"The Bracelet" by Dorothy Love

About this book:

  “The mystery surrounding Celia's home in Savannah threatens her family reputation . . . and her very life.
  Celia Browning is counting the days until her childhood sweetheart Sutton Mackay returns to Savannah after two years in Jamaica looking after his family's shipping interests. She's certain he will propose marriage, thus joining two of the city's most prominent families. But just as Sutton returns, an unsavory newspaper reporter arrives in town, determined to revive interest in the secret tragedies that occurred in the Browning mansion on Madison Square when Celia was a child.
  A series of mysterious notes arrives at the house, followed by an anonymous gift--a bracelet imbued with a sinister message. Is it merely a coincidence, or is someone out to harm her?
  As war clouds gather over Savannah and her beloved father's health worsens, Celia determines to uncover the truth about what really happened all those years ago.”


Series: Connected to the author’s other book, “The Respectable Actress”. Review of that book Here! 

Spiritual Content- A Scripture is quoted; A few prayers; Church going; Talks about God; Mentions of God; Mentions of prayers, praying, & blessings over food; Mentions of churches, church going, services, clergymen, & hymns; Mentions of sins, sinners, & Heaven; Mentions of Christmas; A few mentions of thanking God; A few mentions of saints; A couple mentions of prayer books; A couple mentions of blessings;

            *Note: Mentions of All Hallows’ Eve, ghosts, & poisons; Mentions of curses; A couple mentions of the devil himself; two forms ‘what the devil’.

Negative Content- Minor cussing including: two ‘stupid’s; A bit of eye rolling; Prologue is a woman who nearly hangs herself (up to semi-detailed); Being held at gunpoint & Threats (up to semi-detailed); Pain, being attacked, & injuries (up to semi-detailed); Social drinking at dinners; Many mentions of a coming war, fighting, slavery, slaves, & the slave trade; Many mentions of deaths & if they were accidents, murders, or suicides; Many mentions of gossip, rumors, & scandals; Mentions of hangings, jumping/being pushed off railings, suicides, & a noose (up to semi-detailed); Mentions of being willing to murder someone; Mentions of crimes; Mentions of thieves & stealing; Mentions of dares/pranks, pain, & a broken bone; Mentions of injuries & an attacker (barely-above-not-detailed); Mentions of threats, hatred, betrayal, & jealousy; Mentions of nightmares; Mentions of jails, arrest, mobs/riots, & gunfire; Mentions of a fire, smoke, injuries, & deaths (barely-above-not-detailed); Mentions of alcohol, drinking, drunks, & drinking establishments; Mentions of smoking, tobacco, cigars, & pipes; Mentions of lies, lying, & liars; A few mentions of poker & gambling; A couple mentions of a killer; A couple mentions of hunting.

Sexual Content- six cheek kisses, two forehead kisses, a not-detailed kiss, two barely-above-not-detailed kisses, three semi-detailed kisses; Touches, Embraces, & Heat; Noticing; a ‘harlot’;

Mentions of mistresses & concubines; Mentions of children conceived out of wedlock (some between a slave-owner and a slave); Mentions of affairs; Mentions/hints of a wedding night & a woman’s underthings (not details); Mentions of kisses, kissing, & wanting to kiss; Mentions of greeting & thanking kisses; Mentions of noticing; Mentions of blushes & flirting; Mentions of scandals, reputations, & chaperones; Mentions of jealousy; A couple mentions of brothels; A couple mentions of husband’s indulging in their own passions; A couple mentions of Joseph Smith and the practice of polygamy; A couple mentions of whistles & catcalls; A mention of a man’s wild night of wine, women, and song (teasing); Love, falling in love & quite a bit of the emotions;

             *Note: A couple mentions of a wife that died in childbirth.

-Celia Browning, age 23
                                P.O.V. of Celia

                                              Set in 1858-1859 {Prologue in 1843}
                                                        336 pages

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Pre Teens-

New Teens-

Early High School Teens-

Older High School Teens-

My personal Rating-

My goodness. This wasn’t a very happy or uplifting novel. At all.

Between the many mentions of murders, suicides, affairs, children conceived out of wedlock, slavery, social drinking, the death of a character I actually liked, the character that’s revealed to be crazy near the end, it really wasn’t enjoyable for me.

Also add in the fact that the plot didn’t start until about half away through and all throughout the book, it just seemed oddly paced out.

I was interested about reading about the language of jewels in the late 1800s, while the back-cover makes it sound like it a large part of the plot, it’s really not.

So, overall, I honestly didn’t enjoy this book, unfortunately.

See y’all on Friday with a new review!

*BFCG may (Read the review to see) recommend this book by this author. It does not mean I recommend all the books by this author.