Review + 5 Favorite Quotes: The Madman's Daughter by Megan Shepherd

The Madman's Daughter by Megan Shepherd
Publication: January 29, 2013 (Balzer+Bray)
Source: E-Galley from the publisher
Rating: Squee-worthy

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In the darkest places, even love is deadly.  Sixteen-year-old Juliet Moreau has built a life for herself in London—working as a maid, attending church on Sundays, and trying not to think about the scandal that ruined her life. After all, no one ever proved the rumors about her father's gruesome experiments. But when she learns he is alive and continuing his work on a remote tropical island, she is determined to find out if the accusations are true.

Accompanied by her father's handsome young assistant, Montgomery, and an enigmatic castaway, Edward—both of whom she is deeply drawn to—Juliet travels to the island, only to discover the depths of her father's madness: He has experimented on animals so that they resemble, speak, and behave as humans. And worse, one of the creatures has turned violent and is killing the island's inhabitants. Torn between horror and scientific curiosity, Juliet knows she must end her father's dangerous experiments and escape her jungle prison before it's too late. Yet as the island falls into chaos, she discovers the extent of her father's genius—and madness—in her own blood.

Memorable Quotes

1.) The ship jerked suddenly, and I flew backward.  My head struck the wall.  Montgomery tumbled out of his chair and would have fallen on top of me if he hadn't braced himself against the wall with quick instincts.  I clung to his arms as if I were falling, but we weren't going anywhere.  My fingers tightened.  He was a finger's distance from me.  Closer.  Close enough to feel the brush of his loose hair on my face, to feel the heat from his sunburned skin.  If it hadn't been for the thin fabric of my chemise, we'd have been skin against skin.  
 

2.) It struck me he was almost a ghost, straddling the fine line between the living and the dead.  I wanted him to live, to see again whatever was so important in that photograph, as if it would make up for my morbid fascination.  
 

3.) Suddenly he brushed his rough thumb against my jaw, catching me by surprise.  Heat erupted across my face as I drew in a sharp breath.  Was he going to kiss me?  My eyelids sank closed.  Our bodies were practically touching.  It was wrong to be so close to a boy - every moment of Mother's upbringing had taught me that.  But I didn't care.  We were bound together, he and I.


4.) The day was beautiful.  A blue sky stretched as far as the ocean, which we glimpsed between breaks in the trees.  I'd traded a bitter English winter for the lush tropical sun and beautiful calls of faraway birds. 


5.) I had forgotten what I loved about the piano.  The precision of the notes and the mathematical intricacy of the notes and measures.  It was like a complicated equation that you work out with your heart instead of pencil and paper.  I concentrated on the keys, letting my mind clear.  I played and played until the final  bar, where I let the chord ring until the last trace of sound faded. 
   

My Review

The Madman's Daughter is an eery, Gothic story that will absolutely sweep readers off their feet.  As I began reading, I was immediately transported to London - a lonely placed for orphaned Juliet.  My heart went out to her, and I liked her at once.  She's one of my favorite kind of heroines - brash, intelligent, witty, and curious.  She makes impulsive decisions, and she does what she has to do.  Juliet Moreau was an awesome narrator for this spooky YA historical, and her point of view complimented Megan Shepherd's writing perfectly.  

As the reader, I saw everything so clearly through Juliet's eyes, and because Megan pulled me into the story so completely, I also felt what Juliet felt.  Her emotions were so clearly stitched into The Madman's Daughter: from wonder at her father's island, to trepidation throughout the perilous journey there, the blush of a renewed attraction to Montgomery, and ultimately, the terror as she became caught up in her father's machinations.   

Each time I thought I grasped the full scope of the mad doctor's plans, Megan Shepherd threw another curve ball into the story.   The plot of The Madman's Daughter is full of mystery and danger, literally around every corner of the teeming jungle.  There was so much life in the pages, but also many questions of morality, and what life means to different people and species.  I was fascinated to see how the doctor's actions effected everyone on the island in different ways, from Juliet and Montgomery, to Edward, Alice, and Balthasar.  

While definitely creepy at times, and positively hair-rising at others, The Madman's Daughter is definitely a fabulous story.  Megan Shepherd made me gasp in surprise at the revelations - some of which I suspected, while others took me totally by surprise.  While I thought the love triangle was somewhat superfluous, I still enjoyed reading about both the boys.  With an ending you won't see coming, The Madman's Daughter is a must-read! 


