Top critical review
3.0 out of 5 starsLacking authenticity
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 15 November 2023
I was looking forward to a change of pace with a romantic quasi-historical fiction. And in that sense, I wasn't disappointed that it did keep moving and, but it did so in exactly the direction anyone might expect - you could forecast the next chapter before starting it. The twists were weak. The character development was non-existent - you could have picked each off the shelf of the thousands of books like it. And I knew how the book would conclude well before getting there.
Riley's writing is comfortable and flowing...most of the time. There were just too many jarring details that made me pause and shake my head. Fahrenheit just isn't used in Rio, Paris or Geneva. Authentic Mexican food doesn't use sour cream. Modern hotels don't have ordinary keys at the concierge. Overall, the book seemed forced to try to feel authentic, while failing to do so in any meaningful way. I was surprised to read that much of the book had been written in a fazenda above Rio - I would have guessed that Riley hadn't left her home office in this venture.
I finished the book disappointed at the whimsical and frivolous nature of it all. Reading can be all about disconnecting with the world around us, but this story just felt far too naïve without any grounding in reality to carry itself. Many big things happened that just didn't have any impact. In fact, the whole story of Izabela felt too far removed from Maia given the two generations between them. Just a manipulation to make the Cristo link to a modern day romance fitting in the necessary plotline to make it work - tail wagging the dog sort of moment. The mysterious introduction to the six/seven sisters and Pa Salt really engaged me to start with, but I fear I've embarked on a romantic series of highly intelligent yet dippy and flighty millionairesses "finding themselves".