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Days of the Week #3
A Mother's Grace
Tuesday's child is full of grace . . .
Warwickshire, 1910.
Pious young Grace Kettle escapes the world of her unsavoury and bullying father to train to be a nun. But when she meets the dashing and devout Father Luke her world is turned upside down. Her faith is tested and she is driven to make a scandalous and life-changing choice - one she may well spend the rest of her days seeking forgiveness for . . .
Will delight fans of Dilly Court, Katie Flynn and Catherine Cookson.
Have you read Mothering Sunday and The Little Angel, the first two novels in Rosie's Days of the Week collection?
Warwickshire, 1910.
Pious young Grace Kettle escapes the world of her unsavoury and bullying father to train to be a nun. But when she meets the dashing and devout Father Luke her world is turned upside down. Her faith is tested and she is driven to make a scandalous and life-changing choice - one she may well spend the rest of her days seeking forgiveness for . . .
Will delight fans of Dilly Court, Katie Flynn and Catherine Cookson.
Have you read Mothering Sunday and The Little Angel, the first two novels in Rosie's Days of the Week collection?
464 pages, Paperback
Published July 26, 2018
355 people are currently reading
362 people want to read
About the author
Rosie Goodwin
106 books377 followersBefore becoming a writer, I was a Placement Support Worker and foster carer, and worked in the social services department after completing a teacher training course. Many children have joined my family over the years. I still live in Nuneaton, where many of my books are set, with my husband, Trevor, and our beloved dogs.
I was thrilled to discover that I'd become one of the top 250 most-borrowed library authors in the UK, and would like to thank all of you who have taken out my books over the last few years! I love meeting my readers and am always pleased to hear from you. I hope you will all continue to get in touch and please do sign up for my newsletter!
I was thrilled to discover that I'd become one of the top 250 most-borrowed library authors in the UK, and would like to thank all of you who have taken out my books over the last few years! I love meeting my readers and am always pleased to hear from you. I hope you will all continue to get in touch and please do sign up for my newsletter!
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 69 reviews
May 26, 2018
Do like reading Rosie Goodwin books,it's a heartbreaking story grace father wasn't a nice character.her mother was a lovely lady and grace wanted to be a nun but life wasn't kind to her.she was in love with someone who she couldn't be with.great book.
June 7, 2018
The third book in the Days of the Week series. I enjoyed this one. Tender,caring heartbreak and heartwarming historical.
Pub Date 22 Feb 2018
Thank you to Bonnier Zaffre. I was provided a complimentary copy from Bonnie Zaffre through NetGALLEY. All opinions expressed are my own.
Pub Date 22 Feb 2018
Thank you to Bonnier Zaffre. I was provided a complimentary copy from Bonnie Zaffre through NetGALLEY. All opinions expressed are my own.
July 31, 2018
Another wonderful read by Rosie Goodwin. This is the third in the days of the week series, I have enjoyed all of them but they can be read as stand alone stories.
This one is about Tuesday's Child, Grace Kettle. The story immediately draws you in, I quickly become acquainted with the characters, as always the descriptions are brilliant and I could picture the places in my mind without any effort. This saga spans a number of years and without giving the plot away, it's fair to say that Grace has much to endure, she seems to go from one heartbreak to another, but always I found myself willing her to get through.
Thank you Rosie, now I'm looking forward to Wednesday's Child, in The Blessed Child.
This one is about Tuesday's Child, Grace Kettle. The story immediately draws you in, I quickly become acquainted with the characters, as always the descriptions are brilliant and I could picture the places in my mind without any effort. This saga spans a number of years and without giving the plot away, it's fair to say that Grace has much to endure, she seems to go from one heartbreak to another, but always I found myself willing her to get through.
Thank you Rosie, now I'm looking forward to Wednesday's Child, in The Blessed Child.
January 24, 2018
This book had pluses and minuses, but overall, I wasn’t a fan. Mixing compelling secondary characters with some pretty shoddy plotting and underdeveloped main characters, A Mother’s Grace had high points- but didn’t get me hooked.
