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review
kwmg40
Anna and Her Daughters | D.E. Stevenson
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Pickpick
Ruthiella Mrs. Millard was very intriguing! Such a good character. 2h
julieclair The plot was not predictable to me, either. And I loved Mrs. Millard. I‘d like to read a book devoted to her! 2h
See All 6 Comments
CarolynM Yes, loved Mrs Millard! 2h
Aimeesue Another cheer for Mrs. Millard! I enjoyed her. 2h
Librarybelle I‘m tempted to try one of these Furrowed Middlebrow books one of these days… 58m
27 likes6 comments
review
julieclair
Anna and Her Daughters | D.E. Stevenson
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Pickpick

A lovely, calm, relaxing read. So civilized and satisfying. Perfect with a cup of tea on a quiet afternoon. Another pleasant #FurrowedMiddleBrowClub pick.

Ruthiella Glad you enjoyed it! Stevenson seems to be quite dependable for light romance. 1w
LeahBergen “Pleasant” is a perfect descriptor for her novels! 1w
jlhammar Agree, very pleasant read. 1w
CarolynM Yes, a very pleasant read 🙂 I love your cover, too. 1w
38 likes4 comments
review
batsy
Anna and Her Daughters | D.E. Stevenson
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Mehso-so

I'm sorry to be a bit cranky about this #FurrowedMiddlebrowClub but I enjoyed the first half & loved the bits about Jane finding herself & becoming a writer. I also liked her relationship with Mrs Millard & was hoping for more of it. The 2nd half got a bit too silly at points, & maybe sort of escaped reality altogether (though I understand that's the point of a fluffy feel-good book like this one!) I found it pleasant enough but not quite a pick.

