I've read and enjoyed many of Gun Brooke's books, and I will likely keep reading after The Blush Factor, but there was something about the book that felt unfinished. There was definitely chemistry in the May-December romance between the successful (if sharklike) businesswoman Eleanor and Addie, the entrepreneurial YouTube beauty expert whom she hires to help her revitalize her aunt's company. Perhaps it was that beyond those two characters, and the younger sister whose illness is the catalyst for much of the action, there's not much definition. Addie is hired as a consultant on the beauty industry, and The Blush Factor seems to be set up as a workplace romance, but very few scenes actually take place at work. The conflict between the characters over the payment of medical bills was fraught but, even after Addie explains her extreme reaction, still a bit confusing. I enjoyed it, but it wasn't my favorite of her books.
I read a copy of The Blush Factor via NetGalley.
Readalikes:
For a good lesbian “boss romance,” try Too Close to Touch by Georgia Beers or even Rulebreaker by Cathy Pegau. Speaking of May/December, I also highly recommend Telanu’s Andy/Miranda fanfiction from the world of The Devil Wears Prada, which can be found at her site, The Rag and Bone Shop.
This is a level 3 (kids supposed to be reading on their own) Lego book that I picked up at the library because Little G is addicted to Legos and also monsters. However, I am going to have to surreptitiously return it before we can read it again, because there was clearly very little editorial oversight before it was released into the world. I realize that Lego/DK are pretty much printing money with these books, but they could at least keep a character's name consistent throughout the book, yes? When he was introduced, one of the characters was "Jack," but then later was "Hank" (or something similar).
Not to mention the fact that the sole named female character (who, to be fair, seems like a kick-ass monster hunter in her own right) fluctuates between being called "Ann" and "Anne," sometimes on the same page. The other two female characters are "Zombie Bride" and "Vampire Bride," respectively. But it's not unusual for these Lego books to be incredibly male-heavy. Something like this had the potential to be cool and interesting for kids, but when the writers include words like "scrap" (as in "fight") in the text but then don't also include that word in the glossary . . . I don't think this was produced by anyone with an eye to the kid who might actually be learning to read.
My sister recommended this book to me, and it took me several years to pick it up (as usual), but it was definitely worth the wait. The book, an epistolary novel written by SFF heavyweights Steven Brust and Emma Bull, concerns a group of family members in England in late 1848. As the action begins, James Cobham (presumed dead, but in reality having recently escaped from captivity) writes to his cousin Richard to enlist his assistance in uncovering the mystery of his "death." The matter evolves to include their cousins Kitty (romantically involved with Richard) and Susan as well, and the story is told through their letters to one another, journal entries, newspaper clippings, and so on. Once the plot really gets going, any two of them are rarely in the same place at the same time.
It's difficult to describe the plot except to say that it involves revolutionaries, and politics, and a group of people practicing a druidical magic. There is a great deal of discussion about Hegel, most of which went right over my head. The epistolary format sometimes lends itself to rambling and reflective passages that would frustrate any reader looking for continuous action. But the conclusion was well-plotted and satisfactory, from my point of view.
This book is definitely not for everyone. But if you're interested in mid-19th century English history, if you like strong and interesting male and female characters, if you don't mind the occasional philosophical ramble . . . this book is definitely for you.