Set at the turn of the century, the book follows the life of Madeleine Kettle, a woman who marries for love but ends up trapped in an abusive relationship, and her daughter Grace, who grows up in an abusive relationship and realises that she wants to be a nun. I really enjoyed Goodwin’s secondary character building- they’re given time to develop in their own right, and made me want to learn more about their lives, especially Grace’s crazy aunt Gertie. Similarly, her descriptions of life in Edwardian England were really interesting- also we get to spend a lot of time in Wales, my homeland! Goodwin has a good eye for detail, and major brownie points for that.
It was when we get to the main characters, though, that things started to fall apart. Grace was painted as saintly, a paragon of patience, goodness and virtue, which started to get irritating after she married the man she didn’t love. Her relationship with her father didn’t feel well-developed: I felt like his sudden death halfway through the novel was pretty abrupt, and left a lot of plot threads hanging. It was almost like she changed her mind halfway through writing the book and decided to focus on Grace’s married life instead.
And Grace’s married life made me want to cry. Her love interest was just as saintly as her- the pastor, no less, and the theme of forbidden love here was a tad cliché for me, and their romance felt a little underbaked. Perhaps I just like my books less angsty, but I really liked Dylan, her other love interest and the brother of Grace’s childhood friend Myfanwy. The thing that made me angry was the character development of Dylan, who goes from a sweetheart into a serial abuser. Why?! And worse, Grace puts up with it, for four years. It seems unnecessary, shoehorned into the plot to make Grace suffer for her supposed sin of having a child with a priest, but it wasn’t believable. It felt like suffering for sufferings’ sake.
So, this book wasn’t my cup of tea. It was easy to read, and I got through it in one sitting, like a cup of hot chocolate. But like hot chocolate, it was also a bit sickly, a bit black-and-white, for my liking. If you like chocolate box romances, then this is for you, but for me it’s not ideal.
Set at the turn of the century, the book follows the life of Madeleine Kettle, a woman who marries for love but ends up trapped in an abusive relationship, and her daughter Grace, who grows up in an abusive relationship and realises that she wants to be a nun. I really enjoyed Goodwin’s secondary character building- they’re given time to develop in their own right, and made me want to learn more about their lives, especially Grace’s crazy aunt Gertie. Similarly, her descriptions of life in Edwardian England were really interesting- also we get to spend a lot of time in Wales, my homeland! Goodwin has a good eye for detail, and major brownie points for that.
It was when we get to the main characters, though, that things started to fall apart. Grace was painted as saintly, a paragon of patience, goodness and virtue, which started to get irritating after she married the man she didn’t love. Her relationship with her father didn’t feel well-developed: I felt like his sudden death halfway through the novel was pretty abrupt, and left a lot of plot threads hanging. It was almost like she changed her mind halfway through writing the book and decided to focus on Grace’s married life instead.
And Grace’s married life made me want to cry. Her love interest was just as saintly as her- the pastor, no less, and the theme of forbidden love here was a tad cliché for me, and their romance felt a little underbaked. Perhaps I just like my books less angsty, but I really liked Dylan, her other love interest and the brother of Grace’s childhood friend Myfanwy. The thing that made me angry was the character development of Dylan, who goes from a sweetheart into a serial abuser. Why?! And worse, Grace puts up with it, for four years. It seems unnecessary, shoehorned into the plot to make Grace suffer for her supposed sin of having a child with a priest, but it wasn’t believable. It felt like suffering for sufferings’ sake.
So, this book wasn’t my cup of tea. It was easy to read, and I got through it in one sitting, like a cup of hot chocolate. But like hot chocolate, it was also a bit sickly, a bit black-and-white, for my liking. If you like chocolate box romances, then this is for you, but for me it’s not ideal.
May 15, 2018
I received this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review
What a fantastic book, it was happy and so sad at times i had tears in my eyes. I couldn’t put it down. You can always rely on Rosie Goodwin with her imagination and ability to create a fantastic story, to treat us to a great read.
