Emma Stone and Tess Thompson in "The School Mistress"

Kindle Customer: The author did a good job holding my interest. One star removed because I personally like a slow burn instead of instant love. But it had a mystery in it and likeable characters, as well as horrid people. The mental illness representation was sad, but realistic. So, little to be done in that time period. One bedroom scene that wasn't graphic at all; which was so appreciated. The town and scenery descriptions added a lot to the story.

United States on Nov 17, 2023

AvId ReAdEr: I live a good light romance. It was clean with a fairly light plot and some mystery. The teachers personality was the best part of thr book.

United States on Nov 14, 2023

Krupa Chirravoori: Of course you know what's going to happen in this novel, so it's not suspenseful as such. But the story is sweet, though a little bit unrealistic at times, with characters acting wildly out of character in a few scenes. Some parts appear simplistic and naive too, as if the content is meant for a younger audience.

But overall, the story is sweet, the writing flows easily. There are references to mental illness, child abuse as well, so be forewarned.

The editing is good too, though I found 4-5 proofreading errors. Otherwise, my experience was good. After learning about Quinn, I am certainly interested in reading Theo's and Fiona's stories, if not Josephine's which is next in the series, historically-speaking.

India on Aug 14, 2022

Brosiala: Overall a good read. However, I did find historical inaccuracies and little “annoyances” (the bit about farting was unnecessary), here and there.

Most glaringly, to me, was the lack of knowledge or incorrect information regarding multiracial or mixed marriage in 1910 (the year the book takes place). I do genealogy as a hobby, and have a certificate of genealogical research from Boston University and while this definitely does not make me an expert on the matter, it gives context to why this bothered me so much. Mixed marriages are something I see regularly in census records, marriage records, birth records, etc. I feel that an author who writes historical fiction should do their due diligence and fully research the facts.

SPOILER….and a history lesson, haha:

-
-
-
-

The main female character Quinn is shocked to learn (in 1910) that a white man from Colorado married a black woman (the reader knows he met and married her in Chicago eight years prior, so 1902), and thinks how it is illegal “back east”. When she asks about whether they were married or not she’s informed “not legally”. This is my gripe:

With the exception of...

United States on May 22, 2022

Love Reading: I will give four stars for The School Mistress, but with reservations. It was quite a sickly sweet historical romance, with angel-like children and good people. There's just a hint of bad things happening; child neglect and abuse plus bigotry to give it a sharper edge. I would have liked more of this brought out in the story as otherwise it seemed too good to be true.
Lord Alexander Barnes gives Quinn a roof over her head when she arrives at Emerson Pass and that first morning she wakes up and remembers it's Saturday. But then the family talk of going to church and of school starting the following day. It's obviously Sunday.
However the romance between Alexander and Quinn starts almost immediately and from thereon I sort of knew where the story was heading and it held very few surprises for me. I'm not convinced about the hero being an English aristocrat who had abandoned his duty and responsibilities in England. Unless the series is going in that direction and Lord Barnes and Quinn visit his family (and there's a story there), I couldn't see the point of him being an aristocrat.
I did keep reading to the end and I'm happy to give four stars for The School Mistress.

United Kingdom on Jan 19, 2022

Raymond Thompson: In 1910 a young school teacher named Quinn Cooper, impoverished but pretty and courageous, travels to Colorado to take up her first teaching post. She overcomes the challenges, wins acceptance from her pupils and the community, and finds true love and a welcoming new family.
As is the tendency in romances, the characters are sharply divided between good and bad: the former are compassionate, brave, and loyal; the latter prejudiced, irresponsible, and cruel.
The dangers melt away rather quickly, but this is a comforting piece of escapism in which virtue triumphs over adversity: just the kind of relief we all need from time to time from the trials and tribulations of a complicated and frustrating world. Strongly recommended to lovers of romance.

Canada on Sep 21, 2021

Amazon Customer: Gosh, where do I start? Most annoying that everything happens in the library....kinda lazy writing. And so many modern colloquisms: horrific , from the 21st century, blush, called rouge in that time period,just a few example I found distracting and annoying. But my biggest annoyance. This author obviously has had little contact with children. Even the three--old speaks like h high school graduate. This from children not exposed to any schooling at all nor Internet or radio or television. And please, Lord Barnes should have had more sophistication, oh and younger sons usually had the honorary title of Lord, so that was legitimate, even 'tho he'd given up his title, which was what, by the way? Baron? Duke? Earl? Count? Would have been nice to know. Lazy. Lazy. Oh and an English butler would NEVER call Lord Barnes simply Lord : My Lord, Sir, or Lord Barnes would be correct. Won't be reading other books by this author...much too cringe-worthy.

Canada on Aug 30, 2021

La veneziana: Inaspettatamente questo romanzo mi è piaciuto molto. La storia è una rivisitazione del famoso film "Tutti insieme appassionatamente" dove la nuova giovane e povera maestrina accetta un posto in una cittadina americana isolata e costruita dal nulla da un ricco lord inglese trapiantato in America e rimasto vedovo con 5 figli.
Lo stile di scrittura è accattivante e invita ad immedesimarsi nei personaggi.
La scrittrice inserisce nella trama un elemento misterioso: un proprietario terriero locale viene ucciso e quindi parte della vicenda sarà orientata alla risoluzione del delitto ma si tratta di un elemento di contorno alla tenera storia tra i due protagonisti e la banda dei bambini.
Ovviamente il tono è favolistico: bimbi così sdolcinatamente educati e buoni non l' ho mai conosciuti; come anche il fatto che in una casa così grande ci siano solo un maggiordomo, una cameriera e una cuoca, con 5 bambini, è inverosimile all'eccesso.
Ciò nonostante il lettore si sente risucchiato nella storia e si ritrova a seguire con partecipazione i destini di Quinn e Alexander e degli altri.

Italy on Apr 21, 2021

Gina B: I greatly enjoyed reading this book and came to care about the characters from the beginning to the end. This is the first in a series, and I cannot wait to read the rest.

This first book revolves around Quinn, a strong, brave, and yet insecure woman who secures a position as a school teacher in remote Colorado as a way to make money to send back to her starving family on the East coast.

Taking the long journey via train alone was a dangerous thing to do, but Quinn pulled back her shoulders and made the best of it, despite the unpleasantries she endured in the train.

When she gets to her destination, she is met by a man sent by Lord Barnes, the gentleman she will be working for, who is tasked with bringing her to the Lord's home. The weather is terrible and they are progressing slowly when a stray gunshot spooks the horses and causes Quinn to go flying from the carriage and knocked unconscious.

Upon awakening, she is horrified to find herself on the couch in the home of none other than the man she will be working for. What must he think? Her head aches and she cannot sit up without the room spinning. People are fussing over her, faces showing great...

United States on Feb 03, 2021