there. The fact that she is growing closer to Lucas, and feels as if the attraction is mutually, doesn't hurt either. Their chemistry was fantastic, and I really was rooting for them from the start, but especially as the action and the stakes grew high.
Plot wise, it was a little slow at first, as it was setting the scene, but once we got to grips with the world Mina was living in, and the things she would have to do or help with, it definitely ramped up, and was a quick and enjoyable read. I can't wait to read Dee's next book, Gone by Nightfall.
Mina was a fantastic character, and she really reminded me a bit of Lady Sybil from Downton Abbey. She wanted to be more than just a Lady, expected to marry well and know just want she needs to, and not too much. With both her father and brother being involved in the war effort, it having affected the country for nearly 4 years, and her not being able to do anything because she's a girl, any chance to help is one that she would jump at, and that's exactly what she does here. At first, she's not too sure how she can help, but the more she learns about what Andrew and Lucas have been up to, and the fact that she would be crucial to helping because of her language skills, she will stop at nothing to be there. The fact that she is growing closer to Lucas, and feels as if the attraction is mutually, doesn't hurt either. Their chemistry was fantastic, and I really was rooting for them from the start, but especially as the action and the stakes grew high.
Plot wise, it was a little slow at first, as it was setting the scene, but once we got to grips with the world Mina was living in, and the things she would have to do or help with, it definitely ramped up, and was a quick and enjoyable read. I can't wait to read Dee's next book, Gone by Nightfall.
August 10, 2020
ALL IS FAIR is an action-packed, face-paced WWI adventure. I had to read it in one setting because there's basically a cliffhanger at the end of every chapter. It was the book equivalent of a roller coaster. Like a roller coaster, you can see some of the twists coming, but there are plenty of surprises. As a bonus, I learned some historical facts I didn't know before.
The appeal of this book is definitely plot over character. The characters were underdeveloped and unremarkable. The romance jumps from flirty to jilted to kissing without explanation. However, with the book's plot-driven style the characterization holes aren't a huge deal.
This book is screaming for a sequel and I look forward to reading it.
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the digital arc.
The appeal of this book is definitely plot over character. The characters were underdeveloped and unremarkable. The romance jumps from flirty to jilted to kissing without explanation. However, with the book's plot-driven style the characterization holes aren't a huge deal.
This book is screaming for a sequel and I look forward to reading it.
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the digital arc.
December 9, 2018
This is an excellent young adult reader novel. It gives a very balanced look at life in England during World War 1 through the eyes of a young teenage girl. Lady Mina Thretheway is at boarding school which should keep her safe from war.
But her father and brother are heavily involved. The brother is declared missing and presumed dead. Mina has grieved over him for months.
One day she receives a telegram from her father. It is written in code, but only she knows that. Her father wants her to come home and help a "family member" with an issue.
Through a completely believable set of circumstances she finds herself aboard a war ship headed to the Continent and into the war. No teenager should be doing such. She goes in naive, but comes out with her eyes opened and understanding the truth about war, it is hell.
I love the character development. I love the story line. I really love the way you come from a state of disbelief and naïveté to a state of complete understanding how hard war can be.
Lady Mina is young, but smart. She is innocent. She is brave. She is completely loyal to her father and her country.
Your young adult reader will love the story and learn some truths about the first World War.
Enjoy!
But her father and brother are heavily involved. The brother is declared missing and presumed dead. Mina has grieved over him for months.
One day she receives a telegram from her father. It is written in code, but only she knows that. Her father wants her to come home and help a "family member" with an issue.
Through a completely believable set of circumstances she finds herself aboard a war ship headed to the Continent and into the war. No teenager should be doing such. She goes in naive, but comes out with her eyes opened and understanding the truth about war, it is hell.
I love the character development. I love the story line. I really love the way you come from a state of disbelief and naïveté to a state of complete understanding how hard war can be.
Lady Mina is young, but smart. She is innocent. She is brave. She is completely loyal to her father and her country.
Your young adult reader will love the story and learn some truths about the first World War.
Enjoy!
June 29, 2018
Love, love, loved it. But I suppose you'd like to know why? I'll tell you:
1. Lady Mina Tretheway is the heroine I've always hoped for. She's smart, funny, and a code breaker. This book is her coming of age, from a privileged boarding school student to a young adult who can make a real difference in World War I.
2. The romance! Mina has always fancied her older brother's friend Lord Andrew Graham, but when a young American, Lucas Mueller, comes to visit, she is drawn to him as well.
3. The twists! Obviously, I can't tell you about these because it would ruin the surprise.
4. The setting: author Dee Garretson makes both Edwardian England and WWI accessible and fascinating for young readers without ever once being boring.
This is the sort of book you want to hide in your closet and read so that no one disturbs you until you're completely finished. I read it in one sitting, I couldn't put it down.
1. Lady Mina Tretheway is the heroine I've always hoped for. She's smart, funny, and a code breaker. This book is her coming of age, from a privileged boarding school student to a young adult who can make a real difference in World War I.
2. The romance! Mina has always fancied her older brother's friend Lord Andrew Graham, but when a young American, Lucas Mueller, comes to visit, she is drawn to him as well.
3. The twists! Obviously, I can't tell you about these because it would ruin the surprise.
4. The setting: author Dee Garretson makes both Edwardian England and WWI accessible and fascinating for young readers without ever once being boring.
This is the sort of book you want to hide in your closet and read so that no one disturbs you until you're completely finished. I read it in one sitting, I couldn't put it down.
