Review of " The Curiosity Keeper" by Sarah E. Ladd for NetGalley

 

 The Curiosity Keeper

By Sarah Ladd

3.5 stars out of 5

I try not to give spoilers in my reviews. I hope this review helps you decide if you would like to read this book.

This book is about a lonely shop keeper's daughter. It is full of twists, intrigue, history and a dash of romance. 

I loved the development of the characters in this story. Jonathan who cannot live up to his deceased brother's ideal, but is happy as an apothecary. His sister, Penelope, is a society dame looking to make an advantageous match and serves as a revealer of society's true nature - her journey and growth was lovely to read. Their father who is an avid collector and does not connect with his children well.  Then there is Camille, whose father is the owner of the shop where she works and is quite a loose cannon in life. Camille is the steadfast, soul of this book... it is her journey you mainly follow. Her growth in her identity and her shift from shop keeper to a leap of faith to become more. 

The history and romance of things is rife in this book as are the themes of greed, money and power versus following ones heart, seeking happiness and love above earthly pleasures.  There are surprises and mild violence in this book (I would not recommend it for a young reader) and heart wrenching realizations that make this book weighty and make you feel more for Camille. 

For those looking for a struggle of soul or a growth of faith - this book does not expand on those themes. There are mentions of prayer and church going, and at the very end there is mention of an inscription but it is not mentioned anywhere else (a bit of a loose end with that).   I was disappointed in the lack of Christian struggle as it would have been so easy to weave that in to both Jonathan and Camille's stories rather than an off handed comment about church, prayer and a belated inscription.

I appreciated the opportunity to read this book in advance of it's release. This is the first book of Sarah Ladd's that I have read, I would enjoy reading more to see if her themes change. :)

This is an unbiased review for NetGalley ARC. I was in no way compensated for this review.