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3.98 AVERAGE
3.98 AVERAGE
A bit longer than it had to be, maybe a bit less exciting than the first book. Mostly still enjoyable, but was disappointed by the story of the Forsythia Club, and the sex scenes were… a bit meh at times.
I hope I'm alone on this one, but A Restless Truth didn't live up to my expectations. It pains me to say this because I loved the first book, A Marvellous Light. Seriously, I found book 1 to be original, exciting and I kept thinking about the characters long after I turned the final page. Whereas in A Restless Truth, I was mostly bored and never got invested.
This felt like a lot of never-ending strategy and backstory discussions, sprinkled with hookup scenes. But Maud and Violet are no Robin and Edwin. I'm a Romance reader and I don't mind sex scenes in novels, but in this case I didn't buy into the chemistry. I don't think the plot had enough action and in the end I didn't feel like it moved much of the overarching series conflict forward at all. I even considered DNF.
I'm so disappointed, this was one of my most anticipated reads. But I feel like it was just missing the magic.
This felt like a lot of never-ending strategy and backstory discussions, sprinkled with hookup scenes. But Maud and Violet are no Robin and Edwin. I'm a Romance reader and I don't mind sex scenes in novels, but in this case I didn't buy into the chemistry. I don't think the plot had enough action and in the end I didn't feel like it moved much of the overarching series conflict forward at all. I even considered DNF.
I'm so disappointed, this was one of my most anticipated reads. But I feel like it was just missing the magic.
I received an ARC from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
I loved A Marvellous Light very much so was extremely excited to get stuck into this, and it did not disappoint! Maud Blyth is a wonderful, layered protagonist. I am endlessly infatuated with characters who deliberately choose to be good and kind, and Maud is one of the best I've come across - especially as a nineteen year old ingenue who is trying VERY hard all the time. Violet is equally delightful and I love her chaotic neutral approach to life.
The mystery unfolded in a natural way and by the last few pages my heart was genuinely pounding trying to figure out whether it would all be okay in the end. The side characters enriched the world and I am particularly enamoured by Ross, the possibly-supernatural journalist with a sideline in pornography.
Highly recommended, especially if you like period romance, boats, and sapphic romance.
I loved A Marvellous Light very much so was extremely excited to get stuck into this, and it did not disappoint! Maud Blyth is a wonderful, layered protagonist. I am endlessly infatuated with characters who deliberately choose to be good and kind, and Maud is one of the best I've come across - especially as a nineteen year old ingenue who is trying VERY hard all the time. Violet is equally delightful and I love her chaotic neutral approach to life.
The mystery unfolded in a natural way and by the last few pages my heart was genuinely pounding trying to figure out whether it would all be okay in the end. The side characters enriched the world and I am particularly enamoured by Ross, the possibly-supernatural journalist with a sideline in pornography.
Highly recommended, especially if you like period romance, boats, and sapphic romance.
I really enjoyed surprises till the last drop! So often the last quarter of a book is full of resolution, the denouement. This was super fun all the way through! Looking forward to the next book in the series!
Enjoyable like the last one, though I do wish sequels-but-now-with-lesbians had fewer "very young barely out of her teens" women and more women who're at least 25, maybe even older. Still, the NSFW scenes maintain their 7/10 rating.
Surprising read - magic and ocean liners and romance. Part of 2024 Hugo nominees.
What a fun listen! The characters are amusing and the story was fascinating.
I didn’t enjoy this as much as book 1. I didn’t really care for Violet. And the romance wasn’t as intense or central. It had a HFN ending and no L words were used. It would have felt too soon.
I was also disappointed that the entire book, aside from the epilogue, took place on the ship. And there was only one very small appearance by Robin and Edwin in the epilogue. And they didn’t even get to meet Violet.
I spent most of the time wanting to see more of Hawthorne. We met Hawthorne in book 1. He was Edwin’s ex. But he seemed like a jerk. We got to know him much more in this one and I am already so intrigued. Book 3 will be Hawthorne’s book and I can’t wait!
I was also disappointed that the entire book, aside from the epilogue, took place on the ship. And there was only one very small appearance by Robin and Edwin in the epilogue. And they didn’t even get to meet Violet.
I spent most of the time wanting to see more of Hawthorne. We met Hawthorne in book 1. He was Edwin’s ex. But he seemed like a jerk. We got to know him much more in this one and I am already so intrigued. Book 3 will be Hawthorne’s book and I can’t wait!
A really fun whodunnit to continue the series. I liked the continuity with the first in the series with Maud taking the lead and the introduction of Violet as the last piece of the puzzle. The villains were well done and interesting and I liked getting to know Lord Hawthorne more.