Customer Reviews

Nell (Sonnet Books)

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

that needed a little more time before it was opened. It was full-bodied, great legs, beautiful nose but sounded some sour notes on the finish. This writer is truly without equal with regard to her exhaustive research into contemporary and medieval Ireland, and she loads her prose with such exquisite details. Her characters, from the contemporary lovestory of Jillian and Frankie to the medieval romance of Nell and Donal, are each sound and three-dimensional. But the story takes a wrong turn with the light treatment of the demise of a minor character, in the wake of which I felt the main characters should certainly have behaved with more decorum. Three-quarters of the way through, the author falls back on tired devices, like the confession that keeps getting interrupted until it's too late, etc., and at any rate, I lost much of my empathy for Jillian by the end of the book. Frankie, as the hero, stopped making interesting choices and was just not compelling romantically. The love scenes just left me cold.

This book was good on many different levels and should appeal to both historical romance fans and fans of more contemporary novels. The story of Nell & Donal offers a fascinating historical backdrop to the present day lives of Jilly & Frankie. The historical information about Ireland is presented in such a way that when you finish this book you walk away with an understanding of current & past conflicts that couldn't have been obtained a better way. Ms. Baker has a tremendous ability to develop characters who become so real you feel as though you could invite them to tea. The relationship between Nell & Jilly is magical and adds a touch of fantasy to the story. If you enjoy Irish history, romance and just a darn good story you'll like "Nell".

Ms. Baker's books are quite wonderful and well developed. In fact, I consider her books quite magical. I wish she would devote more time to writing. She hasn't written enough. I also enjoy learning about Irish history through her stories. She makes the characters and plot lines come alive.

This book started out slow - but reels you in quickly and efficently. After the first few chapters, this book is hard to put down. The story is fantastic and the characters are so believable. This novel is very well written and I would recommend it for anyone who enjoys diving into a great story.

This book was breathtaking! I loved it from the beginning, and it only got better with each page I read. Even now, months after I finished it, I still find myself thinking about Frankie and Jillian. And I would have enjoyed it just as much if the time travel aspect was omitted because I was so completely enthralled with the contemporary part of the story. The characters really jump off the pages. Ms. Baker is a wonderful writer, and it's obvious that she knows Ireland well.

This has to be one of the best books I have ever read. The characters of Jilly and Frankie are so enchaning and unforgetable. There is also so much information about the problems in Ireland that I actually learned some things I never new. I picked up this book accidentially at the library and finished it that same night. I was unable to sleep until I finished it because it was so good.

Nell is an incredibly wonderful book. Extremely well written....a perfect mix of romance, history, contemporary & historical fiction. The story and characters stayed with me long after I'd finsihed reading.

It's been a looooong time since I've gotten so pulled into a book that I've abandoned EVERYTHING in order to park myself on the couch and read the bulk of it in one sitting. NELL absolutely blew me away, put me through an emotional wringer the likes of which I haven't been through in years. Jeanette Baker writes with a clear, deft, evocative hand, bringing her characters to brilliant life. And she brings the reader right into that life with them. I've no doubt at all that these characters--and this book--will stay with me for some time to come.

Jeanette does a masterful job of weaving history, politics, intrigue, and love. Her detail to the landscape will positively transport you to another time and dimension. The characters are so realistic and raw you will miss them terribly the minute you finish the last page. Don't miss Frankie and Jillian's story. This is art. I would read absolutely anything this gifted woman writes!