Other books by this author:

Untitled (The Madman's Daughter #2 - 2014 Balzer+Bray)
The Cage (The Cage #1 - 2014 Balzer+Bray)

You're sure to fall for:

The Diviners by Libba Bray

About Megan  

I’ve been many things, like a professional exchange student, park ranger in Montana, and LOST enthusiast, but what I am now is a writer.  When I'm not writing, I can usually be found horseback riding, day dreaming at coffee shops, or hiking in the beautiful mountains of Western North Carolina.
Visit Megan at: her website | her blog | her twitter

Shop for The Madman's Daughter at: Barnes & Noble | The Book Depository

 

If you'd like to visit the previous and next blogs on this tour, here is the full schedule!

1/21  A Dream Within A Dream             Playlist

1/22 Hobbitsies                                      Author Q&A

1/23 Birth of a New Witch                     Top 5 Favorite Quotes

1/24 365 Days of Reading                      Author Q&A

1/25  Sci Fi Chick                                  Favorite Scene

1/28 Word Spelunking                           Top 5 Favorite Quotes

1/29  Books with Bite                            Author Q&A

1/30 The Mod Podge Bookshelf            TBA

1/31 Once Upon a Prologue                   Top 5 Favorite Quotes

2/1    Book Twirps                                 Favorite Scene

  

Review: Delusion by Laura L. Sullivan

Delusion by Laura L. Sullivan
Pages: 352
Expected publication: January 8, 2013 (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt)
Source: ATW ARC Tours
Rating: Beam-worthy
Add it/Purchase: Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble
Connect with the author: Website | Twitter

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When two beautiful teenage stage magicians in World War II England meet a pair of handsome men who can do real magic, sparks fly. But is it illusion, or delusion? Opening-night jitters are nothing new for Phil and Fee Albion, who come from a long line of stage illusionists. The girls love to dazzle London audiences, but in the aftermath of the Blitz they're bundled off to the countryside, where they're safe from bombs and Nazis--and bored to pieces. 

Phil, always the passionate one, discovers a hidden college of real magicians led by the devastatingly handsome Arden. If only Phil can persuade these unworldly magicians to help England win the war! Daredevil that she is, she'll risk anything to give her country a fighting chance, even if it means losing her heart . . . or her life.

My Review

Looking back on Delusion, I'm conflicted as to really how to classify it, or what to say about it.  Sullivan's tale is certainly imaginative, set against the backdrop of World War 2 - an event no one, not even our main characters could ignore.  The War adds an element of unavoidable danger to the story, even as sisters Phil (Philomel) and Fee (Phoebe) are sent to live in the country, in a town that's almost impossible to find, on a map or otherwise.  Here the story picks up, but despite the action, I was still left aching, wanting...something more from Delusion.  

I enjoyed the characters: Phil was practical, but passionate when it came to preparing area for the War, while Fee was a hopeless romantic, dreamy and fluttery in a way that had me giggling quite often.  Their hostess's son, Algernon was interesting, and Uncle Walter was eccentric, but definitely played a part.  By far the most polarizing characters were the members of the school of magic, tucked away in plain site, where both Phil and Fee meet magicians who dazzle, amaze, and antagonize them.  The Masters of the college were very misogynistic toward women and quite arrogant toward "outsiders," which didn't set well with me.  

There are several side plots in Delusion, revolving around Phil's family and ancestors, as well as Fee's storybook romance, but the one that interested me most was the relationship between Phil and Arden.  I loved their exchanges, their banter, and the attraction that slowly blossomed between them.  I also thought the story arc between the dueling schools of magic was really interesting, even if I would have liked it to be fleshed out more.  

I think what threw me off most about Sullivan's story is the narration.  It flip flops back and forth a lot, sometimes from one paragraph to the next (this may be corrected in the final version), but the way Delusion reads...it's as if an omniscient third party is telling the story at times, and that really left me kind of nonplussed.  It was difficult, if not impossible to click with the characters in an emotional way, so I never really felt like I was IN the story.  

If you're looking for a quirky, not-of-the-normal story, then definitely pick up Delusion.  There's a touch of romance, and a healthy dash of mystery, along with an element of sleight of hand mixed with the possibility of REAL magic.  Despite the fact that I didn't love it, I did enjoy this unusual story and would recommend you check it out for yourself!

