This is alternate cover edition for ASIN B00OSHOI1I. For previous covers see here and here
Upstate New York, 2012. Emily Stanton, a sociology major, graduates from college and is obligated to work for the mysterious company that funded her education. But a job with Evergreen Research Corporation is not what she expects. From fancy balls and operas to corsets and kid gloves, Emily learns to be a specialist in 1910 society. In the process, she finds herself fully immersed in the lives of wealthy aristocrats and industry leaders, whose thirst for power leads them to manipulate everything, including time. Thrust into this strange and dangerous world, Emily becomes their most important asset.
Unable to trust her coworkers or her surroundings, however, Emily finds herself alone--with her very survival in the hands of a handsome stranger, Wendell Beringer. Unfortunately, Emily soon discovers that he has a few secrets of his own. Can she trust this man or the feelings she develops for him? Only time will tell.
Follow Emily's unexpected journey, where journal entries to her deceased aunt and the powerful secrets they contain, become her only link to the life she once knew and the future she must choose to follow.
Denise Liebig is the award-winning author of Remembering Skye and The Dear Maude Trilogy, which includes Dear Maude, For the Love of Maude, and Forever Maude.
A true fan of historical fantasy fiction, she spends her free time researching historical events and writing about the possibilities. Denise also enjoys spending time in the present with her husband and three kids.
4,5 stars - English Ebook 🦋🦋🦋 Emily has a scholarship. Little does she know where she ends up. And Then she has to survive a lot of holes in the road so to say. Her only lifeline is her diary, who she calls Maude, after her great aunt. Very Well written young adult timetravel story. When you are in to this kind of story’s I recomend it. 🦋🦋🦋
How do I write a review of Denise Liebig's Dear Maude, the first book in the Dear Maude Trilogy, that does the book the justice it deserves, without giving away too much of the plot? Ah therein lies the conundrum. Conundrum is a very useful word in describing Dear Maude. It is full of conundrums and paradoxes, that make you think, make you pause and make you question what you know about physics, science and of course the paradox of time-travel. The whole time-travel thing caught me on the hop. I hadn't read much about Dear Maude until I dived into it and my initial thought was this is classic chick-lit. Exceptionally well-written and enjoyable chick-lit, in my opinion, but chick-lit nonetheless. By the time I realised it was so, so, much more than that, I was totally hooked. Suffice it to say, this is the best book within its genre that I've read in many al long day and I would go even further to say this is one of the better books I've ever read. Definitely a contender for a coveted "Grunter" award at the end of this year. I often talk in my reviews about the joy of discovering fresh, exciting and new indie talent. Denise Liebig is definitely that. She puts many a big-5 author to shame, in my humble opinion. Okay, so the story is pretty straightforward, to begin with. Emily (Em) needed a scholarship to go to University and the quid pro quo for the scholarship was that she had to agree to work for the Evergreen Foundation for four years after graduation. No big deal, right? What're four years, for a degree? WRONG! It doesn't take too long for Em to figure out she's sold her soul to the devil - and that's all I'm telling you about the plot. Read it yourself - you'll love it. As a debut novel, Dear Maude was an outstanding success. That Liebig has been able to follow up Dear Maude with the remaining two books in the trilogy is a testament to her seriousness as an author and her consistency. I literally cannot wait to read Books 2 & 3 now. If you like time-travel, with all its conundrums and paradoxes, or if you like a female protagonist with strength, character, and determination, you'll love Dear Maude. I sure did and give it the full 5-Star treatment. Kudos to the author and long may she continue to turn out fine books like this debut novel.
Oh Dear! (Maude). Where to start on this? First off the time travel alluded to in the blurb didn't even start until about 175 pages into the book. The rest was a pretty boring send up. Maude trades a college education debt for 4 years of her life. During her "training" at the institute after college she barely asks any questions. None of which are answered and she seems to accept that as just fine. The story seemed disjointed and all over the place. I had to read the blurb again to figure out who her love interest was supposed to be and which we don't meet until well into the book. Once Emily DOES time travel it really made no sense. Firstly, being forced into a marriage for money to fund the institute didn't seem to phase Emily at all. No college education is worth a forced marriage and possible children as well as losing contact forever with your remaining family. Emily barely asked questions so she came across as kinda stupid. It implied that Emily was a pioneer in the game of marriage for money. Losers became maids etc. you would think they would exploit this rich resource a bit more and there would be fake niece/daughters all over the place. If you weren't a maid they made you work in a bordello but you could even own it which seemed like a stupid throw in. What evil corporation would pass up the lucrative prostitution trade? You were supposed to buy that a former mean girl who became a bordello madam was happy in her fate. Nice strike for feminism there.