What a fantastic book, it was happy and so sad at times i had tears in my eyes. I couldn’t put it down. You can always rely on Rosie Goodwin with her imagination and ability to create a fantastic story, to treat us to a great read.
January 21, 2022
I loved it so much! This might be my new favourite author, which is great as she has written loads of books!
July 15, 2018
I really enjoyed this book and I think it was even better than the previous one in the days of the week collection. Although it is part of the days of the week series, it is a completely stand alone story so you don't need to have read the previous books. Which are also excellent reads.
This book spans the years between 1891 to 1919 and tells the story of Madeleine and her unhappy marriage to judge Jacob and her young daughter Grace. As the story progresses the story is all Grace's and it turns out to be a sad and emotional one but as so often happens in a saga book everything turns out fine in the end. It is set firstly in Nuneaton then in Wales and I did think you could almost imagine you was there with them as the Welsh countryside was described well and of course not to forget the time that Grace spent at the Convent, where she learnt what drudgery was and it made her a very strong willed person.
If you enjoy a good family saga then you will love this book.
This book spans the years between 1891 to 1919 and tells the story of Madeleine and her unhappy marriage to judge Jacob and her young daughter Grace. As the story progresses the story is all Grace's and it turns out to be a sad and emotional one but as so often happens in a saga book everything turns out fine in the end. It is set firstly in Nuneaton then in Wales and I did think you could almost imagine you was there with them as the Welsh countryside was described well and of course not to forget the time that Grace spent at the Convent, where she learnt what drudgery was and it made her a very strong willed person.
If you enjoy a good family saga then you will love this book.
February 21, 2018
I really enjoyed and loved this book and I think it was even better than the previous one in the days of the week collection. Although it is part of the days of the week series, it is a completely stand alone story so you don't need to have read the previous books. This book spans the years between 1891 to 1919 and tells the story of Madeleine and her unhappy marriage to judge Jacob and her young daughter Grace. As the story progresses the story is all Grace's and it turns out to be a sad and emotional one but as so often happens in a saga book everything turns out fine in the end. It is set firstly in Nuneaton then in Wales and I did think you could almost imagine you was there with them as the Welsh countryside was described well. If you enjoy a good family saga then you will love this book, a great book to snuggle up with in a comfy chair.
March 22, 2018
This book tells the story of Grace and to a lesser extent her mother Madeline. Grace is kind and generous, but not perfect which makes her a likeable heroine. She makes mistakes in particular when she married Dylan and she bravely lives with the consequences of her decision rather than taking the easy option and running away. The book also enabled me to learn a little more about the work of women in WW1 a subject I have become increasingly interested in.
My only criticism is how little we learn about Luke who is so important to Grace's journey and the author could have developed his character more.
I love Rosie Goodwin's books having discovered her in my local library last year and I look forward to reading more from here. Thank you to Netgalley for giving me a copy of this book in return for an honest review.
My only criticism is how little we learn about Luke who is so important to Grace's journey and the author could have developed his character more.
I love Rosie Goodwin's books having discovered her in my local library last year and I look forward to reading more from here. Thank you to Netgalley for giving me a copy of this book in return for an honest review.
January 17, 2018
Sometimes life throws us curve balls and we just have to deal with them . Madeline had to endure a loveless marriage to a man who had a fetish for young girls . Her only salvation was her daughter Grace who she had to protect him from by turning to her religion and faithful staff for help and protection.Her own daughter Grace suffers the same fate as she marries only to give her son a father . Again a loveless marriage filled with drunkenness and beatings. Again this mother survived because of her son. Mothers are survivors and protectors of their children . This book shows that .
February 13, 2018
Very good. Enjoyed meeting the characters and seeing how they developed. Sometimes tho the author would write something coming from one character then suddenly the point of view would change within the same paragraph which was good as you get to know all the characters but also confusing as you were in the mindset of one character then have to swap suddenly to another. Overall the story was powerful and well written. Thank you Reader's First for the free copy.
