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Lemon Sugar #1
In the Company of Men
Every fresh start comes at a cost…
Miss Etta Lynne is desperate. With the Great War finally over, it’s up to her to care for her sick mother and pregnant, widowed sister. She needs the high school teaching position in Oakland, Manitoba.
It doesn’t matter that the superintendent shows his contempt for her at every turn. Nor does it matter that the overprotective and entirely too attractive mayor disagrees with her more often than not. It doesn’t even matter that the previous teacher disappeared under mysterious (and potentially grim) circumstances. She will persevere.
However, Etta soon realizes she’ll have to learn to trust those around her if she has any hope of finding safety—and possibly love—in this new life. But what if trust is a luxury she simply can’t afford?
In the Company of Men, book 1 in the Lemon Sugar series, is a clean and wholesome, small town, historical women’s fiction read. If you like heartwarming tales of heroines who are stronger than they realize facing life’s challenges head-on (and even finding happily ever after along the way), this series might just be your next favorite comfort read.
Miss Etta Lynne is desperate. With the Great War finally over, it’s up to her to care for her sick mother and pregnant, widowed sister. She needs the high school teaching position in Oakland, Manitoba.
It doesn’t matter that the superintendent shows his contempt for her at every turn. Nor does it matter that the overprotective and entirely too attractive mayor disagrees with her more often than not. It doesn’t even matter that the previous teacher disappeared under mysterious (and potentially grim) circumstances. She will persevere.
However, Etta soon realizes she’ll have to learn to trust those around her if she has any hope of finding safety—and possibly love—in this new life. But what if trust is a luxury she simply can’t afford?
In the Company of Men, book 1 in the Lemon Sugar series, is a clean and wholesome, small town, historical women’s fiction read. If you like heartwarming tales of heroines who are stronger than they realize facing life’s challenges head-on (and even finding happily ever after along the way), this series might just be your next favorite comfort read.
324 pages, Kindle Edition
First published July 20, 2021
1011 people are currently reading
467 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 49 reviews
May 1, 2023
In the Company of Men by Carolyn Finch is the first book in the Lemon Sugar series. Miss Etta Lynne is desperate. The Great War is over but it's up to her to care for her sick mother and pregnant, widowed sister. She needs the high school teaching position that is open in Oakland, Manitoba. However, after two female teachers disappeared, Mayor Jackson Nash is reluctant to hire a female for the open teaching position. When the male teacher he requested is a no show, Nash is forced to hire Etta. Determined to keep her safe, Nash becomes a bit overprotective despite his open contempt. As the mystery of the missing teachers deepen, Etta realizes that she must be open to trust others if she has any hope of safety and maybe even love.
In the Company of Men is described as a clean and wholesome historical women’s fiction. Etta is the type of woman who doesn’t shy away from challenges. While I enjoy a strong woman, I did not enjoy Etta. She was obnoxious. I didn’t enjoy Jackson Nash. While it was obvious that they would fall in love, it was painfully slow getting there. While the behaviors of the men and the ridiculous requirements of female teachers was typical of the time, it was off putting. The mystery of the missing teachers was mentioned throughout and the reveal was a disappointment. Overall, I was bored. I had no interest in the romance, the mystery or continuing the series. I did not enjoy In the Company of Men.
In the Company of Men is available in paperback and eBook.
In the Company of Men is described as a clean and wholesome historical women’s fiction. Etta is the type of woman who doesn’t shy away from challenges. While I enjoy a strong woman, I did not enjoy Etta. She was obnoxious. I didn’t enjoy Jackson Nash. While it was obvious that they would fall in love, it was painfully slow getting there. While the behaviors of the men and the ridiculous requirements of female teachers was typical of the time, it was off putting. The mystery of the missing teachers was mentioned throughout and the reveal was a disappointment. Overall, I was bored. I had no interest in the romance, the mystery or continuing the series. I did not enjoy In the Company of Men.
In the Company of Men is available in paperback and eBook.
April 20, 2022
Not recommended!