The time travel "science" was confusing and ludicrous. There were current and future versions and hologram versions running around all over the place. Like someone from middle school made up how the universe worked. This WOULD probably appeal to middle schoolers as YA fiction but if your over 13 I can't see how you could read this. Unfortunately I can't go back in time to stop myself from reading this.
Blurb: Upstate New York, 2012. Emily Stanton, a sociology major, graduates from college and is obligated to work for the mysterious company that funded her education. But a job with Evergreen Research Corporation is not what she expects. From fancy balls and operas to corsets and kid gloves, Emily learns to be a specialist in 1910 society. In the process, she finds herself fully immersed in the lives of wealthy aristocrats and industry leaders, whose thirst for power leads them to manipulate everything, including time. Thrust into this strange and dangerous world, Emily becomes their most important asset.
Unable to trust her coworkers or her surroundings, however, Emily finds herself alone--with her very survival in the hands of a handsome stranger, Wendell Beringer. Unfortunately, Emily soon discovers that he has a few secrets of his own. Can she trust this man or the feelings she develops for him? Only time will tell.
Follow Emily's unexpected journey, where journal entries to her deceased aunt and the powerful secrets they contain, become her only link to the life she once knew and the future she must choose to follow.
I greatly enjoyed this book about a young woman who accepts a college scholarship that sends her on a time-travel mission to the Civil War. There were a lot of twists and turns that were unexpected and kept my interest.
The story begins with Emily Stanton in college sharing her room with a nasty student who suddenly acts like her best friend when Emily meets a guy. She’d accepted a full scholarship from a mysterious company with the expectation she either pays them back or works for them for four years. Holding to her responsibilities, she works for Evergreen Research Corporation and is chosen for a prestigious assignment. One she must agree to before she knows what it entails.
During the entire time she journals her life, writing the entries to her deceased aunt Maude whom she adored.
This story is chocked full of adventure, mystery, romance and time-travel. The unexpected twists and turn of this intriguing novel had me reading it in one setting. Well worth losing some sleep. The characters come to life and the descriptions were so vivid I felt as if I had fallen into time with Emily.
Denise Liebig crafted a well-written and captivating story to begin her series. Don’t worry, there is not a cliff-hanger. Everything comes together nicely in the final chapter. I highly recommend this novel and am ready for the rest of the series
Dear Maude is the first installment of The Dear Maude Trilogy. It starts with the main character, Emily, a diligent college student receiving a full scholarship from a company on condition that she works for that company for four years after graduation. However, the nature of her work had never been clearly defined. The setup of the story is creative and well thought out. The story line is captivating and engaging right from the first line. Then, the plot turns and twists once the time travel theme emerges. The entire story is written in the first-person narrative. The main character’s frequent internal dialogs are refreshing and brilliant, funny at times. Besides time travel, the story encompasses heart-wrenching romance and endearing family love. Ms. Liebig carefully crafts all aspects of the story. It’s safe to say it is a superb multi-genre novel, a masterpiece that well deserves five stars.
I’m glad this is the first of a series and there is more to come. Though the book works well as a standalone, you do know there is more to come and can’t wait for it. Emily Stanton comes out as a brave, strong character. She is courageous and works hard at doing well. When she signs up for her scholarship, she has no idea what a roller coaster ride her life would become when she finished college. I like the first person narrative and the journal style of writing. It brings you closer to the character and you empathise with what she goes though. It has a bit of everything, reality, fantasy, intrigue, love and after a slow beginning, you kind of rush to the end. Looking forward to the next one.
