genre: historical fiction
The title really gives the book's plot away, in this case. It's about the women who live in a women's hotel. There's no plot, really. Not even a whole lot happens. But as a piece of historical fiction, I was intrigued by this slice of life for single women trying to survive with some kind of respectability in New York City in the 1960s. I chose it because of the comparison to Lesson in Chemistry but this is NOT in the same vein, in my opinion. That book gripped me and I couldn't wait to finish - and it made me FEEL so much. This one did not grip me, unfortunately, and I don't even think the author necessarily was writing to MAKE me feel something. The writing isn't bad, not at all, and I did highlight several different paragraphs that explained an idea in a way that caught my attention.
Okay, I just went back and looked and I did highlight sort of a lot. Apparently, I did like the writing. It just felt like several different character stories strung together instead of a cohesive story that I could get engaged in. Perhaps it was just not the right book at the right time. It gets three stars for all the times I liked how Lavery turned a phrase but I can't say I was ever particularly eager to read it.
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