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Dowry's Meadow
At a young age, Alexandra has seen the horrors of men and greed forcing her to become someone else. Now, going by as Alexander Dowry III, she has to live with the repercussions of her mother's murder and uphold the lifestyle of a rich man in a small town during the Victorian Era. Meanwhile, Eleanor Stownar wants to believe that the reasons for her arranged marriage to her "husband" Alexander are for other reasons other than financial stability. Love blooms between the two women, but how long will Alexandra hide who she really is? Not detailed SACliffhanger
175 pages, Kindle Edition
Published February 29, 2020
70 people are currently reading
377 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 37 reviews
November 30, 2021
2.5. Interesting enough to keep me reading, but a fair amount of plot holes that don't make much sense, and the very very rapey overtones (can't even call them undertones) were all a bit much.
Kindle Unlimited.
Kindle Unlimited.
July 12, 2020
Oh, lord. I really wanted to like this book very badly because it has some nice concepts and THAT BLURB, OKAY. But in the end, I just couldn't.
Things I liked:
- SWORD LESBIANS.
- The marriage plot kind of felt like a fake dating plot at first and I was super excited when I saw that potentially on the horizon. Also, the wedding itself was sweetly awkward for a "meet cute" moment and I honestly think that was the highlight of the story for this book.
- Eleanor is a really cute bisexual character and honestly liking her as much as I did as bi rep made me feel very sorry for her later with all the bullshit that happens. Poor girl, honestly. She deserves better.
- I sensed sorta OT3 vibes earlier on in the book (readers will know what I mean) and felt validated MUCH much later in the book about what I suspected earlier on. I still think it would make a good headcanon or AU if the violence against women bullshit was nixed.
- There were a couple of funny one-liners from Alex etc that made me laugh.
Things I was (VERY) iffy about:
- Okay, so, why THE FUCK are all the men in this narrative so keen on sexually assaulting women. Like. Could we not have that as a frequent plot point? Why is that the only major historical conflict in this narrative aside from the discussion of how few rights women have?
- UGH, I wanted to like Alex but uh, girl, you are seven kinds of fucked up. First of all, she tends to best fit the "angry and stormy masc" character trope of romance novels, but in a very scarily violent and threatening way that made me incredibly worried for Eleanor and Nana and even to the animals, to a certain extent. Like hello, queer domestic violence against bisexuals, much? Also, I fundamentally disagree with getting intimate with someone before having a discussion about gender identity and children, especially in a historical setting where it matters so much. What if Eleanor was hoping for biological children? What then, hmm? It feels oofy to plan to make one's spouse fall for you just so you can get what you want out of them, Alex. The reveal comes at a too little, too late moment imho. Personally, I think Eleanor would have understood much better if Alex had explained her intentions earlier on with keeping the money and power in both women's hands, rather than in the hands of ill-intentioned men. I don't blame Eleanor for the way she reacted to the reveal AT ALL.
- Attraction and lust =/= love, okay. Like omg, these characters got married and then within a few days to a week they're proclaiming their love and shit? I guess I'm not a big fan of the instalove romance plots but I felt very much in fundamental disagreement about Nana and Alex saying that their strong attraction to each other was the same as true love.
- How exactly is Alex able to run around and do all the shit she does with a fully bandaged chest most of the time? First of all, bandages make very poor and unsafe chest binding options. I'd almost rather suggest that because Alex is described as so lean and muscular, she could pass them off as pectorals instead and save her poor ribcage the trouble. But honestly, ouch. And proper corsets are supportive, not suffocating, FYI.
- Nitpick but a WHITE STALLION, seriously? From a horse merchant??? Do yourselves a favor, writers, and look up why white horses may be a cause for side-eye in a narrative, mmkay.
tl;dr: I think this book had some cool concepts re: a marriage of convenience in a misogynistic society, but ultimately could not get into neither the romance nor the plot.
Things I liked:
- SWORD LESBIANS.
- The marriage plot kind of felt like a fake dating plot at first and I was super excited when I saw that potentially on the horizon. Also, the wedding itself was sweetly awkward for a "meet cute" moment and I honestly think that was the highlight of the story for this book.
