From a Distance

I'd like the characters and then I wouldn't. The research about old photography was superb but a lot of other research was completely missing (glad to be able to say the author's more recent books haven't had this issue).

Elizabeth had major issues with lying and though her conscience bothered her at times it didn't make her stop and at the end it was pretty much a non-issue .

A truly atrocious asthma crisis scene made me cringe to no end. 1) when the patient's airway is completely closed, sulphur isn't going to help open it. 2) a real doc wouldn't carry a patient for several minutes to a spring when CPR isn't even working; her only hope was an immediate trach, and he would have done that or she would be dead. 3) They wouldn't spend time hacking through whalebone of a corset and undressing her...they'd undo things by their ties as the design was meant to. 4) afterward she wouldn't be able to dress without ordering a $300 or so fresh custom corset to replace the destroyed one, but I guess that's beside the point if the scene would have left her dead in real life (corsets are NOT like bras that come to size...they have to be individually fitted to each body and can't be loaned at the drop of a hat). (note: it takes a person around three minutes to suffocate; that much action is flatly impossible for her) (also the guy taking a moment to think of lust then?!)

Her travel would have ruined her name because no society would consider her helper Josiah to be an appropriate chaperon, especially when they're cuddling for warmth in a cave.

Someone thinking a sniper is an “unfair warrior”? Urghhhhhhh.

The whole scenario of the battle felt uber modern and really unrealistic for a historic conscience to get hung up on.

The ending was super rushed.

So yeah, not a winner for me. But Josiah's ending was good. I'm going to think of Josiah's ending when I think of this book. :)