I have no idea how the ratings are so high for this book. I honestly don't know why I kept reading it to the end. The beginning was so badly written, I really don't know how I kept going. The second half was better, but still not good. And the end was terrible. I know this is a trilogy, but there is no way I'll be reading the next two to find out what happens. I don't care enough about the characters to suffer through two more badly written books to get to the conclusion.
The premise of the story wasn't awful, but the execution was terrible. A better writer and/or editor could have made something good out of this concept, but this was a fail.
4 stars - English ebook Quote : `Emily ventures into an unknown future accompanied only by the journal she addresses to her deceased aunt, Maude, and the will to survive a four-year commitment she hopes will return her to the world she once knew.'
IThe lead character of this book is Emily Stanton, a well-educated and intelligent girl who has secured funding for her college course from The Evergreen Research Corporation on the understanding that she will work for them for four years after completing it. She calls her diary `Maude' and begins each entry with the words `Dear Maude', hence the book's title. It's named after my grandmother's aunt who was a flapper during the 1920s. Unlike some characters in the book, she treats those employed to look after her with sympathy and understanding. An endearing trait, I think. But what exactly is she dealing with in The Evergreen Research Corporation, and how is time travel involved? "Their agenda? Well, Evergreen Research was created for one reason--to allow wealthy individuals the ability to alter past events to gain them further wealth and power." And here we encounter a problem commonly met with in tales involving time travel. The accepted wisdom is that altering events in the past will have consequences which cannot be foreseen. It is a dangerous thing to do. For example, someone may venture into the past, cause an accident and, as a result, may not come into existence any longer in the future. In which case they could not have gone back into the past in the first place. And so on . . . Its a dillema at least. What would you do? Interesting mix of time travel/history novel and young adult book.
Denise Liebig has written an intelligent, engaging, well written and commendable debut novel "Dear Maude." What she achieves in this novel is a deep understanding of: place, time, character, period, and an ability to maintain a sense of mystery throughout. No small achievement this must be said. The novel oscillates between a narrative form and a diarist form. I found this structurally uneven and this is the prime reason why I awarded this readable and enjoyable novel a four out of five and not a five out of five. But the author should be by no means be disappointed. This author will gain many fans believe me. Lovers of period drama, romance, mills and boom novels, suspense, mystery, readers that love novels set in affluent environments, young adult readers, people who love a story about a young inexperienced girl falling in love, these readers will fall head over heals with this book, and this is something I can say unequivocally. There is a huge market for the "Dear Maude Trilogy." People will adore this young novelist whose main character Emily Stanton is both intelligent, inexperienced and lacking what colloquially we call the state of being, 'street wise.' Her main character is a beautiful, humble, young woman, who is both modest and warm of heart. Readers will find the protagonist of the book endearing, empathic, engaging, and involved. These affects are executed by the author stylistically via the manner in which she writes the book which is both: emotional, warm, and full of awareness of how others that surround the main character are cold and adrift from basic human decency. Thus, other characters act as baselines of comparison to Emily Stantons good heart, for although their bank statements maybe healthy, too many of the people Emily Stanton will encounter will be merely spiritually redundant and mentally impoverished, especially in regard to what it is to be a human being in this life. Because the author writes in the first person she achieves by this format of writing the ability to really grasp the inner world of Emily Stanton. What the reader gets in return is an excellent example of what it is like to be an outsider from the out-group attempting to fit in to the in-group, terms I learnt from my studies of social psychology and sociology. The descriptions of the hyper affluent, how they dress, how they dine, is magnificent. What it feels like to be an underling, to be a person not from this society is so well done that all we can do is salute Denise Liebig and encourage her to finish this trilogy which she intends to provide us readers with. The author manages to play on our nerves. We have no idea, as we read through the book, if the novel is a young adult book, a romance, a science fiction, a dystopian novel (for e.g. the contract provided by The Evergreen Research Corporation seems like a barbaric example of where Corporate American is headed in terms of workers rights and human rights) or an example of historical romantic fiction. Well done to Denise! in this present zeitgeist readers love a cross-fertilization of genres. The author keeps us in a sense of mystery, we wonder what exactly is happening to Emily, is she being used, or is she simply being employed to perform a set amount of duties that may or may not be to her personal detriment? These factors help to make this novel splendid and rather appetizing for perspective readers. Denise Liebig shall find a loyal following as an authoress and many more praise worthy people than I shall sing her praises as an authoress.
