Tag: life drama

3.5 star, YA

Review: Being Mary Bennet by J.C. Peterson

Andge @ Down the Rabbit Hole

Acerbic and delightful, this YA rom-com about a girl who resolves to become the main character of her own story is perfect for fans of Jenny Han and Becky Albertalli.

It is a truth universally acknowledged that every bookworm secretly wishes to be Lizzie Bennet.

A less acknowledged truth is that Mary Bennet might be a better fit.

For seventeen-year-old Marnie Barnes, who’s convinced she is the long-suffering protagonist of her life, this revelation comes at the end of a series of self-induced disasters that force her to confront a devastating truth: Marnie has more in common with Mary Bennet—the utterly forgettable middle sister—than the effervescent Lizzie.

Determined to reinvent herself, she enlists the help of her bubbly roommate and opens herself up to the world—leading lady style. And between new friends, a very cute boy, and a rescue pup named Sir Pat, Marnie realizes that being the main character doesn’t mean rewriting your life entirely. It’s about finding the right cast of characters, the love interest of your dreams, and, most important, embracing your story, flaws and all.

With a hilariously sharp voice, a sweet and fulfilling romance that features a meet-cute in an animal shelter, and a big family that revels in causing big problems, this charming comedy of errors will have readers cheering for Marnie during every step of her obstacle-ridden journey toward embracing who she truly is.

If I’m honest, the sole reason I want to win the Hunt Prize is to earn my place among my older sisters. But more than that, what if it doesn’t matter? What if nothing will give me equal footing – equal love – within my family? What if all they see is Mary?

What if that’s all there is to see?

I wasn’t sure what to expect from this story but I found an oddly empathetic protagonist who only yearned for her family’s love as one of the overlooked middle children. With plenty of literary references, not only that of Jane Austen, I fell for Marnie as she strived to give herself a make over so that she resembled more as Lizzie Bennet in the story that was her life than the drab, annoying Mary.

At the heart of this story is about family and Marnie’s search for herself. Living in the shadow of her big sister’s brilliance, Marnie pushed herself to win the prestigious Hunt Prize as her sister once did many years ago. Perhaps then her father would pay her attention or she would make her mother stop for one second to be proud of her. I was so upset alongside Marnie at one particular family scene where it felt like her whole family was ignoring her. Like nothing happening in her life was important enough to be memorable. Even her troublesome younger sisters got more attention, even if it’s of the negative kind.

It was like she could’ve disappeared. She was that invisible. She wasn’t even expected at this family gathering. I was so indignant on her behalf! And that’s where trouble comes in.

The one person to pay attention to her was an old family friend of theirs. Although this guy was fairly young in his early twenties, he was still creepy enough that he was paying certain attention to her. Even with Marnie’s previously harmless unrequited infatuation with him, it suddenly got more serious there and I’m glad the book didn’t particularly take us down that road.

The romance was in fact a lot sweeter than that. For her Hunt Prize project, Marnie ends up meeting a cute guy named Whit who may or may not spark something with her. Of course, with any romance, things don’t go as smoothly as one would hope and the slow burn process they took to putting their feelings out there was excruciating. In the best way possible.

You know what makes this book a winner in my eyes? The fact that Marnie compared this guy to Gilbert Blythe. Making her Anne, of course. Anyone who makes L.M. Montgomery references is a queen in my books.

I will say that the rating was only docked off a bit because of the slow middle. The Hunt Prize competition is the timeline of the book but it gets really detailed on the project at times in the middle that is less relevant to Marnie’s growth and romance. I mean, it was still necessary to have present, but it could’ve been paced better in my opinion.

I really did enjoy Marnie’s journey most of all. It became evident with time that perhaps it wasn’t just her family’s negligence that made her feel lonely, but maybe a little to do with her misperceptions of their intent with her. Maybe they really were trying to help her out of love instead of pity. Marnie wanted to be the opposite of Mary so that she would be likable, loved and worthy. Those are all things I think we as readers can empathize with. So it was wonderful to organically see her come to the conclusion that she was worthy in her own eyes. As Lizzie, as Mary, or…even as just plain old Marnie.

The ending was better than I could’ve asked of it and felt true to these characters. Marnie’s story is one I feel can connect with many people. We all want to be the protagonists in our own stories, but perhaps it’s worth reflecting on what that may mean to us.

Overall Recommendation:

Being Mary Bennet is a great character exploration of our protagonist, Marnie, who wanted to be more like a Lizzie than a Mary Bennet in her story. I felt drawn to the emotional struggles she faced, wanting to feel loved and worthy by her family and seeking out ways to make her stand out among her sisters. I feel Marnie’s internal struggle and journey to self-love is one that many of us can resonate with, in whole or part. With a cute romance on the side that adds an extra layer of sweetness, this is the kind of rom-com that is both lighthearted and meaningful. I had no expectations from JC Peterson coming into this, but I am pleased to have discovered her and look forward to more.

4 star, YA

ARC Review: Sense and Second-Degree Murder

Andge @ Down the Rabbit Hole

Series: Jane Austen Murder Mystery #2

Three of Jane Austen’s classic novels receive a murder mystery makeover in this romantic and thrilling three-book series that’s perfect for fans of The Lady’s Guide to Petticoats and Piracy and Stalking Jack the Ripper. In Sense and Second-Degree Murder, aspiring scientist Elinor Dashwood and her sister Marianne, a budding detective, work together to solve the mystery of their father’s murder.

When eighteen-year-old aspiring scientist Elinor Dashwood discovers her beloved father slumped over the desk of his office study, she knows his death means dire straits for the Dashwood women. To make matters worse, an outdated will entails his estate—including Norland & Company, the private investigation firm where her younger sister Marianne worked as her father’s partner and protégé—to their half-brother and his haughty wife, who waste no time in forcing the Dashwoods out of their home and into a cramped apartment on London’s Barton Street.

