Bluebell Review Chamber [CLOSED]

જ Love and Fabrics જ ☾ Helena ☽

Book: Love and Fabrics
Author: Egwuji
Reviewer: helixgro

Review: I have read all of the chapters that were currently published at my time of reading (prologue - 11). This was certainly an exciting read! Your writing is brilliant, and you have a truly captivating style that quickly entices a reader. Your range of vocabulary is also flawless, and I especially admired your use of “howbeit”, “albeit” and “afore” (etc), since it fits perfectly into the historical genre and really helps the reader feel one with the story.

APPEARENCES

I really like the title of your book, because it tells the reader exactly what to expect as well as gives away the context of the story. Fabric/material is a motif that frequently repeated throughout the story, as well as love, which is another major theme. As for the cover, I do think improvements could be made. While you made good use of manips (the couple in front of the mansion), it looks like a picture that was just attached to a background image instead of being one with it. The font you used for the cover is really nice, and there is no need to change it, but to make it look more appealing I suggest changing the bright yellow to a gold, as you did with the author name and tag-line. I recommend reaching out to a graphic designer who will be able to make your book look alluring and great (many communities have a free graphic shop). I think the blurb you wrote works really well for the story, as it gives away the most important things a reader needs to know while keeping the plot twists and major events a secret.

CONTENT

As I have stated previously, I admire your diverse vocabulary and knowledge of speech in the 1800s. The characters all speak in a sophisticated manner than would match the time period, however there is very little to no variation with their manner of speaking. For example Marcel, who grew up poor, would have a different dialect than Bloom who grew up in a rich family. Furthermore, Amar, who is of Indian descent and was presumably raised in an Indian family would also have a different way of speaking. Depending on one's social status, pronunciation or accent may be different.

A strong point of yours is definitely imagery. You are a skilled writer and your descriptions of characters and settings are something to be admired. You brilliantly create a detailed image in the reader's head, which is a hard skill to master. Your dialogue between the characters is very strong, an a key moment when this is noticeable is in chapter 4 during Bloom and Anthony's argument. This scene rose the tension in the story and kept me a reader on the edge of my seat as I was excited to find out what would happen next and how their argument would affect the marriage. Furthermore, we saw foreshadowing when Bloom promised that she would not speak with Marcel again. Despite her promise, the reader knows that she will not be able to keep her word and that their romance will rekindle.

Also, your characterisation is flawless too. Despite Marcel's immoral actions with breaking into the party and lusting after Bloom, the reader still emphasises with him because we can see ourselves in him. Despite society viewing as what he did as wrong, we know that if put in his predicament, anyone would do the same. You have crafted a multi-layered character with flaws and imperfections, one that is still relatable and likeable. Despite being flawed, the reader roots for Marcel in the hopes that he will get inevitable character development and grow from his mistakes.

OVERALL/GOING FORWARD + PERSONAL OPINION

You're a really talented writer, and I enjoyed reading your work greatly. The plot was good and the characters were fun, especially Amar with his sharp wit and easygoing attitude, and also his undying loyalty and friendship to Marcel. There were scenes with definitely raised the tension, such as the argument and Marcel being thrown in jail, as well as scenes which were pleasant and exciting for the audience to read, such as the interactions between Bloom and Marcel.

Their romance was also well written, and I really enjoyed reading the scenes where they were together. Overall, all of the relationships in “Love and Fabrics” were well crafted, from Amar and Marcel's friendship to Bloom and her parents' relationship, which can be described as emotionally abusive, to an extent. They are clearly manipulative toward her, controlling her life and forcing Bloom to live up to unrealistic expectations. In future chapters, this is something that I think you could explore and focus deeper on, and add Bloom's own character development with standing up to her parents.

Well done, this is a great read that I certainly would recommend to any romance or historical fiction fans. Keep reading and keep writing!

USEFUL LINKS

https://literaryterms.net/when-and-how-to-write-dialect/ - Writing dialect

https://brilliantio.com/how-to-write-a-manipulative-character/ - Writing manipulative characters