batsy Just a tad twee. Anna got her man with big feet 😳 (okay, mum!) but then sort of vanished from the narrative. Helen was a bit too awful; no one ever set her right, then she just died & we didn't hear about how it affected Anna or Rosalie. The narrative bizarrely shrunk to make the story wholly Jane's. I like Jane & don't mind that, but it just felt oddly developed after the start. Was there supposed to be some backstory with Anna & Mrs Millard? 2w
Cathythoughts Lovely cover all the same ♥️ 2w
See All 25 Comments
batsy @Cathythoughts I wasn't able to purchase this FM title on Kindle, and thought I wouldn't be able to read it. Then found it in my Kindle library with this cover, with no recollection of having bought it 😆 2w
jlhammar Love your cranky review 😆 I enjoyed it more than you did, but had many of the same thoughts/issues. 2w
Ruthiella I couldn‘t get the FMB cover/edition for this one on Kindle either. A conspiracy! 😆 I agree with your criticism. The first half was fun enough for me to give it a 👍 overall, but it was odd that Stevenson went in the direction she did when the field was wide open. 2w
batsy @jlhammar Thank you! It wasn't bad, it's just that we've read some good FMs that set the bar high 🙂 2w
batsy @Ruthiella Yes! She was pretty prolific so perhaps felt tired writing this one 😆 2w
elkeOriginal Great point about not even hearing how Helen‘s death affected Anna - especially since no one even travelled to the funeral! She was ONLY her daughter🤦🏼‍♀️ (edited) 2w
Aimeesue I liked this one more than you did, but I agree that there were quite a few WhatTheHeck? moments! 😂 I think I‘m less critical of these light romances in general because I know what the ending‘s going be anyway, so I like to look at what the author had to do to her characters to get them there. 🤣 2w
LeahBergen Yes to all your points! The first half was super enjoyable and then it went off the rails a bit. I just wanted Jane to stay a spaniel-breeding author in that nice little cottage. 😆 2w
quietjenn @batsy Yes, to all this, but especially the point about Anna and Mrs. Millard. Why were they both so keen not to meet each other?!? 2w
quietjenn @batsy @Ruthiella I am so curious - but I guess not curious enough to have read it yet - about The Empty World, which is apocalyptic science fiction? Talk about wanting to write something different! 2w
Ruthiella @quietjenn Well you hooked me! I just bought it for $3.99 on Kindle. 2w
quietjenn @Ruthiella oops! Sorry? That said, I'm pretty sure I've also bought it for the Kindle at some point, so if you want to read together, just let me know. 2w
batsy @elkeOriginal Exactly! Thought that was a bit of a glaring plot hole towards the end. 2w
batsy @Aimeesue That's definitely the best way to approach these books! On that level, somewhat amusing about how some characters are dispensed with 😅 2w
batsy @LeahBergen Yes, me too! That was so engaging. She and Mrs Millard pottering about their research for yet another juicy, scandalous biography and falling down a bizarre rabbit hole... I think I was hoping for a Doris Langley Moore novel 😆 2w
batsy @quietjenn Right?? I for sure thought their very overt avoidance of each other was leading up to some revelation 😆 The Empty World sounds fascinating. Unfortunately Malaysia doesn't have a regional Amazon so we use the US one and this one (like quite a few number of Kindle editions) isn't available to purchase for me, based on location. Boo 😕 @Ruthiella 2w
CarolynM Great review. It did go off in an odd direction. I was expecting Helen to die in order to clear the way for Jane & Ronnie (why did we not hear about his feet?) but I wasn‘t expecting her disgrace & apparent excommunication from the family. But Val was sweet so maybe Ronnie was worth it @LeahBergen ? How could I resist buying that book on Kindle too @quietjenn @Ruthiella ? 🤣 2w
batsy @CarolynM "Why did we not hear about his feet?" Exactly ? I agree, Val seems like a sweet little guy and hopefully redeems "I'm so awestruck by beauty I can't think straight and who knows I might do it again Jane lol just kidding" Ronnie. 2w
CarolynM All that “he couldn‘t help it” made me sick. And , yes, I thought there was the distinct possibility he‘d do it again. (edited) 2w
monalyisha It‘s my first time encountering the #FurrowedMiddlebrowClub tag. Can you tell me more about it? 🤓 1w
elkeOriginal @batsy @CarolynM I agree about Val! SO glad he turned into a sweet guy after having such a shit mother and being so weird on first meeting him. He was a highlight in the end. 1w
batsy @monalyisha We pick a book from the Furrowed Middlebrow imprint and read one every other month! The members each post a choice of books and everyone votes on it. I'll try to find the post of the list of titles for 2024 and tag you 🙂 1w
74 likes1 stack add25 comments
review
elkeOriginal
Anna and Her Daughters | D.E. Stevenson
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Pickpick

This month‘s #FurrowedMiddlebrowClub read was a gentle, comfy DE Stevenson read about Jane and her sisters. It very much was a 2 parter where the 1st half was a nice resettling of the fam to a cottage in Scotland & everyone finding their way. Part 2 was a rushed fairly hot mess. A year abroad covered in a few paragraphs! Anyhoo, loved our MC and just wanted the best for her. Many characters fell quickly into happy endings. Cute but not her best.

