I really wanted to like this book because the time period and subject matter really drew me and are right up my alley. Honestly, I only got about half way through this book and gave up, so you can take this short review with a grain of salt if you wish.
There were a few parts that kept my interest, namely the povs dedicated to Jamie and Jenny. However, the rest of the narrative is so convoluted with unnecessary, random povs that it detracted from the main characters and their arcs, as well as the overarching plot. The book would have probably kept my interest if it alternated between Jamie and Jenny’s povs only. I don’t need a one-off chapter pov from a random sailor, who I don’t care about and have no attachment to, that happens to be on the same ship as Jamie or Jenny, nor a pov from a British soldier who just dies in the next scene anyway. I understand the need to world build in historical fiction, but that is still possible with a tight narrative and focused povs.
The extraneous povs, tangents, and asides that had little to do with the main characters only took me further and further away from the core narrative and the emotional journeys of Jamie and Jenny. Even with the povs of the main characters, I still felt as if I didn’t really know their personalities or their motivations.
Jamie MacGillivray: The Renegade’s Journey will be released February 28, 2023
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