If you are reading reviews of “Dear Maude” by Denise Liebig, you have likely already read a synopsis. But even if you have, any brief outline of the contents of the book should be taken with a grain of salt. Unpredictable, wonderfully atypical, there are simply too many elements to the story to succinctly sum it up in a brief post (the “Maude” journal being one clever component). Time travel, detailed period depictions of life, characters from the past and the future, a devilish corporation behind the many machinations taking place. And that is only a fraction of what Mrs. Liebig has cleverly and deftly created. It is plain why the author made this a trilogy. There is simply a lot of story to tell and a number of characters who in order to be fleshed out require more time. The hook has been set superbly so to speak. The writing is intelligent without being so pretentious the flow is affected. The pace is rapid with jarring changes in direction and settings which adds to the sense of uncertainty. The protagonist, Emily Stanton is often (and rightfully) confused as she struggles to piece together what exactly is happening to her and what is real and what and who is legitimate in the new world(s) she finds herself thrust into. My favorite character trait though is her irreverent thoughts as she deals with the day to day reality of being a modern woman thrust back in time and required to live the role. I pictured the writer giggling to herself as she created the dialogue and couldn’t help wondering if she would have liked to add further mischief to Emily’s musings. I can’t imagine any woman in any century wearing a corset and being a happy camper for instance and Emily certainly hates it. I am extremely interested in discovering what the author creates in subsequent additions to the story. Women’s literature, Chic lit; whatever labels someone wants to ascribe to it. This is simply good story telling by a talented writer in her unique voice. Loved it and waiting impatiently for the follow up!
My roots are not only foreign (I’m a Belgian-Flemish professional author), but moreover I have been for nearly two decades a literary author who, later in life, began to write cross-over. In a novel, first of all I search for style, style and again style. If the story is additionally captivating, that’s a second plus. That’s why I have enjoyed reading “Dear Maude”, the excellent debut of authoress Denise Liebig. The novel has an elegant style and is moreover an interesting “cross-over” between many genres: mystery, time-travel fantasy, adventure, romance, even social critique…But “Dear Maude” has also an epistolary aspect – the main, and very likeable, character Emily Stanton writes diary entries addressed to her deceased aunt Maude - which I found emotionally touching and intimate, highlighting a refined sense of nostalgia. In those entries, Denise Liebig’s style is at its best, rendering a profound sense for detail, emotional subtleties, and “tone”. Don’t expect a synopsis of the story from me. Other reviewers will have done so nicely. I try to convey my feelings during the reading process. Emily Stanton is a strong-willed but also empathic and warm character who touched my heart. The nasty Evergreen Research Corporation is a chilling example of the direction the ultra-liberal capitalism is leading to, and the distinction – not only in material matters but also spiritually – between the haves and the have-nots in a society is delicately, but at the same time with great clarity, criticized. So, there you have it: a debut that stands out in the crowd, a sly and intelligent mixture of a “thrilling” novel and an “endearing” novel. Oh yes, and one more thing: the feminine touch in “Dear Maude” lies in the abundance of beautiful details…which a male novelist would tend to overlook….I think that Denise Liebig is on her way to become a praised authoress. I received a copy of the book in exchange for an honest review
In 2012, Emily Stanton’s living situation at college is an interesting one. Laced with hidden mystery, Emily has a four-year scholarship. Her roommate is a wealthy school girl named Sophia. Emily is a smart student who loves her parents, and she has the natural ability to get good grades. The terms of her scholarship states that after she graduates, she must work for the mysterious company, Evergreen Research Corporation. Before graduating, Sophia introduces Emily to Gerd as well as Sophia's father named George, the prestigious yet deceptive Lord Winston. Every now and then, Emily writes in a journal to her deceased aunt named Maude because while Maude was alive, Emily adored her. (Maude had died when Emily was fifteen.) The story is filled with charm, 1910 waltzes, beautiful gowns, wealthy balls, tender loving romance, social etiquette, mystery from 2125, and a touch of humor. About half way through the book, time travel becomes more entertaining. A super ending brings it all together.