January 24, 2019
I received this book for free from Publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
All is Fair by Dee Garretson promises an adventure.
The beginning of All is Fair promises a fun, action-packed adventure, set in World War I with badass females being involved in espionage. After Mina receives a telegram from her father at her boarding school and decrypts the message, she heads home to find her friend Andrew with an American named Lucas.
It's a little predictable, but also fun.
All is Fair starts off great and I loved seeing Mina decrypting her father's message at school. I also loved seeing this play a role later on when Mina has to join Lucas on his mission so he could succeed.
But Garretson's novel is relatively predictable as I called some of the twists before they happened. While this may suck out of the fun for some people, I found myself letting the easy predictions slide as I enjoyed other aspects of the story.
Slow at the beginning.
After the promising intro and beginning when we are introduced to Mina and learn a little about her, the story dies down. All is Fair becomes slow and we focus a lot on the aristocratic life in the early 20th century before we get to the action-packed part of the story. I found myself stepping away frequently until then because I was just bored despite the character interactions.
Characters and interactions are great, romance unnecessary
I'm a huge character person - if there's a character or two that I enjoy reading, I'll likely let other problems (if any) I have slide. And I adored Mina. From the beginning, she's wanted to go on an adventure but rarely gets the opportunity until something happens and she takes the chance. Her interactions with Lucas are amusing and there is quite the shade being thrown between the two (I love me some good shade).
But the romance wasn't necessary to the story. It felt suddenly thrown in near the end just to have a romantic aspect of sorts. All is Fair would have been perfectly fine with the friendship and occasional shade being thrown about.
We have an open ending.
All is Fair leaves an open ending that promises of a possible sequel that could potentially happen. Even if there is no sequel, though, the story wrapped up nicely. My only issue aside from the unnecessary romantic aspect is the boring beginning readers will have to drag themselves through to get to the action-packed adventure.
This review was originally posted on Bookwyrming Thoughts
All is Fair by Dee Garretson promises an adventure.
The beginning of All is Fair promises a fun, action-packed adventure, set in World War I with badass females being involved in espionage. After Mina receives a telegram from her father at her boarding school and decrypts the message, she heads home to find her friend Andrew with an American named Lucas.
It's a little predictable, but also fun.
All is Fair starts off great and I loved seeing Mina decrypting her father's message at school. I also loved seeing this play a role later on when Mina has to join Lucas on his mission so he could succeed.
But Garretson's novel is relatively predictable as I called some of the twists before they happened. While this may suck out of the fun for some people, I found myself letting the easy predictions slide as I enjoyed other aspects of the story.
Slow at the beginning.
After the promising intro and beginning when we are introduced to Mina and learn a little about her, the story dies down. All is Fair becomes slow and we focus a lot on the aristocratic life in the early 20th century before we get to the action-packed part of the story. I found myself stepping away frequently until then because I was just bored despite the character interactions.
Characters and interactions are great, romance unnecessary
I'm a huge character person - if there's a character or two that I enjoy reading, I'll likely let other problems (if any) I have slide. And I adored Mina. From the beginning, she's wanted to go on an adventure but rarely gets the opportunity until something happens and she takes the chance. Her interactions with Lucas are amusing and there is quite the shade being thrown between the two (I love me some good shade).
But the romance wasn't necessary to the story. It felt suddenly thrown in near the end just to have a romantic aspect of sorts. All is Fair would have been perfectly fine with the friendship and occasional shade being thrown about.
We have an open ending.
All is Fair leaves an open ending that promises of a possible sequel that could potentially happen. Even if there is no sequel, though, the story wrapped up nicely. My only issue aside from the unnecessary romantic aspect is the boring beginning readers will have to drag themselves through to get to the action-packed adventure.
This review was originally posted on Bookwyrming Thoughts
October 1, 2024
From the first page, Mina reminds me of Jo March (from Little Women) -- one of my favorite literary heroines! Mina is a bit fiery and spunky, willing to stand out from the crowd and stand up for what she believes in. So when her father sends her a coded message, she's ready to drop everything and figure out what kind of secret project it is that he needs her help with. And my! It leads her into a top-secret, death-defying mission. A far cry from the stuffy old boarding school she was at when summoned. Plus, she's helping her country of England during the Great War. What better time to be brave, but when it counts?
Recommended for adults. Minimum recommended age is 13. Contains elements of romance, with mild insinuations.
Recommended for adults. Minimum recommended age is 13. Contains elements of romance, with mild insinuations.
April 29, 2019
Pretty good overall but the ending felt a bit too rushed.
October 29, 2018
I will start with the bad before getting to the good. The first half made me wonder if I had impulsively decided to read this because of a misleading summary before looking at reviews and doing further research. It starts with Mina leaving boarding school upon receiving an urgent and ciphered letter from her father demanding her to return home. She meets a cute American named Lucas on the train that claims they will meet again soon. Mina arrives home to the news that Lucas and her brother's best friend Andrew will temporarily be guests. What happens over the next 40% is Lucas thinking Mina is a rich, privileged brat, Mina secretly helping Andrew and Lucas draw a map out of a German town she visited when she was younger, talks of one of the housemaids being a German spy (it's easy to tell who), and the town gossiper demanding to host a play at Mina's manor for the nearby soldiers' entertainment.
The play part was utterly ridiculous and I assumed the summary was fabricated to ensnare readers into thinking this was more than a silly English drama set during World War I. But once I made it through the bizarre first half, the second portion picked up speed and seeped with action, suspense, and danger.
