#Cinders and sapphires series#

It was hard to explore anyone and their stories too in-depth because of how little time we spent with them. Many of the characters felt shallow and a bit flat. There were too many things going on in the story. Drama certainly makes for an interesting story but it felt a bit heavy in this story. She only wanted to do right by the family and didn’t stoop to terrible things to better her life. I appreciated that Ada was intelligent and wanted nothing more than to go to Oxford. I was pleased to see the book bringing new storylines and ideas to the table. Some of the drama felt heavily inspired by Downton Abbey: a conniving ladies’ maid and a”forbidden love” of a valet. I got ladies, the stress of marrying well, servants, and everything in between. For the most part the book delivered the drama I was looking for. I’ve been devouring the show the past few months so I was hungry for some more Period drama. I found this book popping up online for Read-a-likes for Downton Abbey.

All those secrets are waiting … at Somerton.

#Cinders and sapphires series#

Sumptuous and enticing, the first novel in the At Somerton series introduces two worlds, utterly different yet entangled, where ruthless ambition, forbidden attraction, and unspoken dreams are hidden behind dutiful smiles and glittering jewels. Only she has the power to restore the Averley name-but it would mean giving up her one true love … someone she could never persuade her father to accept. Now Ada finds herself torn between her own happiness and her family’s honor. But terrible scandal has followed Ada’s beloved father all the way from India. Still, she can’t help but wonder what her life might have been had she been born a lady, like Ada.įor the first time in a decade, the Averleys have returned to Somerton, their majestic ancestral estate. Rose knows she should be grateful to have a place at a house like Somerton. Especially now that she, at barely sixteen, has risen to the position of ladies’ maid. Clever, rich, and beautiful, Ada Averley treats Rose as an equal. Rose Cliffe has never met a young lady like her new mistress. Genre: Young Adult Fiction, Historical Fiction This time period in history made it difficult for anyone to be openly gay, so it was interesting to see how the gay characters hid their relationships and what lengths they would to through to keep it that way.“Cinders & Sapphires (At Somerton #1)” by Leila Rasheed The most interesting part of the book for me, though, was the treating of the gay characters.

I loved reading about their relationship, particularly towards the end when the plot twist of the book, which I admittedly saw coming, was revealed. Yet both young women secretly think of each other as friends. When Lady Ada was a child she and Rose played together, not realizing the differences in their stations, but with Lady Ada returns to her childhood home with her family, Rose must act as a servant rather than a friend. The story and relationship between Lady Ada and her ladies' maid Rose was particularly interesting. I loved the way their stories interweaved together to create the plot of Cinders & Sapphires it had multiple, engrossing levels that made me want to read on to find out what would happen next. It's obvious the author spent a lot of time making them unique, just like a real family. The storyline in Cinders & Sapphires was completely engrossing.

The author's voice is pretty unique and it took me awhile to get used to all the characters, thank goodness for the family tree printed on the inside cover! But once I got used to all that, I couldn't turn the pages fast enough. I will admit, it took me a couple chapters to get acclimated to this book. It's been too long since I read a good historical fiction novel and what better time period to read about than the early twentieth century in England, filled with wealth and properness.