- Eleanor is a really cute bisexual character and honestly liking her as much as I did as bi rep made me feel very sorry for her later with all the bullshit that happens. Poor girl, honestly. She deserves better.
- I sensed sorta OT3 vibes earlier on in the book (readers will know what I mean) and felt validated MUCH much later in the book about what I suspected earlier on. I still think it would make a good headcanon or AU if the violence against women bullshit was nixed.
- There were a couple of funny one-liners from Alex etc that made me laugh.
Things I was (VERY) iffy about:
- Okay, so, why THE FUCK are all the men in this narrative so keen on sexually assaulting women. Like. Could we not have that as a frequent plot point? Why is that the only major historical conflict in this narrative aside from the discussion of how few rights women have?
- UGH, I wanted to like Alex but uh, girl, you are seven kinds of fucked up. First of all, she tends to best fit the "angry and stormy masc" character trope of romance novels, but in a very scarily violent and threatening way that made me incredibly worried for Eleanor and Nana and even to the animals, to a certain extent. Like hello, queer domestic violence against bisexuals, much? Also, I fundamentally disagree with getting intimate with someone before having a discussion about gender identity and children, especially in a historical setting where it matters so much. What if Eleanor was hoping for biological children? What then, hmm? It feels oofy to plan to make one's spouse fall for you just so you can get what you want out of them, Alex. The reveal comes at a too little, too late moment imho. Personally, I think Eleanor would have understood much better if Alex had explained her intentions earlier on with keeping the money and power in both women's hands, rather than in the hands of ill-intentioned men. I don't blame Eleanor for the way she reacted to the reveal AT ALL.
- Attraction and lust =/= love, okay. Like omg, these characters got married and then within a few days to a week they're proclaiming their love and shit? I guess I'm not a big fan of the instalove romance plots but I felt very much in fundamental disagreement about Nana and Alex saying that their strong attraction to each other was the same as true love.
- How exactly is Alex able to run around and do all the shit she does with a fully bandaged chest most of the time? First of all, bandages make very poor and unsafe chest binding options. I'd almost rather suggest that because Alex is described as so lean and muscular, she could pass them off as pectorals instead and save her poor ribcage the trouble. But honestly, ouch. And proper corsets are supportive, not suffocating, FYI.
- Nitpick but a WHITE STALLION, seriously? From a horse merchant??? Do yourselves a favor, writers, and look up why white horses may be a cause for side-eye in a narrative, mmkay.
tl;dr: I think this book had some cool concepts re: a marriage of convenience in a misogynistic society, but ultimately could not get into neither the romance nor the plot.
May 16, 2022
2,5 stars
How to say it...
I hated the writing style, because it was confusing and inconsistent, and I wasn't fond of the plot either, but I liked the characters themselves enough to put up with it.
That sums it up best.
How to say it...
I hated the writing style, because it was confusing and inconsistent, and I wasn't fond of the plot either, but I liked the characters themselves enough to put up with it.
That sums it up best.
May 14, 2023
I was really excited for this book ever since I saw it in my kindle suggestions, it has several of my favorite tropes, it just wasn’t executed well. Alex was extremely unlikeable, she had a temper that was really odd more than anything she’d just go from 0 to 100 at the drop of a hat. I think her character was going for broody and conflicted, but it really just came off as her being angry and overreacting. The dialogue was odd too almost like it was trying to sound old timey, but it just came out really weird and it affected the flow of the book. The book switched POVs and when it was on Eleanor’s POV she kept referring to Alex as Alexandra and a woman when she didn’t know that she was a woman until the very end which made it confusing whose POV you were reading. I bought the second book so I will continue this series, but I really hope the second book works out the issues from the first one because with some work I really felt like this could have been a decent story.
December 1, 2022
A mess with an interesting premise
The story and characters are good - loveable even besides Larkin. What the hell man?
However the prose was hard to follow. Hess hopping, pronouns being used when they shouldn’t have been used- situations and descriptions are unclear.
I still managed to enjoy this quick read though.