Andrew can't make it on a mission with Lucas and gives Mina a cipher that only he knows. Mina trails after Lucas, meaning to pass the information on to Lucas and get back home, but by the time she reaches Lucas she has no choice but to board the military vessel set for Belgium. She knows she may never return from the mission, but not once do you see an ounce of fear in her actions. Lucas and her (plus a cat called Unsinkable Sam who was awesome) survive the bombing of the ship and sneak their way into Belgium and further into Germany, dodging danger and doing what they can to carry out the mission and survive. Mina can speak several languages so she acts as the translator between herself and Lucas and the people they meet that help them along the way.
I wish the first portion was reduced to make room for more of the second half since that was the heart of the novel, but the ending leads to me hope that the author's intent was to expand on Mina's story, and if that is the case I will definitely read the followup.
Thank you NetGalley for the ARC.
The play part was utterly ridiculous and I assumed the summary was fabricated to ensnare readers into thinking this was more than a silly English drama set during World War I. But once I made it through the bizarre first half, the second portion picked up speed and seeped with action, suspense, and danger.
Andrew can't make it on a mission with Lucas and gives Mina a cipher that only he knows. Mina trails after Lucas, meaning to pass the information on to Lucas and get back home, but by the time she reaches Lucas she has no choice but to board the military vessel set for Belgium. She knows she may never return from the mission, but not once do you see an ounce of fear in her actions. Lucas and her (plus a cat called Unsinkable Sam who was awesome) survive the bombing of the ship and sneak their way into Belgium and further into Germany, dodging danger and doing what they can to carry out the mission and survive. Mina can speak several languages so she acts as the translator between herself and Lucas and the people they meet that help them along the way.
I wish the first portion was reduced to make room for more of the second half since that was the heart of the novel, but the ending leads to me hope that the author's intent was to expand on Mina's story, and if that is the case I will definitely read the followup.
Thank you NetGalley for the ARC.
January 5, 2019
**I received this as an egalley from the publisher through Edelweiss in return for an honest review.**
So I was intrigued by this novel because to me, its premise made it sound like it was going to be about espionage and decoding ciphers to help the Allies against Germany during the Great War. I’m not sure why that’s what I thought it was going to be now that I look back at the summary, but what this turned book turned out to be was definitely a far cry from what I expected. And not all of it was good.
I would say right off the bat, this book is good for younger readers. Like, middle grade to about mid-high school I would say. It’s easy to read and follow, is very engaging, and keeps the reader going. The action doesn’t get lost in the details, and I would say this is good for someone who likes things to move at a quick paste. Sadly, I am not that sort of person.
My initial thought was that this was going to be a decent book. It started off well, with Mina receiving a telegram from her father with a cipher in it that she decodes, discovering that she is to head home from school to help an old friend with the war effort. There’s a train ride where she meets the love interest, Lucas, and gives off a wonderful first impression by yelling a line from a play to her friend out the window. At this point I really like Mina already. She is kind and vivacious, eager to know what’s going on, she loves writing and acting in plays, and she wants desperately to help in whatever way she can with the war.
Then the story starts to have me getting a little antsy. Mysteries start building up around Mina’s home, Hallington Hall, but it still feels like nothing is happening regarding the cipher her father sent her. I kept waiting for more ciphers or things that Mina would need to help with. Instead I got a sort of Downton Abbey type of setting (and don’t get me wrong, I was loving it to be honest), with some building intrigue dealing with German spies and a secret mission and her sister having a mysterious beau. I kept waiting for Mina to be given more ciphers to decode or to be asked to do something to help with whatever mission Lucas and her brother’s friend, Andrew were working on. All she ended up doing was drawing them a map and that was….it. Then we just had some rural English countryside drama and multiple mysteries that had yet to be solved. Also some growing chemistry between Lucas and Mina, of course.
During this time at Hallington, I did feel like I was a little annoyed at Mina for being so nosy and wanting to know all the minute details of Andrew’s mission. I get feeling left out, and normally I hate the trope that is often used where the main character isn’t allowed to know certain information for their “own safety” but in the case of a top secret mission during The Great War….girl you gotta make like Elsa and let it go. You do not need to know the details. In fact there was a point at the end of the book when she claimed that she could have known about a specific detail because “there wasn’t anyone near her who could have gotten that information back to Germany” and yet .
And suddenly, things just escalated. I mean, exponentially. The plot just takes off and suddenly the Downton Abbey-ness of it all is gone and the war becomes the definite focus of the plot. There were just suddenly so many (in)convenient happenstances that help push Mina into the rest of the plot that it felt a little unrealistic at times. Any conflict that was met was overcome almost too easily, or if there was a hiccup, it wasn’t completely life-threatening. Even the ending gets its happily ever after twist . Honestly, I was kind of disappointed by the end of the book because the first half had been going so well, despite it not going in the general direction I had thought it would, and the second half felt like almost a completely different novel.
My other issue with the plot was just how quickly it moved. Earlier I said this was good for younger readers and those who don’t enjoy a lot of detail, but for me, this felt like it just glossed over travel scenes and moments of character growth/insight. And then there were these odd moments when the author would add in these random scenes that didn’t really do much for the plot and were just sort of there. I think she was trying to show some moments of humanity during this terrible war, but all it did for me was to stick out like a sore thumb with how peculiarly they were transitioned into and out of.
