EXPECTATIONS is the second book in Melanie Jeschke's Oxford Chronicles, a follow-up to INKLINGS.  I feel that a reader must follow this series in order.  If you are new to the series, the remainder of this review is a spoiler.

Kate McKenzie is, as her husband, David, would say, feeling nauseated. Kate would like to have completed her studies before having a child.  Meanwhile, David has been invited to spend the winter term as a visiting lecturer at the American University in Paris.

Yvette Goodman is nearly thirty, the only person in her family to have graduated from a university, and now elected as a Fellow at the University of Oxford. However, by this stage in her life, she had hoped to have been married and to have children.

Austen Holmes, another young Oxford don,  is having a difficult time. It was in autumn that he met the love of his life, Marianne, and in autumn that he lost her. 

These people are all on their way to meet at the Eastgate Hotel, the meeting place of C. S. Lewis and J. R. R. Tolkien, and home to the Inklings club. 

Once again, I found Melanie Jeschkie’s book to be very slow in starting but worth the read if you persevere. EXPECTATIONS moves from Oxford to Paris then back to Oxford. There are some great descriptions of Paris scenes.  The descriptive writing is enjoyable, but you really do have to stick with the first few chapters to reap any reward.