The story and characters are good - loveable even besides Larkin. What the hell man?
However the prose was hard to follow. Hess hopping, pronouns being used when they shouldn’t have been used- situations and descriptions are unclear.
I still managed to enjoy this quick read though.
March 14, 2021
I try not to DNF and 1 star books often. My belief is that while I may not have enjoyed the reading (for whatever reason), I don't want to deter from another reader trying and loving it. However, sometimes I come upon an interesting book that I just can't get through, and it makes me sad to let the potential of the story, and characters, go unrealized. This is one of those.
Dowry's Meadow has a lovely story idea with interesting character and scene sketches. But overall, it feels more like an early draft than a finished product. With a few more rounds of edits, and a couple beta readers, the missing/misused words, and punctuation issues could be fixed. Characters could be reworked and fleshed out to be dynamic and multidimensional. Scenes can be deepened and colored with details and sensory descriptions.
If I am told the character is standing in a big, beautiful meadow, that means nothing to me, I won't feel it, smell it, see it, hear it.
" “My God… This is like a piece of heaven on Earth,” Alexandra whispered as she held the reins of her horse and stared at the massive flower-covered field."
Hit me with the scents of the flowers on the breeze, the warmth of the sun shining. Let my fingertips graze the tall grass as I push through. I want to hear the insects and birds that make their home there. What colors am I seeing?
I want this story to be it's best. Because it's worth it.
Dowry's Meadow has a lovely story idea with interesting character and scene sketches. But overall, it feels more like an early draft than a finished product. With a few more rounds of edits, and a couple beta readers, the missing/misused words, and punctuation issues could be fixed. Characters could be reworked and fleshed out to be dynamic and multidimensional. Scenes can be deepened and colored with details and sensory descriptions.
If I am told the character is standing in a big, beautiful meadow, that means nothing to me, I won't feel it, smell it, see it, hear it.
" “My God… This is like a piece of heaven on Earth,” Alexandra whispered as she held the reins of her horse and stared at the massive flower-covered field."
Hit me with the scents of the flowers on the breeze, the warmth of the sun shining. Let my fingertips graze the tall grass as I push through. I want to hear the insects and birds that make their home there. What colors am I seeing?
I want this story to be it's best. Because it's worth it.
November 1, 2020
This book takes place in the 1800s, likely in England.
After witnessing the traumatic rape and murder of her mother when Alexandra was a child, her father raises her as a boy in an effort to ensure she inherits the family's wealth and thwarts her evil uncle and cousin. As a young adult, Alex's close friend and servant decides she must marry a woman in order to convince everyone that she is really a man. She meets Eleanor, the daughter of an indebted gambler who has just died, on their wedding day. Most of the book shows the growing closeness of the couple and Alex's angst about whether and when to reveal her true self. In the midst of this, the renewed threat from her cousin becomes more serious.
The strengths of this book are the main plot tensions and the characters. The weaknesses lie in the fact that the crisis point occurs at the very end and, although there are hints of a resolution, the actual ending is held back for a sequel, something I wish I'd known when I started the book. It felt like the book was missing an epilogue.
After witnessing the traumatic rape and murder of her mother when Alexandra was a child, her father raises her as a boy in an effort to ensure she inherits the family's wealth and thwarts her evil uncle and cousin. As a young adult, Alex's close friend and servant decides she must marry a woman in order to convince everyone that she is really a man. She meets Eleanor, the daughter of an indebted gambler who has just died, on their wedding day. Most of the book shows the growing closeness of the couple and Alex's angst about whether and when to reveal her true self. In the midst of this, the renewed threat from her cousin becomes more serious.
The strengths of this book are the main plot tensions and the characters. The weaknesses lie in the fact that the crisis point occurs at the very end and, although there are hints of a resolution, the actual ending is held back for a sequel, something I wish I'd known when I started the book. It felt like the book was missing an epilogue.
June 5, 2022
Dowry’s Meadow to me is a story about finding love in a place where one was not expecting to find it. The allure of Alexandra's situation and the mystery behind her whole life drew me in and gave me a thrill as I started out reading.
