Oh, what a lovely week to be a reader! You may have noticed, I usually have good things to say about the books I review here, and there’s a simple explanation for that: I know what I like, and if I try something new and don’t like it, I drop it. It’s a good way to live because it frees up my time for fun books. Like these!
The Nutmeg Tree by Margery Sharp: As you may recall, I rewatched Julia Misbehaves (1948) last week, a comedic romp starring my darlings, Greer Garson and Walter Pidgeon. And as the credits rolled by, I realized, “Hey! This is based on a book!” and I immediately ran to my library (app) and checked it out. This was my first Sharp novel and will not be my last – where have i been all these years? The Nutmeg Tree is frothy and witty and just a teeny bit sentimental. Watching good time gal Julia try to pass herself off as a lady – or what she thinks is a lady – and form a relationship with her snobby, estranged daughter while also trying to disentangle said daughter from an unsuitable fiancé is a riot. I wish the ending weren’t quite so abrupt, but I got the sense that everything will be quite all right now, so I’m content. And looking forward to more Sharp stories!
A Holiday by Gaslight by Mimi Matthews: A cute, fluffy holiday novella. The characters are likable, but everyone tended to say exactly what they were thinking – which 1) is not how normal people behave and 2) made it difficult for me to believe the main characters had been courting for two months already without laying it all out there sooner. But hey, this obviously isn’t meant to be a deep character study, so I overlooked that and had fun. Fans of North and South and Persuasion will enjoy all the little Easter eggs Matthews leaves throughout.
“Gaslight Mysteries” #9-11 by Victoria Thompson: Yes, I’m still reading these, and yes, I’m still having fun. In fact, I’m consistently in the mood for these stories and these characters lately, so I’m pretty much devouring them (when other library patrons aren’t slowing me down!!). Murder on Bank Street is my favorite and, I think, the best, so far – not just because the mystery is good but because it centers around our main characters as they investigate the cold case of the murder of Sarah’s husband. So we get more character and relationship work than in the series’ typical mystery-of-the-book vein. Also, I feel like things are finally about to start happening with Frank and Sarah’s relationship, so I’m a happy shipper. I swear, there is nothing like a good slow burn, and these two are just heating up!
–b
Book It With Becca 