Other books by this author:

Ladies in Waiting

You're sure to fall for:

Houdini's Daughter by Teri Brown
The Diviners by Libba Bray

Review: My Super Sweet Sixteenth Century by Rachel Harris

My Super Sweet Sixteenth Century by Rachel Harris
Published: September 11, 2012 (Entangled Teen)
Rating: Squee-worthy
Source: E-ARC from the publisher
Add it/Purchase: Goodreads | B&N | Amazon
Connect with the author: Twitter | Website

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On the precipice of her sixteenth birthday, the last thing lone wolf Cat Crawford wants is an extravagant gala thrown by her bubbly stepmother-to-be and well-meaning father. So even though Cat knows the family’s trip to Florence, Italy, is a peace offering, she embraces the magical city and all it offers. But when her curiosity leads her to an unusual gypsy tent, she exits . . . right into Renaissance Firenze.

Thrust into the sixteenth century armed with only a backpack full of contraband future items, Cat joins up with her ancestors, the sweet Alessandra and protective Cipriano, and soon falls for the gorgeous aspiring artist Lorenzo. But when the much-older Niccolo starts sniffing around, Cat realizes that an unwanted birthday party is nothing compared to an unwanted suitor full of creeptastic amore.

Can she find her way back to modern times before her Italian adventure turns into an Italian forever?

My Review

I was excited to read My Super Sweet Sixteenth Century for several months before its release, so when I received an E-ARC, I dove excitedly into the pages and discovered a thoroughly enjoyable, light-hearted story.  Combining familiar elements of using time travel to teach the main character - a delightfully realistic girl - life lessons, even though some parts of Rachel Harris's debut novel are familiar to me, that doesn't mean that I loved the story being told any less.  Between the setting, which teemed with atmospheric details, and the larger-than-life characters, Super Sweet is a sweet, coming-of-age story.

There was just something undeniably charismatic about Cat Crawford,and I liked her immediately.  She has a strong voice as a narrator, so consequently, was right there with her as she stepped out of a gypsy's tent and into Renaissance Italy and into an adventure she'd never expected.  Cat carries the story well, because Rachel Harris imbues her with both a sense of wonder at what's happening around her, as well as a sense of independence that marks her as unique in her surroundings.  I felt for Cat and also cheered her on, whether it was her exploring the city, meeting historical figures, or fighting and finally giving in to her attraction for handsome Lorenzo.  He was a fantastic love interest - there was so much more to him than met the eye, and even though Cat didn't get to spend a great deal of time with him, the attraction between them definitely felt very genuine.

My Super Sweet Sixteenth Century is a lovely story, filled with moments of tenderness and humor as Cat navigates her way through her ancestor's Italy.  What easily could have been a run-of-the-mill time travel tale instead took on a life of its own, largely thanks to Harris's flowing writing style, as well as the other secondary characters, like Alessandra, and Cat's "aunt" and "uncle."  I also really loved that Cat grew and transformed as a character - I'm  a BIG fan of character growth in novels.  I read this book eagerly and am definitely very much looking forward to the sequel, A Tale of Two Centuries!


Other books by this author:

A Tale of Two Centuries (My Super Sweet Sixteenth Century #2 - Entangled Teen, 2013)
Rearview Mirror (Entangled Teen, 2013)

You're sure to fall for:

Venom by Fiona Paul

Review: The Diviners by Libba Bray

The Diviners by Libba Bray
Pages: 608
Published: September 18, 2012 (Little, Brown Books FYR)
Source: SBB ARC Tours
Rating: Swoon-worthy
Add it/Purchase: Goodreads | B&N | Amazon
Connect with the author: Website | Blog

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Evie O'Neill has been exiled from her boring old hometown and shipped off to the bustling streets of New York City--and she is pos-i-tute-ly thrilled. New York is the city of speakeasies, shopping, and movie palaces! Soon enough, Evie is running with glamorous Ziegfield girls and rakish pickpockets. The only catch is Evie has to live with her Uncle Will, curator of The Museum of American Folklore, Superstition, and the Occult--also known as "The Museum of the Creepy Crawlies."

When a rash of occult-based murders comes to light, Evie and her uncle are right in the thick of the investigation. And through it all, Evie has a secret: a mysterious power that could help catch the killer--if he doesn't catch her first.