Where to start? This book was bad, one of the worst I've read in years. I felt like I was plodding up a steep muddy hill to get through it. The characters were unbelievable, unlikable and poorly developed. The plot was worse. The LONG meaningless conversations between the two primary characters was so boring, I basically skimmed dozens of pages just to get through. I am now convinced that ANYONE can be a published author. This was a painful experience; I feel I should get some type of award for actually finishing this garbage!
Where to start? This book was bad, one of the worst I've read in years. I felt like I was plodding up a steep muddy hill to get through it. The characters were unbelievable, unlikable and poorly developed. The plot was worse. The LONG meaningless conversations between the two primary characters was so boring, I basically skimmed dozens of pages just to get through. I am now convinced that ANYONE can be a published author. This was a painful experience; I feel I should get some type of award for actually finishing this garbage!
September 30, 2022
Awful
Just couldn't finish it. Got SO tired of 2121st century idioms coming from characters born in the 19th century. And every cliche in the book. And the questionable search for murder clues in the rain by an untrained group of townfolk. And my favorite...the constant "jaw dropping", once three times on one page. No might have been a good story of not for the lazy writing and the above mentioned constant jaw dropping. Being a Canadian, I admit I was hoping for a much, much better book about Canada. I didn't get it and am embarrassed by it.
Just couldn't finish it. Got SO tired of 2121st century idioms coming from characters born in the 19th century. And every cliche in the book. And the questionable search for murder clues in the rain by an untrained group of townfolk. And my favorite...the constant "jaw dropping", once three times on one page. No might have been a good story of not for the lazy writing and the above mentioned constant jaw dropping. Being a Canadian, I admit I was hoping for a much, much better book about Canada. I didn't get it and am embarrassed by it.
April 14, 2022
I could not fully finish this book. I tried. I really did, but it was not written well. The beginning was interesting, as well as the characters, in the first few chapters, but then it unraveled. The characters need some more form, the storyline needs to be less scattered. I don't usually write negative reviews, and usually I can push through a book but this book wasn't for me.
September 4, 2023
THERE IS A LID FOR EVERY POT
The story will have a small part in Brandon, but the majority of the story takes place in Oakland, a small town in Manitoba. This is the town featured in the prequel, where the school teacher, Mrs. Ellice, is missing. They need a new teacher and have requested a man, a soldier, but none are available. Etta Lynne will interview for the position and will be hired. But, this school board has one member, Mr. Spicer, who leaves Etta feeling uncomfortable.
Mayor Jackson Nash is dealing with three problems that he is hoping to have solved quickly.
“First—where in the world was Rose Ellice? Second pressing matter needing his full attention today—who was E. Lynn? Miss or Mister? Third and final pressing problem—Mrs. Lemon.”
“Women were tricky to navigate; he never knew what would set them off.”
The story is mystery, suspense, danger, and deceit, and comes with the good, the bad, and the ugliness in people. Etta Lynne’s life is completely different than she planned. Her father’s vices of drinking and gambling have cost the family their home. She is responsible for the welfare of her mother, and her sister, Cali, who is a widow and expecting. The weight of the world falls on Etta, and this job is critical. Leaving Brandon and going to Oakland won’t be easy, because it leaves Cali to herself, and their mother in the hospital.
Since the end of WWI and the devastation worldwide from the Spanish Influenza, nothing has been the same. The men who did come home from the battlefield are battling in their minds and addiction to alcohol and morphine. Women were forced to take on roles that they never had before, and even with menfolk back, the women were carrying the load. Etta was forced to relinquish her dream of art school to become the breadwinner for their family. Living in poverty, with a landlord who is sleazy and dangers around them has been less than pleasant. Leaving Cali behind to take this job is heartbreaking, but necessary.
The story has a colorful cast of characters, with so much mystery and assumptions around the missing Mrs. Ellice. The abusive treatment of one man, Mr. Spicer, makes the job Etta faces difficult, and she does her best to avoid him at all costs. She enjoys most of her students but delights with two, Grace and Ivy. It will be because of Grace Nash that she will lock horns with the father—who is also the town mayor. Etta sees herself in Grace, a talented woman who is being held back by a man.
The story is a clean historical story that kept the pages turning. I am excited to read the next two books in the series. The story will end on a cliffhanger or better yet, a segue into the next book—so be prepared to start reading The Café on Crescent.
