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3.92 AVERAGE
3.92 AVERAGE
I can't help myself. I thoroughly enjoy this series. Lady Julia is delightful, and I love her family.
I enjoyed this book as much if not more than the first in the series. Brisbane is even more delicious and we meet several more fascinating members of the March family. There was never a lull in the plot and I did not see the small twist at the end coming. I'm eager to start the next book in the series!
Before I read this book, I was never really into Historical Romance, or any Historical for that matter, novels. I borrowed this book (among many others) from a friend, thinking it sounded fairly interesting. After I finished reading the other books that I'd borrowed, I figured I needed to read this one. And I was pleasantly surprised. I actually really liked this book and have been interested in Historical Romances ever since. I really want to read the first and third books in the series, but haven't found them sadly. I look forward to reading about more adventures with Lady Julia and Nicholas Brisbane.
I really enjoyed this book but it didn't compare to the first one unfortunately; I'm looking forward to the third one though!
3.5 stars
I liked this better than the first book, even though I still have some of the same issues. There's still a bit too much going on: there's the main plot, plus two subplots (one of which is unrelated to everything else), and there are also other minor intrigues that aren't really relevant. It takes too long for the mystery to get going (again), but I did not guess the murderer or the motive, and I was rather surprised by some other revelations.
I also appreciated the complexity of the characters, including some of the minor side characters. Everyone is a bit more interesting this time around, and although the "minor intrigues" I mentioned above aren't exactly relevant to the overall plot, they do add some depth to the characters. So I did enjoy that aspect.
I'm also more invested in Julia's relationship with Brisbane. I really don't know WHY, because I was pretty meh about him in the last book, but I guess I just enjoy a good tortured romance. Who knew.
I think this book redeemed the series a bit for me. If I had disliked it I would've called it quits, but instead I rather enjoyed it. On to the next one!
I liked this better than the first book, even though I still have some of the same issues. There's still a bit too much going on: there's the main plot, plus two subplots (one of which is unrelated to everything else), and there are also other minor intrigues that aren't really relevant. It takes too long for the mystery to get going (again), but I did not guess the murderer or the motive, and I was rather surprised by some other revelations.
I also appreciated the complexity of the characters, including some of the minor side characters. Everyone is a bit more interesting this time around, and although the "minor intrigues" I mentioned above aren't exactly relevant to the overall plot, they do add some depth to the characters. So I did enjoy that aspect.
I'm also more invested in Julia's relationship with Brisbane. I really don't know WHY, because I was pretty meh about him in the last book, but I guess I just enjoy a good tortured romance. Who knew.
I think this book redeemed the series a bit for me. If I had disliked it I would've called it quits, but instead I rather enjoyed it. On to the next one!
I had such high hopes for this series after the first book, Silent in the Grave, but this second installment let me down. In the first several chapters I was struck by the fact that Lady Julia had no real confidants. Her father and the sister she was closest to both acted unkindly, in my opinion, causing Julia pain and then seeming to dismiss it. Brisbane, who seemed to be softening some toward Julia at the end of the first book, comes across in this book as unfeeling and dismissive. I simply lost patience with him, and then with Julia. She did finally gain some measure of power in the relationship, if you can call it that, but it was all just as fuzzy at the end. I begin to fear we will never get satisfaction in this relationship.
Even though this is a mystery and not a romance, I feel justified in judging the book by the unsatisfactory relationship development on the grounds that it is the author who puts that relationship at the fore of the narrative. The mystery, while good, takes a long time to play out, and in the intervening pages we are privy to Julia's frequent thoughts about Brisbane. Since she and Brisbane have even less conversation in this book than in the previous one, it's simply not very satisfying.
The mystery plots were slow getting going, but in the end I liked the way it was all dealt with. Even though the resolution might not be satisfying to all, it seemed realistic.
Raybourn spends lots of paper describing the settings, and gives life to Victorian dress and customs. However, sometimes the details do slow things down and even seem to be added at times to show the author's knowledge rather than for any benefit of the story.