I think the characters were good. Mina, like I said, I really enjoyed, and Lucas was definitely fun and full of life. I did think he was unfairly judgmental of her, but I also felt like when that moment happened, it was a little unjustified of his character. There were a couple of times before when he had pre-judged Mina’s behavior about things, but he had spent so much time seeming to enjoy her company that I felt like I didn’t understand where these presumptions were coming from. If he had started out biased towards her position in life, then yes, I would have completely expected it, but to throw in this character flaw so late in the story felt awkward and weird.
As for their romance, I liked it to a point. The chemistry grew wonderfully over the course of the novel, until they kissed. At a completely unromantic moment. After that I felt like their romance didn’t mean as much? I don’t know how to describe other than disappointment in the direction in which the romance continued.
Sadly this book just turned out to be a disappointment for me. It started off well, with characters I was enjoying, and a plot and atmosphere that felt right for the period and interesting to continue reading. But then things escalated and the plot took a turn that I was not expecting or really all that pleased with, and from there I just kind of judged everything that happened in a bit a of a negative light. The romance, the action, the travel – it all just started happening too quickly and too conveniently for me to really enjoy it anymore.
2 stars
So I was intrigued by this novel because to me, its premise made it sound like it was going to be about espionage and decoding ciphers to help the Allies against Germany during the Great War. I’m not sure why that’s what I thought it was going to be now that I look back at the summary, but what this turned book turned out to be was definitely a far cry from what I expected. And not all of it was good.
I would say right off the bat, this book is good for younger readers. Like, middle grade to about mid-high school I would say. It’s easy to read and follow, is very engaging, and keeps the reader going. The action doesn’t get lost in the details, and I would say this is good for someone who likes things to move at a quick paste. Sadly, I am not that sort of person.
My initial thought was that this was going to be a decent book. It started off well, with Mina receiving a telegram from her father with a cipher in it that she decodes, discovering that she is to head home from school to help an old friend with the war effort. There’s a train ride where she meets the love interest, Lucas, and gives off a wonderful first impression by yelling a line from a play to her friend out the window. At this point I really like Mina already. She is kind and vivacious, eager to know what’s going on, she loves writing and acting in plays, and she wants desperately to help in whatever way she can with the war.
Then the story starts to have me getting a little antsy. Mysteries start building up around Mina’s home, Hallington Hall, but it still feels like nothing is happening regarding the cipher her father sent her. I kept waiting for more ciphers or things that Mina would need to help with. Instead I got a sort of Downton Abbey type of setting (and don’t get me wrong, I was loving it to be honest), with some building intrigue dealing with German spies and a secret mission and her sister having a mysterious beau. I kept waiting for Mina to be given more ciphers to decode or to be asked to do something to help with whatever mission Lucas and her brother’s friend, Andrew were working on. All she ended up doing was drawing them a map and that was….it. Then we just had some rural English countryside drama and multiple mysteries that had yet to be solved. Also some growing chemistry between Lucas and Mina, of course.
During this time at Hallington, I did feel like I was a little annoyed at Mina for being so nosy and wanting to know all the minute details of Andrew’s mission. I get feeling left out, and normally I hate the trope that is often used where the main character isn’t allowed to know certain information for their “own safety” but in the case of a top secret mission during The Great War….girl you gotta make like Elsa and let it go. You do not need to know the details. In fact there was a point at the end of the book when she claimed that she could have known about a specific detail because “there wasn’t anyone near her who could have gotten that information back to Germany” and yet .
And suddenly, things just escalated. I mean, exponentially. The plot just takes off and suddenly the Downton Abbey-ness of it all is gone and the war becomes the definite focus of the plot. There were just suddenly so many (in)convenient happenstances that help push Mina into the rest of the plot that it felt a little unrealistic at times. Any conflict that was met was overcome almost too easily, or if there was a hiccup, it wasn’t completely life-threatening. Even the ending gets its happily ever after twist . Honestly, I was kind of disappointed by the end of the book because the first half had been going so well, despite it not going in the general direction I had thought it would, and the second half felt like almost a completely different novel.
My other issue with the plot was just how quickly it moved. Earlier I said this was good for younger readers and those who don’t enjoy a lot of detail, but for me, this felt like it just glossed over travel scenes and moments of character growth/insight. And then there were these odd moments when the author would add in these random scenes that didn’t really do much for the plot and were just sort of there. I think she was trying to show some moments of humanity during this terrible war, but all it did for me was to stick out like a sore thumb with how peculiarly they were transitioned into and out of.
I think the characters were good. Mina, like I said, I really enjoyed, and Lucas was definitely fun and full of life. I did think he was unfairly judgmental of her, but I also felt like when that moment happened, it was a little unjustified of his character. There were a couple of times before when he had pre-judged Mina’s behavior about things, but he had spent so much time seeming to enjoy her company that I felt like I didn’t understand where these presumptions were coming from. If he had started out biased towards her position in life, then yes, I would have completely expected it, but to throw in this character flaw so late in the story felt awkward and weird.
As for their romance, I liked it to a point. The chemistry grew wonderfully over the course of the novel, until they kissed. At a completely unromantic moment. After that I felt like their romance didn’t mean as much? I don’t know how to describe other than disappointment in the direction in which the romance continued.
Sadly this book just turned out to be a disappointment for me. It started off well, with characters I was enjoying, and a plot and atmosphere that felt right for the period and interesting to continue reading. But then things escalated and the plot took a turn that I was not expecting or really all that pleased with, and from there I just kind of judged everything that happened in a bit a of a negative light. The romance, the action, the travel – it all just started happening too quickly and too conveniently for me to really enjoy it anymore.
