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A review by marie_thereadingotter
Vow of Deception by C.J. Archer
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
My feelings for this book are slightly conflicted. On one hand, the plot was less meandering. But on the other that makes the previous couple of books feel pointless and messy in hindsight.
There was a lot going on in this book as well, and not all of it was as connected as it could have been.
There was a desperate attempt to tie in what was going on with Alice with the shifter stuff, and it was messy. I was also deeply disappointed in not getting to actually see the wedding ceremony. Something that's been hyped up for the past 4-5 books. And I wanted to see something of it. "over in a flash", the book was over loaded with Alice, a character that has been given nothing since we met her and has no personality as a character. Why Seth is interested in her is beyond me.
All that aside, this book was more or less Charlie running around and yelling at people. While I generally like her spunk, she didn't use her head and think things through as much as she has in previous books. All the characters in his book felt very disconnected from each other, as they were all out doing their own thing.
I think what could have worked better is if the Shifter stuff had been solved in the previous book, and this book had more focus on what was going on with Alice, since the next book is going to be her and Seth's book. We need more time with her as a character before her solo book, as we don't really know anything about her. It would also help make this book less cluttered with extra stuff.
Because on top of the resolution of the shifter stuff, and some of what is going on with Alice, there's also the Royal family drama, and drama with Lady Harcourt. While I don't hate where her character went the way some people seem to, it makes sense that she "became" a vindictive and possessive of Lincoln. It was obvious from the first book that she was like that. She wanted to keep Charlie away from him once it was discovered she was a woman, and then tried to set him up with a bride who she knew he'd be unhappy with in hopes that he'd turn to her bed. But the way it was resolved was underwhelming. It could have been done better, and actually some justice for the things she did do.
Aside from the wedding itself, we've also been teased for the past several books for Charlie and Lincoln's wedding night, and it was a fade to black for the end. I don't know if me being upset is because I read smut from time to time, but we could have been given way more than we were for how much teasing the author has done for the past... whole series. Especially since the last book, as far as I know, doesn't have much of either Lincoln or Charlie.
There was a lot going on in this book as well, and not all of it was as connected as it could have been.
There was a desperate attempt to tie in what was going on with Alice with the shifter stuff, and it was messy. I was also deeply disappointed in not getting to actually see the wedding ceremony. Something that's been hyped up for the past 4-5 books. And I wanted to see something of it. "over in a flash", the book was over loaded with Alice, a character that has been given nothing since we met her and has no personality as a character. Why Seth is interested in her is beyond me.
All that aside, this book was more or less Charlie running around and yelling at people. While I generally like her spunk, she didn't use her head and think things through as much as she has in previous books. All the characters in his book felt very disconnected from each other, as they were all out doing their own thing.
I think what could have worked better is if the Shifter stuff had been solved in the previous book, and this book had more focus on what was going on with Alice, since the next book is going to be her and Seth's book. We need more time with her as a character before her solo book, as we don't really know anything about her. It would also help make this book less cluttered with extra stuff.
Because on top of the resolution of the shifter stuff, and some of what is going on with Alice, there's also the Royal family drama, and drama with Lady Harcourt. While I don't hate where her character went the way some people seem to, it makes sense that she "became" a vindictive and possessive of Lincoln. It was obvious from the first book that she was like that. She wanted to keep Charlie away from him once it was discovered she was a woman, and then tried to set him up with a bride who she knew he'd be unhappy with in hopes that he'd turn to her bed. But the way it was resolved was underwhelming. It could have been done better, and actually some justice for the things she did do.
Aside from the wedding itself, we've also been teased for the past several books for Charlie and Lincoln's wedding night, and it was a fade to black for the end. I don't know if me being upset is because I read smut from time to time, but we could have been given way more than we were for how much teasing the author has done for the past... whole series. Especially since the last book, as far as I know, doesn't have much of either Lincoln or Charlie.