Storm and Silence (Storm and Silence Saga)

This is a series that I keep coming back to! The tension in this story is perfect. The characters are all well fleshed out and add something to the story. The plot, while it sometimes is slow, still is interesting. Lilly Linton is witty and she is so fun to read and watch as she continually attempts to outsmart Mr. Ambrose (aka Mr Darcy’s more uptight brother). It definitely is a slow burn, and I could see why it would be too slow for some people, but the journey is so fun to go on. The entire series is packed with humor. I definitely recommend this series!

This is one of the best books, the series is amazing. It is well written and has historical facts the are accurate, it enhances the experience of reading this book. Thier is a mastermind, his characters bring you moment of relatability while providing comedy like no other. I’m a fan of the FMC, and have a love-hate with the MMC. Definitely a book to read!

The story itself was very intriguing. I absolutely loved it. The characters seemed a little out of sync at times and not as realistic, but the main characters grow on you. I wish the word choice in the conversations were more to the times of this era, but it was so fun I will continue reading anyway.

"What," I thought, "have I done!" This book has 885 pages and an estimated reading time of 9 hours and 13 minutes. Since I feel obligated to finish books I begin, that could mean many happy hours or many miserable ones. My personal story has a happy ending -- I enjoyed the book. Reading it is like listening to an old-time radio program, complete with wild adventures and twists and melodrama. The romance part is very Victorian, and progresses with two steps forward and two or three steps back so minimal advances are made, mostly through hands touching and heavy innuendo, along with heavy breathing. Those 885 pages could have been pared down by removing some repetition and a few of Rikkard and Lilly's standard remarks. Rikkard rarely gives away what he is thinking, but Lilly shares her every thought. One of my favorites was, "You could have knocked me over with a feather. Actually, half a feather might have done it. Or maybe a very small piece of yarn?" Then there are some modern terms that made me stumble, such as a "win-win" and "for one." But expressions used at the time of the story are explained in the humorous Endnotes. Like any old-time radio program, the book ends as a cliff-hanger. What happens? As the final chapter's heading says, that is "None of Your Business." My response to the ending: I immediately bought Book 2 in the series.

This book is a true slow burn romance. Maybe too slow for some people. Lilly Linton can be perceived as juvenile and immature to some readers, however to me I deeply enjoyed her personality. At times her character can feel a bit inauthentic and forced, and the feminist in her has its moments where it just feels so forced. I can appreciate the implementation of her personality and values, but at times it just felt like overkill. However nothing to where it killed the enjoyment of the book. The first like 250 pages of the book is extremely slow, with the insane emphasis on her sister Ella’s romance. I felt like all the detail and description was unnecessary. That being said though, there was moments here and there of the brewing romance between Lilly and Ambrose which kept me glued to the book wanting more of it. This story is truly remarkable, and it definitely takes some dedication to really get what you want out of it but to me, it was well worth the wait. If you don’t think you have the dedication for a slow burn romance, I really don’t recommend this to you. The enemies to lovers and the slow pacing of the book always kept me wanting more, and it is certainly one of the more realistic books I’ve read in terms of the pacing. I read this book in 2018 on Wattpad and it will always have a special place in my heart. Highly highly recommend.

I do like the book. It is quite hilarious and fun to read but one thing that really bothered me were the dialogues. There are just a little too modern to make me convinced that we're really in Victorian era England. As for the plot, I think it took a while to get to the actual adventure. I think this is due to the fact that the book was originally published through Radish in episodic format so the author had the incentive to put cliffhangers at the end of each chapter to keep the readers engaged for the next chapter release. It works when published in this fashion but once this is an individual book, the plot unfortunately drags. I've skipped through quite a few parts of the book because it just wasn't important - and you don't miss much. I do love the characters - Lily is hilarious but her insistence in getting her way all the time can get quite annoying - but I suppose that's part of the point and the relationship dynamic between her and her boss. I'm also put off with her rather shallow definition of feminism (I'm a feminist! I can't like men!). It's great that she's not a damsel in distress and can sort of (emphasis on sort of) get herself out of sticky situations but it bothers me that she still actually needs men to REALLY get her out of sticky situations. It's almost like the author wants to appeal to the female readers by putting in a "strong" female lead, but then falls short right at the end. Finally, I feel that the author could have delved a bit deeper on all the social issues it touched on and explore some of the political/economic/social situation the story's set in. Some of the "historical" insights within the story barely scratches the surface and I feel could be interlaced into the story a lot more. Possibly this is also the reason why I just don't feel convinced that I'm in Victorian-era England. I really don't feel like I have been transported back in time. The historical tidbits within the book are thrown in almost as a trivia rather than front and centre of the story. Yes, the main entertainment is the banter between the 2 characters - but perhaps there's too much emphasis on it. It will be a more well-rounded book if the historical setting is fully immersed as part of the story and more depth in the political/economical aspects that drives the main adventure.

So. What are you waiting for? Do yourself a favour and read one of the best new books of 2016. Set at the beginning of Queen Victoria's reign, Robert Thier's historical drama unfolds at a cracking pace, and introduces us to a new kind of heroine. Following in the literary footsteps of Elizabeth Bennet and Jane Eyre is Miss Lilly Linton a feisty, passionate and brave young woman, but unlike her predecessors she is not interested in marrying anyone. Miss Linton is a new kind of woman; she is a feminist and a suffragist, and all she really wants is to have a job, the right to vote and be independent of any man. Her quest puts her in the path of the enigmatic Mr Rikkard Ambrose, one of the wealthiest, coldest and most ruthless magnates in the burgeoning British Empire. A collision is inevitable and throughout the ensuing discourse between Miss Linton and Ambrose the sparks of passion, wit and humour fly. This combined with some James Bond style action makes for a very entertaining read. The historical details and bevy of fabulous minor characters create a textured background for Lilly and Ambrose to play against. Put your hands on a copy on this handsome tome, then pour yourself a nice cup of tea and break out the solid chocolate- your will not regret it.

This is a wonderful book that I could not put down. I loved the attention to historic details. I enjoyed the dynamic of the cool and calm hero vs the fiery, energetic heroine.