"Life is about more than just the choices we make. It is also about the chances we take." - The Best Intentions by Sarah M. Eden
For years, I've read glowing reviews of Sarah M. Eden novels, so I had big expectations before reading The Best Intentions, my first Eden title. It was ... fine. Set in Regency England, this is the first book in The Huntresses series.
My opinion is quite different from legions of SME fans. It may be a matter of timing (I recently read an outstanding debut novel set in the same time period) or my first interaction with a large and well-established cast of characters created in the author's many previous novels. But I really struggled through the first half of this book. Thankfully I enjoyed the second half more.
This plot was filled with So. Much. Angst. for which I have little patience. Novels must have tension to propel the story forward, but when the conflict is primarily internal, and the characters agonize over their challenges again and again with no forward movement, I lose interest. That's how the first 50 percent of this novel felt. I really wanted the characters to heed the advice that was repeated several times throughout the story:
"Few things in life are as hopeless as we fear they are. The trick is choosing to believe."
Heroine Gillian and hero Scott each face serious financial issues that threaten the trajectory of their lives, and their internal monologue about their plights is repeated numerous times. I welcomed the movement toward solutions contained in the latter portion of the novel. I appreciated some of the secondary characters and the author's addressing the financial challenges of supporting the Regency lifestyle for members of the social elite.
I support "girl power" especially in a time period when women weren't viewed as leaders, so I'm optimistic about future novels featuring the young women known as The Huntresses. I'm not ready to give up on this author quite yet, and hope her other novels better showcase her writing talents.
Thank you to the author and JustRead Tours for the review copy.
For years, I've read glowing reviews of Sarah M. Eden novels, so I had big expectations before reading The Best Intentions, my first Eden title. It was ... fine. Set in Regency England, this is the first book in The Huntresses series.
My opinion is quite different from legions of SME fans. It may be a matter of timing (I recently read an outstanding debut novel set in the same time period) or my first interaction with a large and well-established cast of characters created in the author's many previous novels. But I really struggled through the first half of this book. Thankfully I enjoyed the second half more.
This plot was filled with So. Much. Angst. for which I have little patience. Novels must have tension to propel the story forward, but when the conflict is primarily internal, and the characters agonize over their challenges again and again with no forward movement, I lose interest. That's how the first 50 percent of this novel felt. I really wanted the characters to heed the advice that was repeated several times throughout the story:
"Few things in life are as hopeless as we fear they are. The trick is choosing to believe."
Heroine Gillian and hero Scott each face serious financial issues that threaten the trajectory of their lives, and their internal monologue about their plights is repeated numerous times. I welcomed the movement toward solutions contained in the latter portion of the novel. I appreciated some of the secondary characters and the author's addressing the financial challenges of supporting the Regency lifestyle for members of the social elite.
I support "girl power" especially in a time period when women weren't viewed as leaders, so I'm optimistic about future novels featuring the young women known as The Huntresses. I'm not ready to give up on this author quite yet, and hope her other novels better showcase her writing talents.
Thank you to the author and JustRead Tours for the review copy.
