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colorfulleo92's review
2.0
Didn't Keep me entertained or engaged in the story, found my self drifting of in thoughts while reading. It might not been a bad book but it wasn't interesting at all
bellasmom613's review
4.0
I will say I was greatly intrigued when I read the plot for this book. i was in the middle of reading the first novel in this series, and I was wondering how Eve wound up being the chaperone for the remaining Bascombe sisters. That got cleared up fairly quickly. And Eve was free to start her position.
I loved Fitz from the moment he was introduced in the first novel. I'm usually up in the air when it comes to the secondary male characters. It takes me a few chapters to decide whether I liked them or not. But Fitz made you fall in love with him the second you were introduced to him, just as it was written in the book. He had an easy going nature, and I think he was probably the Bascombes' favorite cousin. I was excited when I found out he was going to be the main focus of the second book in this series.
Eve I liked well enough. She had a witty humor about her. I understood her dedication to her position as chaperone. I was a little upset that her deceased husband, Major Hawthorne, was such a big part of her story. I felt like the subplot with him weighed down her story. I did enjoy the exchanges between her and Fitz. My favorite one was probably the first time the lovers met. Although, Fitz didn't say water nymph enough at Willowmere.
The only part of this novel I didn't enjoy was the subplot with Hawthorne's watch. Like I said above, I felt like it weighed down the main story. It wasn't as exciting a mystery that I was used to from Candace Camp. And the reason why the watch was so important was kind of anticlimactic.
Other than that, I enjoyed the main characters. I loved most of the secondary characters. The subplot with the balloonist was hilarious. The setting was prepared perfectly. I felt like I was able to conjure up the image of the herb garden and the nursery well. I could picture how the household looked with the sickness that spread through it. I could feel the emotions that the characters were feeling. I thoroughly enjoyed the second novel of this series.
I loved Fitz from the moment he was introduced in the first novel. I'm usually up in the air when it comes to the secondary male characters. It takes me a few chapters to decide whether I liked them or not. But Fitz made you fall in love with him the second you were introduced to him, just as it was written in the book. He had an easy going nature, and I think he was probably the Bascombes' favorite cousin. I was excited when I found out he was going to be the main focus of the second book in this series.
Eve I liked well enough. She had a witty humor about her. I understood her dedication to her position as chaperone. I was a little upset that her deceased husband, Major Hawthorne, was such a big part of her story. I felt like the subplot with him weighed down her story. I did enjoy the exchanges between her and Fitz. My favorite one was probably the first time the lovers met. Although, Fitz didn't say water nymph enough at Willowmere.
The only part of this novel I didn't enjoy was the subplot with Hawthorne's watch. Like I said above, I felt like it weighed down the main story. It wasn't as exciting a mystery that I was used to from Candace Camp. And the reason why the watch was so important was kind of anticlimactic.
Other than that, I enjoyed the main characters. I loved most of the secondary characters. The subplot with the balloonist was hilarious. The setting was prepared perfectly. I felt like I was able to conjure up the image of the herb garden and the nursery well. I could picture how the household looked with the sickness that spread through it. I could feel the emotions that the characters were feeling. I thoroughly enjoyed the second novel of this series.
heyhaley17's review
4.0
It has been years since I read and Camp novel and was not disappointed. Actually, I enjoyed the writing much more than I remember. The characters were well developed on their own and as a couple. While I didn't need to know more about them I would have enjoyed it because I liked both Fitz and Eve so much. They do spend a little too much time attempting to avoid each other for propriety's sake which makes me feel that a little too much time on relationship development was missed. However, in the end I felt that their relationship made sense and was very endearing and cute. My one complaint there was that love was never realized on Fitz's side-- I would have liked to have read his realization and not before he proposes and says so. My other complaint deals with the plot and the threatening letters Eve begins to receive-- it is very anti climatic because nothing really comes of it and it is too easily handled and swept under the rug.
planetarypan's review
4.0
I really liked the relationships in this novel, especially the way the two main characters developed. I think the two younger Bascombe sisters are still a teensy bit flat but getting better. (Frankly, I'm glad Rose and Lily have already been married off. They weren't very interesting as written.) The main flaw in this story was the entire mystery -- the whole thing felt contrived just to add tension when the rest of the story was more than enough (seriously, without spoilers, SO MUCH happened in this book). Still, since the mystery was a very small subplot, I never felt like it took away from the overall tale.
juliaem's review
2.0
Okay, my spate of 2-star romance novel reviews tells me I actually need to step away from the genre! Or buy some as opposed to relying on the lending libraries, hah. I inexplicably read this despite already having started "A Memory Called Empire," which is fantastic at just 65 pages in, so I need to do some good hard reflection on my life and my choices regarding fiction. In all seriousness, I do think my leaning toward romance, even when mediocre, reflects the amount of trauma-focused therapy I'm doing at work right now, but I can still be more intentional about my escapism!
