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readmorgbooks's review against another edition
emotional
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
rileycummins29's review against another edition
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
melissad75's review against another edition
3.0
First published in 1971, this was an enjoyable, quick read but just too short! Rosamunde Pilcher's writing is so wonderful that I want to luxuriate in it for days, not just hours. And though she created some interesting, fairly well-developed characters and an atmospheric setting given how few pages the story has, I could have used more - especially when it came to the main character Jane's romantic relationship, which was lovely but rushed.
That said, for something I finished in one day, I liked it. To me this was Rosamunde Pilcher with a bit of a Mary Stewart vibe, since in addition to Pilcher's family relationships and domesticity there was also a suspenseful feeling that Jane was in some kind of danger. It was an interesting combination. Worth reading if you want a hit of Pilcher without the time commitment of one of her long novels.
3.5 stars
That said, for something I finished in one day, I liked it. To me this was Rosamunde Pilcher with a bit of a Mary Stewart vibe, since in addition to Pilcher's family relationships and domesticity there was also a suspenseful feeling that Jane was in some kind of danger. It was an interesting combination. Worth reading if you want a hit of Pilcher without the time commitment of one of her long novels.
3.5 stars
livingpalm1's review against another edition
3.0
I read this little novel, appropriately, in the first days of September. I still far prefer Winter Solstice to anything else I've read by Rosamunde Pilcher, but I'll never tire of sweet stories with substantive characters set in the Scottish countryside.
tawitham's review against another edition
2.0
I read all of Rosamunde Pilcher’s books for the first time in high school and college. I found my pile of her books in a box recently and thought they would be good quarantine reads. I chose this one because it is super short and I remember really enjoying it. Also I wanted one of her Scotland books. I am fairly certain I had a book crush on David the country lawyer. But now I can’t imagine what the attraction was (besides the glasses). His character is very flat, as they all are. Bland. Everything was bland and too one dimensional in this book.
kengore's review against another edition
emotional
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.75
Not good enough for three but two feel a bit too little... 2.75 I think.
The writing style is pretty good and I liked the descriptions and the protagonist. But the plot was barely existing and the male characters were just... insipid. It would have benefitted from a stronger conflict, I think. The author tried to make it a conflict of "deciding between two men" but as a reader I felt pretty blasé about both so I didn't care for the resolution.
SPOILERS: Also the way that the both characters who posed any remote conflict died one after the other, almost in the same scene... it was not good. Not good at all. Yikes.
The writing style is pretty good and I liked the descriptions and the protagonist. But the plot was barely existing and the male characters were just... insipid. It would have benefitted from a stronger conflict, I think. The author tried to make it a conflict of "deciding between two men" but as a reader I felt pretty blasé about both so I didn't care for the resolution.
Content Warnings
Minor: Death, Car accident, and Abortion