A cross between Anita Brookner and Ivy Compton-Burnett, I think. I’ve heard Barbara Pym thrown around as well but I didn’t quite see it; Wesley isn't as cozy and smooth. Also Jane Austen, but nah. People have said Anita Brookner's like Jane Austen too but no. Just because you're a lady writing about domestic lady things with marriage at the end doesn't make you like Jane Austen.I actually considered abandoning this book during the first chapter because I couldn’t get into the writing style, but I stuck with it and am glad I did. The dialogue at times is so stilted but in a good (sometimes hilarious) way (hence the Compton-Burnett connection). The bawdiness was fun and not stilted. It was an engaging read, though not particularly amazing, so it’s really 3.5 stars but it was the kind of book that made me feel nice, so it’s 4 (like I’ve said a lot -- a scale of 5 is just not enough). I’ll definitely read more Wesley in future, more for comfort’s sake than anything else.
