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hismercysurrounding's review against another edition
3.0
A fun romp, with so many twists it made my head spin. Somewhat unrealistic, and more romance than I like, but it has a few lessons about forgiveness which I like. And the characters are quite Dickensian.
bookswithnopictures's review against another edition
5.0
Missing jewels, an escaped convict, and an opera singer in hiding. Who wouldn't want to read that?
This played so much like a movie in my head though the vivid imagery and great story telling. I've never read a book with first person and third person POV's. I quite like it to my surprise.
Maggie and Oliver's stories collide and their individual character growth is perfectly written. There's a definite nod to the Gothic style of Charlotte Bronte's Jane Eyre that I very much enjoyed.
This played so much like a movie in my head though the vivid imagery and great story telling. I've never read a book with first person and third person POV's. I quite like it to my surprise.
Maggie and Oliver's stories collide and their individual character growth is perfectly written. There's a definite nod to the Gothic style of Charlotte Bronte's Jane Eyre that I very much enjoyed.
sarahdiamond's review against another edition
5.0
Honestly, it’s hard to find books that I absolutely love and a lot of books in this sort of British Victorian era are rather forgettable. But I enjoyed this one so much that I put it in my 5 star all time favorites. There were a few things about it that are thought were silly and maybe some characters and plots that could have been developed more. So I maybe would have given it 4.5 stars….but I rounded up. Well worth the journey!
mawitty's review against another edition
4.0
There were parts of this book that I really, really loved. There were other parts that left me scratching my head (that's why I couldn't in good conscience give this book 5 stars).
I loved the setting of the moor and the idea of the escaped convict ... but then we left the moor (although, fortunately, we did get to come back to it at the end of the story), and the escaped convict wasn't dangerous at all (but he was the romantic interest, so of course he can't really be). There were other dangerous characters in this that made up for that lack.
The pacing was great overall, but some parts toward the end dragged on and on. There was some justification for that, however, tying up loose ends and such ... so even the drag was somewhat forgivable.
What really would have boosted this up to a 5-star book, as far as I was concerned? A few things really stood out to me.
The first was I wished the author would have started out with Maggie's first scene. I understand why she did it the way she did, I think. Prison escapes are much more exciting than reading and manservants visiting sisters. But Maggie was our first-person character. First-person draws in the reader in a way that third-person can't. Indeed, I connected more right away with Maggie and her reading Jane Eyre than I did with Oliver and his escape from prison.
Second, Oliver's quick change out of drag. He gets off the coach as an old woman, and then he gets back on the coach as a man, with the same woman, and nobody questions it. Nobody says, "Hey, what happened to that old lady you were with, and who's this guy? Is he your husband? Your son?" Especially in the Victorian era, this sort of thing would be noticed and most likely commented on, by either the driver or the couple they were traveling with inside the coach. I get that the companion couple was older and spent a great deal of time sleeping, but they weren't sleeping when they got on and off the coach. They would have noticed something. I was upset about that omission for quite a while and almost didn't go back to finish reading ... but I did, and I'm glad. I would've missed out on some great moments.
The last thing that bothered me was when Barrow was questioning Groat about Oliver's father and their father-son relationship, and Groat was giving him a lot of information. It was hard for me to believe that Groat would know that much about them and it (although it was explained later that Groat knew a lot about important society people; that information would have been nice to know beforehand). It was also hard for me to believe that Barrow would even think to ask Groat about it. He would expect Groat to know about Maggie and her relationships, but the Wards? An earlier conversation between the two men explaining why Groat knew what he did about the Wards and how Barrow would have known that Groat knew would have been much more natural and convincing, and not so "out of the blue."
Still, this was an enjoyable read and, as I said, I enjoyed the majority of the book very, very much. Nobody's perfect, and I guess that goes for books too.
I loved the setting of the moor and the idea of the escaped convict ... but then we left the moor (although, fortunately, we did get to come back to it at the end of the story), and the escaped convict wasn't dangerous at all (but he was the romantic interest, so of course he can't really be). There were other dangerous characters in this that made up for that lack.
The pacing was great overall, but some parts toward the end dragged on and on. There was some justification for that, however, tying up loose ends and such ... so even the drag was somewhat forgivable.
What really would have boosted this up to a 5-star book, as far as I was concerned? A few things really stood out to me.
The first was I wished the author would have started out with Maggie's first scene. I understand why she did it the way she did, I think. Prison escapes are much more exciting than reading and manservants visiting sisters. But Maggie was our first-person character. First-person draws in the reader in a way that third-person can't. Indeed, I connected more right away with Maggie and her reading Jane Eyre than I did with Oliver and his escape from prison.