Denise Liebig gives excellent detail for each scene in first person narrative. She does a very good job keeping the reader in mind while unfolding the story. The pacing and rhythm is just right. Beautifully written, this story brings time travel to life. Denise knows how to keep the mystery going. This story is elegant and entertaining.
It was the time travel and suspense that attracted me to “Dear Maude” rather than the romance. To like-minded readers I would say: the story of likeable, modest, innocent university student Emily Stanton in the first few chapters then changes dramatically when she has to start work with the mysterious Evergreen Research Corporation who have sponsored her degree course. She suddenly finds herself in a very strange, brave new world. And all those relationships in the previous chapters begin to take on a rather different perspective.
Emily discovers that she has been chosen to play a key role in their biggest project yet. The story quickly develops through various twists and turns as it explores the possibilities and dangers of time travel until she finds herself faced with impossible choices. Everything is a test and nothing and nobody are as they seem. The story is told in the first person so you see the world from Emily’s viewpoint with all her anxieties, hopes and questions. Who and what is real? Whom, if anyone, can be trusted? And there are some great lines. One favourite, and you’ll have to read the book to understand it fully, is the heart-rending cry: “I want to live in a time without corsets!”
Nothing is free in life and this is what Emily learns. She gets a free ride through college on condition she works for Evergreen Reasearch Corporation afterward for four years. This isn't much to ask or is it? Evergreen are not what they appear to be on face value and are actually an organization that can interfere with the past to make rich people even richer. This is where Emily, a 'wild card' comes in as she can influence without out causing a time paradox to herself and therefore negating her action.
Dear Maude is Emily's diary and a reminder of a very dear relative now deceased, who Emily adored. She can connect with the diary just as she did the real Maude and so give a wonderful first-hand view of her experiences, especially those out of her own time. This is a story with twists and turns that cannot be predicted, leaving the enjoyment intact and intense. Highly recommended.
Not read anything by Denise Liebig before...most certainly will in the future, The story is an amazing structure of originality that puts some established figures to shame.I found it hard to put down. So clever it's narrative process I was totally unprepared for it....Time travel, social experimentation, love, greed and a perennial secret diary to deceased relative, Maude. It is funny and a very clever interpretation of physics that few would dare to write. The dodgy Evergreen Research Foundations was an inspired construct, as an instrument of concealed greed. Anything negative about this review,,,,maybe to many descriptives but the weight of the story eclipses that. Overall, I loved and given time will read 2+3! P.S. Don't wear corsets.
I once joined a neighborhood book club and found I was the only male with seventeen women. I enjoyed that but found all our selections were chic lit. Never would have read those books and I'd have missed a lot of good reading. Denise Liebig could have been an author of one of those books. Dear Maude is chic lit, well written, and smooth, and it kept me smiling the whole way. It is cute, funny, and enjoyable while mind altering. This enjoyable read draws in science fiction, romance, time travel mixed with a touch of Grisham's The Firm. I recommend it for a light hearted trip. Thanks you Denise
More Twists than a Rollercoaster! Fasten your seatbelts. This book is unique and exciting and suspenseful, and I found myself truly worried about the safety of the main characters by the end. The time period the author chose and the way women were expected to behave was fascinating. Once I was pulled in, I couldn’t put it down. I will say this, however: after reading the first couple of chapters, I thought, okay, this is another one of those “socially awkward girl meets rich, handsome man” stories. But then events shot off in wild directions, and I became completely engaged. Stay with the story. It ends explosively! I can’t wait for Book 2.
I loved this book. It is not what I expected based on the title. The protagonist is a college graduate who must now work for the company that gave her a scholarship for her tuition. And that's where it gets interesting. The characters are great. The plot has unexpected twists and turns. The setting is unique. And it's well written. I'll definitely be reading the next two books in this trilogy.
I’m not even sure it deserves 2 stars but since I finished it I suppose it does. I really liked the idea of this book but the execution was terrible. Everything was all over the place, nothing made sense and the plot line and “twists” were just ridiculous.
I was suffering a book hangover when a friend suggested I read this next. I wasn’t really sure in the beginning, because like others, I found the two roommates very annoying and frustrating in the beginning of the book. My friend urged me to read on and I’m so glad I did! I’m now suffering from a new book hangover and I can’t wait to read the next one in the series.