 

My Review

 

The Diviners is a stunningly original, hauntingly beautiful book, a larger-than-life glimpse into 1920's New York City, a place where, for Evie O'Neil, anything and everything is possible.  The incomparable Libba Bray has written another achingly real cast of characters - runaway dancer, Theta, piano player Henry, gifted Memphis, strange, extraordinary Jericho, scientist Uncle Will - all threaded into Evie's life.  The synopsis barely hints at the magical, macabre story inside the pages, which is part historical fiction, part paranormal, and part murder mystery.  

I'm not sure what I'm more thrilled about and deliriously into in The Diviners.  The characters are all such richly developed fixtures in this book, and the gritty, elegant 1920's New York City just comes alive on the pages.  I felt SO much while I read Bray's book: genuine fear as the occult murders continued, hope as Evie and her uncle discovered clues and raced against the clock to solve the murders, glee when the characters triumphed, sadness when they didn't.  My heart was definitely invested in The Diviners - in the mythos Libba Bray created, as well as in the hints that there was much, much more just beneath the surface.  The Diviners did a fantastic job of introducing all the pivotal characters as well as setting the stage for the sequels. 

I was truly scared as the climax of The Diviners swelled toward an ending that left me with more questions than answers; though in this case, that's okay.  I know that Bray will deliver.  There's a sense of urgency and a sweeping, overwhelming, dizzying undertone to The Diviners, a warning of dangers to come that I just wanted to drink in.  Something bigger than all these wonderful characters is coming, and I for one cannot WAIT to find out!  With just a touch of perfectly developed, unhurried romance, as well as a dusting of steampunk, The Diviners is everything I could ever want in a book.



Other books by this author:

A Great and Terrible Beauty (Gemma Doyle #1)

You're sure to fall for:

Black House by Stephen King

Review: Gilt by Katherine Longshore

Gilt by Katherine Longshore
Pages: 398
Expected publication: May 15, 2012 (Viking Juvenile)
Source: ARC from the publisher via DAC Tours
Rating: Beam-worthy
Series or stand-alone: The Royal Circle (1)
Further info/purchase: Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble
Find the author online: Website | Blog | Twitter

In the Tudor age, ambition, power and charismatic allure are essential and Catherine Howard has plenty of all three. Not to mention her loyal best friend, Kitty Tylney, to help cover her tracks. Kitty, the abandoned youngest daughter of minor aristocracy, owes everything to Cat – where she is, what she is, even who she is. Friend, flirt, and self-proclaimed Queen of Misrule, Cat reigns supreme in a loyal court of girls under the none-too-watchful eye of the Dowager Duchess of Norfolk.

When Cat worms her way into the heart of Henry VIII and becomes Queen of England, Kitty is thrown into the intoxicating Tudor Court. It’s a world of glittering jewels and elegant costumes, of gossip and deception. As the Queen’s right-hand-woman, Kitty goes from the girl nobody noticed to being caught between two men – the object of her affection and the object of her desire.

But the atmosphere of the court turns from dazzling to deadly, and Kitty is forced to learn the difference between trust and loyalty, love and lust, secrets and treason. And to accept the consequences when some lessons are learned too late.

My Review

When I received Gilt, I was excited to start it, and within the first few chapters, I knew I was in for a dazzling tale of court intrigue, scandal, and romance.  Katherine Longshore's debut young adult historical novel is all that, and much more, bringing to life in a new way the story of Catherine Howard, the girl who becomes one of Henry VIII's infamous wives.  Only in Katherine's story, we meet Catherine Howard long before she catches Henry's eye - Catherine: manipulative, popular, spoiled, loving, stubborn.  Catherine is a fascinating character, though truly, Gilt is the story of her best friend, Katherine "Kitty" Tylney, who becomes her right-hand lady-in-waiting; Kitty, who is fiercely loyal to and protective of Catherine - even when her friend doesn't deserve either of those things.

As much as I adored Kitty, I also wanted to shake her to her senses. Kitty spends the entirety of Gilt lost in Catherine's shadow, and as frustrated as I was with Catherine as a character, I was MORE frustrated and put out with Kitty.  Catherine is THAT girl, that mean girl who is somehow also popular, the girl all the other girls flocked to in high school because there's just something about her, the girl who oddly repulsed me, and who I had no desire to befriend.  I never understood THAT girl and usually feel sorry for that type, but I wanted to throw Cat out a window for most of Gilt.  If Katherine Longshore wanted readers to dislike Catherine, then with me, she succeeded.  I loathed Catherine to the point that I didn't enjoy Gilt as much as I thought I would. 