Second, Oliver's quick change out of drag. He gets off the coach as an old woman, and then he gets back on the coach as a man, with the same woman, and nobody questions it. Nobody says, "Hey, what happened to that old lady you were with, and who's this guy? Is he your husband? Your son?" Especially in the Victorian era, this sort of thing would be noticed and most likely commented on, by either the driver or the couple they were traveling with inside the coach. I get that the companion couple was older and spent a great deal of time sleeping, but they weren't sleeping when they got on and off the coach. They would have noticed something. I was upset about that omission for quite a while and almost didn't go back to finish reading ... but I did, and I'm glad. I would've missed out on some great moments.
The last thing that bothered me was when Barrow was questioning Groat about Oliver's father and their father-son relationship, and Groat was giving him a lot of information. It was hard for me to believe that Groat would know that much about them and it (although it was explained later that Groat knew a lot about important society people; that information would have been nice to know beforehand). It was also hard for me to believe that Barrow would even think to ask Groat about it. He would expect Groat to know about Maggie and her relationships, but the Wards? An earlier conversation between the two men explaining why Groat knew what he did about the Wards and how Barrow would have known that Groat knew would have been much more natural and convincing, and not so "out of the blue."
Still, this was an enjoyable read and, as I said, I enjoyed the majority of the book very, very much. Nobody's perfect, and I guess that goes for books too.
martyomenko's review against another edition
4.0
A very different story, with a convict and runaway opera singer, I didn't know how the story would go, so it surprised me here and there.
anjleo's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
4.0
soletka's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
3.5 stars, actually! This is a sweet, lovely read about a couple of young people fighting for justice - and the story is laced with the story of forgiveness, finding your own place in life after a great pain and injustice and realizing how you have never been truly abandoned by God (and your father might not be the cruel man you thought he was, too!)
While I´d say that this was a bit prolonged read, it was also totally and utterly sweet. The main couple simply belongs together and you are firmly on their side, going with them through all the obstacles (sometimes too complicated obstacles and the weak loopholes, yes) to the sweet ending before the altar (of course!). The portions of food for thought are well-served, too. Lovely read.
While I´d say that this was a bit prolonged read, it was also totally and utterly sweet. The main couple simply belongs together and you are firmly on their side, going with them through all the obstacles (sometimes too complicated obstacles and the weak loopholes, yes) to the sweet ending before the altar (of course!). The portions of food for thought are well-served, too. Lovely read.
brightside_83's review
4.0
4 stars ✨
“True justice starts with repentance. How can we ask God to show justice in the world while willfully nursing our own hidden prejudices, selfishness, lusts, greed… our own broken relationships?”
Maggie leaves her life at the Opera, to live a life of seclusion when she is threatened by a politician who seeks to ruin her reputation. She finds solace in the wilds of the moors until one day she finds an injured man with no identification near her home. Oliver is an escaped convict on the run to clear his name when he’s injured and found by a beautiful woman he knows looks familiar but can not recall from where- until he finds something among her possessions that throws his world upside down. Together they must figure out a way to clear his name before he is caught and thrown back into prison.
The House at The End of the Moor was a fantastic story. Main characters Maggie and Oliver were likable people both struggling with inner turmoil and wrongs to make right. There were lots of quotes in this book that were refreshing and compelling. They really hit home with me and I love when books get my wheels turning- I also enjoyed the ending when a certain unlikable character turns a new leaf and finds grace, forgiveness and redemption.
“True justice starts with repentance. How can we ask God to show justice in the world while willfully nursing our own hidden prejudices, selfishness, lusts, greed… our own broken relationships?”
Maggie leaves her life at the Opera, to live a life of seclusion when she is threatened by a politician who seeks to ruin her reputation. She finds solace in the wilds of the moors until one day she finds an injured man with no identification near her home. Oliver is an escaped convict on the run to clear his name when he’s injured and found by a beautiful woman he knows looks familiar but can not recall from where- until he finds something among her possessions that throws his world upside down. Together they must figure out a way to clear his name before he is caught and thrown back into prison.
The House at The End of the Moor was a fantastic story. Main characters Maggie and Oliver were likable people both struggling with inner turmoil and wrongs to make right. There were lots of quotes in this book that were refreshing and compelling. They really hit home with me and I love when books get my wheels turning- I also enjoyed the ending when a certain unlikable character turns a new leaf and finds grace, forgiveness and redemption.
jan1234's review against another edition
4.0
4.5 stars
Wow, what a book. I loved the suspense and drama. I nearly didn't get past the first chapter though, as there was too much violence for my liking. Other than that, I couldn't put the book down. A new author to me, but will look at more of hers. I loved the setting of the book too. I'm glad I didn't give up on the book. I have this on my kindle.
Wow, what a book. I loved the suspense and drama. I nearly didn't get past the first chapter though, as there was too much violence for my liking. Other than that, I couldn't put the book down. A new author to me, but will look at more of hers. I loved the setting of the book too. I'm glad I didn't give up on the book. I have this on my kindle.