I originally thought it might be similar to an advice column, but I was wrong, and it is SO much better. I am not one to give away things in my review, but if you are a fan of time travel novels read past the beginning frustration and immerse yourself in the fascinating world that Ms. Liebig has created.
I felt that Daniela Acitelli did an excellent job narrating the book, especially with the different accents for eras which likely do not come naturally. Switching on a dime between current colloquial language to that of the early 1900s could not have been easy. Not only does she pull it off but the skill with which she does leads to some additional hilarity as well.
I can’t wait to start the next one and I may even reread this one again before I do.
I was provided with a free copy of this audio book for my honest review. The views expressed here are entirely my own.
When I read a book, any book, one of the things that I often yearn for is for the writer to take me to a place that gives me, the reader, a sense of vulnerability or even nostalgia. I experienced both but in such a therapeutic way. The last time I came across a book with its high descriptive content because of the writer's perfect use personifying a character's surroundings and a character's reality that is unashamedly fixed because of life experiences and intricacies was during the days I read one of Catherine Cookson's books during lunch time in the library back in high school because I found books to be more interesting than people. I never thought in my lifetime I'd encounter a text with such amazing writing - one that surpasses Nora Roberts, Danielle Steele and even Catherine Cookson. When I read the text in e-format, I felt I needed to experience the text again - physically - and I went online to try order a hard copy but it was sold out. I'm not giving up though, still going to wait for the hard copy and I can't imagine what emotions I'll experience when I get the hard copy. To call this piece of work "raw talent" is too cliche. I'd say writing that surpasses all forms of mainstream writing from the authors we've known about on mainstream media. Imagine having an intense fear of water and someone decides to unknowingly push you into the water. The minute your body is exposed to the sound of the splash and water starts covering your body, you realize you're about to drown until there is a switch in your body. You fall in love with the water because of the soothing, nostalgic, vulnerable experience. That's my experience of reading this book. Just beautiful writing!
Dear Maude (The Dear Maude Triology) provides a arcane understanding of characters, place, and time with a cognizance mystery. Told in first person single pov with world building descriptions that are vivid & well detailed. When I began listening to this science fiction about time travel I was highly anticipating when the time travel would occur. A chick-literature genre with a time travel aspect that emerges aways into the narrative. Journalizing her life with entries being written to her late Aunt Maude was invigorating, creative and humorous at times. In the beginning it was getting to know Emily Stanton, until the time travel begins and the plot twists wind up at Intervals. It is like a enigma, as well as a paradox that is difficult to solve with intricately weaved plot twists through out the narrative. Time travel encircling a heart-rending romance, and cherished family love.
Narator Daniela Acitelli is a new narator for me as I've never listened to her before. Her intonation transformed from current colloquial language to the 1900 era smoothly. Character's voices are distinct, female voices are superior to the male voices. She brought out all the sentiments. Her 1900 era tonality fit the scenerio well, her modern day pitch felt like an older character rather than a college student. Her pace was flowing through smoothly and her adjusting to different characters articulation was done smoothly. I was entertained by her performance.
DEAR MAUDE by Denise Liebig is the most compelling and original story I've read in a long time, and it's this author's debut novel no less! I simply could not put it down! The writing is superb, and the characters are realistic. The story itself kept me utterly enthralled with so many twists and turns my head was in a spin, but pleasantly so.This fascinating tale is full of romance, suspense and mystery with enough time-travel paradoxes to make any scifi aficionado purr in delight.
I can't wait to read the rest of this amazing series, and I also look forward to many more great reads from Ms Liebig in the future. I most highly recommend DEAR MAUDE!
It would be difficult for me to write a proper review without revealing too much of the plot. It was very lucky for me that I had this on my iPhone during an unexpected overnight at a hospital ER. I loved the writing and it was one of the most enjoyable time-travel stories I have read. The plot was very clever and had many unexpected twists and I quite liked the main character, Emily. Her monologue/dialogue was appropriate to her original time setting.
Thank you to the author and Amazon for making this available to me for download. I liked it so much that I have already purchased the second and third books of the trilogy.