Book Review - The Valley (The Valley Trilogy #1) by Helen Bryan
This book moves away from my regular cozy mystery into historical women's fiction. It's the first book I've read by this author. The Valley is the first book in a trilogy set in colonial times Virginia. The setting grabbed my attention since that is the state I grew up in and love dearly.
This review does have some spoilers and the book has a large cast so take notes.
Sophia Grafton is a wealthy and spoiled child with homes in London and the countryside. She is raised by her adoring father who lavishes everything on her and allows her to run wild. As she reaches the marriageable age of sixteen it becomes apparent she needs a firmer hand.
After no prospect is agreed upon by Sophia and her father, he moves her to their country home while he recovers from illness, in the hope that a local lad will catch her eye. Despite a marriage proposal Sophia remains single until her father's death. She soon finds she is penniless with no option but to travel to the new world and resolve her financial situation by overseeing the tobacco farm in the Virginia wilderness.
Thus begins her journey and the best part of the book. For sixty-five percent of this book I was mesmerized. But then it seems as if the author tired of the characters. At chapter twenty-six she jumps ahead ten years. Now I have to figure out another cast of characters as many children have been born in the time span. What I completely missed is the relationship between Sophia and Henry. Not once was that explored and it left me wanting to know why. Rather than skip ahead I wish she had delved into this aspect of the characters.
Beyond leaving me wanting more on the 'original' cast, she introduced another storyline in chapter thirty-three. Rosalia comes to the valley and we read about her past and what brought her and her child to Virginia. This entire section served to no purpose to further the original story but should have been a book onto itself. By chapter thirty-five I was bored and skipping pages.
In chapter forty-two again the author jumps forward and introduces new characters. We completely miss what happens in the valley as a new cast is developed in what should have been the end of the book.
If I had stopped reading this book at the midway point I would have given it five stars but since I finished it, I am left disappointed and wishes the author had not tried to write three completely different stories as one. Since the main characters were removed at the end, I see no point in reading the next installment of this trilogy.
Happy Trails
Leslie
Visit my website
This review does have some spoilers and the book has a large cast so take notes.
Sophia Grafton is a wealthy and spoiled child with homes in London and the countryside. She is raised by her adoring father who lavishes everything on her and allows her to run wild. As she reaches the marriageable age of sixteen it becomes apparent she needs a firmer hand.
After no prospect is agreed upon by Sophia and her father, he moves her to their country home while he recovers from illness, in the hope that a local lad will catch her eye. Despite a marriage proposal Sophia remains single until her father's death. She soon finds she is penniless with no option but to travel to the new world and resolve her financial situation by overseeing the tobacco farm in the Virginia wilderness.
Thus begins her journey and the best part of the book. For sixty-five percent of this book I was mesmerized. But then it seems as if the author tired of the characters. At chapter twenty-six she jumps ahead ten years. Now I have to figure out another cast of characters as many children have been born in the time span. What I completely missed is the relationship between Sophia and Henry. Not once was that explored and it left me wanting to know why. Rather than skip ahead I wish she had delved into this aspect of the characters.
Beyond leaving me wanting more on the 'original' cast, she introduced another storyline in chapter thirty-three. Rosalia comes to the valley and we read about her past and what brought her and her child to Virginia. This entire section served to no purpose to further the original story but should have been a book onto itself. By chapter thirty-five I was bored and skipping pages.
In chapter forty-two again the author jumps forward and introduces new characters. We completely miss what happens in the valley as a new cast is developed in what should have been the end of the book.
If I had stopped reading this book at the midway point I would have given it five stars but since I finished it, I am left disappointed and wishes the author had not tried to write three completely different stories as one. Since the main characters were removed at the end, I see no point in reading the next installment of this trilogy.
Happy Trails
Leslie
Visit my website
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