The story will have a small part in Brandon, but the majority of the story takes place in Oakland, a small town in Manitoba. This is the town featured in the prequel, where the school teacher, Mrs. Ellice, is missing. They need a new teacher and have requested a man, a soldier, but none are available. Etta Lynne will interview for the position and will be hired. But, this school board has one member, Mr. Spicer, who leaves Etta feeling uncomfortable.
Mayor Jackson Nash is dealing with three problems that he is hoping to have solved quickly.
“First—where in the world was Rose Ellice? Second pressing matter needing his full attention today—who was E. Lynn? Miss or Mister? Third and final pressing problem—Mrs. Lemon.”
“Women were tricky to navigate; he never knew what would set them off.”
The story is mystery, suspense, danger, and deceit, and comes with the good, the bad, and the ugliness in people. Etta Lynne’s life is completely different than she planned. Her father’s vices of drinking and gambling have cost the family their home. She is responsible for the welfare of her mother, and her sister, Cali, who is a widow and expecting. The weight of the world falls on Etta, and this job is critical. Leaving Brandon and going to Oakland won’t be easy, because it leaves Cali to herself, and their mother in the hospital.
Since the end of WWI and the devastation worldwide from the Spanish Influenza, nothing has been the same. The men who did come home from the battlefield are battling in their minds and addiction to alcohol and morphine. Women were forced to take on roles that they never had before, and even with menfolk back, the women were carrying the load. Etta was forced to relinquish her dream of art school to become the breadwinner for their family. Living in poverty, with a landlord who is sleazy and dangers around them has been less than pleasant. Leaving Cali behind to take this job is heartbreaking, but necessary.
The story has a colorful cast of characters, with so much mystery and assumptions around the missing Mrs. Ellice. The abusive treatment of one man, Mr. Spicer, makes the job Etta faces difficult, and she does her best to avoid him at all costs. She enjoys most of her students but delights with two, Grace and Ivy. It will be because of Grace Nash that she will lock horns with the father—who is also the town mayor. Etta sees herself in Grace, a talented woman who is being held back by a man.
The story is a clean historical story that kept the pages turning. I am excited to read the next two books in the series. The story will end on a cliffhanger or better yet, a segue into the next book—so be prepared to start reading The Café on Crescent.
April 25, 2022
IN THE COMPANY OF MEN by Carolyn Finch (first of a series) -- I decided to expand my horizon and try this book variously described as Romance, Mystery, Women's Fiction, and Historical Fiction. It actually has some of all four. Set in Canada immediately following World War I, Etta Lynne's circumstances are desperate. Her mother is quite ill. Her sister is recently widowed from the war and is also pregnant. They live in extreme poverty in wretched circumstances. Etta desperately needs a job with income to support her family. She applies to teach in a small town school and must somehow navigate the discriminatory, contemptuous, unfair, punitive conditions imposed upon female teachers of the time, including dismissal conditions such as not dating or consorting with men, wearing TWO petticoats at all times, no dating, marriage, or romance, remaining unmarried, and always being fully submissive to the oppressive, all-male school board, mayor, political establishment, and expectations of the community. In the course of events, Etta must deal with a jealous board secretary, an especially hateful and domineering school board member, a most attractive mayor and his brilliant daughter who wants to go to college, her mother's illness, the disappearance of her predecessor teacher, and a mystery involving various characters around the disappearance. While from my non-female perspective the book bears a resemblance to The Perils of Pauline, I will say that I found the portrayal of the conditions imposed upon female teachers of the period to be enlightening and educational, and informative of the 20th century struggle for women's rights.
July 13, 2022
A look back in time
What I enjoyed most about this book was the historical references to the rules for female teachers at the end of WWI. The rigidity of a society that placed all of the responsibility for morality on women is clear. It is also clear that society was changing due to the numbers of men who did not come home from the war, those that returned disabled from the effects of war, and the number of people who died from the Spanish flu pandemic.
Eta Lynne is a young woman who has always taken care of her family. When her father dies leaving huge gambling debts, the family is plunged into abject poverty. Her mother is ill and needs hospital care and her younger sister,Cali, is a pregnant widow with a widow's pension that is woefully inadequate. When a teaching position becomes available at midterm, Eta is desperate to get the position. But there ate problems. Two female teachers have abandoned the position this year alone. The last one simply disappeared. And, the school board has requested a male teacher.