That said, make no mistake: Gilt is still a good novel, maybe even a great novel.  Watching Cat's meteoric rise to Queen from poor maid-servant was interesting, but I kept looking past her, waiting for Kitty to shine.  To me, Kitty was the far more deep, kind, and likable character, and it was her growth over the course of Gilt that kept me reading.  I really liked Katherine Longshore's writing style - I found it really easy to immerse myself in that aspect of Gilt!

To me, I think my biggest problem with Gilt was all the unfulfilled potential in several of the secondary characters and in one of Kitty's romances.  By the end of the book, all I wanted was for Kitty to be happy, and Gilt didn't really go in the direction I was hoping it would.  With some books, I'm okay with and even will yearn for an open ending.  With Gilt, I wanted to know, absolutely know, what happened at the end; instead, it was left a little bit to the imagination, and for some reason, that just rubbed me wrong.  There were enough dazzling dresses, scandal, rumors, and intrigue to satisfy even my imagination, but this one just left me feeling kind of oddly unsatisfied.

Overall Gilt is not a bad book; make no mistake, Katherine Longshore has talent, and Gilt will absolutely pull you in - I definitely read it quickly, wanting to know what happened next.  It's the first book in a series that I'm not overly sure I'll continue, but don't let me decide for you.  Read the fascinating Gilt for yourself, and hopefully you will love it!

Review: The Springsweet by Saundra Mitchell

The Springsweet by Saundra Mitchell
Pages: 275
Source: ARC from the publisher via AWTW Tours
Published: April 17, 2012 (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt)
Series or stand-alone: The Vespertine (2)
Rating: Squee-worthy
Further info/purchase: Goodreads | Barnes & Noble | Amazon
Find the author online: Twitter | Website


Heartbroken over the tragic death of her fiancé, seventeen-year-old Zora Stewart leaves Baltimore for the frontier town of West Glory, Oklahoma, to help her young widowed aunt keep her homestead going. 

There she discovers that she possesses the astonishing ability to sense water under the parched earth. When her aunt hires her out as a "springsweet” to advise other settlers where to dig their wells, Zora feels the burden of holding the key to something so essential to survival in this unforgiving land. 

Even more, she finds herself longing for love the way the prairie thirsts for water. Maybe, in the wildness of the territories, Zora can finally move beyond simply surviving and start living.

My Review

It's no secret that Saundra Mitchell's Gothic novel, The Vespertine was one of my favorite novels of 2011.  I'm a romantic at heart, and drawn to all kinds of anachronisms, and to me, The Vespertine was a book that, wonderfully, and amazingly, just didn't fit in, didn't quite belong amidst all the other young adult books I was reading, and that's a huge part of why I loved Saundra's book and her ethereal writing style quite so much.  I've recommended The Vespertine to so many people and talked extensively about it here, so when I received a copy of The Springsweet for an ARC tour, I was thrilled and elated, and I also had high hopes for the sequel to The Vespertine, it being Zora Stewart's story.  The Springsweet picks up right at a year after the events of The Vespertine, and it's not a lie to say that when I read the opening passages, I felt like I'd come home, back to Saundra's beautiful writing.

That I went a little mad, I cannot deny.  - Zora Stewart, page 1.  

With a beginning like that, I KNEW I was going to love The Springsweet, and I did definitely adore this novel.  As Zora flees Baltimore, and the reminder of the tragedies her family has suffered, she starts anew in the untamed West, and under Saundra Mitchell's pen, Oklahoma comes alive, a hot, dry, hard place that Zora nevertheless finds something elusive in: hope, and a rebirth of sorts when she discovers her ability to locate water underground, becoming a "springsweet."  This touch of the paranormal was very well-done, and flowed nicely with the rest of the story.  I immediately felt for Zora, who is Understandably broken and grieving, and fell for her all over again, for the spirit buried underneath her mourning.  Zora was changed vastly from the first book, but she still impressed me throughout The Springsweet with her heart and her ferocity.

I also fell for secondary character Emerson Birch, and one of Zora's two would-be suitors.  The second suitor, Theo de la Croix was a true gentleman, and although I found him to be very kind and sweet, it was Emerson I was drawn to: brave, unfettered Emerson.  I could see why Zora gravitated toward him, as well.  Saundra Mitchell certainly brought to life a man befitting the wild, feral Oklahoma, giving us just enough glimpses of Emerson, his abilities, and his heart to make him utterly irresistible.  I looked forward to Zora's interactions with him, and only wish we'd seen more of them together!

