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In this article:
New Dawn on Rocky Ridge by MacBride
Miss Fleming Falls in Love by Melbourne
Understood Betsy (abridged) by Fisher
New Dawn on Rocky Ridge (The Rose Years #6) by Roger Lea MacBride
4 STARS, Middle Grade Historical, My format: read-aloud to girls ages 9, 7, 5, and 2
Goodreads Synopsis | Buy on BookShop
Reviews in Rose series: #1 Rocky Ridge | #2 Ozarks | #3 Big Red Apple | #4 Other Side of the Hill | #5 Ozarks Town
Rose and her family are still living in Mansfield, where they are doing their best to get back on their feet and return to Rocky Ridge Farm.
Personal Review:
There were a lot of "coming of age" moments with Rose in this book. We all really enjoyed seeing her get older and I thought that some of the heavier topics (like the traveling man) were handled very well. I never felt awkward (well, not too awkward) reading those scenes with my kids. And I appreciate how Mama and Papa handled the situations. We all really like Paul and we are looking forward to following Rose to her new high school in the next book!
Content Warnings:
Rose makes friends with a girl who gets her into some trouble
Miss Fleming Falls in Love (Miss Fleming #1) by Emma Melbourne
3.5 STARS, Clean Regency Romance, My format: e-book
Goodreads Synopsis | Author Website
Miss Amelia Fleming takes it upon herself to deal with the formidable Earl of Langley because her brother refuses to take care of his debts.
Personal Review:
Delightful, sweet, sassy, and lots of fun! This was an enjoyable clean romance. I may have laughed out loud several times and giggled even more.
Amelia is a wonderful character. She is unassuming and determined to take care of things when her brother only wants to squander the little money they have left. I like that she is academically inclined and has a strong inner world that doesn't crumble very easily.
Langley is a typical grumpy character. I did enjoy his stoic-ness but I could have used a little more..something..from him. I'm not entirely sure why he wasn't my favorite - oh, wait, it was probably the mistress. Why, pray tell, do these delightful regency reads have to have a hero with a mistress? I don't understand; the stories are just fine without them and the presence of a mistress (even without any details) just makes me sick. *sigh*
The minor characters were also fun to read and watch as they contributed to the story. However, I am not a fan of omniscient point-of-view. I prefer more mystery - I don't need to know everyone's motives and thoughts on every subject. I prefer to speculate and pass judgments based on my own flawed perceptions of the characters :).
If it weren't for the mistress, I'd probably continue with this series. But as such, I'm not sure I care to read more at the moment. If that kind of thing doesn’t bother you, though, this could be a great clean and light romance read.
Content Warnings:
mistress of the past (who does show up at some point), gambling, a duel with guns, some detailed touching towards the end of the book
Understood Betsy (abridged) by Dorothy Canfield Fisher
4.5 STARS, Middle Grade Classic, My format: read-aloud to girls ages 9, 7, 5, and 2
Goodreads Synopsis | Buy on BookShop | Buy ebook on Kobo | Abridged Version Pictured
Elizabeth Ann had heard from Aunt Francis her entire life about the horrid Putney cousins. Circumstances change and Elizabeth Ann finds herself living with them, but they are not what she expected.
Personal Review:
I read this aloud to my young kids and they absolutely loved it. And I enjoyed it myself! I'm not sure how this compares to the unabridged version, but I thought the story and the writing were just delightful. The book read like a classic but flowed nicely, so it was a great read-aloud for my family.
We enjoyed seeing how much Betsy changed from living with a different family. She went on so many adventures and discovered herself as a capable young girl. We really loved how Betsy had a heart for the younger children around her. Our favorite part of the book was when she found herself stuck at the fair and was very creative in figuring out how to get her and Mollie home. Oh, and we also loved the kitten - can't forget about that.
Content Warnings:
a couple of scenes where Betsy is either lost or alone but they all end well
What have you been reading lately? What are you looking forward to reading?