by Sarah Addison Allen
Random House, March 2011
Fiction (Chick-Lit)
Copy Provided by TLC Book Tours
Summary:
Thirty-year-old Willa Jackson is reunited with Paxton Osgood, an old classmate from a prominent family, when he makes plans to restore the manor built by Willa's great-great grandfather, but construction unearths a skeleton and long-kept secrets, and Willa and Paxton bond during their search for the truth.
My Thoughts:
I've read reviews for all of Allen's books as they've come out over the years, and I've heard great things about her novels, particularly Garden Spells. When The Peach Keeper's 'blurb' mentioned the words 'Southern gothic mystery with a touch of magical realism,' I couldn't help but dive right in.
Unfortunately, I was a bit disappointed in Allen's delivery. The premise is fantastic, right down to the dark and dirty side of the womens' society clubs of the South. A murder, a secret kept for decades, and a charismatic traveling salesman round out a recipe for a great read. The writing, however, often comes across as wooden and stilted. Some plot lines seem half-finished, as well as the development of most of the characters. I would love to read the same story written by a different author. Don't take my word for it, though. I am definitely in the minority!
Check out these other reviews:
Wednesday, April 13th: Knowing the Difference
Friday, April 15th: Peeking Between the Pages
Monday, April 18th: Bewitched Bookworms
Tuesday, April 19th: Book Reviews by Molly
Wednesday, April 20th: A Few More Pages
Thursday, April 21st: Sara’s Organized Chaos
Friday, April 22nd: Life in Review
Monday, April 25th: The Broke and the Bookish
Tuesday, April 26th: Life in the Thumb
Wednesday, April 27th: Crazy for Books
Friday, April 29th: A Fair Substitute for Heaven
Monday, May 2nd: Fizzy Thoughts
Tuesday, May 3rd: Coffee and a Book Chick
Wednesday, May 4th: Jenn’s Bookshelves
Thursday, May 5th: Alison’s Book Marks
Friday, May 6th: Bookfoolery and Babble
Monday, May 9th: A Library of My Own
Tuesday, May 10th: Teresa’s Reading Corner
Wednesday, May 11th: Unabridged Chick
Monday, May 16th: A Bookshelf Monstrosity
Wednesday, May 18th: Two Kids and Tired
Friday, May 20th: In the Next Room
4 comments:
Well, darn. I'm sorry you were disappointed! I hope you'll give Garden Spells a try, though! Thank you so much for being on the tour.
I've only read The Sugar Queen and I didn't like her style at all. It all seemed a bit twee.
I am glad to have seen your review, as it has presented me with another side of this book. I have been wanting to read it, but after reading your thoughts I am rethinking. Thanks for the honest insight on this one.
I am glad to see another perspective of this book (yes you are in the minority) but thats ok. Thanks for the review.
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