Helpful Score: 5
I really expected this to be better than it was. Has an interesting & unique storyline, but frankly, this is one of the most sloppy, poorly edited books I've ever read. There are grammatical & contextual errors all through it, Ms. Tarr can't seem to keep what surname belongs to who straight all the way up to the end of the book, and really, it's a Victorian that, aside from the plot & setting, doesn't consistently maintain a Victorian feel to it. Some parts of it very much so, some not so much. I'm of the impression that this writer has some very promising talent, but her execution is rather inconsistent & sloppy. So many of the more intriguing subplots in this story were all too briefly glossed over, almost to the point of the introduction of them into the story at all seeming rather trite. I really think this could have been an A+ book had the writer shown just a little more attention to detail.
Grade: C
Sensuality Rating: R
Grade: C
Sensuality Rating: R
Helpful Score: 2
This book was interesting - set in 1890's England, heroine is a suffragist working for women's right to vote, the hero is a portrait photographer. He is from a disadvantaged background - son of a prostitute, suffered abuse, then got rescued and taken to an orphanage. He is hired to take the heroine's picture in a compromising situation to discredit her campaigning before an important parliamentary vote. The situations between the couple seem to advance very rapidly, at the expense of character development/plot. Book seems to be about 5-6 chapters too short, with some gaping holes where events move too quickly or activities are glossed over without reasonable timeframes - too much attempt to get the entire plot into a few weeks chronologically. Interesting subject that is not covered much, different time period. Book leaves many plot thread stubs with no movement or resolution for the main characters (nightmares? abuse? exes?) and for some obvious sequel lead-ins for two more books.
