Official Review: Flirtation on the Hudson by JF Collen

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Stephanie Elizabeth
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Official Review: Flirtation on the Hudson by JF Collen

Post by Stephanie Elizabeth »

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Flirtation on the Hudson" by JF Collen.]
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3 out of 4 stars
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Nellie (Cornelia) Entwhistle is not like her subservient sisters. She floats around life with her head in the clouds. While she ought to be cultivating her womanly skills and focusing on attracting a worthy suitor, Nellie is more interested in learning how to be a midwife and flirting with a variety of young men. As a lady from a wealthy and respectable family in the 1850s, Mr. and Mrs. Entwhistles' greatest desire is to find a gentleman from their church for their daughter to marry, but Nellie is not in favor of their repulsive choices.

Unexpectedly, amidst the collection of bumbling simpletons, Nellie is swept off her feet by two alluring gentlemen. Obadiah is intelligent and worldly, and Lawrence is undeniably charming. They are both swoon-worthy choices, but there can only be one. What is a girl to do?

Flirtation on the Hudson by JF Collen is the first book in the Journey of Cornelia Rose series. It follows Nellie as she becomes of age in the 1850s. Readers are transported back in time to Sing Sing, New York, where the Entwhistle family resides. The author did an excellent job of portraying an upper-class family's inner workings, including the importance of faith, and the uncompromising expectations placed on women to uphold their family's reputation by marrying within their class.

At beginning the book, I was inundated with old English words that I rarely discern in everyday writing—this was a learning curve. The characters tended to use words such as "tarnation" and "fiddlesticks" to express anger or excitement. That being said, the book required my undivided attention. I often had to read sentences a couple of times to uncover the meaning. By the middle of the book, I fell into a comfortable reading pace as I began to recognize certain words and phrases.

My absolute favorite thing about the book was Nellie's courage—the unwavering desire to follow her heart. From the beginning of her life, it was quite apparent that Nellie, much to her parents' dismay, was fond of doing things unconventionally, and she was very comfortable coloring outside of the lines. She was chastised for yearning to become a midwife and taking longer than expected to find an acceptable mate. Still, she showed tremendous strength of character by championing for her freedom.

I also enjoyed reading about Nellie being courted by Obadiah and Lawrence, who were both smitten by her. While both men were relentless in their pursuit of Nellie's affections, I couldn't help but root for Obadiah, who clearly had the purest intentions. I found it quite astonishing how dating back then is so different from the way it is today. Potential partners would primarily get to know one another through writing letters. They would sometimes only get to see one another a handful of times before the male would ask for the female's hand in marriage.

Overall, Flirtation on the Hudson was engaging with likable characters, but I found it a tad too long. With thirty-five chapters of mostly dialogue and dramatic soliloquy, getting through some of the pages was an arduous task, and I found myself pining for more excitement.

The book was beautifully written and had no issues regarding spelling or grammatical errors. With that being said, I did have a difficult time connecting to the story, at times, so I have decided to give the book a rating of three out of four stars.

Flirtation on the Hudson is suitable for all readers, and I recommend it to fans of historical fiction. Those who enjoy a strong female protagonist will appreciate Nellie's outspoken nature. Because the book is void of profanity or erotic content, it is suitable for all ages. Still, the outdated terms and phrases used in the book may be confusing for younger readers.

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Elvis Best
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Post by Elvis Best »

The plot of this book sounds very interesting. Thanks for the insightful review. Good job!
"People are like stained-glass windows. They sparkle and shine when the sun is out, but when the darkness sets in, their true beauty is revealed only if there is a light from within." -Elisabeth Kubler-Ross
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Stephanie Elizabeth
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Post by Stephanie Elizabeth »

Elvis Best wrote: 29 Jul 2020, 11:29 The plot of this book sounds very interesting. Thanks for the insightful review. Good job!
Thank you!
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Post by baha Ibrahim »

I really enjoyed the way the historic places and facts the writer used so brilliantly. The language is sometimes challenging but interesting

Great review
:tiphat: Baha :tiphat:
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Post by Star_and_Buck »

I do like that the story takes place in historic places. However I am undecided to read the book because of the language which seems kinda tough.