2 stars
January 23, 2019
All is Fair is a fictional story of love and war set in England during the first world war. What makes this story fascinating and that sets it apart from other historical ya fiction is indeed it setting. World War I books are rare stories even rarer in the YA genre, so you can just imagine my immense fascination and love for the topic to be brought up in this story.
The plot follows Thomasina in her detective journey to finding out certain secrets about the war which aids her in helping her brother and love interest for the war effort. A story of war and love with an air of suspense accompanied by a smart cookie of a character, Thomasina, who made the story entertaining as the fact that she does not act like a lady should in her times making her stand out interestingly.
Indeed there is nothing original about the concept, but keep in mind that just because something is unoriginal does not mean it isn't good. And, this story is resounding proof of this.
Negative: As much as it pains me to find fault with this story or any story, The story did indeed take its time to build up and get my attention which caused me to procrastinate on reading it for quite some time. Another thing is that though I may not read many war-related stories, I felt that the story lacked the intensity that is needed when it comes to talks of war.
| Blog | Instagram | Twitter |
The plot follows Thomasina in her detective journey to finding out certain secrets about the war which aids her in helping her brother and love interest for the war effort. A story of war and love with an air of suspense accompanied by a smart cookie of a character, Thomasina, who made the story entertaining as the fact that she does not act like a lady should in her times making her stand out interestingly.
Indeed there is nothing original about the concept, but keep in mind that just because something is unoriginal does not mean it isn't good. And, this story is resounding proof of this.
Negative: As much as it pains me to find fault with this story or any story, The story did indeed take its time to build up and get my attention which caused me to procrastinate on reading it for quite some time. Another thing is that though I may not read many war-related stories, I felt that the story lacked the intensity that is needed when it comes to talks of war.
| Blog | Instagram | Twitter |
November 2, 2018
All is Fair is a well written, intriguing WWI rescue story with a hint of romance. I read the ARC tonight and in just one sitting. I love a good female empowerment book and our heroine in this novel has moxie, brains, and a good sense of humor. While it is possible that some people will sigh about ‘another rescue’ novel (we have had some incredible ones recently), I especially like this novel for upper middle school and lower high school. It has some complexity that will appeal to a slightly older reading set but (spoilers) a resolution that is somewhat fanciful and a tiny bit incredible. Yet in the details, it is often more realistic than any other rescue novel I can think of. The author’s descriptions of the smell of a wrist watch or the hair oil and petrol oil on a scarf really struck me as adding a truly authentic layer. So, if you have someone new to the genre and/or a reader who adores the genre, All is Fair would be an excellent book to put into their hands.
#netgalley @deegarretson
#netgalley @deegarretson
January 23, 2019
(Disclaimer: I received this free book from Netgalley. This has not impacted my review which is unbiased and honest.)
I immediately liked Mina. There's a fire, a spunk, a personality to her that instantly attracted me. Whether it be the fact that she is wildly creative, empathetic, or incredibly clever, I wish I was friends with Mina. But in this time period. She is cunning and her wit allows her to be an excellent code cracker as well as quick on her feet. So from the summary alone, it was a pretty good bet I would really love Mina. But what I didn't expect was how swept away I would get in the story.
full review https://utopia-state-of-mind.com/blog...
I immediately liked Mina. There's a fire, a spunk, a personality to her that instantly attracted me. Whether it be the fact that she is wildly creative, empathetic, or incredibly clever, I wish I was friends with Mina. But in this time period. She is cunning and her wit allows her to be an excellent code cracker as well as quick on her feet. So from the summary alone, it was a pretty good bet I would really love Mina. But what I didn't expect was how swept away I would get in the story.
full review https://utopia-state-of-mind.com/blog...
January 5, 2019
Mina is summoned home from school to help her father, a spy for the British Home Office during WWI. Mina finds that lots of strange things are happening as she does her best to help her brother's friends. Things move slowly at first, until Mina must head into Germany on a secret mission.
In the beginning, this story seems like a less complex version of Downton Abbey. But Mina is not just another Lady Mary. She heads straight into the middle of danger with Lucas, an American, and tries to save everyone.
In the beginning, this story seems like a less complex version of Downton Abbey. But Mina is not just another Lady Mary. She heads straight into the middle of danger with Lucas, an American, and tries to save everyone.
September 7, 2021
C/W:
All Is Fair tried to do too many things in too short of a novel, which left the book feeling unfocused. There's drama at Mina's family estate, an espionage plot, numerous mysteries, and a romance all in less than 300 pages. I would've loved it if the story had chosen one or two elements to devote more attention to rather than bopping all over the place. The espionage story had a lot of plot holes that kept it from making sense. The romance between Mina and Lucas was also a bit too insta-love for my taste.
All Is Fair tried to do too many things in too short of a novel, which left the book feeling unfocused. There's drama at Mina's family estate, an espionage plot, numerous mysteries, and a romance all in less than 300 pages. I would've loved it if the story had chosen one or two elements to devote more attention to rather than bopping all over the place. The espionage story had a lot of plot holes that kept it from making sense. The romance between Mina and Lucas was also a bit too insta-love for my taste.
December 12, 2018
Full review to come.
March 29, 2019
I really enjoyed the story, but I wish there had been more having to do with ciphers and puzzles! I would have loved to see them being worked out.