March 14, 2018
Book 3 in the 'days of the week' series although they are standalone stories so it doesn't matter which order you read them in. I enjoyed this book and I really felt I knew the places where Grace lived and worked, Rosie's attention to detail is superb! highly recommended and can't wait to read more.
October 31, 2018
Quite a heavy book, so be prepared for that. I won’t give anything away but this girl goes through hell and back- and you go through that journey with her. Not for young readers, I’ll say that now! But definitely recommend, especially if you love Rosie Goodwin already!
April 1, 2018
Won this book on goodreads,highly enjoyable third book best of this series, can't wait for more from this author.
May 15, 2018
Another great book by Rosie Goodwin
She never fails to draw you In and then surprise you. Looking forward to the next one. Highly recommend her books.
She never fails to draw you In and then surprise you. Looking forward to the next one. Highly recommend her books.
December 21, 2019
After losing her father Madolin decides to get married to one of the regular visitors to his parish Judge Kettle in order to be financially secure despite her Aunt Gerty being willing to give her a home. However it turns out that Judge Kettle is not the nice man he seems to be, he insists on him and his wife sharing separate rooms despite being man and wife and only wanted her so he could have a child. It turns out Gerty knows something about Judge Kettle which makes her dislike him although we don't know what this is or that she knew from the start until much later in the story. Judge Kettle and the family then move to his late Uncles house in Nuneaton where Madolin becomes friendly with the staff who work there. When there daughter grace is born Judge kettle won't let his daughter out of his site and hates it when the little girl spends time with her mother or anyone else, Madolin at this point is ill due to a heart condition that was detected as she was giving birth to grace. Grace however loves her mother very much and is starting to worry about the way her father is towards her. On a visit to Wales to visit Madolin's aunt she makes friends with a Local girl Mavanoi who unfortunately dies of Scarlett fever which Grace also contracts and only just survives. One night Judge Kettle enter's graces room and attempts to make advances toward his Daughter however Madolin and Mable the made assist her and Judge kettle is attacked with a candle stick, we don't find out the real truth of what happened until later in the story. Judge Kettle is now bedridden after a stroke which happened during his attack on Grace and Madolin takes charge and sends grace back to Wales to live with her aunt. When Madolin passes away and Grace comes home from the Funeral she suddenly realises that she wants to become a Nun so on her return to Wales she enters into the local convent which she's visited when she's been visiting Gerty and attended the services there. Grace struggles to adapt to convent life and starts feeling guilty about this and when she meats the local priest Father Luke it causes her to question her faith and cross a dangerous line. The book was narrated by Charlie Sanderson as all of the series is on Audible and she's fantastic with the narration. Although this book is part of a series it can be read as a stand alone novel, Only the first two books Mothering Sunday and Little angel need to be read in sequence as the characters overlap.
July 2, 2019
Another good read from Rosie Goodwin, 3rd in the days of the week stories. As always not disappointed in the story, waiting on the 4th now.
February 13, 2018
I found this an undemanding read, despite the abuse suffered by the heroine, Grace, as she did not seem a particularly credible character. At times terribly naive and unbelievably good, she seemingly gave into temptation easily and with little soul-searching, despite extensive bible studies.
The romance element was rather perfunctory and wrapped up very quickly: in fact very little space was given over to the man Grace loved so he lacked any depth.
Many of the secondary characters were more interesting people, Grace's Aunt Gertie and an elderly neighbour especially.
The story was written in simple language and both narrative and dialogue were liberally sprinkled with hackneyed phrases but the story rattled on at a good pace and was engaging throughout.
The romance element was rather perfunctory and wrapped up very quickly: in fact very little space was given over to the man Grace loved so he lacked any depth.
Many of the secondary characters were more interesting people, Grace's Aunt Gertie and an elderly neighbour especially.
The story was written in simple language and both narrative and dialogue were liberally sprinkled with hackneyed phrases but the story rattled on at a good pace and was engaging throughout.
