I understand the author's point in making the main character so unlikable, but I kept expecting there to be a more dramatic growth arc to compensate, and I was disappointed - the ending felt a little cheap/convenient; after following Susan for so long, I still didn't think she necessarily deserved her ultimate happiness.

A good addition to the series - still a fun read, as long as you can accept the implausible setups. There were a LOT of conveniences to smooth out the plot. 

The story of Esther is very important, and Edghill proposes some interesting dynamics, including the acknowledgment of the full palace world with the addition of other characters, and Mordecai is more in the background than in the biblical account. There were plenty of decisions I didn't agree with, but overall, there were some valuable themes and it was an enjoyable enough read, too.

This was a quick and easy read. I love The Importance of Being Earnest, so the nods to that were always enjoyable, but the crew of the ship seemed very stereotypical, and I didn't find the teenage boy character very realistic either. The two main women were almost indistinguishable from each other in how they spoke.

Predictable, and I would've liked more depth in the family relationships, but there were some very sweet moments. The tension of wanting to be a mother did feel real.

I didn't like this as much as this author's Jane Austen-inspired series. The world felt a little like cardboard, and there wasn't a satisfying balance of telling vs. showing.

I love a book set in Paris, of course, and the best parts were feeling like I was going with the characters to the locations. But the plot itself was often iterative; it was a little ridiculous for her daughter, then son, then husband to all randomly surprise-visit her and expect to stay with her.

A journalist that can't get through the book Emma felt unrealistic to me, and I don't understand why Frank and Jane - oh, sorry, "Lauren," needed to be antique hustlers instead of just hiding their engagement. 

Light and tropey - it's obvious which brother she's going to end up with VERY early on. Seeming "side" character mean girl coworker is of course the ex. 

As an adjunct professor, I was a little annoyed at the relentless bashing of the profession. Some dialogue sections felt unrealistic. But as a whole, this was an entertaining read.