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Apr 01, 2015Eosos rated this title 3 out of 5 stars
I have become very attached to this series. I love the characters and I’m invested in their lives, I wonder how things will turn out and what will happen to them in WWII. In general these books have me happily choosing 4 stars. This one just didn’t meet those expectations, it wasn’t dreadful but it wasn’t as good. I love that this book told a story about an ethnic culture that had/has such an influence on the British. I appreciate that the author never shies away from difficult subjects; she actually seems to like to bring them into every one of her books. My disappointment with this book really all stems from Maisie’s personal life. Her relationship with James takes an odd turn; at least I found it so. It felt like all of a sudden James turns controlling and unsympathetic. He didn’t follow the path I was expecting and that rather ruined my vision of him. And Maisie, I’ve gotten used to her quirks and oddities over the last nine books but her obsession with following in Maurice’s footsteps, to travel and ‘find herself’ feel like a mid life crisis that came too soon. I’m all for her staying single and independent, I understand her wish to avoid the high society life but leaving now almost feels like she’s running away to avoid everything. I hope that some of my qualms are assuaged in the next book.