August 1, 2018
Number 3 in the days of the week series was another book I couldn't put down. This book was about a new character called Grace and is a lovely story. It has the usual joy and sadness and again I was drawn into the character's lives. I can't wait for the next one.
January 12, 2020
Ow wow every book i read in this series seems to be the best one, and i dont think they can get any better. Then i go on to the next one and its even better than the last. So now i cant wait to read the next.
October 23, 2019
I just love Rosie Goodwins books!
My memorable quote...
'He hadn't known that the magic potion she gave him to drink each day was actually arsenic' 😃
My memorable quote...
'He hadn't known that the magic potion she gave him to drink each day was actually arsenic' 😃
March 1, 2018
Warning – This review contains spoilers
This is far from the type of book I would typically read and is the first of Rosie Goodwin’s I have come across. I thoroughly enjoyed the story from start to finish and will certainly be exploring her other works. My one criticism is that is would have been nice to learn more about the character of Luke and experience his relationship with Grace develop in greater detail. Considering the detail with which we followed the lives of the other characters it felt a little disappointing not to have more time with Grace and Luke as a pair.
I was easily transported into Rosie’s world from the first page. Her writing style is enticing, descriptive and colourful and I found it easy to picture the characters and scenery, smell the sea, the food and the flowers, and feel the joy and the fear of the various women throughout the story. It was exciting to grow up alongside Grace and watch the relationship with her father develop, becoming more twisted as she grew. Grace, much like her mother Madeline, is kind-hearted and good-willed but ultimately human and therefore far from perfect. She makes many a mistake in her life, but none more so than marrying Dylan. Following her father’s stroke, Grace leaves home to move in with her Aunt Gertie in Wales and meets the young fisherman Dylan. Dylan quickly falls for Grace, but her heart belongs only to God. Leaving to join the local nunnery Grace tries to leave temptation behind and devote her life to the Lord but is distracted by the handsome Priest Luke who also quickly falls under Grace’s charm. Temptation soon becomes too much to resist and Luke and Grace come together in the Church; an ashamed Luke flees the village, leaving a pregnant Grace to face the consequences. Expelled from the convent Grace reluctantly agrees to marry Dylan in order to protect her unborn child from the shame of being born out of wedlock. Dylan promises to love her and the child as his own, however reality proves quite different and Dylan finds himself resenting Grace’s young son and soon turns violent. Grace is unable to develop feelings for Dylan and quickly finds herself in a loveless and abusive marriage. The only hope for salvation is the birth of their daughter Myfanwy who Dylan loves more than life itself. However, Myfanwy was born premature and doesn’t survive infancy, leaving Dylan even more angry and hateful towards both Grace and her son, who he blames for her death. Dylan eventually leaves to fight in the war and is seriously injured, finally succumbing to his injuries with the help of their neighbour Grace is finally free. After many years, Luke returns and is surprised to find out he has a son, he quickly rekindles his short relationship with Grace and the pair marry, finally getting their happily ever after.
This is far from the type of book I would typically read and is the first of Rosie Goodwin’s I have come across. I thoroughly enjoyed the story from start to finish and will certainly be exploring her other works. My one criticism is that is would have been nice to learn more about the character of Luke and experience his relationship with Grace develop in greater detail. Considering the detail with which we followed the lives of the other characters it felt a little disappointing not to have more time with Grace and Luke as a pair.
