Letters from Another Life by Penn Gates– 3 STARS
Although a decent story/plot, I wasn’t overly captivated by how the tale unfolded or our leading lady. It was hard for me as a reader to understand how two brothers could fall for this same woman, unless it was more physical attraction in nature and less about her wan personality.
She lacked any kind of gumption or backbone, and for me, I like my leads to have a bit of strength and empowerment.
But it’s not just even a “strong woman” character that I prefer—there are plenty of more mild, demure, sweet female leads that I adored. I think what was missing for me was what actually made her so intriguing that two men would want her. It wasn’t until the very end until we saw some oomph.
Aside from that, I did enjoy the whole premise of the story: pregnant and forced to marry one man while feeling loved and appreciated by his brother, carried out only through overseas letters. And I didn’t mind the anti-happy ending build up—it was original and complex, though once again, Millie wasn’t exactly the most interesting character to deliver that kind of climax. There were some surprises, though!
The “what if?” epilogue was interesting, however…
It actually might have made for a more compelling, dramatic story if it had gone in that direction instead. We actually got to see a little more of Millie’s spunk potential that was missing earlier on. But it was well written and a cool historical setting.
To learn more about the author and her book: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/61050389-letters-from-another-life