March 22, 2023
I loved this book. It is great for people who love romance and historical fiction.
5 stars
5 stars
July 28, 2021
Well, this was a pretty quick and entertaining read and, I think, only my second YA novel about WWI, so that alone makes it special.
It has an interesting premise, for sure--teenage Mina is summoned home from school through a cryptic telegram from her father, but when she arrives, there are more questions than answers at hand.
The staff at her family's once grand English estate has been greatly reduced, leaving the house feeling empty. Her mother is off in the states, her father is in the foreign office, her brother Crispin is MIA in Germany, and her widowed sister, Margaret, has arrived unexpectedly at home. No one is really able to fill Mina in on exactly what it is her father needed her help with. Plus, there's talk of spies and hints that someone at the estate is telling secrets. Not to mention, Mina herself sees someone in the darkness and finds a German wristwatch on the grounds.
But then her former crush, Lord Andrew, arrives with a young American named Lucas Miller. They quiz her about a town she and her family had visited in Germany, about the names her brother had had for places in the village. There's lots going on at the nearby military base at Cranwell, but Lucas and Andrew pretty much keep Mina out of it, leaving her to putter about the garden in Margaret's cast-off party dresses since that's all she has to wear. Lucas seems to act hot and cold toward Mina at this time--he's quick to laugh and have fun with her, but he also is very quick to judge her lifestyle, her (sister's) fancy clothes, and the huge estate.
Anyway, that's a lot of the first half. The second half is markedly different as Mina gets swept deep into espionage and intrigue. It left me quite breathless--and yet . . . I also still couldn't quite get myself to believe it. Mina clearly has ciphering and language skills, but the happenings that pair her and Lucas are almost too much to suspend my disbelief. Oh, they make sense when you read them and I don't want to shortchange Mina, but so much happens to her that an English schoolgirl couldn't possibly have faced, let alone with such aplomb.
A couple other things to point out:
1) How does someone lose a wristwatch? That seems something that's hard to lose.
2) What happened to Hannah anyway? And though she and her mom claimed to be actresses, why on earth was she so terrible at it? I spotted her right away. And what drove them to this anyway?
3) What happened to Hannah's contact? Did they ever catch him? And how did the staff at Hallington react when Mina disappeared to run after Lucas?
4) The romantic connection between Lucas and Mina was okay . . . and though I love the whole thrown-together-by-circumstances bit, I guess I just didn't see very much why Mina liked Lucas. I could see why he'd like her. Young, pretty, clever, dedicated, and willing to help him no matter what, she was a strong character. Lucas was . . . an American? With a nice smile and comforting manners? At least, when he wasn't judging Mina harshly for being upper crust, anyway. I think I would have enjoyed their romance more if they were older, actually. I suppose just couldn't get past that she was 16 and that this is a YA novel.
Anyway, my opinions aside, this is a fair book overall. Some little flaws, perhaps, but a solid YA novel in the scheme of things.
It has an interesting premise, for sure--teenage Mina is summoned home from school through a cryptic telegram from her father, but when she arrives, there are more questions than answers at hand.
The staff at her family's once grand English estate has been greatly reduced, leaving the house feeling empty. Her mother is off in the states, her father is in the foreign office, her brother Crispin is MIA in Germany, and her widowed sister, Margaret, has arrived unexpectedly at home. No one is really able to fill Mina in on exactly what it is her father needed her help with. Plus, there's talk of spies and hints that someone at the estate is telling secrets. Not to mention, Mina herself sees someone in the darkness and finds a German wristwatch on the grounds.
But then her former crush, Lord Andrew, arrives with a young American named Lucas Miller. They quiz her about a town she and her family had visited in Germany, about the names her brother had had for places in the village. There's lots going on at the nearby military base at Cranwell, but Lucas and Andrew pretty much keep Mina out of it, leaving her to putter about the garden in Margaret's cast-off party dresses since that's all she has to wear. Lucas seems to act hot and cold toward Mina at this time--he's quick to laugh and have fun with her, but he also is very quick to judge her lifestyle, her (sister's) fancy clothes, and the huge estate.
Anyway, that's a lot of the first half. The second half is markedly different as Mina gets swept deep into espionage and intrigue. It left me quite breathless--and yet . . . I also still couldn't quite get myself to believe it. Mina clearly has ciphering and language skills, but the happenings that pair her and Lucas are almost too much to suspend my disbelief. Oh, they make sense when you read them and I don't want to shortchange Mina, but so much happens to her that an English schoolgirl couldn't possibly have faced, let alone with such aplomb.
A couple other things to point out:
1) How does someone lose a wristwatch? That seems something that's hard to lose.
2) What happened to Hannah anyway? And though she and her mom claimed to be actresses, why on earth was she so terrible at it? I spotted her right away. And what drove them to this anyway?
3) What happened to Hannah's contact? Did they ever catch him? And how did the staff at Hallington react when Mina disappeared to run after Lucas?
4) The romantic connection between Lucas and Mina was okay . . . and though I love the whole thrown-together-by-circumstances bit, I guess I just didn't see very much why Mina liked Lucas. I could see why he'd like her. Young, pretty, clever, dedicated, and willing to help him no matter what, she was a strong character. Lucas was . . . an American? With a nice smile and comforting manners? At least, when he wasn't judging Mina harshly for being upper crust, anyway. I think I would have enjoyed their romance more if they were older, actually. I suppose just couldn't get past that she was 16 and that this is a YA novel.