elkeOriginal And as @Aimeesue noted a reference in this to Miss Buncle, I laughed at the at least 2 references to DE‘s famous cousin Robert Louis! 2w
Ruthiella I think it‘s a law that all Scottish writers have to reference RLS in their novels, whether they are related or not! 😂 Beautiful old edition you have there! 😍 2w
See All 16 Comments
jlhammar You all have me very excited to read more of her work! Lovely edition. 2w
Leftcoastzen Nice edition! 2w
elkeOriginal @jlhammar Must reads are Miss Buncle‘s Book along with the Mrs Tim series. SO good! Thankfully she wrote tons and I have many more yet to read 📚 2w
elkeOriginal @Leftcoastzen One of my lockdown coping methods was ordering vintage DE Stevenson books because she is so cozy in tough times. 2w
Leftcoastzen That was a good plan! 👏😄 2w
LeahBergen @elkeOriginal @Aimeesue I also noticed a reference to a hotel that features in Mrs Tim Gets a Job and a reference to Celia‘s House. I liked the frequent RLS references, too! 😆 2w
LeahBergen @Ruthiella He‘s quoted a lot in O. Douglas books, too. 😆 2w
LeahBergen I like your edition, too. 😍 2w
batsy I just started and I'm liking Jane quite a bit. Love that edition 😍 2w
quietjenn Such fun Easter eggs. I noticed some of them, but not all of them. Love you edition. 2w
elkeOriginal @LeahBergen I thought that might be the Mrs Tim hotel! But was too lazy to check. That was my fave Mrs Tim book. (edited) 2w
CarolynM Great review. I thought the 2 line dismissal of year long world trip was really odd🤷🏻‍♀️ 2w
elkeOriginal @CarolynM SO weird! Especially when the book started on page 1 with a detailed description of 1 dinner 🙁 2w
39 likes1 stack add16 comments
review
quietjenn
Anna and Her Daughters | D.E. Stevenson
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Pickpick

This was a warm, easy, and engaging read, as practically all D.E. Stevenson books are, but I wouldn't say it was her most satisfying! There were lots of bits that I loved and a lot of bits that I found very frustrating (details in comments). Overall, I'd say pleasant but uneven, I think. #FurrowedMiddleBrowClub
p.s. having tons of trouble tagging today, so will try to add them later

quietjenn Some things I loved: the premise and initial move to Scotland, the cottage, Jane's work, her adventures with Margaret. Some things I didn't: that no one ever called Helen on her behavior, Anna's disengagement once they get to Scotland, a romance that was lukewarm (at best).
2w
Ruthiella Totally agree with your review. There was so much potential at the start. But still an easy, entertaining read. 2w
jlhammar Fantastic review! Yes, it was so interesting that we were meant to pity Helen somewhat for being someone who lives “with blinders on.” She was pretty terrible. 2w
See All 8 Comments
LeahBergen Your likes and dislikes mirror mine exactly with this one. And yet I couldn‘t help but keep turning the pages. 😆 2w
Aimeesue Yes! Helen, grrrrrrrr! She was fun to hate though! 😄 2w
CarolynM Uneven! Yes, very much so! Helen really was awful and Ronnie was a very uninspiring hero. 2w
elkeOriginal Agree this is definitely not top quality DE. The second half was weird and rushed. (edited) 2w
batsy Now that I've finished I completely agree with your assessment. I also find it weird how Helen was just dispensed with. I get that she was a problematic character but oh dear. 2w
61 likes8 comments
review
CarolynM
Anna and Her Daughters | D.E. Stevenson
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Pickpick

#FurrowedMiddlebrowClub

I‘m going to retitle this one Jane and Her Family, since Jane is the narrator & the star of the show. I admired her ability to toss off a first novel and makes revisions in the space of a few days (with apparently no further revisions required by her publisher) & also the way she found daily life at home in Scotland more worthy of detailed report than a year long trip around the world. The romances were… interesting? ⬇️

CarolynM ⬆️ I had to laugh about Andrew‘s enormous feet & Sir Edward‘s silly little feet. I wonder how Ronnie‘s feet measured up. 3w
Ruthiella Your title is superior! 👍 I liked the first plot twist with Ronnie and his flirtation with all three girls, but the end was a bit icky, IMO. 3w
CarolynM @Ruthiella Yes, I sort of hoped the “some day” would be far away, but soon would be nice for Val. 3w
See All 10 Comments
LeahBergen I think that‘s a much better title, too. 😆 And this really did have some “interesting” romances (that depart from her usual ones, anyway). 3w
LeahBergen And we have the same edition! 👯‍♀️ 3w
batsy Lovely photo! (will come back to all the reviews when I'm done :) 3w
Cathythoughts That is a gorgeous photo 🥰 I‘d love to be sitting on that bench x 3w
quietjenn Ah, you've phrased things very nicely. And your photo is ideal. 🙂 2w
jlhammar So lovely. I‘d love to read away the afternoon in that spot. And yes to your title! 2w
batsy Having just finished I totally agree with your title 😆 And yes my favourite bits were about Jane and her work. I would have liked more of Mrs Millard as mentor/prickly elder! 2w
76 likes10 comments
review
Ruthiella
Anna and Her Daughters | D.E. Stevenson
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Pickpick

