Book Review | Just Rewards • Barbara Taylor Bradford

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Hiiiii fam!!!! It’s the weekend and boy am i so glad!!! This week has been hectic but productive in many ways and i really bless God. What are your plans for the weekend? One of mine is to hole up in my room and devour a novel (PS: It’s an ‘In Death’ series novel. Expect a review soon!)

In the past two weeks, i have gone through three novels and I’m reviewing one today. I started this novel yesterday and i was hooked. I finished it yesterday too. It’s written by Barbara Taylor Bradford and it’s titled “Just Rewards“. I read through a paperback edition published in 2006. Below is a summary of the novel from the author’s website:

Initially, when i picked up the novel, i felt it wouldn’t be really interesting but i needed to occupy myself and as such, i was determined to go through the novel. I was quite shocked to discover that i could literally not put the novel away. The storylines stole my heart.

First off, i was quite impressed by how the author could fuse different stories quite seamlessly. Linnet O’Neill was the main character and her story was at the fore as well as that of her enemy, Jonathan Ainsley, who coincidentally was her uncle. However, she was also able to add the stories of the very pregnant Evan Hughes who becomes an Harte, Lady India Standish who marries the love of her life and even Tessa Fairley Longden who transitions from an unhappy divorce into a happy relationship very effortlessly.

As with huge families (this one featured a large family formed by three clans – The Hartes, O’Neills and Kallinskis), there’s bound to be jealousy and discord, side by side a unified front. The Black Sheep of the families were played to the hilt by Angharad Hughes and Jonathan Ainsley. Jonathan even went as far as paying for bombs to be planted in the church Evans Hughes was to be married to Gideon Harte!!!

There was the theme of betrayal as Jonathan Ainsley used Priscilla Marney to gather information about events in the family as she was a caterer and her services were frequently required. They were teenage sweethearts and under false pretences, he wittingly continued a sexual relationship with her and gleaned information from her without her knowing.

There was also the theme of loyalty and family. All the members of the family were loyal to each other. They loved one another and looked out for each other. There were also staff who were extremely loyal to these families and as such, they were also regaded as family. Some of these staff were Jack Hughes, the Chief Security Officer and Margaret Hodges, the cook and caretaker of one of the family houses.

There was also death simultaneous with new life. Robin Ainsley died just as Evan Ainsley delivered his first set of twin great grand children. There was also the death of Edwina Harte Fairley – the matriach of the Harte family – just after the wedding of India Standish and Russel Rhodes, also known as Dusty. Personally, i felt they were symbols that the older generation gives way for the younger ones to come.

For the full gist, this novel is a must read. It really is. I’m going to be hunting down more of Barbara Taylor Bradford’s novels henceforth. Ta-ra!!! 

(PS: For animation lovers like me, The Incredibles 2 is set to hit the theatres June 15. I am psyched!!! I posted a YouTube of the Olympics Sneak Peek just for you. Thank me later.)