Eta gets the job but is faced with a spiteful board member who enjoys exerting power over women. Can Eta keep her job as she is bullied and intimidated? As she is accused of breaking the teacher's code of conduct? Will they ever find out what happened to the last teacher?
What I enjoyed most about this book was the historical references to the rules for female teachers at the end of WWI. The rigidity of a society that placed all of the responsibility for morality on women is clear. It is also clear that society was changing due to the numbers of men who did not come home from the war, those that returned disabled from the effects of war, and the number of people who died from the Spanish flu pandemic.
Eta Lynne is a young woman who has always taken care of her family. When her father dies leaving huge gambling debts, the family is plunged into abject poverty. Her mother is ill and needs hospital care and her younger sister,Cali, is a pregnant widow with a widow's pension that is woefully inadequate. When a teaching position becomes available at midterm, Eta is desperate to get the position. But there ate problems. Two female teachers have abandoned the position this year alone. The last one simply disappeared. And, the school board has requested a male teacher.
Eta gets the job but is faced with a spiteful board member who enjoys exerting power over women. Can Eta keep her job as she is bullied and intimidated? As she is accused of breaking the teacher's code of conduct? Will they ever find out what happened to the last teacher?
April 10, 2022
The setting is a small town in Canada in the 1920s coming out of WWI and the flu when women were struggling for basic rights. Etta Lynne finds herself supporting her sick mother and widowed pregnant sister after the loss of their house to her now deceased father's gambling debts. She had given up her life's dreams of pursuing art to train as a teacher but unable to compete with the soldiers returning from war to secure a position. Beautiful and capable but independent and assertive, she finally secures one after a teacher in a nearby town goes missing. Discovering the restrictions on women teachers extremely restrictive, unfair, and unbearable, she finds herself constantly in compromising situations with widower Mr. Nash, the mayor, as the teacher of his very gifted daughter. She also finds herself in danger while the search for the missing teacher is under way. Very informative novel depicting the deplorable expectations of women of the era and their actions to make necessary changes in this excellent novel involving suspense and romance.
August 14, 2024
It started so well. I don't know much about Canadian customs but the rules governing female teachers at the end of World War I appeared to be horrendous, one of which forbad single women to be in the company of men after 8pm.
I won't spoil the plot. Suffice to say I was enjoying this story - there were a few little editorial problems such as the occasional absence of speech marks - the feisty heroine and the conservative hero were negotiating their relationship in the midst of a murder inquiry and all was heading towards the expected declaration of mutual love and marriage when the writer stumbled.
What on earth made her envisage a public declaration by the hero couched in terms of a job offer in the presence of others? The heroine could be forgiven for wondering if she was being offered a position as a nanny or a mistress. The word "marriage" was not mentioned, nor the possibility of a "wedding" by the conservative, traditional hero whose character she had so carefully drawn. Instead the dialogue was messy and the context unrealistic. Disappointing ending.
I won't spoil the plot. Suffice to say I was enjoying this story - there were a few little editorial problems such as the occasional absence of speech marks - the feisty heroine and the conservative hero were negotiating their relationship in the midst of a murder inquiry and all was heading towards the expected declaration of mutual love and marriage when the writer stumbled.
What on earth made her envisage a public declaration by the hero couched in terms of a job offer in the presence of others? The heroine could be forgiven for wondering if she was being offered a position as a nanny or a mistress. The word "marriage" was not mentioned, nor the possibility of a "wedding" by the conservative, traditional hero whose character she had so carefully drawn. Instead the dialogue was messy and the context unrealistic. Disappointing ending.
October 8, 2022
IN THE COMPANY OF MEN
CAROLYN FINCH
Review by Author Roy Murry
This story is about the 1900s and women's rights. Etta, an outspoken female, is looking for a position as a teacher simultaneously as a male.
Many in the town would like a man in the position. However, she gets the job with the protest of a school board member - a male chauvinist pig, who continuously further tries to get her fired after Etta is hired.