I was easily transported into Rosie’s world from the first page. Her writing style is enticing, descriptive and colourful and I found it easy to picture the characters and scenery, smell the sea, the food and the flowers, and feel the joy and the fear of the various women throughout the story. It was exciting to grow up alongside Grace and watch the relationship with her father develop, becoming more twisted as she grew. Grace, much like her mother Madeline, is kind-hearted and good-willed but ultimately human and therefore far from perfect. She makes many a mistake in her life, but none more so than marrying Dylan. Following her father’s stroke, Grace leaves home to move in with her Aunt Gertie in Wales and meets the young fisherman Dylan. Dylan quickly falls for Grace, but her heart belongs only to God. Leaving to join the local nunnery Grace tries to leave temptation behind and devote her life to the Lord but is distracted by the handsome Priest Luke who also quickly falls under Grace’s charm. Temptation soon becomes too much to resist and Luke and Grace come together in the Church; an ashamed Luke flees the village, leaving a pregnant Grace to face the consequences. Expelled from the convent Grace reluctantly agrees to marry Dylan in order to protect her unborn child from the shame of being born out of wedlock. Dylan promises to love her and the child as his own, however reality proves quite different and Dylan finds himself resenting Grace’s young son and soon turns violent. Grace is unable to develop feelings for Dylan and quickly finds herself in a loveless and abusive marriage. The only hope for salvation is the birth of their daughter Myfanwy who Dylan loves more than life itself. However, Myfanwy was born premature and doesn’t survive infancy, leaving Dylan even more angry and hateful towards both Grace and her son, who he blames for her death. Dylan eventually leaves to fight in the war and is seriously injured, finally succumbing to his injuries with the help of their neighbour Grace is finally free. After many years, Luke returns and is surprised to find out he has a son, he quickly rekindles his short relationship with Grace and the pair marry, finally getting their happily ever after.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 10, 2018
Rosie Goodwin’s novel is the third in a series of standalone novels connected by the theme of the old rhyme ‘Monday’s Child is Fair of Face…’. I’ve not read any of the other books in the series but, although some secondary characters appear in all three novels, I’ve been told that you don’t have to read the others to enjoy this book, and they’re fine to be read out of order.
On the whole, this was an enjoyable read. Much like those sagas of old, the heroine, Grace, is likeable and puts up with her hardships with stoicism and a can-do attitude. When she finally decides to become a nun, she commits to it wholeheartedly and doesn’t shirk hard work and the deprivations that her choice entails – until loves comes into the picture!
There is a definite formula to these types of novels, but that certainly isn’t to say that the story that Rosie Goodwin has written is predictable and there were lots of elements in Grace’s story that came as a surprise. When I hear this book spoken about it is described as ‘heart-warming’ and it certainly succeeds in that as, you know however Grace suffers, it will work out ok in the end…
While I am happy to recommend the book, there were a couple of things that tested my patience as I was reading. You know those stock phrases that authors use to describe fainting, or someone turning pale with shock? There are lots of ways to describe those things but I found that Rosie Goodwin used the same stock phrases repeatedly – ‘the colour drained from his face’, ‘the ground rose up to meet her’. I know that this will not bother many, many people, but the repetition drew me out of the story and I wondered that an editor didn’t pick it up and recommend alternatives. This is a small, nit-picky point, but one I feel that needs to be considered as it affected my experience of reading the book.
Despite that very minor point, I would be happy to read Rosie Goodwin’s books in future and, considering that she has a quite extensive back catalogue, there is plenty to choose from.
On the whole, this was an enjoyable read. Much like those sagas of old, the heroine, Grace, is likeable and puts up with her hardships with stoicism and a can-do attitude. When she finally decides to become a nun, she commits to it wholeheartedly and doesn’t shirk hard work and the deprivations that her choice entails – until loves comes into the picture!
There is a definite formula to these types of novels, but that certainly isn’t to say that the story that Rosie Goodwin has written is predictable and there were lots of elements in Grace’s story that came as a surprise. When I hear this book spoken about it is described as ‘heart-warming’ and it certainly succeeds in that as, you know however Grace suffers, it will work out ok in the end…
While I am happy to recommend the book, there were a couple of things that tested my patience as I was reading. You know those stock phrases that authors use to describe fainting, or someone turning pale with shock? There are lots of ways to describe those things but I found that Rosie Goodwin used the same stock phrases repeatedly – ‘the colour drained from his face’, ‘the ground rose up to meet her’. I know that this will not bother many, many people, but the repetition drew me out of the story and I wondered that an editor didn’t pick it up and recommend alternatives. This is a small, nit-picky point, but one I feel that needs to be considered as it affected my experience of reading the book.
