Necessary Deception, A: A Novel - eBook
4.3
5
19
19
Too Many Loose Ends
This was a hard read for me because plots were started and not fully concluded. I actually was tempted to jump to the last chapter to get some sort of resolution.
I liked Ms. Eakes' other books well enough. This one just left me a little mystified with a lot of unanswered questions. Maybe I should re-read it to ensure that I didn't skip some critical pages.
January 2, 2013
Had the potential to be a lot better
I truly loved Laurie Alice Eakes's first novel from Revell, "Lady in the Mist", but I'm afraid this one just didn't live up to my expectations. The plot definitely intrigued me, but the action scenes felt rushed and clunky, and I never really connected to Lydia. Charlotte and Honore were interesting characters, but Lydia was very indecisive and I struggled to figure out her motivations, besides vague suggestions at the fear of a man ruling her life. I did genuinely like Christien, but I wished for more insight into how he'd got his job at the Home Office and his mission in London. The details about this were pretty vague, again, but could have had a lot of potential.
It's hard to put my finger on exactly what I didn't like about this book. It was a quick and pleasant read, and at times I really did want to keep reading to figure out the mystery, but there was never any doubt in my mind that Lydia and Christian would get together, despite their personal issues. One of the biggest problems, which cropped up more so towards the end of the novel, was how preachy and forced the spiritual message of the novel felt. I had the same problem with "Lady in the Mist". I'm not sure if this is a remnant from the author previously writing for Heartsong Presents, since I've always found the spiritual messages in those books to be overbearing. Either way, I wished the message could have been better integrated into the story or perhaps even more original. A message about putting our trust in God, while valid, is one that's been done many, many times in Christian fiction, and I wished for something a bit more challenging.
Ultimately, this book wasn't a chore to read. It was fairly entertaining, but I struggled with it because I picked up on so many things I thought could have been improved on. To be honest, this book felt like it needed a thorough edit before it hit the shelves. I hate to say that, but that's the impression I was left with upon finishing the book; cliff-hangers that weren't picked up for several pages, or at all, plus wishy-washy backstories and an overwrought spiritual message all felt like they needed to be tidied up a little.
I'll still read the second book in this series, since I've already requested a review copy, but I just didn't find this book of the same quality of "Lady in the Mist", although I felt like it had the potential to be a lot better than it was.
December 15, 2012
Loved it!
After reading Laurie Eakes' midwives series, I wasn't really expecting much. I was wrong. This book had everything - intrigue, danger, and most important, a great romance. Christien was a great hero. You could definitely feel his great love for Lydia. The only irritating thing about this book was the sister Honore. I hope to see her mature in future books. Be prepared for a great read with this one.
September 12, 2012
In the shadows
Yes, Laurie writes extremely well, and yes, the story was intriguing. However, the chasms in judgment and personal character tainted the tale for me.
October 16, 2012
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