Anyway, my opinions aside, this is a fair book overall. Some little flaws, perhaps, but a solid YA novel in the scheme of things.
November 10, 2020
3.5 stars
As a fan of all things historical fiction, All is Fair pulled me in with that gorgeous cover and enticing synopsis. The story was a bit on the short side but easy to read. I would've liked more spycraft as the synopsis promised.
What I Liked:
- the setting
- Mina!- she was kind, brave and super likable
- Lucas and his grins
- the bit of romance was cute
- Mina's adventure felt far from over- sequel please?
The Not So Much:
- the build up in the first half of the book was too slow and felt pointless at times
- the story wasn't particularly interesting
- it's war but the main conflict was very easily solved
- the ending happened too quickly
"If a moment of happiness is within your grasp, take it. There is nothing wrong with holding on to the last gasps of a dying way of life while you can. If it gives people some comfort or sense of purpose, we shouldn't judge, no matter how meaningless the act." (p. 115).
As a fan of all things historical fiction, All is Fair pulled me in with that gorgeous cover and enticing synopsis. The story was a bit on the short side but easy to read. I would've liked more spycraft as the synopsis promised.
What I Liked:
- the setting
- Mina!- she was kind, brave and super likable
- Lucas and his grins
- the bit of romance was cute
- Mina's adventure felt far from over- sequel please?
The Not So Much:
- the build up in the first half of the book was too slow and felt pointless at times
- the story wasn't particularly interesting
- it's war but the main conflict was very easily solved
- the ending happened too quickly
"If a moment of happiness is within your grasp, take it. There is nothing wrong with holding on to the last gasps of a dying way of life while you can. If it gives people some comfort or sense of purpose, we shouldn't judge, no matter how meaningless the act." (p. 115).
March 12, 2019
The pacing of this book was off, which threw everything else off, and made it all seem very rushed. I feel like it would've been better had this been stretched into more than 273 pages. The story needed time to actually develop, instead of just being crammed into as few pages as possible.
2 stars.
2 stars.
March 19, 2020
Slow going. A wartime spy romance? It should be thrilling, start to finish, but nothing happened during the first half and the second half was so rushed that it made my head spin.
Not my favorite, but the prose itself was good and the main character was completely lovable and surprising.
Not my favorite, but the prose itself was good and the main character was completely lovable and surprising.
February 21, 2019
I don't really know what to make of this book. I wanted to love it but I think I only liked it. The first half was pretty slow and took me a couple of weeks to read. It wasn't necessarily boring just slow. I finished the second half in a couple of days after it picked up.
The chemistry or flirtation between Mina and Lucas was confusing. He would do a complete 180 in how he treated Mina. It was back and forth but in a confusing way not I can't decide if I like you or not way.
I hope for a sequel though so it is a good read overall.
The chemistry or flirtation between Mina and Lucas was confusing. He would do a complete 180 in how he treated Mina. It was back and forth but in a confusing way not I can't decide if I like you or not way.
I hope for a sequel though so it is a good read overall.
February 27, 2019
Fast-paced World War I adventure follows a teen linguist/codebreaker who goes from boarding school to an English countryside to wartorn Belgium and Germany. Lady Mina and bold American Luke are both clever, resourceful, and flawed, and I hope author Dee Garretson follows up with a sequel.
June 26, 2020
2 3/4. The first half is pretty dull and most of it could have been cut out but the second half does pick up and become more interesting. Overall the writing just isn’t that great. It almost reads like story off of Wattpad that’s mildly better than the average entry. The plot and characters are very shallow and underdeveloped. This book just could have used someone to push the author into expanding the events of the story and going deeper into the characters and their thoughts and emotions.
April 17, 2022
This book was so stupid, like, my God. I feel so bad saying this, but it really just didn't work out for me.
It was originally recommended to me by my librarian, and since her stuff usually clicks with me, I thought; 'oh hey, why not'. But, as my rating shows, it didn't have that type of brilliant spark...
On the one hand, it was a fast read and I probably would have finished it sooner if it weren't for all of the stuff I had to do and school. It is binge-worthy and page-turning/gripping, but only after you can get past the author's petty writing. (Sorry!)
If your into post-patriotic books, or like stuff that goes "Your country is asking for you to join us!" and "My country's duty will always be with me until the very end! And, I am willing to spill so much blood for it!" then this might be your kind of type, either American or British. It's cringe-y either way, too.
The main character feels so bland and emotionless, her whole job (and only one, at that) is to be a spy and try to crack a code, but every time she asks a character a question or ponders further, or wants to decline their answer, she immediately backs down, worried that they'll "think bad of her" or how "it would be so immodest" or "it wouldn't look good to be eavesdropping". And I get the whole time era and all, but c'mon?
Couldn't the author have at least made some boundaries break? Just for the sake of making a good story?
And the romance sucked, a 16 year old girl and some 34 year old man don't work well, so why is that such an integral part to the book?! It ruined it in some places and how could no functioning adult say NO to the main girl when she thinks she can rule the world and go to wherever she wants... That part really annoyed me, just the unrealistic part.
And her older brother! WHO IS APPARENTLY AN INNOCENT CHILD, BUT GOES WILD CRAZY WHEN GIVEN A CUT-THROAT KNIFE FOR THE SAKE OF WAR. He straight-up is so ruthless and unmerciful when it comes down to killing victims and poor people, like, the war and all makes sense for this sort of behavior, but to what extent???
