February 2025 Wrap-Up

Books Read:

The Nonesuch by Georgette Heyer (1962)  4/5 stars

This is a delightful light romance, full of humor, intelligence, and convincing Regency atmosphere. 

The Black Moth by Georgette Heyer (1921)  4/5 stars

This novel of Georgian England was Heyer's first published work and, if appreciated for the melodrama it was intended to be, is thoroughly enjoyable.

The Number of Love by Roseanna M. White (2019)  3/5 stars  

The Codebreakers, book one

This is a well-written, gripping Christian romantic suspense taking place in London during WWI.  It focuses on a female codebreaker, a British secret agent, and a German spy as their paths cross and recross in dangerous situations. I have only one complaint about the book, and that is the unconvincing historical setting.  I am especially interested in this era, and as a result have read many Edwardian novels and several autobiographies by WWI military personnel and nurses. To me, the atmosphere of this book felt more like the 1940s than the 1910s, without the strong mores that define that time period.  

The Hangman by Gerald Verner (1934)  3/5 stars

Trevor Lowe series, book two

This mystery relied too heavily on coincidence to be fully satisfying, but was still generally interesting and entertaining. 

Audiobooks Completed:

Framley Parsonage by  Anthony Trollope (1860)  4/5 stars

The Chronicles of Barsetshire, book four

Another witty and engaging entry in the series, full of memorable characters and situations.  

The Small House at Allington by Anthony Trollope (1864)  3/5 stars
Chronicles of Barsetshire, book five

This is certainly not my favorite Trollope novel.  It lacks charm and sparkle usual with the author, and seems more like the set up for the final novel, than a finished story in itself.  I did not care for one of the main characters, Lily, and if I had been reading instead of listening, would have skimmed most of her story.  Normally, the details and minutiae of a Victorian novel is part of what I love, but this one was unnecessarily long in parts, making some of the situations tedious.  Though I did enjoy it in general, I didn't find it exceptional in any way, and certainly wouldn't recommend it as an introduction to Trollope.

Did Not Finish:

The Other Bennet Sister by Janice Hadlow

It started off so good; though I didn't fully buy it all, I loved seeing P&P from Mary's point of view and the author's language and prose was a good match for the times.  As it progressed, though, Mary made no development in character, and I began to lose interest in hearing about nothing but how she was mistreated and misunderstood.  Once I reached 39% of this 463 page book, and saw how much I had left, I went to Goodreads to read spoilers to see if I wanted to continue; I was convinced that I did not.