Official Review: Soulmates by Ronald J. Gerhard
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- Ngozi Onyibor
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Official Review: Soulmates by Ronald J. Gerhard
Some time ago, I read Yesterday by Samyann. It was my literary introduction to PLRT and the notion of soulmates. Even though I don't believe that anyone needs to share their life with a specific person to feel fulfilled and happy, it was such a beautiful story; I craved similar novels. So I was ecstatic when I read the synopsis of Soulmates by Ronald J. Gerhard.
When William bumped into Judith on a rainy spring afternoon, they felt an inexplicable pull to each other. A few hangouts and family dinners later, they got better acquainted and their relationship bloomed. The resurgence of the plague and tuberculosis in England forced Judith's hosts to expedite their migration to the colonies. William still had a few months to go before the end of his apprenticeship, so he couldn't make the trip. But the young lovers promised to exchange letters as often as possible until their reunion in America. William had to move back home to Nottinghamshire after the demise of his journeyman clerk and the devastating effect of the plague on London's economy. Back home, he toiled to earn enough money for his trip to America. He finally made the voyage, but not in time for his Judith. Thus began a quest that will last several generations.
The book is a historical fiction romance novel inspired by Ronald's family. The ample nibbles of history strewn throughout the book made it worthwhile. I enjoyed seeing the times change from women barely getting an education and being unable to own properties without a husband to gaining full-scale rights and independence. Risky sea migrations of the 16's here, religious intolerance and literal witch-hunting there, slivers of suffrage, slavery and the American liberation movement here and there, the author touched on a bunch of topics reminiscent of the time.
On the downside, the book wasn't as grabbing as I expected. Perhaps it's because I expected fleshed-out characters with a life beyond their connection to and loss of their supposed soulmate. It could also be because the story was told not shown; it just didn't resonate with me.
Also, the book was a tad confusing in some parts because the author mixed up the names of some characters. Here is one instance on page 153: George and Diana had two kids, Albert and Walter. George is their father; however, further down, George was mentioned in place of Albert as Walter's brother. Again, I think the dialogues could use a little spice; they were rather bland and flat.
Conclusively, I rate the book 2 out of 4 stars. Besides the quirks stated above, I spotted enough errors to warrant the loss of a star. A fresh round of editing would clean up the story and improve the reading flow.
If you appreciate romance steeped in genealogy and historical elements, you would relish this book. The author's language is neat, so the book is suitable for young and sensitive readers.
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Soulmates
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