Anyway, this was fine. Fine, fine, fine. There were a few funny choices, like how the protagonist is a widow, and therefore has more freedom than a never-married woman would, but also conveniently had a first husband with erectile dysfunction, so still has "virginal" vibes.... But there's some interesting inner monologuing about the choices available to her, and some nice connections between her and the young American women (i.e., heathens) for whom she is chaperoning. The hero is charming but vapid, and his growth arc from superficial party boy to serious adult is just that he doesn't let his brother's estate go to rack and ruin in his absence. I wasn't captivated, but I didn't dislike it, either. And now I'm going back to what Ann Leckie calls "an absolutely brilliant space opera," which I suspect is 100% true.
Anyway, this was fine. Fine, fine, fine. There were a few funny choices, like how the protagonist is a widow, and therefore has more freedom than a never-married woman would, but also conveniently had a first husband with erectile dysfunction, so still has "virginal" vibes.... But there's some interesting inner monologuing about the choices available to her, and some nice connections between her and the young American women (i.e., heathens) for whom she is chaperoning. The hero is charming but vapid, and his growth arc from superficial party boy to serious adult is just that he doesn't let his brother's estate go to rack and ruin in his absence. I wasn't captivated, but I didn't dislike it, either. And now I'm going back to what Ann Leckie calls "an absolutely brilliant space opera," which I suspect is 100% true.
leahkarge's review
2.0
1.5 stars
I am extremely disappointed in this book. I won the first of the series in the Goodreads First Reads and really enjoyed it, giving it four stars. Also, I really look forward to reading the third book about Vivacious Vivian and Responsible Oliver. Taking all that into account, I was looking forward to reading this book, especially since I'd liked the excerpt I had read. Well, the excerpt was from chapter one and it all went downhill from there.
My biggest problem with the book was the heroine, Eve. She couldn't make up her mind about Fitz. She always made assumptions and jumped to conclusions, especially with regards to Fitz. She was high-handed, hypocritical, and thought she knew what was best for everyone. I hated what she participated in doing to Lily and Neville, although I blame Fitz for that mostly. Probably what made me hate her the most, besides the back and forth with Fitz, was that she waited so damn long to tell anyone about the threatening letters she was receiving! Who does that?! If you have someone who can help you--namely a studly guy--take the help! Ugh.
I hate that Eve and the author made me dislike Fitz. I loved him in the first book. But I honestly don't see how he could love Eve. She was horrible! What made me dislike him, though, was his plot to break up Lily and Neville. Really? Maybe you and The Bitch really do deserve each other, Bastard.
I actually enjoyed the secondary love story and the secondary characters. The romance between Lily and Neville was much more interesting than the one between Eve and Fitz. I wish that I could have seen more of it and maybe even gotten some of Lily's or Neville's point of view. Alas, it was not to be. I am just happy they were able to be together in the end. Vivian and Camellia are also characters I enjoy and I look forward to their romances in the next book. I, of course, love Oliver and only wish there could have been more of him in this book. Hell, I even enjoyed the Frenchman and Priscilla more than Fitz and Eve!
To say the least, this book was a bad experience for me. I have faith that the next book will be good as it is about Vivian and Oliver, so I hope that faith is not in vain.
I am extremely disappointed in this book. I won the first of the series in the Goodreads First Reads and really enjoyed it, giving it four stars. Also, I really look forward to reading the third book about Vivacious Vivian and Responsible Oliver. Taking all that into account, I was looking forward to reading this book, especially since I'd liked the excerpt I had read. Well, the excerpt was from chapter one and it all went downhill from there.
My biggest problem with the book was the heroine, Eve. She couldn't make up her mind about Fitz. She always made assumptions and jumped to conclusions, especially with regards to Fitz. She was high-handed, hypocritical, and thought she knew what was best for everyone. I hated what she participated in doing to Lily and Neville, although I blame Fitz for that mostly. Probably what made me hate her the most, besides the back and forth with Fitz, was that she waited so damn long to tell anyone about the threatening letters she was receiving! Who does that?! If you have someone who can help you--namely a studly guy--take the help! Ugh.
I hate that Eve and the author made me dislike Fitz. I loved him in the first book. But I honestly don't see how he could love Eve. She was horrible! What made me dislike him, though, was his plot to break up Lily and Neville. Really? Maybe you and The Bitch really do deserve each other, Bastard.
I actually enjoyed the secondary love story and the secondary characters. The romance between Lily and Neville was much more interesting than the one between Eve and Fitz. I wish that I could have seen more of it and maybe even gotten some of Lily's or Neville's point of view. Alas, it was not to be. I am just happy they were able to be together in the end. Vivian and Camellia are also characters I enjoy and I look forward to their romances in the next book. I, of course, love Oliver and only wish there could have been more of him in this book. Hell, I even enjoyed the Frenchman and Priscilla more than Fitz and Eve!
To say the least, this book was a bad experience for me. I have faith that the next book will be good as it is about Vivian and Oliver, so I hope that faith is not in vain.
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