Mini Reviews - Historical Binge

Last month I decided to switch things up a bit and dive into a genre I normally wouldn't - historical novels. To be precise, I picked several historical romances to read and I was surprised in a good way! At the end of the month, when I was writing my wrap up, I realized I liked the historical romances more than the contemporary ones 😂 There were 4 books on my TBR and I DNF-ed one (Bellegarde ugh 🙄) but the rest were really good! Here are my thoughts ✨

a delightful novel about 3 girls with different backgrounds dealing with their own issues while supporting each other wholeheartedly

The book is written in the form of letters the girls send each other and there is so much emotion on these pages, their love being obvious to everyone ♥ it sort of reminded me of Anne With an E in terms of girlhood, friendships, and coming-of-age themes.

While being mostly light-hearted, this book also offered a realistic take on problems young women of that time faced and how few options they had - marry rich or pick one of the few jobs allowed to women.

If you want a friendship-centered novel, I'd recommend this in a heartbeat ♥

⭐⭐⭐⭐

While it had fairly interesting characters, it didn't pull me in as much as I wanted it to.

It gave me Little Women vibes in terms of - 2 widely different sisters + a cousin who must navigate their seasons while looking for respectable husbands (or jobs). One is a free-spirited poet who wants adventure, one is a kindhearted girl who always comforts others and wants to be a mother, and one is a scientist who is a bit socially awkward and doesn't care for men much.

This was all fine and well - I loved reading from all 3 POVs and cared deeply about what happens to the girls. But for some reason, I didn't find the whole plot engaging. I'd read a wonderful chapter, then be bored for the next 3. I think it's because I don't usually read historical novels and made myself read 4 this month and I've definitely hit my limit 😂

⭐⭐⭐

 

yep, this is it guys. This is the Pride and Prejudice kinda vibe I was looking for FOR YEARS. It's got the hate-to-love story, the idyllic setting, the gardens, the messy sister relationships, the balls, THE DRAMA ♥

While it's relatively short, this book has everything you need. The characters are well-developed, and the plot moves at a decent pace. It's not too fast but doesn't drag either. There are lots of things going on, not just the main characters getting to know each other.  

 The main characters were ADORABLE. I was giggling and kicking my feet each time these two did something cute for each other and did not realize they were in love..ahh...romance ✨

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

💬  Do you read historical novels often? Have you read any of the ones above? 💬