The majority of the story takes us through Alexandra and Eleanor finding themselves suddenly married and trying to find common ground to ensure happiness between them. It is very easy to see these two women falling in love with one another so fast and it is nothing short of beautiful.
There is, however, a moment where I was taken a little aback where I feel a Trigger warning is very much needed. The prologue opens up with the Sexual Assault of the main character's mother. There Are also other parts of the story where both Alex and Eleanor are nearly assaulted themselves. It is thankfully not explicit in its details but I do feel that there is enough to warn readers of the book's content prior to them picking it up.
I also found the chapters to be unnecessarily long. There are many opportunities in the chapters to end nicely and start a new chapter with a new scene. Instead, they are condensed into one very long chapter that can take between 15 to 40 minutes to read, depending on your average reading speed. I have a short attention span and felt the length was too much for me. I would often stop halfway through a paragraph because I felt I needed a break that was nowhere in my near future.
The above aside, I feel this is a beautiful love story. I enjoyed seeing how Alex let herself be vulnerable with Eleanor. And I loved how strong Eleanor is, knowing what she wants and even times knowing how to get what she desired.
The majority of the story takes us through Alexandra and Eleanor finding themselves suddenly married and trying to find common ground to ensure happiness between them. It is very easy to see these two women falling in love with one another so fast and it is nothing short of beautiful.
There is, however, a moment where I was taken a little aback where I feel a Trigger warning is very much needed. The prologue opens up with the Sexual Assault of the main character's mother. There Are also other parts of the story where both Alex and Eleanor are nearly assaulted themselves. It is thankfully not explicit in its details but I do feel that there is enough to warn readers of the book's content prior to them picking it up.
I also found the chapters to be unnecessarily long. There are many opportunities in the chapters to end nicely and start a new chapter with a new scene. Instead, they are condensed into one very long chapter that can take between 15 to 40 minutes to read, depending on your average reading speed. I have a short attention span and felt the length was too much for me. I would often stop halfway through a paragraph because I felt I needed a break that was nowhere in my near future.
The above aside, I feel this is a beautiful love story. I enjoyed seeing how Alex let herself be vulnerable with Eleanor. And I loved how strong Eleanor is, knowing what she wants and even times knowing how to get what she desired.
March 30, 2023
A good storyline that would be great with the help of a editor
It’s a enjoyable story, and I will be reading the sequel.
However, I wish it had been looked over by an editor. There is head-hopping throughout the book, you will be reading a scene that is meant to be from Elenore’s point of view (who doesn’t know Alexandra’s true gender), but she is referred to as she/her/woman/Alexandra, when Elenore doesn’t know that. And then there is a sudden sentence from the point of view of another character, and then it returns to the original pov again.
At the beginning of the book I was confused about whether the story was set in England or America. It feels like ‘Victorian England’ with a horse breeder living in a country mansion rather than a ranch, which would have been more common for that time period if it was set in America.
I found myself thrown out of the story more times than I could forgive, because I found myself constantly thinking about how it could be edited to make it technically correct. I would love to get my hands on the manuscript and give the author a hand with it. C.C. Gonzalez, I may reach out to you on social media once I’ve read the sequel.
It’s a enjoyable story, and I will be reading the sequel.
However, I wish it had been looked over by an editor. There is head-hopping throughout the book, you will be reading a scene that is meant to be from Elenore’s point of view (who doesn’t know Alexandra’s true gender), but she is referred to as she/her/woman/Alexandra, when Elenore doesn’t know that. And then there is a sudden sentence from the point of view of another character, and then it returns to the original pov again.
At the beginning of the book I was confused about whether the story was set in England or America. It feels like ‘Victorian England’ with a horse breeder living in a country mansion rather than a ranch, which would have been more common for that time period if it was set in America.
I found myself thrown out of the story more times than I could forgive, because I found myself constantly thinking about how it could be edited to make it technically correct. I would love to get my hands on the manuscript and give the author a hand with it. C.C. Gonzalez, I may reach out to you on social media once I’ve read the sequel.
