How do we get by with out think of the stars. This story takes you on a super ride that would never see coming in your life. Weird, creepy and haunting rolled in one long train ride through the unexpected, only to come out the other side thinking what just happened.

I read a lot of historical fiction, but I haven't read a lot from the Edwardian era. So I enjoyed that this author was not only able to make the Edwardian world feel real but was also able to bring theater to life in an unexpected way. I loved all the references to Shakespeare! This book involves quite a cast of characters, and at times, it is a little tricky to follow the movement of the greater story. There are some surprisingly sexual and violent scenes. If you're used to reading historical romances, not historical fiction, parts of this book will seem shocking to you. But all in all, it was an immersive read that I found fascinating.

This book was reasonably well written and with a good idea but was not for me. I struggled through a lot of it. Maybe some more editing, I really cannot put my finger on what it was that took me out of the story except that it just didn't suit my tastes.

#NotFromTheStars #NetGalley

Outstanding writing !!
This book is a page turner with shocking and dark twists and turns. Not only was the story line exceptional, it was so descriptive that you could picture what you were reading, now I must read the entire series!!

I opened the book and Baam! Punched me in the face with the Roundtree family situation. The story is gripping. It will hold you tight until you have known every facet.
It made me hungry when I was not.

Not From The Stars was disappointing to read. It felt disjointed and it was a struggle to finish. I wish the author had a better editor.

This story begins with a birth and a death and glides around between a variety of characters and weaves their stories around us. My interest was peaked as I read the summary about the book but unfortunately I found myself a little let down by this book. There was a lot of time spent on other characters and not much spent around the story that is actually discussed in the summary. I am a huge theater lover and really enjoyed the tidbits regarding the theater troop but I find myself completely lost as to how this is all going to come together.

As it stands I might read the next installment but at the moment I am not sure. The book is well written and I could tell that this topic is one that the author is very knowledgeable in.

Not From The Stars
Christina Britton Conroy

A Sexy Fun Romp Edwardian Time !

Great imaginative writing that kept me enthralled right from the start.
Fast paced and enjoyable read. Dramatic characters , that will make you laugh and want to to read more. The writing is such a way that it drawls you in and keeps you fascinated all the way up to the cliffhanger ending

I received this complimentary copy through NetGalley for an honest review.

NotFromTheStars #NetGalley

The story starts in 1885 with Bertha Roundtree giving birth to a daughter Elisa. Followed by stories of the theatre and the various actors. Then it finishes with Elisa in 1903.
I did not like the writing style, it felt disjointed, not really a cohesive story but a series of shorts with a cast of superficial and unlikeable characters. Two stars because I finally got to the end. The story continues in three more books.

I have been to many theatres over the years. When i read the synopsis of this book, i knew i just had to read it. I really enjoyed the story, despite it being a little different to what i was expecting. I did find the characters a little confusing at first, that is until i got used to them. This is the first book in a four part series and i do hope to read the next book. Due to the sex scenes, this book may not suit some. Otherwise i would recommend.

My thanks to Netgalley and the Publishers for my copy. This is my honest review.

"Not From the Stars" was not what I was expecting. At all. Unfortunately, this element of surprise was more of a disappointment than a pleasure.

This British historical novel, set from 1887 - 1904, was purported to be "filled with the history of the British theatre and allusions to Shakespeare" - all things which were right up my alley. (What literary lover among us does love the Victorian period and does not at least respect Shakespeare and all he has done for English literature?) To my dismay, however, despite even the title being drawn from a Shakespeare sonnet (Sonnet 14), the actual references to the theatre and The Bard were scattered and forced at best.

The story line itself had interesting elements, but what I could not get past the entire novel was the author's writing style. My biggest issue was that the descriptions were often juvenile and honestly oversexed. I felt as if I was in the mind of a thirteen year old boy discovering porn. Do not get me wrong, I love passion and steamy sex scenes as much as the next person, but I often felt as if I was reading a terribly written erotic novel There were so many random, pointless sex scenes, some of them burgeoning on rape, but what made it worse was that the way they were illustrated was straight up prepubescent and weird. Some examples include: "However annoying Tommy could be, he brilliantly met Jeremy's physical needs. At any hour of day or night, Tommy was ready to provide dazzling sexual pleasure."; "Living on top of each other, in one-and-a-half rooms, made physical modesty impossible. Jeremy loved looking at Katherine's body. He adored her beautiful legs, tight little bottom, and firm breasts"; and "Knowing he had to ravish her at once or walk away, he chose the latter" (which was inserted after a professor was talking to his student about her abusive family life, might I add).

Besides the plethora of pointless sex scenes, the author clearly struggled with the concept of transitions. Paragraphs jumped from subject to subject that made little sense or were not related at all. The style was very forced and stilted. Sometimes new characters would randomly appear at the beginning of a chapter with no introduction - the first part of the novel focused mainly around the story of two actors, Jeremy and Kate, but then part way through I felt as if I was reading an entirely new novel as it introduced characters such as Elisa and Robert, who ended up being protagonists for the rest of the book. I often asked myself "Huh? Who are these people? What is the relevance? How do they relate to the main story line?" They didn't, really. At least not yet - perhaps they will in the next novel, as due to the ending in which there is an obvious cliff hanger and nothing is resolved, there will clearly be a next installment in this series. .

Despite the author's poor writing style, their imagination is strong and there are elements of the plot line that was undoubtedly engrossing - if it were not for the story itself being interesting, I do not think I could have finished the novel. Perhaps the author's style will mature by the next part of the story and the subsequent novel will be stronger and receive a better rating. As it stands, overall "Not From the Stars" was just okay, if it was even that.