Rachel’s Comments (group member since Jul 19, 2015)

Rachel’s comments from the Retro Reads group.

Karlyne wrote: In Mr. Zero, the trope gets turned upside down, but I won't say anymore...


Ooh, interesting! I own this Wentworth but have not read it yet. I'll move it higher in the pile.

Agree with what others said here — the plot was pretty weak and wouldn't exist without all these coincidences, but Hilary was a great character. I hope she reforms Henry instead of the other way around!

Looking back at my reviews of Wentworth I noted "Miss Silver Comes to Stay", "Pilgrim's Rest" and "The Chinese Shawl" as having strong plots. I think I only posted reviews of ones that stood out plot-wise.

I read this in 2013 so this is a re-read, though I've read so many of these Golden Age mysteries that I don't remember the plot at all! Trying it on audibook this go-round, which I find endlessly comforting.

There are almost always reasons to give Wentworth's relationships the side-eye, but I did note in my review that Hilary "is more sleuth-y and less wimpy" than some of Wentworth's other heroines.

I devoured this book within a couple of days, mostly listening on audio. I found the proposed horse-whipping amusing but the kidnapping to be a bit much.

I knew there was one sequel but was surprised to see that there are two more after that. Has anyone read those? I found this story and its characters so funny and/or charming; I'm wondering if Miss Buncle is really the draw, though, or the villagers around her.

The ones that I think of immediately are middle grade:

Katie John involves a girl and her mother who inherit or buy a dilapidated old house and have boarders to earn money. Much of the book (as I recall) talks about Katie-John exploring the house and discovering its secrets, like hidden compartments under the stairs and listening devices in the walls. One of the first books that cemented my love of/obsession with mysterious mansions!

Moonlight Reader wrote: "Friends and Lovers developed the romance much more significantly, but it is really more YA than it is an adult romance (even if they didn't really categorize books as YA back when it was written) because Penny is 19'ish and David is probably around 23/24.

This all makes sense given the time in which they were written, but it can be off-putting for the modern readers sensibilities."

Found a beautiful hardcover edition of "Friends and Lovers" at my local used bookstore yesterday that I couldn't pass up — so I'll give it a shot!

Hmm. I've read just one MacInnes novel — While Still We Live — and found the romance to be the weakest part—it was very insta-love.

Yeah, I could definitely see how a crush would develop, but not an actual relationship.

Ah, quite the convenient truth serum explanation!

What is the age difference between Dany and Lash? I'm guessing she's about 19, but his hasn't been spelled out yet (that I could see), but I'm guessing late 20s or 30s since he was just engaged to her mother's best friend, who's described being closer to 40 than to 30 ...

Carol ♔Type, Oh Queen!♕ wrote: "From Bookbub this week (iIm signed up for the American listing)
All for Love by Jane Aiken Hodge 99cents (not on GR yet)

Glorieta Pass by PC Nagle. Slightly after our time period, ..."
"All for Love" is a new name for Jane Aiken Hodge's Savannah Purchase, which I've heard is one of her best!