Books and Jams Readalong discussion

We're more than half-way through. Have your initial reactions changed at all? Any surprises or predictions at this point? Any quotes that stand out to you?

I can't wait to hear your thoughts as well as reactions to other people's as well!

Despite the slow start, this book is really picking up for me and I am starting to really enjoy it. One thing that is interesting is how Morton can make you totally buy into something as fact when she writes it from one character's perspective and then when you read another perspective, you discover that your assumption was wrong. An example I am thinking of is how I believed the feelings between the young Alice and Ben to be mutual and thought it was them in the boathouse until we find out later that it was Eleanor and Ben that had a relationship and that were in the boathouse.
I don't know what happened to Theo yet but I don't think it was Anthony. That would be too easy of an answer and with both Alice and Sadie convinced only halfway through the book that it was him, it surely can't be, right? ☺

I don't think it was Anthony either. I don't think Anthony is Theo's father. My prediction is Theo has been whisked away on a gypsy caravan. I'll keep reading to see if my prediction is correct.

I’m warming up to Morton’s writing style and looking forward to finding out what happened to Theo. I agree it would be a bit too early to say it was definitely Anthony. I also think Ben is Theo’s father but that he really died and was buried.

I am enjoying the story more, but I find that I am forgetting details. I am excited to know what Sadie, Peter, and Alice discover at Loeanneth as well as a conclusion to Sadie's London case.

I am really invested in the story of Theo's dissappearance and the family secrets. I also like how it connects with Sadie's past. I do not think Anthony is the killer and I strongly suspect Theo is Ben Munro's son.
However, I am not interested in the case that Sadie messed up.
I also think the book could have been a little bit shorter.
It looks like it is going to be four star read 😊

Stefanie, I agree! I love how I keep settling in to one possible way of thinking only to have that shaken up as new facts are revealed. I agree with most of you that it seems to convenient to have Anthony accidentally kill Theo. It makes a bit of sense, but there's still 100 pages to go! There will be more surprises for sure.

I also agree with you, Berna, I'm not that interested in the case Sadie was involved in either. I feel like there may be more of a connection between the two story lines though, so I'm hopeful for that. I also feel like Sadie's back story with the daughter she had to give up for adoption hasn't had enough page time for me to care much about that either. It seems almost like an afterthought. I'm not sure how all that will come together and if it will impact the main storyline or not.

So far it's looking like a 3.5-4 star read for me too. I'm hoping the ending blows me away and bumps that even higher.

Krista, I agree with what you said about the story of Sadie's daughter seeming like an afterthought. There was something in The House at Riverton that I felt the same way about and is the one thing that I don't like about KM's writing.