Her family's position keeps her from fighting back until she gets support from Mr. Nash, who likes her from the beginning and dislikes the chauvinist. Problems begin when the pig asks in public to see if she has two petticoats on, which is a rule of importance.
This and being IN THE COMPANY OF MEN led to the missing of another teacher he harassed. Not courting was another rule of employment; however, the undercurrent of one between Mr. Nash and Etta is brewing.
The drama ends when an unlikely person confesses to the crime.
The writing, the characters, and the prose were excellent. The only fault was the length of this story.
Good Read.
CAROLYN FINCH
Review by Author Roy Murry
This story is about the 1900s and women's rights. Etta, an outspoken female, is looking for a position as a teacher simultaneously as a male.
Many in the town would like a man in the position. However, she gets the job with the protest of a school board member - a male chauvinist pig, who continuously further tries to get her fired after Etta is hired.
Her family's position keeps her from fighting back until she gets support from Mr. Nash, who likes her from the beginning and dislikes the chauvinist. Problems begin when the pig asks in public to see if she has two petticoats on, which is a rule of importance.
This and being IN THE COMPANY OF MEN led to the missing of another teacher he harassed. Not courting was another rule of employment; however, the undercurrent of one between Mr. Nash and Etta is brewing.
The drama ends when an unlikely person confesses to the crime.
The writing, the characters, and the prose were excellent. The only fault was the length of this story.
Good Read.
July 3, 2022
Set in the early 1900's this portrays the circumstances and challenges faced by Etta as she attempts to provide for herself and her family after her father leaves them destitute. The men in this story behave in controlling and high handed, and some even in sadistic ways, and many of the women are portrayed as manipulative, petty, and jealous. Some of the reviews were quite negative about this read, however, I suspect that these individuals were perhaps put off by the behavior of the men (and women) which probably was representative of the times. The read was clean, frustrating because of the attitudes and behaviors displayed, and was also quite predictable. I did finish this book and was relieved that these attitudes and restrictions on women are no longer considered acceptable.
Read
April 3, 2025This is the first book in The Lemon Sugar series. and, I love it. Etta Lynne is a teacher needing a job desperately and with the disappearance of Mrs. Rose Ellis in Oakland she comes to teach with a hard code of conduct that is strictly in place and one man enforcing it on the hardest line, the failing health of her mother, the pregnancy of her widowed Sister Etta has always had to be the one to take control of finances and making sure everything runs smoothly. Mayor Jackson Nash is another thorn in her side...but his 15 year old daughter Grace brings Etta nothing but joy....The whole town mobilizes to search for Mrs. Ellis....when thy find her body and realize she had been murdered the cops must figure out who, how, and why she had to die.....a very good book :)
April 9, 2022
Mr. Nash ❤️ Miss Lynne
It was a terrible shame the way women were treated in the early 1900’s. So many restrictions, rules and GOSSIP! Single women were held to a different standard more agonizing and strict, oppressed even. This is a well written period novel with much mystery. A teacher is gone in the night, crying and another is just gone. Miss Lynne steps into this mess. Miss Lynne is hired as a school teacher and held subject to the school board and it’s “rules” for teachers. Miss Lynne is not only a good teacher but an advocate for all women. Mayor Nash is on the school board. Their relationship sizzles right from the start. You will really like this story.
It was a terrible shame the way women were treated in the early 1900’s. So many restrictions, rules and GOSSIP! Single women were held to a different standard more agonizing and strict, oppressed even. This is a well written period novel with much mystery. A teacher is gone in the night, crying and another is just gone. Miss Lynne steps into this mess. Miss Lynne is hired as a school teacher and held subject to the school board and it’s “rules” for teachers. Miss Lynne is not only a good teacher but an advocate for all women. Mayor Nash is on the school board. Their relationship sizzles right from the start. You will really like this story.
October 2, 2024
Shockingly bad editing. I don't know if editing could take this book to 5 starts, but it would certainly take it to 3 or 4 stars. Background and exposition placed in ridiculous places that made no sense within the narrative - like someone said "Oh, you need to explain why she made that decision or it doesn't make sense" so the author copied it from somewhere else, pasted it in that earlier location without actually making it work, and then LEFT that same section later in the book in nearly the same form. It felt repetitive and nonsensical. The characters were caricatures, not nuanced or subtle in any way.
