A review by jessgj
A Botanist's Guide to Flowers and Fatality by Kate Khavari

adventurous dark mysterious medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.5

Thank you to NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for sending me a copy of the audiobook. All opinions and thoughts are my own 
 
So for context, I haven't read the first book. Still, with this being only the second book and the description, I decided to pick it up and go from there. Also, this cover is gorgeous



First off, I want to say that I love the characters. With the initial pairing of the serious Saffron Everly and the flirty Dr. Michael Lee, I immediately thought of similar duos in media and how the woman is portrayed as overserious with no sense of humor while the man's childish nature is excused. Fortunately, that's not the case here. 


While Everleigh is more serious, she is playful and passionate. Everleigh's attitude is very understandable as it's the 1920s and misogyny is very much present at the college's higher-ups. (The fact that her last superior is now in jail isn't really the icebreaker one might hope it is).


Lee, on the other hand, is flirty and has a large heart. You can really feel how much he cares for Everleigh and that he's not as emptyheaded as he appears. I also appreciate how the two come from privileged backgrounds and while Everleigh might have left that world, she still very much benefits from it.


The mystery itself is solid. The ending balanced nicely with shocking but transparent when you think over the evidence again. Even a detail that I thought was kind of dithering and unneeded came back to mind during the big reveal. There's one or two strings still dangling after everything was done but I wouldn't be surprised if a major player from this returns later. I kinda hope so. 


I think my only complaint is regarding the love triangle. I'm not a fan of them and I wasn't really expecting it. That said, Khavari handled it rather well! Very rarely did I feel that it was in the way of the mystery or even annoyed at Everleigh herself. Over the book, she's shown herself to be someone smart and with a good heart but still a little naive. (Not surprising since her grandfather is a viscount and it's a new world after the war.) Still, she's a confident protagonist and is honest with everyone, even asking for space when she's overwhelmed. Even the obligatory "Two men scowl at each other" scene had me cheering as I listened.  


The love triangle isn't resolved but I love how each character has much growing to do and they're all aware of it.  Still not a fan of love triangles but this one was well done. I'm excited to see where they go from here.


 Also, Elizabeth, her roommate, is chaotic and a true homie. I love her.


Overall, I give this 4.5 stars. If you're looking for a mystery with a confident but still learning heroine at the helm and romance elements, this is a good place to start.


TW: Murder, discussion of strangling, blood, drug use, gun violence, PTSD (Character is a WWI vet) 


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