Read
January 10, 2023The narration switches randomly between Dowry's POV and Eleanor's, which causes problems when Eleanor perceives Alex as a man, but the narration will call her Alexandra and use she/her pronouns to properly gender her per her internal life. However, this means pronouns switch and cross over randomly and "Eleanor" refers to Alex with she/her pronouns before she knows Alex's true self. It makes it really confusing and frankly annoying because this could have been fixed by cleanly dividing the chapters into fixed POVs and remaining internally consistent.
Additionally lots of references to and a graphic description of SA from the eyes of a child, which is brought up over and over. There are a few other inconsistencies with the book, but I gave up at ~85% and I didn't want to spend the last 40 minutes finishing it, which also says something. I like the idea, but I didn't go for the execution.
Additionally lots of references to and a graphic description of SA from the eyes of a child, which is brought up over and over. There are a few other inconsistencies with the book, but I gave up at ~85% and I didn't want to spend the last 40 minutes finishing it, which also says something. I like the idea, but I didn't go for the execution.
March 28, 2023
I so wanted to love this book. Historical romances with a hidden-gender trope is right up my alley. However, there were issues that killed my enjoyment and pulled me out of the story. Head-hopping, wrong pronouns, wrong usage of names. There was also a lot of 'neck snapping, lip licking, and shouting'. I don't think the characters were actually shouting as much as it appeared, but I wonder if the author doesn't realize that excessive exclamation marks adds an aggressive tone to the narrative. I also noticed the author confused the 'ground' for the 'floor' and vice versa, leading me to wonder if the author's first language isn't English. All of those little things that added up all throughout effectively ruined it for me.
Alexander was great in some ways, but she came off like she was bipolar -- the ragey kind.
I give this 3 stars because it wasn't totally unfortunate and I do plan to read the follow up story.
Alexander was great in some ways, but she came off like she was bipolar -- the ragey kind.
I give this 3 stars because it wasn't totally unfortunate and I do plan to read the follow up story.
December 14, 2024
DNF!
Omg, this was so bad on so many levels; awkward and flat dialogue, shifting perspective of the different characters on the same page without any gap - just from one sentence to the next. Very strange and made it hard to keep up with who's perspective it was.
And the author writes things as if she is trying to be "mysterious" by writing 'the animals in the stables' instead of just saying horses etc. Everything felt too much over the top and in a bad way. No depth in the characters or the plot. No describing of the environment or the characters, just a sentence here and there. Again, lots of very very awkward conversation and bad use of language and words that made everything feel like it was written by a 15 year old?
I read barely 20 pages, not even 3 chapters, before I just couldn't take it anymore.
Did Not Finish.
I cannot recommend this to anyone, and I will throw away my copy of the book.
Omg, this was so bad on so many levels; awkward and flat dialogue, shifting perspective of the different characters on the same page without any gap - just from one sentence to the next. Very strange and made it hard to keep up with who's perspective it was.
And the author writes things as if she is trying to be "mysterious" by writing 'the animals in the stables' instead of just saying horses etc. Everything felt too much over the top and in a bad way. No depth in the characters or the plot. No describing of the environment or the characters, just a sentence here and there. Again, lots of very very awkward conversation and bad use of language and words that made everything feel like it was written by a 15 year old?
I read barely 20 pages, not even 3 chapters, before I just couldn't take it anymore.
Did Not Finish.
I cannot recommend this to anyone, and I will throw away my copy of the book.
October 26, 2023
Rape with a Cliffhanger
Could have had a TW for the violent SA in the prologue and other two scenes.
This book presents itself as a romance and yet opens with a horrible scene that turned me off and ruined my excitement. The writing style is stilted and the dialogue stiff and unnatural. Combine that with the whip lash from head hopping… utter trash.
The narrative calls Alex “Alexandra” except when it whips to Eleanor’s head… but then it stopped switching and just had Eleanor calling Alex Alexandra while she still thought she was a man. This could either be a string of typos or a lack of editing.
Besides the stiff writing, the physical intimacy between the two main characters is really cringy. It said “Alexandra sighed on the side of her face” several times and reminds me of a panting humping dog X.X
Could have had a TW for the violent SA in the prologue and other two scenes.