A great review.
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Post by Teele »

Potential partners would primarily get to know one another through writing letters
Life was much simpler back then. Good review
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Post by Vic Chimezie »

The storyline is a very interesting one. I wish to read it someday. I enjoyed reading your review as it was both detailed and engaging. Good job!
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Post by Sabi_10 »

Stephanie Elizabeth wrote: 26 Jul 2020, 15:07 [Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Flirtation on the Hudson" by JF Collen.]
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3 out of 4 stars
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Nellie (Cornelia) Entwhistle is not like her subservient sisters. She floats around life with her head in the clouds. While she ought to be cultivating her womanly skills and focusing on attracting a worthy suitor, Nellie is more interested in learning how to be a midwife and flirting with a variety of young men. As a lady from a wealthy and respectable family in the 1850s, Mr. and Mrs. Entwhistles' greatest desire is to find a gentleman from their church for their daughter to marry, but Nellie is not in favor of their repulsive choices.

Unexpectedly, amidst the collection of bumbling simpletons, Nellie is swept off her feet by two alluring gentlemen. Obadiah is intelligent and worldly, and Lawrence is undeniably charming. They are both swoon-worthy choices, but there can only be one. What is a girl to do?

Flirtation on the Hudson by JF Collen is the first book in the Journey of Cornelia Rose series. It follows Nellie as she becomes of age in the 1850s. Readers are transported back in time to Sing Sing, New York, where the Entwhistle family resides. The author did an excellent job of portraying an upper-class family's inner workings, including the importance of faith, and the uncompromising expectations placed on women to uphold their family's reputation by marrying within their class.

At beginning the book, I was inundated with old English words that I rarely discern in everyday writing—this was a learning curve. The characters tended to use words such as "tarnation" and "fiddlesticks" to express anger or excitement. That being said, the book required my undivided attention. I often had to read sentences a couple of times to uncover the meaning. By the middle of the book, I fell into a comfortable reading pace as I began to recognize certain words and phrases.

My absolute favorite thing about the book was Nellie's courage—the unwavering desire to follow her heart. From the beginning of her life, it was quite apparent that Nellie, much to her parents' dismay, was fond of doing things unconventionally, and she was very comfortable coloring outside of the lines. She was chastised for yearning to become a midwife and taking longer than expected to find an acceptable mate. Still, she showed tremendous strength of character by championing for her freedom.

I also enjoyed reading about Nellie being courted by Obadiah and Lawrence, who were both smitten by her. While both men were relentless in their pursuit of Nellie's affections, I couldn't help but root for Obadiah, who clearly had the purest intentions. I found it quite astonishing how dating back then is so different from the way it is today. Potential partners would primarily get to know one another through writing letters. They would sometimes only get to see one another a handful of times before the male would ask for the female's hand in marriage.

Overall, Flirtation on the Hudson was engaging with likable characters, but I found it a tad too long. With thirty-five chapters of mostly dialogue and dramatic soliloquy, getting through some of the pages was an arduous task, and I found myself pining for more excitement.

The book was beautifully written and had no issues regarding spelling or grammatical errors. With that being said, I did have a difficult time connecting to the story, at times, so I have decided to give the book a rating of three out of four stars.

Flirtation on the Hudson is suitable for all readers, and I recommend it to fans of historical fiction. Those who enjoy a strong female protagonist will appreciate Nellie's outspoken nature. Because the book is void of profanity or erotic content, it is suitable for all ages. Still, the outdated terms and phrases used in the book may be confusing for younger readers.

******
Flirtation on the Hudson
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I was enthralled with your review. The story is really interesting. Thank you.
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Post by Misty20058 »

This sounds like a very interesting book. Thanks for the warning about the grammatical errors, as this is very important to know before beginning a book. Thanks for the review.
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Stephanie Elizabeth
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Post by Stephanie Elizabeth »

baha Ibrahim wrote: 29 Jul 2020, 14:40 I really enjoyed the way the historic places and facts the writer used so brilliantly. The language is sometimes challenging but interesting

Great review
Thanks for your comment :)
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Stephanie Elizabeth
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Post by Stephanie Elizabeth »

Star_and_Buck wrote: 29 Jul 2020, 20:34 I do like that the story takes place in historic places. However I am undecided to read the book because of the language which seems kinda tough.