Even though this is a mystery and not a romance, I feel justified in judging the book by the unsatisfactory relationship development on the grounds that it is the author who puts that relationship at the fore of the narrative. The mystery, while good, takes a long time to play out, and in the intervening pages we are privy to Julia's frequent thoughts about Brisbane. Since she and Brisbane have even less conversation in this book than in the previous one, it's simply not very satisfying.
The mystery plots were slow getting going, but in the end I liked the way it was all dealt with. Even though the resolution might not be satisfying to all, it seemed realistic.
Raybourn spends lots of paper describing the settings, and gives life to Victorian dress and customs. However, sometimes the details do slow things down and even seem to be added at times to show the author's knowledge rather than for any benefit of the story.
A very enjoyable sequel, this time it's murder at a country house. More sparks fly between Lady Julia and Nicholas Brisbane, and the mystery has several good twists.
Think I enjoyed this Lady Julia outing even more than the last -- her crazy March family is an utterly delightful cornucopia of eccentrics; Brisbane was even more Gothically-brooding than in the last adventure; there's some interesting sinister revelations re: the murder and the intrigues; and the principals felt a bit more rounded and solid -- Lady Julia in particular is delightfully fierce and outspoken in this, and the family home (a converted medieval abbey) provides the perfect atmosphere for a snowed-in ghostly mystery. Scads of fun.
Liked it well enough to keep reading, but still feel somewhat unsatisfied. I'm not overly fond of any of the characters. A series can still keep my interest when I don't like the main characters if the secondary characters are strong. I'm hopeful things will improve. The evidence of the murderer was kind of clever but became stupid on execution. The ridiculous names irritate me. I will read the next book, but I don't know if I will keep reading this series.
Nice follow up book to the first in the Lady Julia Grey series, but not quite as intriguing or exciting as the first. After the events in the first book Lady Julia has taken herself off on a vacation to Italy, meeting up with her two brothers there. After one of her brothers unexpectedly marries, the three March family members are ordered back home by their father to spend Christmas at the family estate. The three head home with Alessandro in tow, a young Italian count the two brothers first met, who is now smitten with Julia.
When they arrive they find some unexpected guests have also been invited for the holidays, including the attractive Nicholas Brisbane and his fiancé. Lady Julia promptly introduces them to Alessandro, and the party (and tension) is on. But then a murder is committed and the estate is hit with a huge snowstorm, making it impossible to leave. Julia's father asks Brisbane to begin an investigation, but orders him to work with Julia as his partner.
The interactions between Lady Julia and Brisbane were as entertaining as ever. The new characters introduced were very intriguing. I found it unfortunate that one was killed off early and the way the storyline went it is doubtful they'll be included in future stories. I always hate for a well written and interesting character to be wasted. Although there were a lot of new characters thrown in at the beginning of the book, the author did extremely well with familiarizing this reader and helping keeping them straight in my head. My only real complaint about this book is the mystery itself wasn't very interesting, the eventual resolution was unexciting and the eventual motive was weak. Still, I already have the next book in the series and look forward to continuing reading about Julia and Brisbane. Three and a half stars.
When they arrive they find some unexpected guests have also been invited for the holidays, including the attractive Nicholas Brisbane and his fiancé. Lady Julia promptly introduces them to Alessandro, and the party (and tension) is on. But then a murder is committed and the estate is hit with a huge snowstorm, making it impossible to leave. Julia's father asks Brisbane to begin an investigation, but orders him to work with Julia as his partner.
The interactions between Lady Julia and Brisbane were as entertaining as ever. The new characters introduced were very intriguing. I found it unfortunate that one was killed off early and the way the storyline went it is doubtful they'll be included in future stories. I always hate for a well written and interesting character to be wasted. Although there were a lot of new characters thrown in at the beginning of the book, the author did extremely well with familiarizing this reader and helping keeping them straight in my head. My only real complaint about this book is the mystery itself wasn't very interesting, the eventual resolution was unexciting and the eventual motive was weak. Still, I already have the next book in the series and look forward to continuing reading about Julia and Brisbane. Three and a half stars.