This book presents itself as a romance and yet opens with a horrible scene that turned me off and ruined my excitement. The writing style is stilted and the dialogue stiff and unnatural. Combine that with the whip lash from head hopping… utter trash.
The narrative calls Alex “Alexandra” except when it whips to Eleanor’s head… but then it stopped switching and just had Eleanor calling Alex Alexandra while she still thought she was a man. This could either be a string of typos or a lack of editing.
Besides the stiff writing, the physical intimacy between the two main characters is really cringy. It said “Alexandra sighed on the side of her face” several times and reminds me of a panting humping dog X.X
December 22, 2022
Uuuuuuugh! I hate to write this. I really wanted to like this book! And the bones of a good sapphic story are there! But the characters need fleshing out and the book desperately needs 2-3 more edits.
I have powered thru poorly edited books before, but eventually this one became too much.
I think the author was trying desperately not to misgender Alex, but in doing so it created deep confusion when reading from Eleanor's POV. Because she doesn't know, but it's she/her pronouns and Alexandra. Not to mention their POVs running over each other several times.
Author. I want this book. I want this story. I hope you keep writing! I can see it. Your talent and passion. Keep at it.
I have powered thru poorly edited books before, but eventually this one became too much.
I think the author was trying desperately not to misgender Alex, but in doing so it created deep confusion when reading from Eleanor's POV. Because she doesn't know, but it's she/her pronouns and Alexandra. Not to mention their POVs running over each other several times.
Author. I want this book. I want this story. I hope you keep writing! I can see it. Your talent and passion. Keep at it.
December 4, 2020
Want to read more
The story has some words used that could not have been known in that time period and there were serious misused words that I attributed to "word correction" on computers. None of that detracts from the story itself.
I could not put the book down which I feel is a tribute to the story.
The following is a spoiler of sorts so don't read any further. The story stops at a cliffhanger and I for one can't wait for the sequel.
To the author: please hurry with the second book.
The story has some words used that could not have been known in that time period and there were serious misused words that I attributed to "word correction" on computers. None of that detracts from the story itself.
I could not put the book down which I feel is a tribute to the story.
The following is a spoiler of sorts so don't read any further. The story stops at a cliffhanger and I for one can't wait for the sequel.
To the author: please hurry with the second book.
February 12, 2025
“𝘐𝘴𝘯’𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘩𝘰𝘸 𝘪𝘵 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘬𝘴? 𝘠𝘰𝘶 𝘸𝘢𝘯𝘵 𝘴𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘰𝘯𝘦, 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘢𝘤𝘩𝘦 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘴𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘰𝘶𝘤𝘩 𝘺𝘰𝘶, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘴𝘭𝘰𝘸𝘭𝘺 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘴𝘵𝘢𝘳𝘵 𝘧𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘪𝘯 𝘭𝘰𝘷𝘦 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘰𝘯. 𝘏𝘦𝘭𝘭𝘠𝘰𝘶 𝘥𝘰 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘯 𝘯𝘰𝘵𝘪𝘤𝘦 𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘱𝘭𝘦𝘵𝘦𝘭𝘺 𝘧𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘯 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘰𝘯 𝘶𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘭 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘯𝘰𝘵𝘪𝘤𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘤𝘢𝘯𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘭𝘪𝘷𝘦 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘮. 𝘛𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘪𝘴 𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘣𝘦𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘦 𝘢𝘸𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘰𝘸𝘯 𝘧𝘦𝘦𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘴.”
ੈ✩‧₊˚༺☆༻*ੈ✩‧₊˚ *ੈ✩‧₊˚༺☆༻*ੈ✩‧₊˚ *ੈ✩‧₊˚༺☆
I really did love this book. I finished it in one sitting, and it kept me captivated the whole time. Sure, there’s some questionable plot holes and situations, but I still enjoyed the read.
ੈ✩‧₊˚༺☆༻*ੈ✩‧₊˚ *ੈ✩‧₊˚༺☆༻*ੈ✩‧₊˚ *ੈ✩‧₊˚༺☆
I really did love this book. I finished it in one sitting, and it kept me captivated the whole time. Sure, there’s some questionable plot holes and situations, but I still enjoyed the read.
