The first problem is that The Gilded Hour is very bloated. At 742 pages it is very (very) descriptive and somewhat repetitious. I listened to this one in chunks, breaking it up with other books in between. I listen to audiobooks while exercising, and this one just couldn't get me through a workout.
Secondly, nothing is resolved after all that time. You have to wait for the second book to get closure about the orphans, the murdering of women, and the fate of Sophie and her husband. I feel like you can read the second book and get everything you need. The first book is just a very long introduction to several plots, and as I said in my review of Where the Light Enters, it isn't clear what the central plot of the story is.
I did enjoy the romance of Anna and Jack. It was nice to see how they ended up together. And you find out how the orphans came into their lives. But I can't honestly say this is worth over 700 pages of information.
I'm sure I wouldn't have finished The Gilded Hour if I were reading it. I tend to be very patient with audiobooks, especially those that I have paid for! So I was determined to finish it eventually. I'll let you decide whether you need the complete story, or whether the conclusion (Where the Light Enters) is good enough.
Published by Berkley, 2015
Audiobook obtained from Libro.fm
742 pages
Audiobook obtained from Libro.fm
742 pages
Rating: 3/5
An author I've read before though this one is new to me. Thanks for the review.
ReplyDeleteOh dear. I haven't heard of this one, but I think I will skip it. I am definitely not good with overly descriptive books and 742 pages of it would not work for me. What a shame.
ReplyDeleteI read The Gilded Hour and loved it actually. (Maybe I didn't mind the lack of resolution because I was glad to finish it and knew there would be a sequel?) At any rate, I have Where the Light Enters on my bookshelf waiting for me. So thanks for the reminder I should get to it!
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