The Maid - Nita Prose // Book Review

  

The Maid
Nita Prose || Publication Date - 20.01.2022

Imagine being invisible, a piece of hotel furniture - thrown in to solve a murder you have been accused of.

Crime | Mystery

Molly Grey is a hotel maid. She prides herself in her efficiency and discreet duties while maintaining the utmost professional demeanour within her workplace. She is never friends, only acquaintances, and has a particularly hard time maintaining and understanding social relationships after her Grandmother had passed away.

It was a day like any other. Get to work, do her job, leave and wait for another day. However, this day would throw a wrench in her beloved monotonous routine when she would be the one to discover one of the hotel guests dead. And not just any hotel guest... the illustrious high roller Mr. Charles Black.

The week to follow is full of accusations, misunderstandings and investigations while the Police try to hang Molly for this crime, all while she is trying to clear her name.

The Review (may contain spoilers)

This was an amazingly enlightening read. I loved the pacing, the writing and the premise. It all was executed wonderfully within the book and the ending felt whole and complete. There was also the added component of the main character Molly seeming to be neurodivergent. Even though this is not explicitly stated. it is heavily implied with her interactions and the support she received from her grandmother.

I am usually wary of books which are written in a short, in story time frame. This book is no exception as the entire story takes place in a single week. However, Nita does a great job of making the story feel fluid and paces the events very well. There were never times in the novel which felt out of place or confusing in the overall timeline. I was also impressed by how the characters had a lot of input on the events and each felt different to each other.

Unfortunately for me this book just didn't wow me. It was a pleasant read, and a pretty good mystery novel that divulged the culprit over time so it was not a surprise at the end of who had done it. I don't think this took away from the story at all, and definitely seemed fully intentional.

Overall Thoughts

For readers of light mystery, or someone who just wants a fun book to read I would recommend this one. It is not too difficult to follow, the characters are diverse and engaging and the overall plot is interesting. That being said, if you enjoy your mysteries to, well... stay a mystery until the end, then this would not be a good book for you. As I said above, this novel drip feeds you the culprit throughout and leaves for a satisfying but not surprising ending.

The Duke & I - Julia Quinn // Book Review

The Duke & I
Julia Quinn || Publication Date - 05.01.2000

Thank you to Netflix for enlightening me to the formidable regency drama series - Bridgerton.

Romance | Historical

I would like to introduce you to the 1813 summer season. Families are rushing to have their freshly 'come of age' daughters fussed and dressed in the latest fashions ready to promenade around London. Bachelors are sighing as they're attending social events in the hopes that one of these pretty damsels will become their wife and carry on their estates.

One of these women is none other than Daphne Bridgerton. A newfound woman who is intent on finding a good husband and marrying to start a large and boisterous family of her own. Maybe even one to rival that of the one she grew up in.

On the other side of this coin is the Duke of Hastings, Simon Bassett. A man of contrary nature to our feminine protagonist, he is hell bent on never marrying, never settling down and never EVER having a child of his own. As his boots touch down back in London after a while travelling the world, he is /basically/ forced to attend a ball held by the honourable Lady Danbury in which the events of our novel take fruit and blossom into the romance which captivated audiences 20 years earlier than Netflix.

The Review (may contain spoilers)

While I enjoyed the book for what it is - there were a lot of times I really wanted more. It started off very promising, and I thoroughly enjoyed Daphne and Simon's mannerisms together, especially their back and forth banter towards each other and their surroundings. I was quite disappointed that as the relationship came into fruition, this aspect of their relationship fell away. It was even more disappointing that this happened close to half way through the book.

I do however, enjoy the book from a character development standpoint. I felt all the characters, even the side characters, were very well stationed in the book. They felt like well rounded people and even though some had points which made me dislike them, I appreciated them for who they were.

Overall I felt this book was perfectly within the realm of the story it was trying to tell and the characters it was telling it with. Despite the 2nd half of the book, which to me was the most unenjoyable, it still made me want to read the other books in this series. Other characters are elaborated on and ultimately it is the Bridgerton family that I am invested in and not necessarily who each of them end up with in their respective novels.

Overall Thoughts

Ultimately I believe this book is worth a read if you enjoy historical fiction/romance, if not simply to enjoy the older 3 Bridgerton boys (Anthony, Benedict and Colin) and their constant commentary. If you prefer your romance to have a lot of smutty scenes, this will not be one for you. However, if you enjoy watching two people overcome struggles within their relationship (somewhat controversially to be honest) this would be a good one to add to your TBR pile.