The Springsweet left me a little breathless with the beautiful scope of the story playing out, and Saundra's ability to so easily draw me in to the story she's telling.  Page after page, I was astounded at the grace spilling from the pages, and my ONLY complaint is that the story wasn't long enough!  I wanted and needed more - more time with Zora, and with Emerson, and even with Birdie, who was a wonderfully developed character.  I couldn't help it - I LOVED what I was reading and I quite desperately didn't want The Springsweet to end.  However it DID end...and on an amazingly heart-pounding cliff-hanger that left me grasping at the pages, and already looking forward to the third and final book in this series, Aetherborne.  I'm going to hate the wait, but I have EVERY bit of faith that it will be worth it!

Review: Ripper by Amy Carol Reeves

Ripper by Amy Carol Reeves
Pages: 340
Expected publication: April 8, 2012 (Flux)

Source: E-ARC from the publisher
Series or stand-alone: Planned series but no sequel announced
Rating: Beam-worthy
Further info/purchase: Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble
Find the author online: Website | Twitter


In 1888, following her mother's sudden death, seventeen-year-old Arabella Sharp goes to live with her grandmother in a posh London neighborhood. At her grandmother's request, Abbie volunteers at Whitechapel Hospital, where she discovers a passion for helping the unfortunate women and children there.

But within days, female patients begin turning up brutally murdered at the hands of Jack the Ripper. Even more horrifying, Abbie starts having strange visions that lead her straight to the Ripper's next massacres. As her apparent psychic connection with the twisted killer grows stronger, Abbie is drawn into a deadly mystery involving the murders, her mother's shadowed past, and a secret brotherhood of immortals—who'll stop at nothing to lure Abbie into its "humanitarian" aims.

  

My Review

Ripper plunges the reader into the midst of the story with the opening lines, sending protagonist Arabella "Abbie" Sharp chasing a pick-pocket who has lifted a brooch that belonged to her dead mother.  Although I inwardly shook my head at Abbie's reckless pursuit of the thief, I liked her immediately - her courage, her fierceness, and her heart.  Abbie made some rash decisions at times, but I never gave up on her; if anything, over the course of Ripper, I liked her more and more.  Her growth as a character was inspiring to read about. 

Amy Carol Reeves has a wonderfully clear writing style that made the action-packed Ripper quite easy to follow and to enjoy.   It's a fast-paced thrill ride full of nifty twists and turns that left me guessing as to what would happen next.  Readers who think they know the story of Jack the Ripper will find themselves proven wrong; Amy Carol Reeves has developed an alternate explanation for the murderer that plagued the streets of London, and the "who" and the "why" will shock readers, just as I was surprised. 

Throughout Ripper, I was pleasantly surprised and thrilled: by the plot, by the characters, and by the relationships.  I don't read that many historical novels, so I went into this one with a bit of trepidation, but Reeves won me over quickly with how genuine Ripper felt; despite the fearful note running through it, which the story relies heavily on, it still (to me) felt like I was reading a true historical novel, one with a lot of heart, and mystery.  There were a few plot points I saw coming and wish I had enjoyed more than I did, but overall the story was very gripping.  

I also really enjoyed some of the character interactions in Ripper.  William and Simon were both fascinating characters in their own rights, and I loved watching each of them with Abbie.  I was slightly disappointed in the direction their individual relationships took with her; I didn't feel like this novel needed to stray into love triangle territory, because to me, it was obvious from the beginning where Abbie's heart lay, though it took her longer to figure that out than it did me.  And Abbie's grandmother was a really enjoyable character; for all the importance she placed on appearances, it was clear she really did love Abbie, and that was nice to see.  

Ripper was a fabulous, quick read, and my few flaws (things like multiple typos) will likely be resolved before the finished copies are printed.  Overall I really enjoyed the story - I just didn't love it, or emotionally connect with it, like I wanted to, though that is certainly not Amy Carol Reeves's fault.  She's produced a great book that did leave me anxiously awaiting the sequel. 

Further Thoughts

Do you like historical novels?  Or do you prefer contemporary reads?  How do you feel about books like this one, that take place as a story inside a well-known historical event?