Review of Etch of a Promise

[Janet Kimetto]

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Etch of a Promise" by Ruby M Holder.]

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3 out of 5 stars

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Etch of a Promise is a historical fiction romance novel by Ruby M Holder. The story is about her great-grandparents' relationship and life in nineteenth-century Germany, imagined.

Nicklaus Zimmer, a journeyman carpenter, arrives in Cologne hoping to complete his two-year-plus-a-day journeyman course and become a master carpenter. Maria Glade is the first person Nicklaus meets. At only sixteen, Maria has been through a lot, even running away from home. She's at the Volksgarten (park) feeding birds when a stranger intrudes on her. She gives Nicklaus the directions he needs, but Nicklaus reckons that he has never met a more unfriendly person. How would a relationship between the two, Maria, who finds it hard to trust men (she didn't have the best experience with her father), and Nicklaus, who does not see a relationship in his well-planned future, not with his career, unfold?

The story is simple and easy to read. I liked that about it. I also found it enlightening because of some little details, like the mention of Riemenschneider, a famous woodcarver from the sixteenth century, for one. And I'm always trying to learn new languages, so I appreciated the German words added to the story because of its German setting.

The way the story started was promising, with Nicklaus running off to France at the mention of a velocipede (a new invention, a kind of bike) to get one for himself. Unfortunately, there isn't much to the story. The focus is solely on Nicklaus and Maria's relationship, and it could have been much more. A lot of significance was put on Nicklaus's career, even the reason behind his last name, etc., and that had me thinking his Journey (and his career) would be a big part of the story. Carpentry would have made this story unique, but it did not receive enough attention.

Also, there was not enough suspense in the story. Even when the couple had misunderstandings (as all couples are wont to do), there was always the sense that everything would be alright. I also found it difficult (confusing) to follow the time passage.

And although I noticed less than ten minor errors in the text, there were other issues. Like Nicklaus wondering, "This can't be the man Maria was supposed to marry. If so, no wonder she left." (p. 77) way before Maria gave him the information (that came later). And the time they went exploring and ended up at the farm. Maria said, "I'm sorry, Nicklaus. I remember we came with much to be done inside, and there may be little time left for it." (p. 109) Only that they hadn't planned on being there. They had randomly chosen a direction and only found themselves at the farm by chance. There was also Maria thinking to herself, "From the time I first knew Nicklaus, he has longed to see his parents. But meine gute. We are on the way to see mine first. I hope he is not unhappy about it." (p. 315) Nicklaus had recently seen his parents, though, because they (Christoph and Terese) had visited. There are more such scenes (inconsistencies), which had me stopping and backtracking.

I rate Etch of a Promise 3 out of 5 stars. I deducted two stars because of the reasons I mentioned. I recommend this book to fans of romance and historical fiction. The added German words, along with their translations, might also interest those who are learning the language. Note that there's a short scene depicting sexual assault.

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Etch of a Promise
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[MsH2k]

There are many interesting threads in this story, but the inconsistencies would be off putting. Thank you for your thorough take on this historical fiction romance--I love the title!

[Janet Kimetto]

Indeed. And I agree, the title is beautiful. Thank you for stopping by, Donna! It's good to see you!

[Smrithi Arun]

After reading your wonderfully detailed review, I was curious to read more about this German love story. I'll have to give it a thought now. Thank you so much for the trigger warning at the end.

[Catalina Isabel]

I like the storyline of how the main characters meet. However I am surprised about the inconsistencies you found, which seem fairly significant. I think that would impact my enjoyment of the book too. Thanks so much for an honest review!

[Hazel Mae Bagarinao]

I'd like to learn some German words from this book and I'm also fascinated by German settings. I think the dialogue between Maria and Nicklaus is a bit complex. I still have two minds if I read this book or not. Thanks for your honest review!

[Janet Kimetto]

After reading your wonderfully detailed review, I was curious to read more about this German love story. I'll have to give it a thought now. Thank you so much for the trigger warning at the end.

I hope you get the chance to read it. Thank you so much for stopping by Smrithi Arun!

[Janet Kimetto]

I like the storyline of how the main characters meet. However I am surprised about the inconsistencies you found, which seem fairly significant. I think that would impact my enjoyment of the book too. Thanks so much for an honest review!

I hope the inconsistencies get fixed soon because I would have given the book a higher rating otherwise. Thanks for leaving a comment, Catalina.

[Omneya Shakeep]

This seems to be a light-reading novel with a lot of potential. I like the simplicity of the storyline, and I think if the consistency in the events is fixed, I would certainly read it. Your review was thoroughly analysed. I enjoyed reading it immensely. Thanks for the honest review. Great job! 

[Sarah Zain]

Your review is detailed and well explained. The book is interesting as a main theme. You succeeded in mentioning what you did not like because it could be important to other readers. I enjoyed reading your review.

[Sara Nóbrega Bartolomeu]

I deeply enjoyed reading your Review. As a fan of historical fiction, I would have liked that more was added to the story at that level. Your review is very complete

[Rob Carr]

Great, detailed review. Sounds like it is a light read which is good but quite a number of errors that still need fixing.

[Janet Kimetto]

I'd like to learn some German words from this book and I'm also fascinated by German settings. I think the dialogue between Maria and Nicklaus is a bit complex. I still have two minds if I read this book or not. Thanks for your honest review!

Thank you for stopping by, Hazel! You wouldn't have any trouble with the German words, I promise.

[Janet Kimetto]

This seems to be a light-reading novel with a lot of potential. I like the simplicity of the storyline, and I think if the consistency in the events is fixed, I would certainly read it. Your review was thoroughly analysed. I enjoyed reading it immensely. Thanks for the honest review. Great job! 

Thank you so much for your kind words, Omneya!

[Janet Kimetto]

Your review is detailed and well explained. The book is interesting as a main theme. You succeeded in mentioning what you did not like because it could be important to other readers. I enjoyed reading your review.

Thank you for reading my review and leaving a comment, Sarah!