November 8, 2025
In the Company of Men is a heartfelt and quietly powerful historical novel that pulled me in from the very first page. Etta Lynne is such a compelling character strong, determined, and vulnerable in all the right ways. I admired how she faces every obstacle with grace, even as danger and distrust linger around her new life in Oakland. The post war setting feels vivid and real, and the mystery surrounding the previous teacher adds just the right touch of suspense. Carolyn Finch blends romance, resilience, and a dash of intrigue beautifully. A moving, atmospheric read about courage, trust, and finding hope in the hardest of times.
June 14, 2022
“In the Company of Men” by Carolyn Finch
Romance and Suspense post-WWI
Times are tough in post WW-I Manitoba, Canada and you will get to live a wee slice of that era in this story. You will get to smile and chuckle, and have your heart broken, too. Then there is the suspense re: Mrs Ellice and her disappearance. Never a dull moment in this story which in spite of the tears was a pleasure to read. Happy Reading ! !
NOTE: There is a pet peeve... there is an epilogue that requires a separate access/download.
Romance and Suspense post-WWI
Times are tough in post WW-I Manitoba, Canada and you will get to live a wee slice of that era in this story. You will get to smile and chuckle, and have your heart broken, too. Then there is the suspense re: Mrs Ellice and her disappearance. Never a dull moment in this story which in spite of the tears was a pleasure to read. Happy Reading ! !
NOTE: There is a pet peeve... there is an epilogue that requires a separate access/download.
April 18, 2022
A mystery within a romance
From the beginning there was a mystery to be solved. As the story advanced it became obvious this was also a romance novel. Add in what women had to put up with in the early 1900’s, what it was like for those who lost loved ones to a war or who were betrayed by bad behavior, a description of living in poverty, and you have a tale with many layers. Yet it never came across as overly preachy.
From the beginning there was a mystery to be solved. As the story advanced it became obvious this was also a romance novel. Add in what women had to put up with in the early 1900’s, what it was like for those who lost loved ones to a war or who were betrayed by bad behavior, a description of living in poverty, and you have a tale with many layers. Yet it never came across as overly preachy.
April 19, 2022
Pleasant and interesting to see how women lived in small communities in Canada in the years following the First World War. Makes you feel grateful you were born later as I imagine the life of women must not have been very different in other parts of the Western world.
Quite a good balance between the personal feelings of Etta and the problems of the community facing the strange disappearance of a female teacher.
Quite a good balance between the personal feelings of Etta and the problems of the community facing the strange disappearance of a female teacher.
April 28, 2022
Well Written with Plenty of Suspense and Happy-ever-after
This author does such a good job of laying out the characters, and with her knowledge of the times in the early twentieth century, you are transported into her story. The book pulls you along and into the storyline. I felt as if I were there. Excellently written. Difficult to put down. Will definitely read more of her works!
This author does such a good job of laying out the characters, and with her knowledge of the times in the early twentieth century, you are transported into her story. The book pulls you along and into the storyline. I felt as if I were there. Excellently written. Difficult to put down. Will definitely read more of her works!
July 23, 2022
Good Portal t a Difficult Time
I enjoyed this book that highlighted the plight of women in the post Great War, post Spanish Flu era. So many men were lost between the two leaving women needing to work jobs that could support themselves and a family but they run up against the same demeaning stereotypes and distribution, not to mention sexual harassment. Good characters and an excellent suspenseful plot. A great read.
I enjoyed this book that highlighted the plight of women in the post Great War, post Spanish Flu era. So many men were lost between the two leaving women needing to work jobs that could support themselves and a family but they run up against the same demeaning stereotypes and distribution, not to mention sexual harassment. Good characters and an excellent suspenseful plot. A great read.
October 13, 2022
Heartwarming and Heartbreaking
The characters are so real and with such diverse personalities you can not put the book down. You get a good look at what women school teachers were expected to endure to be able to support themselves in the early 1900. Mystery, Intrigue, wisdom, romance and compassion for all who enjoy good clean reading. This is an author I will definitely be following!
