3 / 5 stars
Read in August 2019
| I definitely liked the second half of the book more than the first, as it picked up more at the end. Although the descriptions were beautiful, some parts did drag on a bit for me. I much preferred the scenes with dialogue where we got to know our complex cast of characters. But even saying that I “know” the characters seems like a bit of a stretch, as I would’ve liked to spend a lot more time with them than the flowery descriptions.
Next, the time jumps were difficult for me. To be honest, I didn’t pay attention to the dates until the end of the book when they felt truly important; otherwise, they just didn’t add much for me. I also didn’t think the 2-3 page long chapters written in 2nd person POV sprinkled throughout the book were necessary either. The circus was already described in so much detail that I didn’t need additional scenes to imagine myself wandering through the tents. I had a hard time liking Marco from the beginning because of how poorly he treated Isobel. My favorite characters were definitely the amazing Celia as well as the Bailey/Poppet/Widget dynamic trio. I would have loved to see a Bailey/Poppet reunion at the end and would definitely read a spin-off book of the trio’s adventures. Overall, I was pleasantly surprised by the ending of this story and could not put it down. Once completed, the book left me feeling happy – and who doesn’t love that? |
Renaissance Kate 
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