A great review.
I did find it challenging in the beginning, but grew accustomed to the writing. Thanks for your comment.
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Stephanie Elizabeth
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Post by Stephanie Elizabeth »

Teele wrote: 30 Jul 2020, 02:37
Potential partners would primarily get to know one another through writing letters
Life was much simpler back then. Good review
Most definitely--thanks!
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Stephanie Elizabeth
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Post by Stephanie Elizabeth »

Vic Chimezie wrote: 30 Jul 2020, 04:54 The storyline is a very interesting one. I wish to read it someday. I enjoyed reading your review as it was both detailed and engaging. Good job!
Thank you for reading and commenting on my review :)
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Stephanie Elizabeth
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Post by Stephanie Elizabeth »

Sabi_10 wrote: 30 Jul 2020, 11:41
Stephanie Elizabeth wrote: 26 Jul 2020, 15:07 [Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Flirtation on the Hudson" by JF Collen.]
Book Cover
3 out of 4 stars
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Nellie (Cornelia) Entwhistle is not like her subservient sisters. She floats around life with her head in the clouds. While she ought to be cultivating her womanly skills and focusing on attracting a worthy suitor, Nellie is more interested in learning how to be a midwife and flirting with a variety of young men. As a lady from a wealthy and respectable family in the 1850s, Mr. and Mrs. Entwhistles' greatest desire is to find a gentleman from their church for their daughter to marry, but Nellie is not in favor of their repulsive choices.

Unexpectedly, amidst the collection of bumbling simpletons, Nellie is swept off her feet by two alluring gentlemen. Obadiah is intelligent and worldly, and Lawrence is undeniably charming. They are both swoon-worthy choices, but there can only be one. What is a girl to do?

Flirtation on the Hudson by JF Collen is the first book in the Journey of Cornelia Rose series. It follows Nellie as she becomes of age in the 1850s. Readers are transported back in time to Sing Sing, New York, where the Entwhistle family resides. The author did an excellent job of portraying an upper-class family's inner workings, including the importance of faith, and the uncompromising expectations placed on women to uphold their family's reputation by marrying within their class.

At beginning the book, I was inundated with old English words that I rarely discern in everyday writing—this was a learning curve. The characters tended to use words such as "tarnation" and "fiddlesticks" to express anger or excitement. That being said, the book required my undivided attention. I often had to read sentences a couple of times to uncover the meaning. By the middle of the book, I fell into a comfortable reading pace as I began to recognize certain words and phrases.

My absolute favorite thing about the book was Nellie's courage—the unwavering desire to follow her heart. From the beginning of her life, it was quite apparent that Nellie, much to her parents' dismay, was fond of doing things unconventionally, and she was very comfortable coloring outside of the lines. She was chastised for yearning to become a midwife and taking longer than expected to find an acceptable mate. Still, she showed tremendous strength of character by championing for her freedom.

I also enjoyed reading about Nellie being courted by Obadiah and Lawrence, who were both smitten by her. While both men were relentless in their pursuit of Nellie's affections, I couldn't help but root for Obadiah, who clearly had the purest intentions. I found it quite astonishing how dating back then is so different from the way it is today. Potential partners would primarily get to know one another through writing letters. They would sometimes only get to see one another a handful of times before the male would ask for the female's hand in marriage.

Overall, Flirtation on the Hudson was engaging with likable characters, but I found it a tad too long. With thirty-five chapters of mostly dialogue and dramatic soliloquy, getting through some of the pages was an arduous task, and I found myself pining for more excitement.

The book was beautifully written and had no issues regarding spelling or grammatical errors. With that being said, I did have a difficult time connecting to the story, at times, so I have decided to give the book a rating of three out of four stars.

Flirtation on the Hudson is suitable for all readers, and I recommend it to fans of historical fiction. Those who enjoy a strong female protagonist will appreciate Nellie's outspoken nature. Because the book is void of profanity or erotic content, it is suitable for all ages. Still, the outdated terms and phrases used in the book may be confusing for younger readers.

******
Flirtation on the Hudson
View: on Bookshelves
I was enthralled with your review. The story is really interesting. Thank you.
Thank you for your thoughtful comment :)
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