Review of Hidden Places
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[i][Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Hidden Places" by Cassey Castle.][/i] [rwc=id469988-125]3 out of 4 stars.[/rwc]The relevance of time-honored traditions in a fast-changing society comes under the spotlight in Cassey Castle’s romance novel, Hidden Places. Immediately after college, Caitlin broke away from her wealthy family, found a job, and shunned all the extravagant lifestyle afforded to her by her station in life. Not long afterward, quite by chance, Caitlin met Robert, an equally rich young man and heir to his family’s fortune. Even though the two fell in love at first sight, their love lost its luster the moment they discovered each other’s privileged background. Unknowingly, the two lovebirds had played into the scheming hands of Robert’s sister, Celia.
I was able to enjoy the book mainly because of the intricate plot twists employed by Castle. It was a pleasant experience keeping tabs on the storyline, as I tracked the numerous intrigues surrounding two wealthy families whose values were steeped in tradition. Earlier in the novel, Castle gave me a taste of what to expect when she introduced Anna into the story. Anna and her elder sister, Elena, were abandoned by their parents when they were kids. Through a web of deceit and blackmail, however, Anna rose through the pecking order and became a successful interior designer. I, thus, marveled when the spurned Robert accidentally met and introduced Anna to his parents, hardly a few weeks after their first encounter.
This story is a complex variant of a love triangle, as it involves two main male characters competing for the attention of a few female characters. The story is character-driven and sees the personalities forming shifting alliances, each with a game plan in mind. While seduction may be the underlying motive that drives their actions, some characters also engage in fraud to enter marriages of convenience.
I found Castle’s novel relevant in our modern setting, where individualism has taken root in place of collectivism. Accordingly, today’s young people are pushing boundaries by abhorring anything traditional, such as marriage (unless for convenience), dating (chatting is now the byword), or even communicating openly with a potential partner (not unless it’s through an app). In this respect, therefore, Robert and Anna kept second-guessing each other in their relationship, while each was silently hoping the other will initiate the first move that will lead to an open discussion of their problems.
On the other hand, in terms of weaknesses, I thought the book was not professionally edited. This is because the editing errors were many and varied, such as typos, misspellings, and homonym errors. Consequently, I have deducted a star and rated the book 3 out of 4 stars. Lastly, I felt the book was better classified as YA rather than Romance. Hence, I’d recommend it to both teenagers and grown-ups. The language used, however, is coarse, due to expletives in some places; so, any reader who is sensitive to this is better off forewarned. ****** [i]Hidden Places [/i] View: [url=http://forums.onlinebookclub.org/shelves/book.php?id=469988]on Bookshelves[/url] | on Amazon
I was able to enjoy the book mainly because of the intricate plot twists employed by Castle. It was a pleasant experience keeping tabs on the storyline, as I tracked the numerous intrigues surrounding two wealthy families whose values were steeped in tradition. Earlier in the novel, Castle gave me a taste of what to expect when she introduced Anna into the story. Anna and her elder sister, Elena, were abandoned by their parents when they were kids. Through a web of deceit and blackmail, however, Anna rose through the pecking order and became a successful interior designer. I, thus, marveled when the spurned Robert accidentally met and introduced Anna to his parents, hardly a few weeks after their first encounter.
This story is a complex variant of a love triangle, as it involves two main male characters competing for the attention of a few female characters. The story is character-driven and sees the personalities forming shifting alliances, each with a game plan in mind. While seduction may be the underlying motive that drives their actions, some characters also engage in fraud to enter marriages of convenience.
I found Castle’s novel relevant in our modern setting, where individualism has taken root in place of collectivism. Accordingly, today’s young people are pushing boundaries by abhorring anything traditional, such as marriage (unless for convenience), dating (chatting is now the byword), or even communicating openly with a potential partner (not unless it’s through an app). In this respect, therefore, Robert and Anna kept second-guessing each other in their relationship, while each was silently hoping the other will initiate the first move that will lead to an open discussion of their problems.
On the other hand, in terms of weaknesses, I thought the book was not professionally edited. This is because the editing errors were many and varied, such as typos, misspellings, and homonym errors. Consequently, I have deducted a star and rated the book 3 out of 4 stars. Lastly, I felt the book was better classified as YA rather than Romance. Hence, I’d recommend it to both teenagers and grown-ups. The language used, however, is coarse, due to expletives in some places; so, any reader who is sensitive to this is better off forewarned. ****** [i]Hidden Places [/i] View: [url=http://forums.onlinebookclub.org/shelves/book.php?id=469988]on Bookshelves[/url] | on Amazon
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