But before they go, the Dashwood sisters make a startling discovery that points to foul play, and the killer might be family.

Obviously, the girls must investigate. It could be dangerous; it could ruin their reputations; and most importantly, it won’t bring back their father. But if the Dashwood sisters can combine their talents and bring their father’s murderer to justice, it may bring them all some comfort—and it might even lead to love.

**Sense and Second-Degree Murder comes out April 5, 2022**

Thank you Edelweiss and the publisher for this copy in exchange for an honest review.

Tirzah Price continues to amaze me with her ability to take on a familiar Jane Austen book and add a mystery twist. Sense and Second-Degree Murder took all the beloved characters of Sense and Sensibility and really drove home a few key things: the sisterly bond, romance in its different forms, and science.

Continue reading “ARC Review: Sense and Second-Degree Murder” →
5 star, adult

Review: The Maid by Nita Prose

Andge @ Down the Rabbit Hole

Molly Gray is not like everyone else. She struggles with social skills and misreads the intentions of others. Her gran used to interpret the world for her, codifying it into simple rules that Molly could live by.

Since Gran died a few months ago, twenty-five-year-old Molly has been navigating life’s complexities all by herself. No matter—she throws herself with gusto into her work as a hotel maid. Her unique character, along with her obsessive love of cleaning and proper etiquette, make her an ideal fit for the job. She delights in donning her crisp uniform each morning, stocking her cart with miniature soaps and bottles, and returning guest rooms at the Regency Grand Hotel to a state of perfection.

But Molly’s orderly life is upended the day she enters the suite of the infamous and wealthy Charles Black, only to find it in a state of disarray and Mr. Black himself dead in his bed. Before she knows what’s happening, Molly’s unusual demeanor has the police targeting her as their lead suspect. She quickly finds herself caught in a web of deception, one she has no idea how to untangle. Fortunately for Molly, friends she never knew she had unite with her in a search for clues to what really happened to Mr. Black—but will they be able to find the real killer before it’s too late?

A Clue-like, locked-room mystery and a heartwarming journey of the spirit, The Maid explores what it means to be the same as everyone else and yet entirely different—and reveals that all mysteries can be solved through connection to the human heart.

People are a mystery that can never be solved.

When it comes to cozy mysteries, there’s nothing more interesting than a good protagonist to follow on their journey. The Maid is very different from the regular thrillers and mysteries I usually partake in, but it excelled at bringing to life the world of Molly Gray through her eyes. It’s really a discovery of who she is while wrapped up in a murder mystery.

Molly isn’t like the usual characters I read. I get it, she’s not necessarily unique when it comes to neurodivergent individuals in fiction, or perhaps not even the most well-done. But I rather enjoyed my time looking through her eyes. Yes, she misses cues and cannot read between the lines that are said. However, I enjoyed how that integrated well with the story and her personal growth through the ordeal at her work place, the Regency Grand. I know there are people who want to definitively know if Molly is on the autistic spectrum. It’s never made explicit possibly because she was never diagnosed in her life. I’m not here to say whether it should’ve been made clear or not. I also cannot say whether her perspective was accurate to people on the spectrum. You’ll have to read those reviews elsewhere. What I’m here to talk about is what I got from Molly’s story.

Right away, I knew the writing style and protagonist perspective worked for me. Molly loves order, and what is more orderly than cleaning? She’s made for this work, minus the fact that reading people she has to interact with (coworkers, guests, etc.) makes things a bit tricky. But that’s where her Gran’s lessons come in. I loved her relationship with Gran. Even though she had passed away prior to the events of the story, her presence is very much there through Molly’s memories and thoughts.

The story flow progresses well as we move through what would’ve been a typical work week for Molly that becomes very quickly anything but. The focus is less on the murder, though of course it impacts Molly’s life, and more on the minute changes and details she observes in the aftermath that may come useful in finding out the truth.

There are a slew of characters around Molly. It quickly becomes evident (to us at least) who is friendly and who’s taking advantage of her inability to read between the lines. It made me reflect on all these things that seem obvious to me but perhaps isn’t to everyone. Is a smile always good or do we use them negatively? Does someone saying they’ll “take care of your family” always mean something helpful or good, or can it come across as a threat? It’s just fascinating seeing such an interaction through Molly’s lens. Sometimes Very often I found myself wanting to help her figure out friend or foe before it’s too late!

The one minor disappointment here is that there’s definitely no big part that Molly plays in the mystery solving component. Sure, she’s suspected as the killer but I had hopes she would play a bigger role in untangling everything. It’s no locked room mystery if that’s what you’re looking for.

However, what I came here for (the mystery) was easily outweighed by the marvellous journey it was to see Molly grow and make new relationships after losing her strongest and only ally. It was heartwarming and delightful as we witness the woman she was becoming through this ordeal. The mystery is present and mildly predictable (well, with maybe a twist I didn’t see coming), but the star of the show is truly Molly. Who can’t help loving a book when the protagonist charmed me so very much?

If that’s what you’re looking for, then you’re in for a cozy treat.

Overall Recommendation:

The Maid delivers a riveting story following Molly Gray, a woman who sees the world differently than most of us. Her keen perception of her surroundings make her a great maid, but also a valuable asset when figuring out a murder. I loved reading through her perspective. It made the world a brighter place even when things were not going so well for her. The mystery is definitely second tier in this book, but I find myself hardly caring because Molly is the book and her journey figuring out more of the world and her place in it made my heart grow another size. It’s well worth the read!