November 13, 2022
This was an interesting read. There were some grammar errors true but nothing that should detract from the story. And there was use of a lot of modern colloquialisms that felt off but still was enjoyable. One feedback I do have is that when it was from Eleanor's POV the masculine pronouns should have been used since she thought Alexandra was an Alexander. All in all it was what I was expecting and wanting from the first half of the story.
January 17, 2023
I really liked the idea for this book. It was sold to me as Victorian Sailor Neptune and Sailor Uranus (who is pretending to be a man) get married. That’s an instant pick up for me. But the execution wasn’t there for me. First of all, every man in this book is beyond rapey. Second, this book could definitely use some editing. There were also some plot holes that just don’t get addressed. I liked it, but it could use some work.
August 20, 2024
The amount of sexual violence was a little too much for me. Especially from Larkin, it makes it feel like men cannot be trusted in any way. I enjoyed the concepts of a hidden relationship but I would have preferred Alex telling Eleanor instead of her just finding out, so that it played as an “Us against the world” concept instead. It wasn’t horrible, but I probably wouldn’t recommend it to anyone
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 9, 2023
1.5 ⭐️
I like the premise, but the execution was terrible. The POV would switch 2-3 times in a single paragraph. Because of the constant POV changes, pronouns don't align properly with the character speaking, which created a ton of confusion. It could be good with fleshing out the characters and multiple edits.
I like the premise, but the execution was terrible. The POV would switch 2-3 times in a single paragraph. Because of the constant POV changes, pronouns don't align properly with the character speaking, which created a ton of confusion. It could be good with fleshing out the characters and multiple edits.
November 8, 2022
The writing style was not for me and was a bit confusing at some point. However, I was interested in the story enough to keep going. A very quick read which I enjoyed. Ends on a cliff hanger so.... of course I will have to read the second book bc I am invested in the characters narrative.
November 14, 2022
I really wanted to like this one because the synopsis sounded unique and right up my alley. The story was interesting and could have been good, but the writing just ended up annoying me. It felt like it was written by a teenager. Some things were repetitive, other times important info and descriptions were left out completely or just strangely worded. The language sounded current instead of from the time period and dialogue felt forced and awkward.
Hopefully with experience this author will improve in the future, because they have unique stories to tell, the execution just needs work.
Hopefully with experience this author will improve in the future, because they have unique stories to tell, the execution just needs work.
dnf
February 28, 2024Dnf
I wanted to enjoy this, I really did, but it is poorly written and planned.
I didn't finish the book, so it might have had a good ending- but I couldn't finish it.
It's a great idea, I do like it, but it just... wasn't good.
Beautiful cover art.
I wanted to enjoy this, I really did, but it is poorly written and planned.
I didn't finish the book, so it might have had a good ending- but I couldn't finish it.
It's a great idea, I do like it, but it just... wasn't good.
Beautiful cover art.
September 9, 2024
good story
I like the story line and two MCs quite a lot. Paced well to keep the pages flowing by at a good clip. Will be reading the next one asap as it is more than a bit off a cliff hanger.
I like the story line and two MCs quite a lot. Paced well to keep the pages flowing by at a good clip. Will be reading the next one asap as it is more than a bit off a cliff hanger.
October 25, 2024
It was so good! I loved it so much I love the characters and everything. Although at the end with Larkin becoming kind of a bad guy it felt a bit out of place and only put there to reveal who Alex was but other than that I really enjoyed it
November 15, 2024
This seriously needs some editing. Sentences read like they were poorly translated. Writing style makes it difficult to follow the story. But I did enjoy the premise and am hopping on the second book now.
October 1, 2022
1.5⭐️
it had potential. I honestly think it would’ve been a good story with a better revision, it didn’t feel like a final draft yet.
it had potential. I honestly think it would’ve been a good story with a better revision, it didn’t feel like a final draft yet.
October 20, 2022
the writing and plot were iffy as hell but i really liked it 😭💀
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