This author participates in the Readers' Favorite Free Book Program, which is open to all readers and is completely free. The author will provide you with a free copy of their book in exchange for an honest review. You and the author will discuss what sites you will post your review to and what kind of copy of the book you would like to receive (eBook, PDF, Word, paperback, etc.). To begin, click the purple email icon to send this author a private email.
This author participates in the Readers' Favorite Book Review Exchange Program, which is open to all authors and is completely free. Simply put, you agree to provide an honest review an author's book in exchange for the author doing the same for you. What sites your reviews are posted on (B&N, Amazon, etc.) and whether you send digital (eBook, PDF, Word, etc.) or hard copies of your books to each other for review is up to you. To begin, click the purple email icon to send this author a private email, and be sure to describe your book or include a link to your Readers' Favorite review page or Amazon page.
This author participates in the Readers' Favorite Book Donation Program, which was created to help nonprofit and charitable organizations (schools, libraries, convalescent homes, soldier donation programs, etc.) by providing them with free books and to help authors garner more exposure for their work. This author is willing to donate free copies of their book in exchange for reviews (if circumstances allow) and the knowledge that their book is being read and enjoyed. To begin, click the purple email icon to send this author a private email. Be sure to tell the author who you are, what organization you are with, how many books you need, how they will be used, and the number of reviews, if any, you would be able to provide.
Reviewed by Christian Sia for Readers' Favorite
Swearing Off Stars by Danielle M. Wong is a historical romance with great twists. Meet Amelia Cole, a young woman who gets to be amongst the first women to study abroad at Oxford University. This might look like an opportunity of a lifetime for most people, but for Amelia, it is the best thing that ever happened as it offers her the freedom she couldn’t enjoy in Brooklyn, living with her domineering parents. It is in Oxford that she meets and falls in love with a strong willed woman, a would-be actress, a fighter and staunch advocate for gender equality, Scarlett Daniels. But for political reasons, their romance is short-lived. Years roll by and Scarlett becomes a successful actress, but then a mysterious letter sets Amelia on a journey across oceans and continents for a woman she’s loved and lost. Can what was lost be retrieved? It’s for the reader to find out.
Swearing Off Stars is a very beautiful and engaging story with memorable characters and well-developed themes. The setting is well-painted and readers can visualize places and objects, and feel the cultural and political elements of the setting easily. I loved the powerful opening that immediately unveils the psychological state of the protagonist, giving the reader a faint idea of the conflict that is masterfully developed throughout the story. “It’s a dark, starless night and part of me wants to turn around. There’s so much energy inside my head, transitory thoughts and heavy regrets.” The prose is impeccable and the first person narrative voice is arresting, pulling the reader irresistibly into the protagonist’s point of view. Danielle M. Wong has a unique gift for plot and thematic development and she makes readers believe in her characters. The story is intelligently plotted, emotionally intense, and beguiling.
