Maplecroft - Mary-Clare Terrill - ★★★.¼

AUTHOR: Mary-Clare Terrill

SERIES: Maplecroft Family Saga, #1

GENRE: Historical Romance-Drama

PUBLICATION DATE: July 1, 2024

RATING: 3.25 stars.

In a Nutshell: A historical romance-drama based on an actual couple related to the author. Calling this just a romance would be misleading, as the story is so much more! The historical timeline with its people and its themes made this book fairly interesting, but the contemporary timeline left me a bit underwhelmed.

Plot Preview:

1905. Canada. After fighting in the Boer War, Austin returns to Preston, Ontario at the behest of his brother. He intends to establish his own business, but along the way, he loses his heart to his sister-in-law's niece Errington. Errington reciprocates his feelings, but their love story isn’t destined for a smooth ride.

2019. Lauren, who is tackling her own grief after being widowed, discovers the existence of some touching love letters and journals in the house she has inherited from her estranged father. The old documents tell her about a love story from the past, and help her find solace in her pain.

The story comes to us in two timelines, with the historical timeline spanning a much longer duration. There are also interludes with actual letters written by the historical pair. The past timeline is in the third-person perspective of various characters, while the contemporary timeline comes from Lauren’s first-person perspective.

Bookish Yays:

😍 I am not into reading plain romances anymore, but the fact that this book was based on actual love letters stirred my curiosity. The relationship between Austin and Errington isn't the type we see in today's historical romance novels, so it was a treat to see a realistic depiction of a relationship.

😍 Austin and Errington make for a striking lead pair, not just because they were two ordinary humans with an extraordinary talent for writing epistles of love, but also because they set a good example on how love actually works, with sacrifices and adjustments being as much a part of coming together as attraction and romantic gestures.

😍 I love how this book goes far beyond just "romance". In fact, I think it shouldn't be called a romance at all as that tag somehow cheapens the tale. This is a true love story that contains the entire spectrum of a relationship, and doesn't just stop at the couple's union in marriage. (That said, anyone who picks this wanting a typical romance might not enjoy it as much.)

😍 How I loved the included letters! It made me feel a bit like a voyeur, but their writing was truly delightful. Such a sweet, pure love filled with old-world charm! We've certainly lost something valuable by shifting to emails and text messages. Hardly anyone from today's generation will know the anticipation of waiting for letters to arrive and then the delight in opening the missive and devouring the content multiple times.

😍 I didn't expect the book to have such powerful medical theme. The book throws light on the then-prevalent practice of using drugs and alcohol as cures, especially for "conditions peculiar to the female sex." The sexism in the medical world comes out well.

😍 The author’s note reveals how her mother discovered some old letters in a box. These letters were written by Austin and Errington, the author’s great-grandparents. Isn’t that a treasure of an heirloom?

Bookish Mixed Bags:

😐 As almost always, the historical timeline works way better than the contemporary timeline. The 2019 timeline was entirely fictional and fairly straightforward, with no major surprises bar one. I think I would have liked the book even if the 2019 timeline had been completely eliminated.

😐 There is a strong Christian tone to the thoughts and actions of the characters in the historical timeline, with regular interspersing of Biblical verses and prayers. I would have happily advocated this as Christian fiction, but there is a teeny steamy scene that kills its eligibility for the Christian fiction genre.

😐 Other than Austin and Errington, only the characters of Austin’s friend Dr. Eddie Barlowe and Errington’s father George Pattison get proper detailing. The other secondary characters such as Austin’s brother Frank, sister-in-law Ida and niece Elizabeth could have been used much better, but they come in the story only in limited roles and only when the story needs their presence to move ahead. Dr. Vardon was an intriguing antagonist, if he could be called that.

Bookish Nays:

😖 Some comments about women's appearance and bodies made me uncomfortable. A few of these remarks could be attributed to the era, as they are taken straight from the original letters. But in the other cases, I think the comments could have been diluted to suit our times without affecting the meaning or intent.

😖 Going back to the steamy scene, I wish it had been toned down or eliminated because it spoils the wholesomeness of the rest of the book. I am also not comfortable when such scenes feature real historical people – they feel quite awkward to read. This is my preference; others may feel differently. But if ever my descendants write a book about my life and it has a scene about me getting “moist” or my nipples hardening, my ghost shall surely haunt them with a vengeance. 👻

😖 I don’t know how to frame this better, but there is no punch to the proceedings. We see happiness and sadness but no anger or conflict. Some scenes could have had characters reacting furiously, but that never happens. Most scenes show them accepting of the injustices without resentment. I have often heard that a good book needs conflict. For the first time ever, I felt the truth of this line.

😖 I didn’t like the chapter that was from 2022. It felt like a forced happy ending at a point where it wasn’t needed and it also opened up an aspect of magical realism without settling it properly. (Maybe this is tackled in the next book of the series?)

😖 The 2019 timeline has a Lauren and a Lorraine. So confusing!

Bookish If Onlys:

😕 I wish there had been at least one photograph of Austin and Errington at the end. I’d have loved to put faces to their characters.

Overall, I liked this novel a lot, though I didn’t adore it. Had I been an avid reader of modern romance novels, I might have had different feelings about this. But the historical fiction lover in me was fairly satisfied with the past timeline.

This indie debut is the first of the planned Maplecroft family saga series. While this first book seals off the main plot well, it does leave a couple of unanswered questions, which might indicate where the series will move next. I am as yet undecided about whether I will continue with the series because a certain event at the end leaves me confused about whom the next book will focus on. I guess I’ll decide after reading the blurb.

Recommended to readers who would enjoy a historical story with a strong theme and a good old-fashioned love story.

My thanks to author Mary-Clare Terrill and The Write Read for providing the DRC of “Maplecroft” via NetGalley. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the book.