Despite that very minor point, I would be happy to read Rosie Goodwin’s books in future and, considering that she has a quite extensive back catalogue, there is plenty to choose from.
March 26, 2019
In book three we meet Tuesday's child, aptly named Grace. This book is completely stand alone unlike the first two. We meet Madeline, daughter of the local vicar who has recently passed away leaving her penniless. Fearing for her future she agrees to marry the much older, stern and handsome Judge Kettle. She soon comes to regret her choice as he is an abusive bully of a man. Madeline delivers a daughter, Grace, the birth is difficult and leaves her an invalid. Judge Kettle becomes close to his only child, too close as she grows older. Fearing for her daughter Madeline sends her off to Wales to spend the summer with her aunt Gertie. Gertie is an eccentric but loveable lady prone to wearing men's clothing and taking in wounded and stray animals. She also meets Myfanwy and forms a bond that will change her forever. An illness tears the friendship apart, but Grace continues to find comfort in her visits to Wales to recover from illnesses and escape her father's roving eye and that of the house guests he brings in. She also drawscomfort by visiting a nearby convent and begins to dream of becoming a nun. Then one night a shocking act changes everything and sends Grace fleeing to Wales for good. She eventually joins the convent but learns that it's not the life for her and is forced to leave in disgrace. She is then talked into a marriage to a long time friend, and her troubles are far from over. I did find this to be a strong entry to this series. Grace is a lovely character, sometimes a bit too perfect. She faced a lot of hardship and heartbreak. I didn't like Dylan's story either. He could've been the kind childhood friend, who saved her and loved her why did he have to be an abusive jerk? He started out kind. I get why Bronwen was bitter but not him. But anyway despite the hardships at least this story had a happy ending so that's something anyway.
February 17, 2018
At first, although I was enjoying it, I really wasn't sure what to expect from this book. However as I continued reading I became more and more engrossed in the story, and it got to the point where I read half of the book in one sitting!
I was pleased to see that my predictions about Judge Kettle were correct, and found myself becoming more and more invested in the lives of the characters! I was always thinking in the back of my mind as I read about Mabel and Harry, or Dylan, or Gertie, even during times when they weren't around in the story.
The only reason I decided against giving it five stars is due to the emphasis on the cover about religion and sins. I felt that for a theme to be mentioned on the cover, it would need a bigger part in the story than it was in this one. Religion kind of popped back up from time to time but mostly took a backseat, and the time spent in the Convent honestly felt like such a small section of the book that I almost didn't see religion as a part of the main story at all.
It felt like the story was a little rushed, as the time jumps that take place are considerable, an example being the character development of Dylan. He seems to go from one behavioural extreme to the other in an instant with not a lot of insight into how this progressed. This played a part in the story not feeling as though it had that traditional structure of working up to the main conflict, then dying down with the resolution before ending. New conflicts and issues kept popping up throughout, more than someone could realistically experience during the space of ten years or so, and I honestly felt like this couldn't be compared to someone's life, but more to a television show.
I was pleased to see that my predictions about Judge Kettle were correct, and found myself becoming more and more invested in the lives of the characters! I was always thinking in the back of my mind as I read about Mabel and Harry, or Dylan, or Gertie, even during times when they weren't around in the story.
The only reason I decided against giving it five stars is due to the emphasis on the cover about religion and sins. I felt that for a theme to be mentioned on the cover, it would need a bigger part in the story than it was in this one. Religion kind of popped back up from time to time but mostly took a backseat, and the time spent in the Convent honestly felt like such a small section of the book that I almost didn't see religion as a part of the main story at all.
