For Love or Jewels: The Curiosity Keeper Book Review
I enjoyed The Curiosity Keeper because it had a decent story. It's Book 1 of the Treasures of Surrey series, but the other two books in the series seem to be about other characters that are in Fellsworth, perhaps later or before Book 1 takes place; I don't remember coming across any of them in The Curiosity Keeper. Since the rest of the series doesn't relate to Camille and Jonathan, I won't be reading them. The stories don't grab me the same way.
Summary
The Curiosity Keeper by Sarah E. Ladd is a Regency romance that alternates between two points of view: that of Camille Iverness, a shop owner's daughter in London, and that of Jonathan Gilchrist, the village apothecary in Fellsworth and heir to Kettering Hall. One night, Jonathan's father is robbed of his Bevoy Ruby and he suspects the man who sold it to him is to blame. He demands that Jonathan meet up with an old acquaintance Jonathan dislikes to track down the ruby and prevent the family's ruin. He and his acquaintance end up at the shop where Camille works. When the two men observe Camille with a hot-tempered and dangerous customer, Jonathan intervenes to save her.
After the hullabaloo, Camille finds herself with nothing but the feeling of betrayal. She seeks help from Jonathan, who is all too happy to oblige. With a love for the country, Camille is able to start anew as a teacher in Fellsworth, thanks to Jonathan's recommendation. All the while, he is suspicious of her involvement with the ruby's theft, but neither one of them can deny their growing attraction.
-- Spoilers --
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| Kynance, Mews, London. Photo by Bruno Martins on Unsplash |
Characters
Ian Gilchrist: Jonathan's father; his health is declining; is rude to Camille but grows kinder after he sees her intelligence and interest in his antique collection.
Penelope Gilchrist: manipulative, can cry at will and pout; is engaged to Alfred Dowden, but he won't marry her unless she has a dowry (Bevoy ruby).
Henry Darbin: friend to Jonathan's late brother; disliked by Jonathan; works in London as an investigator; manipulative and shady person; constantly compares Jonathan to his late brother.
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| Photo by Joshua Fuller on Unsplash |
What I Liked
Camille and Jonathan's relationship develops at a realistic pace and does not have either one of them thinking that the other is their soulmate, dreaming of the other or reciting poetry. They are interested in each other, become more aware of the person when they are in their presence and are sometimes distracted by the other person. I really appreciate this. It's a slow burn that is enjoyable and realistic.
However, I noticed that Camille is said to bite her lip in nervousness or restraint. It's repeated too much throughout the book. I can understand it being a characteristic tick of her, but please give her something else to do some of the time. The same thing goes for the men who always "prop their fists on their hips." Also, autumn is often described as "spicy." That's not an adjective I would use. Smoky or burnt (maybe) because people use their fireplaces, but not spicy.
Two of a Kind
I enjoyed how Penelope and Darbin poison Jonathan's mind, so he doubts Camille's character. Penelope is your typical self-centered snob. She is worried about her future once her father dies because she has yet to marry. Penelope is a piece of work. She irritated me so much with how she looked down on Camille because she's a shop girl. I found it odd that she thought her brother assaulted Camille, but then again, she may have thought this because she's self-centered. Penelope considers herself a "woman in peril" simply because having Camille seen entering their London home would apparently cause a scandal. Even after arguing with her brother about not allowing Camille, who has fainted from loss of blood and been assaulted, in their home, Penelope claims to not be a monster. Of course, Penelope doesn't let her brother deal with Camille and learn what he can from her about the ruby; instead, Penelope poisons Camille's mind, making her think that Jonathan is only helping her to get the ruby and isn't sincere about caring for her.
Since we first see Darbin, he sets out to tell Jonathan of how manipulative and crafty Camille is and that she can easily defend herself with a knife. With this and similar seeds planted, Jonathan is always questioning whether or not Camille is as Darbin says; however, he still helps her in every way he can.
With the alternating perspectives, we see how Camille and Jonathan see the other. Camille often feels anxious and gets a calm sense from Jonathan while he feels fidgety and sees her as calm and confident. As a shopkeeper's daughter, Camille was often in the store, serving customers who were often there to see her father. Her own father treated her like dirt and dismissed her opinions since she's a woman. With Jonathan she feels seen by him.
Both Camille's father and Jonathan's father have similar traits and Camille comments that she is reminded of her own father when speaking with Ian Gilchrist about his collection. However, Ian has a redemptive arc where he makes the effort to visit Jonathan at his shop and try to work out their differences and fix his financial mistakes since they affect both his children. He also has come to like Camille and is against how Penelope and Darbin treat Camille.
Picking Up on the Clues
I picked up on almost all of the foreshadowing, but it was still an enjoyable read. By Chapter 10, I knew the ruby was in the package Camille was supposed to mail to her mother for her father. Her father's attitude towards Camille in general plus taking the dog with him during the night even though Camille told him that she needed the dog for protection made me realize that the father has zero care for her. She's just there to take care of his store and tend to customers.
I wasn't sure what to expect from the mother. I wasn't even sure if she'd show up in the book. It was great actually being able to see her character. It boggles the mind how parents can be so horrid and unloving towards their child.
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| Castle Combe, Chippenham Photo by Morgan on Unsplash |
What I Didn't Like
As much as I'm happy that there wasn't any love at first sight, the level or romance I expected was much lower than I liked. I think they kiss once half-way or three-quarters through the book and then there is a final kiss after the drama of Camille being held prisoner.
The Damsel in Distress
Although Camille is independent and self-reliant, Jonathan saves her from her scheming parents and Darbin. Even when they are safe in an alleyway, I felt as though the ending relied too much on Jonathan and the author forgot how they initially wrote Camille's character. However, I've gone over my notes and re-read the chapter. I can see that Jonathan has to be the one to save her because Camille was never treated well by anyone, engraining a low sense of self-worth in her.
Unresolved Matters
1 - Jonathan and Camille leave Darbin and her parents the ruby. There are not arrested for their crimes.
2 - We never get confirmation about how Jonathan's brother died. I thought it was from scarlet fever, but Jonathan's mother died from that, causing Ian to blame Jonathan's uncle since he couldn't save her.
3 - Camille disappears from the school and we are never told if she or Jonathan go back to tell the staff that Camille is alright and she is now married to Jonathan.
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| Photo by Katherine Hanlon on Unsplash |
Conclusion
The Curiosity Keeper was a good story that kept me interested without being too convoluted. It was atmospheric with its contrast of sooty London and the fresh countryside of Fellsworth. It was on the very low side of romance. I'm not one for romance stories, but I do like it to have a little more of a presence than it had in this book. But the rest of the story was well done! The book was mild, character-driven (which is why I didn't have much to say above), and then, the ending was full of action! The book is sandwiched with action scenes in the shop at the beginning and end with low drama throughout to keep it afloat. Overall, it was good and I would recommend it.
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