Line by Line by Jennifer Delamere

Alice McNeil is determined to remain a spinster pursuing a life of purpose through career and hobbies despite her mother and society's expectations. Douglas Shaw is equally determined to use his intelligence and ambition to rise above a childhood of poverty regardless of what his heart may be saying to the contrary.

There is no doubt in my mind that Jennifer Delamere is a solid writer. She paints her world well, she's easily established a trilogy here with characters like Emma, Rose or even Mavis poised to take their own time in center stage. I even thoroughly enjoyed her little forays into the scientific advancement of the day and age showing the importance and procedures of the telegraph and the new found promises of the telephone.

That said, I struggled with this book. I did not connect with Alice or Douglas at all as story leads until the very last pages of the novel. Alice's character seems so focused on her spinsterhood it's hard to see the character underneath.It also makes the expected ending feel more jarring as Alice's character has to 

undergo a complete inner shift in a very short time to reach the anticipated conclusion (while well written, the format did feel very familiar to the genre). Douglas' ambition also leaves out a lot of his personality until his acquaintance with Carnegie.  I felt like I spent more time searching for a character to lead me into the story over enjoying the story itself.

Honestly I feel like this is still an enjoyable book just not a match for me.

3 out of 5 stars

"Book has been provided courtesy of Baker Publishing Group and Graf-Martin Communications, Inc."

Set the Stars Alight by Amanda Dykes

After reading Dykes latest book Set the Stars Alight I am convinced she is not a story teller but a story weaver, combining plot threads and ideas into a wondrous narrative that draws readers into a world of her creation.

Dykes starts weaving her threads by introducing two stories, that of Lucy Claremont and Dashel Greene as well as that of  Frederick, Juliette, and Elias two hundred years prior. I've seen these alternating time periods done badly, I've seen them transition well but, again, Sykes weaves the time periods together in an almost dance as each shift in era doesn't leave you jarred but simply reveals the next step in the story (and yes this does make it ridiculously hard to keep the one more chapter promise before bed).

I'll admit, it took me awhile to get into the pacing and narrative that Dykes creates at first. It was hard to connect the two stories in my mind. 

On one hand we had Dash and Lucy, one looking to the stars, the other to the past grieving the loss of Lucy's father and reuniting after years apart to chase down The Jubilee, a long unsolved naval mystery. On the other, you have Fredrick a privileged son weighed down by guilt, Elias the peasant he was press ganged into naval service with, and the young woman who connects them Juliette.  However, slowly but surely, Dykes weaves her connectors bringing past and present into light to create a rich, engaging story.

Dykes doesn't shy from deeper themes within her work, in fact, she uses the different eras and their context to further hone in on them. Here readers are invited to explore grief, identity, and restoration with a wide range of characters who feel fully fleshed, making readers feel invited into their world. Honestly, the little details like the dove, the star parties, or even the ball just added so many honest elements which made the book better.

I'm also glad to say this was one of the most satisfying conclusions I've encountered in a novel this summer (and honestly this is the year where I crave a satisfying ending). Dykes ability to weave her narrative meant that the characters plots were well resolved with a few twists at the end that made it extra sweet.

4.5 out of 5 stars

 "Book has been provided courtesy of Baker Publishing Group and Graf-Martin Communications, Inc."