When I pulled this book off the shelf, I immediately thought of you, LOL. I couldn't remember if you considered the 'o' the right way of spelling (but then figured you didn't, considering you are an 'a'). I'm glad I didn't follow my first impulse to email you and be all "YAY YOUR NAMESAKE SPELLED THE RIGHT WAY!" because that would've been major egg on my face, LOL.
I was *so* disappointed by the way MariOn turned out, because the start was *so* good, what with her deciding that she was going to forge her own path away from her brother's family. Her SIL was a real bitch, so I don't blame her, nor the covert way she went about it! But she just completely fell apart as a character when the actual story kicked in. This girl is so clueless that she believes some unknown elderly lady has taken pity on her and is sending her anonymous roses as some sort of weird act of kindness. I just wanted to take her aside and be all, "Honeychild, crimson roses are not from a random sweet old lady taking pity on you and hoping to brighten your day. Even in the 1920s, crimson roses are from a passionate admirer." Not even after Lyman told her outright that he was the mysterious sender did she believe him - he had to convince her! No matter how sheltered you are, I just can't see how you make it all the way to 23 - with a married sibling! - and don't make this connection.
Besides MariOn being a dumbass, it was a good book. There isn't much extra angsty-wangsty other woman/un-Christian stuff going on. The ending did a lot of heavy lifting on this front, I feel.
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Date: April 10th, 2025 07:50 pm (UTC)I was *so* disappointed by the way MariOn turned out, because the start was *so* good, what with her deciding that she was going to forge her own path away from her brother's family. Her SIL was a real bitch, so I don't blame her, nor the covert way she went about it! But she just completely fell apart as a character when the actual story kicked in. This girl is so clueless that she believes some unknown elderly lady has taken pity on her and is sending her anonymous roses as some sort of weird act of kindness. I just wanted to take her aside and be all, "Honeychild, crimson roses are not from a random sweet old lady taking pity on you and hoping to brighten your day. Even in the 1920s, crimson roses are from a passionate admirer." Not even after Lyman told her outright that he was the mysterious sender did she believe him - he had to convince her! No matter how sheltered you are, I just can't see how you make it all the way to 23 - with a married sibling! - and don't make this connection.
Besides MariOn being a dumbass, it was a good book. There isn't much extra angsty-wangsty other woman/un-Christian stuff going on. The ending did a lot of heavy lifting on this front, I feel.