It felt like the story was a little rushed, as the time jumps that take place are considerable, an example being the character development of Dylan. He seems to go from one behavioural extreme to the other in an instant with not a lot of insight into how this progressed. This played a part in the story not feeling as though it had that traditional structure of working up to the main conflict, then dying down with the resolution before ending. New conflicts and issues kept popping up throughout, more than someone could realistically experience during the space of ten years or so, and I honestly felt like this couldn't be compared to someone's life, but more to a television show.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 30, 2020
I absolutely loved this book and just couldn't put it down. The book follows a young girl called Grace who is the daughter of Judge Kettle. Following an incident with her father she leaves home and goes to another part of Wales and she decides that she wants to become a Nun. Grace was friends with a young man called Dylan and he wants to marry Grace however Grace is in love with Father Luke but she cannot be with him. Grace and Father Luke to admit their feelings for each other and make love to each other but he then realised that he has broken his vows as had Grace and he leaves for another parish but then Grace realises she is pregnant with his child. Grace has no choice but to leave the convent and to marry Dylan who says he will marry her and give her unborn child a name but once married everything is not as it seems and Dylan turns out to be a brute of a husband to Grace. Dylan enlists as a soldier and whilst he is away in the army Grace goes back to the convent and becomes a nurse where she meets Father Luke who is now a doctor and no longer a priest but shortly after they meet again Dylan returns home in a bad way and Grace gives up her job as a nurse to care for him until he dies. Following his death Luke and Grace marry and the books also ends with them expecting another child together now married.
I loved this book but I really wished we had more about Luke's character because Grace loves this man so much but we know very little about him really.
Overall a beautiful story about how being in love with someone you can't have can have consequences but I'm so glad that Grace and Luke had their happy ending.
I loved this book but I really wished we had more about Luke's character because Grace loves this man so much but we know very little about him really.
Overall a beautiful story about how being in love with someone you can't have can have consequences but I'm so glad that Grace and Luke had their happy ending.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 31, 2018
This is the third book in the writer's Days of the Week series .Although they are stand alone books .
This is the story of Grace , Tuesdays child is full of grace
Madeline is a happy young woman , still living at home when tragedy strikes and she finds herself penniless and soon to be homeless . When Judge Kettle who is much older than her asks her to marry
hime she reluctantly agrees .
Her daughter Grace grows up in a household where she is dearly loved by her mother and the servants . However her father casts an oppressive shadow which becomes worse as she grows from child to young woman.
Finally Grace cannot remain at home any longer and flees , hoping to find solace and happiness in religion , but has destiny other plans for her ?
A well crafted and dripping story with interesting characters
This is the story of Grace , Tuesdays child is full of grace
Madeline is a happy young woman , still living at home when tragedy strikes and she finds herself penniless and soon to be homeless . When Judge Kettle who is much older than her asks her to marry
hime she reluctantly agrees .
Her daughter Grace grows up in a household where she is dearly loved by her mother and the servants . However her father casts an oppressive shadow which becomes worse as she grows from child to young woman.
Finally Grace cannot remain at home any longer and flees , hoping to find solace and happiness in religion , but has destiny other plans for her ?
A well crafted and dripping story with interesting characters
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 8, 2019
Absolutely incredible. I loved every page of this book. So descriptive yet never boring. However, my one complaint and the reason I didn’t give it 5 stars, was the romance between Luke and Grace. I couldn’t understand where their love had grown from? I understand attraction... but to be so in love with someone it seemed as if the character barely knew? Their love story could’ve had a bit of a stronger base. But otherwise, truly lovely book.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 8, 2022
A really enjoyable book, had some parts like the prologue which made me feel uncomfortable to start with as some subjects which arose throughout the story. But otherwise it was a roller coaster of emotions throughout. Grace is such a loveable character that you can't help but feel her emotions with her. Highly recommended.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 25, 2024
Goodwin’s books often hit emotive and touching topics, but this was by far the most gut-wrenching story of hers that I’ve read. I won’t spoil it, but as the book develops and touches on some sensitive and upsetting themes, I could actually feel the fear and sadness. It was quite different to the other books I’ve read so far which was a nice change.
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