The characters are so real and with such diverse personalities you can not put the book down. You get a good look at what women school teachers were expected to endure to be able to support themselves in the early 1900. Mystery, Intrigue, wisdom, romance and compassion for all who enjoy good clean reading. This is an author I will definitely be following!
August 17, 2024
Slogged my way through In the Company of Men while having to constantly remind myself it's 1900's. The author writes in present day with touches of 1900's purity. To call this historical fiction is a stretch - fiction, yes; historical, I didn't see it.
The characters are flat - irritating, not likeable, and boring. I just wanted to yell at Etta and say, "Shut-Up!"
Nothing about this story leaves me wanting to read more of this series. I'll be moving on.
The characters are flat - irritating, not likeable, and boring. I just wanted to yell at Etta and say, "Shut-Up!"
Nothing about this story leaves me wanting to read more of this series. I'll be moving on.
October 12, 2021
Lovely, sweet read
Reading this as an old woman and living in a world that is, in many ways, far advanced, but yet........when I entered the workforce 65 years ago, men were still paid more than women for the same job. They were still allowed and encouraged to treat women as inferiors and subject them to uncalled for remarks and actions. Boys will be boys was the attitude.
Reading this as an old woman and living in a world that is, in many ways, far advanced, but yet........when I entered the workforce 65 years ago, men were still paid more than women for the same job. They were still allowed and encouraged to treat women as inferiors and subject them to uncalled for remarks and actions. Boys will be boys was the attitude.
April 9, 2022
This is a very well-written story that is probably based on truth. Women had a difficult life in the early 1900. Etta was not one to be bulled by men, however. I especially didn't like Mr. Spicer & his treatment of all women, including his wife. The mystery within the story I was not able to figure out. I would like to read other books by this author.
April 18, 2022
A good story with some twists and turns
This was an interesting storyline about an independent woman who lived about a century ago. She has a strong spirit and an immense sense of responsibility for her mother and sister. There is a mystery about a missing teacher. There are twists and turns and amazingly sexist attitud
es that were probably normal for the time.
This was an interesting storyline about an independent woman who lived about a century ago. She has a strong spirit and an immense sense of responsibility for her mother and sister. There is a mystery about a missing teacher. There are twists and turns and amazingly sexist attitud
es that were probably normal for the time.
August 20, 2024
I am guilty of judging every book as "better than I could do". I have seen some bad reviews of this book but I enjoyed the read as strong women in history and not so distant history are my current go to books. I can see how women in history were treated as second class citizens and being an enlightened (woke?) man I commiserate with their situations.
December 17, 2024
In the company of men…
I did get through the book as I wanted to know what happened; who did it, etc. I liked the plot, but the dialogue was very difficult to get through. It read very amateurish and there were too many repeated conversations. After a while I just skimmed over most bc they were basically saying the same thing. I won’t be reading the series.
I did get through the book as I wanted to know what happened; who did it, etc. I liked the plot, but the dialogue was very difficult to get through. It read very amateurish and there were too many repeated conversations. After a while I just skimmed over most bc they were basically saying the same thing. I won’t be reading the series.
April 12, 2023
Great series!
Author and editors need to remember when to use "who" and "that". Use who when referring to humans. Teachers who, children who, students who, criminals who. Everything else use that. Animals that, buildings that, cars that, stories that,etc.
Author and editors need to remember when to use "who" and "that". Use who when referring to humans. Teachers who, children who, students who, criminals who. Everything else use that. Animals that, buildings that, cars that, stories that,etc.
May 4, 2023
To be honest, this book was not what I thought it was going to be. I expected (maybe unfairly) a very strong female lead who was standing on her own two feet. What I got was a vacillating woman who would voice independence, but then accept the leadership/actions of the strong male love interest.
August 29, 2023
patience
I almost quit reading early on, finding the conversation and events to be quite irritating. I’m glad I decided to persevere, because the book ended up being quite good. I still found some attitudes to be annoying, but that’s the way it was.
I almost quit reading early on, finding the conversation and events to be quite irritating. I’m glad I decided to persevere, because the book ended up being quite good. I still found some attitudes to be annoying, but that’s the way it was.
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