Which brings me to one of my last points about how this book just really sucked; the descriptions. Nearly everything wasn't described, or it was, but just done so timidly and unprofessionally, that I didn't even realize the main character was in 1918 until half way through the first part, for all I know, she could have been a hipster in blue jeans.
And that neighbor... Oooooooh, I would have SMACKED her if she ever treated me like that. I will admit though, that the play twist upon everything fell together at the end.
My favorite part of this book though, was the Margaret and secret prince association, that really linked it back to the historical context and reality. It gave me 'The Crown' (Netflix's original show, a HUGE recommend for all British royalty readers and fans!) vibes, too. So nice to finally have some real-linkage with the true parts of that time place.
But, other than that, I would never, EVER recommend this book to anyone, it just sucks so badly. The whole war glorifying part and "being a strong solider to help your country's cause" really took a wrong aim and felt super dorky and corny.
The coding was alright, but a bit un-complex and simple at times. Nothing really honest and true to what was actually going on back then.
Just not for me.
It was originally recommended to me by my librarian, and since her stuff usually clicks with me, I thought; 'oh hey, why not'. But, as my rating shows, it didn't have that type of brilliant spark...
On the one hand, it was a fast read and I probably would have finished it sooner if it weren't for all of the stuff I had to do and school. It is binge-worthy and page-turning/gripping, but only after you can get past the author's petty writing. (Sorry!)
If your into post-patriotic books, or like stuff that goes "Your country is asking for you to join us!" and "My country's duty will always be with me until the very end! And, I am willing to spill so much blood for it!" then this might be your kind of type, either American or British. It's cringe-y either way, too.
The main character feels so bland and emotionless, her whole job (and only one, at that) is to be a spy and try to crack a code, but every time she asks a character a question or ponders further, or wants to decline their answer, she immediately backs down, worried that they'll "think bad of her" or how "it would be so immodest" or "it wouldn't look good to be eavesdropping". And I get the whole time era and all, but c'mon?
Couldn't the author have at least made some boundaries break? Just for the sake of making a good story?
And the romance sucked, a 16 year old girl and some 34 year old man don't work well, so why is that such an integral part to the book?! It ruined it in some places and how could no functioning adult say NO to the main girl when she thinks she can rule the world and go to wherever she wants... That part really annoyed me, just the unrealistic part.
And her older brother! WHO IS APPARENTLY AN INNOCENT CHILD, BUT GOES WILD CRAZY WHEN GIVEN A CUT-THROAT KNIFE FOR THE SAKE OF WAR. He straight-up is so ruthless and unmerciful when it comes down to killing victims and poor people, like, the war and all makes sense for this sort of behavior, but to what extent???
Which brings me to one of my last points about how this book just really sucked; the descriptions. Nearly everything wasn't described, or it was, but just done so timidly and unprofessionally, that I didn't even realize the main character was in 1918 until half way through the first part, for all I know, she could have been a hipster in blue jeans.
And that neighbor... Oooooooh, I would have SMACKED her if she ever treated me like that. I will admit though, that the play twist upon everything fell together at the end.
My favorite part of this book though, was the Margaret and secret prince association, that really linked it back to the historical context and reality. It gave me 'The Crown' (Netflix's original show, a HUGE recommend for all British royalty readers and fans!) vibes, too. So nice to finally have some real-linkage with the true parts of that time place.
But, other than that, I would never, EVER recommend this book to anyone, it just sucks so badly. The whole war glorifying part and "being a strong solider to help your country's cause" really took a wrong aim and felt super dorky and corny.
The coding was alright, but a bit un-complex and simple at times. Nothing really honest and true to what was actually going on back then.
Just not for me.
May 1, 2019
The story: Lady Mina Tretheway is tired of being stuck at home while the men are all at war fighting to save the country--so when she gets a strange telegram from her father asking her to do something for the war effort, she leaves school immediately and goes home to get it done. Only...it seems she was simply needed to solve a cipher before other men carry out a secret mission in World War I France. When their plans go badly awry, Mina finds herself on a troop ship heading for danger in a faraway place. Can she prove she's every bit as good as a man in this fight--including the one she's trying not to fall in love with?
June Cleaver's ratings: Language PG; Violence PG-13; Sexual content PG; Nudity G; Substance abuse PG; Magic & the occult G; GLBT content G; adult themes (war and its privations) PG; overall rating PG.
Liz's comments: I thought this story was charming, although it went quite abruptly from tea and theatricals in Lincolnshire to skulking and hiding in No Man's Land. Any girl who likes a proper romance novel that also gives an idea of what life was like for young women a hundred years ago will like this story.
June Cleaver's ratings: Language PG; Violence PG-13; Sexual content PG; Nudity G; Substance abuse PG; Magic & the occult G; GLBT content G; adult themes (war and its privations) PG; overall rating PG.
Liz's comments: I thought this story was charming, although it went quite abruptly from tea and theatricals in Lincolnshire to skulking and hiding in No Man's Land. Any girl who likes a proper romance novel that also gives an idea of what life was like for young women a hundred years ago will like this story.
February 2, 2019
What first intrigued me about All Is Fair was the setting. I love reading about different time periods and when I was reading the synopsis I added this book to my ever growing tbr list. The pace was a little slow at first but it did get faster. I loved the writing! Mina was a delight to read! She is a whimsical and witty character. All is fair has plenty of action, romance and an air of mystery to it that will keep you hooked to the last page!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 112 reviews