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lifeand100books's review against another edition
2.0
It was nice to see Adams trying out a darker writing style as compared to her other more lighthearted stories. SALVATION was of a similar vein and I absolutely loved that story, so I was looking forward to BAY SONG once I realized the style difference.
For some reason though I wasn't able to connect to these characters the way I did to the ones of SALVATION. I couldn't get in to their mindsets and just never connected with their stories. I felt bored most of the time and not 100% in to the crime backstory. I truly didn't understand Holly and how she interacted with people in her late teens to then nobody, yet spoke with Cade fairly easily. The patterns of her life were confusing and didn't always match up.
Cade on the other hand undergoes all these changes but I'm not really sure why. His character development just seems to happen without anything (besides his attraction to Holly) truly driving it. Not enough of his internal thoughts are shared to help us understand his motivations.
For some reason though I wasn't able to connect to these characters the way I did to the ones of SALVATION. I couldn't get in to their mindsets and just never connected with their stories. I felt bored most of the time and not 100% in to the crime backstory. I truly didn't understand Holly and how she interacted with people in her late teens to then nobody, yet spoke with Cade fairly easily. The patterns of her life were confusing and didn't always match up.
Cade on the other hand undergoes all these changes but I'm not really sure why. His character development just seems to happen without anything (besides his attraction to Holly) truly driving it. Not enough of his internal thoughts are shared to help us understand his motivations.
bananatricky's review against another edition
4.0
Three and a half stars.
This was slightly odd, definitely nothing like the previous books I have read by Noelle Adams.
Holly lives like a hermit in the woods in a rundown shack. Her life is bound by a strict schedule and she avoids other people, most of the people in Cape Charles, Virginia don't even know she exists. Think a Disney cartoon type heroine communing with the little woodland creatures, slightly fey and slightly OCD.
Cade Chesterton grew up in Cape Charles but moved to Manhatten when he became a successful author with his true crime books. Unfortunately his books have each been less successful than the last and he has returned home to lick his wounds and write the latest book. He doesn't really understand why his books aren't more successful when he follows the same formula for each one.
When Cade sees Holly he is intrigued, even more so by the rumours about her mother and their lives together alone, he decides that there is a story and that he will get closer to Holly and write a book. Cade realises that Holly is easily spooked so he moves slowly, renting the cottage on the edge of Holly's land and keeping to himself. But as Cade uncovers Holly's secrets she is also helping him to see the world differently and rediscover his mojo (for want of a better word).
I liked this, I can see it working better as a movie TBH, it was gently suspenseful and strange.
I received a free copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in return for an honest review.
This was slightly odd, definitely nothing like the previous books I have read by Noelle Adams.
Holly lives like a hermit in the woods in a rundown shack. Her life is bound by a strict schedule and she avoids other people, most of the people in Cape Charles, Virginia don't even know she exists. Think a Disney cartoon type heroine communing with the little woodland creatures, slightly fey and slightly OCD.
Cade Chesterton grew up in Cape Charles but moved to Manhatten when he became a successful author with his true crime books. Unfortunately his books have each been less successful than the last and he has returned home to lick his wounds and write the latest book. He doesn't really understand why his books aren't more successful when he follows the same formula for each one.
When Cade sees Holly he is intrigued, even more so by the rumours about her mother and their lives together alone, he decides that there is a story and that he will get closer to Holly and write a book. Cade realises that Holly is easily spooked so he moves slowly, renting the cottage on the edge of Holly's land and keeping to himself. But as Cade uncovers Holly's secrets she is also helping him to see the world differently and rediscover his mojo (for want of a better word).
I liked this, I can see it working better as a movie TBH, it was gently suspenseful and strange.
I received a free copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley in return for an honest review.
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