Anna and her grown daughters must downsize and leave their upper middle class London lifestyle. She decides to take a small cottage near to where she grew up in Scotland. Spoiled Helen is outraged and weak willed Rosalie agrees. Only bookish Jane sees the practicality of it. The first half of the book is delightful. The second half veers off into a predictable and slightly squicky direction. Still, overall enjoyable. #FurrowedMiddlebrowClub

Tamra Such lovely pics! 💙 3w
Ruthiella Thanks! 🙏 3w
CarolynM Heather😍 The story didn‘t go where I was expecting, that‘s for sure! 3w
See All 12 Comments
Ruthiella @CarolynM I was hoping that like Rosalie, Jane would find someone else who really appreciated her… But once Helen ran off, I thought, “oh, here we go…🙄” 3w
LeahBergen @Ruthiella Well, no one could help themselves around Helen. 🙄 Love your photo collage! 3w
quietjenn Fabulous collage. I'd move to Timble Cottage in a heartbeat! 2w
Ruthiella @LeahBergen I guess she was aptly named! 2w
Ruthiella @quietjenn The coziness of the cottage was definitely appealing! 2w
jlhammar Beautiful! I thought Timble Cottage and Jane‘s cozy attic sounded heavenly. Helen‘s aversion to the bird wallpaper was quite amusing “I never saw anything so hideous in all my life. They would give me the jim-jams.” 😆 2w
Ruthiella @jlhammar I‘m not sure what the jim-jams are. 😂 Maybe the heebie jeebies? (edited) 2w
Cathythoughts Nice review 👍🏻❤️ I‘m sorry I‘m not reading it now. I‘ll stack it up anyway 😁 2w
Ruthiella @Cathythoughts Save it for when you need a quick break from heavier books! 👍 2w
77 likes3 stack adds12 comments
review
jlhammar
Anna and Her Daughters | D.E. Stevenson
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Pickpick

Quick, charming read. I found myself wishing it would have ended before Jane‘s trip to Kenya and all that followed. Sharing a cottage with Margaret and pups, writing and traveling seems the happier ending (for Jane) to this particular reader. Still really enjoyed and look forward to reading more Stevenson.

#FurrowedMiddlebrowClub

LeahBergen I was thinking that, too, and I was kind of peeved that she had to end up with her sister‘s “sloppy seconds” (as we used to oh so prosaically call them 😂😂). I mean, Ronnie wasn‘t THAT much of a catch. 3w
Aimeesue @LeahBergen @jlhammar Completely agree - the ending was so abrupt! 3w
Ruthiella Yes, the second part was a such a different tone and Ronnie didn‘t deserve her. Ugh! 😂 3w
See All 7 Comments
willaful I definitely found the ending disappointing from a romance standpoint. 3w
CarolynM @LeahBergen @Aimeesue @Ruthiella @willaful I am totally with you. I got excited when Mrs Millard‘s son was mentioned, only to have my hopes dashed almost immediately. I wouldn‘t trust Ronnie not to take off with the next beauty who looked his way, after all, “he couldn‘t help it”🙄🤢😡 3w
LeahBergen @CarolynM Well, he never did have a go at the third sister… yet. Give him time. 😆 3w
elkeOriginal I totally agree with your vision of a better ending. 2w
79 likes7 comments
blurb
Ruthiella
Untitled | Unknown
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#weekendreads

1984 re-read as prep for Julia, still chugging along with #TheBros , the remaining three are for pure pleasure (and for #Roll100 , #FurrowedMiddlebrowClub , and #NancyDrewBR ! )