Intriguing historical mystery with a splash of romance
You might be tempted to think that this is mainly a historical romance book, but that is actually not the case. This is far more historical mystery - a good one at that - that features a bit of romance. This is the first book in a series about the Blue Orchid Society, a band of young women in Victorian England who set out to make their own destinies without the interference or need of men. When I first read this premise, I had a bad premonition - that this was all going to hinge on a man or a romance contrary to the premise - but I am very happy to say that it was not the case. I stand corrected and I am glad of it.
"We shall do remarkable things this year, make ourselves into remarkable
people, and none of us will need to rely on marriage to make it happen." - Elizabeth
👍 What I Liked 👍
Mystery: This murder mystery was intriguing and beguiling - it had twists, half truths, half reveals and cover ups in spades. I really liked how it was slowly build up and how the case kept evolving piece by piece. It felt very well thought out, I was impressed and captured.
Feminism: Feminism in historical fiction is spreading and becoming more and more common. However, it hasn't (to my recollection) made much of an impact on historical romance. I was very happy to read about these five women, who set out to create their own destines without the involvement or need of men. They want to break society norms. Sophie, the main character of this book, sets out to make a name for herself in series journalism. I am looking forward to reading about the other women's attempts in the next couple of books.
Romance: Yes, the romance was not the focal point of this book and that made me love the romance even more. It evolved so slowly, was actually quite understated and that made it very sweet and tentative. No insta-love - or lust! - here, thank god!
"With so any factors unknown, two things he was certain of:
a young lady belonged nowhere near a murder investigation
and Miss Sophie Bremerton belonged nowhere near him"
👎 What I Disliked 👎
Characters: The two main characters, Sophie and Jonathan, were sweet and all, but that was pretty much it. They felt underdeveloped and slightly flat. I enjoyed Jonathan's peppermint quirk, but other than that I had a hard time pinpointing any real character traits.
Read it if you like: historical mystery, ultra slow burn romance, women making their own way
⭐⭐⭐⭐
ARC provided by the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review
Comments