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bookishmya's review
4.0
I was quickly and enthusiastically drawn into this story. The match between bookish Caro and scarred Maxim is perfection. They both come to each other with a great many scars, some physical, most emotional. They are able to help each other heal, and view themselves as better people. The journey to that happy place though is full of anguish and self-doubt. The self-doubt in the Marquess pushes him to abandon his new wife. It is quite surprising how quickly she is able to move past that abandonment, but it is also beautiful. He is truly heart scarred and has not had anyone to show him his worth, seeing her take to tha made for a delightful story. The mystery hidden within the story provides the right amount of intrigue to make this a great mystery romance.
fringebookreviews's review against another edition
2.0
Sorry but I disliked the voice the narrator used for Maxim and I was just never emotionally attached their relationship. The secondary romance took more room than the main one??? The heroine’s relationship with her family was also just more annoying than anything, but I never like dynamics like that so it’s not a surprise. I had high hopes for this one because the teaser at the end of book three was fun, but it was just kinda boring.
This series is two for two for me. The sex was a little disappointing. Overall, I would read more from Susanna Craig, but I don’t think I’d go out of my way.
This series is two for two for me. The sex was a little disappointing. Overall, I would read more from Susanna Craig, but I don’t think I’d go out of my way.
rainelle_barrett's review
4.0
As exciting that I knew that this book would be, the writer did a great job at offering my some gleaming excitement. The book was a great page turner for me. I was intrigued by the story plot and the characters. I thought the description of the characters was clear and explained their part to the plot clearly. I also thought that the plot was very entertaining. My imagination was held from the beginning of the story to the end.
glo68's review
5.0
I started this book much as an afterthought, because I had the previous one of the series to read and this one was due to be released in a couple of days and I felt quite guilty because I was behind with my ARC reading… But once I started I couldn’t seem to put it down!!! Oh, my, it had all the things I love in a historical romance book, a spy story, a forced marriage and a dark, scarred and thoroughly fascinating hero made cruel by his suffering, but transformed by love. I adored Susanna Craig’s writing, her understanding of human nature, the story she created around the spymaster and his “pupils”, the steamy bits full of passion and love, just EVERYTHING. She’s now firmly on my ever-growing list of gorgeous authors that I simply can’t miss reading!
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
sylviep's review
hopeful
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
4.0
msbedelia's review
4.0
I think this was my favorite of the series for the first 3/4 of it? Probably digging the really vague beauty and the beast vibes (but with all the benefits of both partners being human), tbh. The ending was fine, but for some reason I didn't absolutely love it, and that's okay. (The epilogue bidding farewell to the series felt like a bit much to me but I get why Susanna Craig did it.) All in all, this series was a lot of fun! Books 3 and 4 were especially good.
nicolesa's review
emotional
hopeful
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
a_ab's review
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
I have mixed feelings about this book: it was both better and worse than I had expected.
I wanted to try this new to me author, and this was the only book of hers available at my library, so I decided to disregard the series order. Thus, I might be missing some context, but this story stood well enough on its own, so I didn't feel like I was missing much.
I was surprised to like the relationships described here more than I expected I would. However, both the relationships and the book as a whole felt very dated to the historical romance interpretations of the 1990's. I would find it hard to point out exactly why, but I couldn't shake that feeling. The ever-forgiving all-understanding nature of the heroine(s)? The overwrought emotional situations? The basic almost simplistic characterizations and situations? The narrative use and descriptions of sex? Probably all of the above.
Speaking of sex: I still found there to be too much of it, but at least it served the story here (and not the other way around), which was a welcome surprise.
I also appreciated the whole spy aspect to be both low key and low stakes - without the ubiquitous and much-dreaded peril for the heroine followed by the heroic rescue by the hero. Given how 90's the whole book was, I thought this peril-rescue nonsense to be an inevitability, but the story very pleasantly surprised me in that respect.
So it's a net positive result - so much so that I might find this book rereadable and would want to try more from this author.
P.S. The title did this book a huge disservice - it's so generic bland and off-putting that it made me initially dismiss this author completely. I only picked this up based on the recommendation to try this author, and still had a hard time suppressing my aversion to the title in order to finally give this a try.
I wanted to try this new to me author, and this was the only book of hers available at my library, so I decided to disregard the series order. Thus, I might be missing some context, but this story stood well enough on its own, so I didn't feel like I was missing much.
I was surprised to like the relationships described here more than I expected I would. However, both the relationships and the book as a whole felt very dated to the historical romance interpretations of the 1990's. I would find it hard to point out exactly why, but I couldn't shake that feeling. The ever-forgiving all-understanding nature of the heroine(s)? The overwrought emotional situations? The basic almost simplistic characterizations and situations? The narrative use and descriptions of sex? Probably all of the above.
Speaking of sex: I still found there to be too much of it, but at least it served the story here (and not the other way around), which was a welcome surprise.
I also appreciated the whole spy aspect to be both low key and low stakes - without the ubiquitous and much-dreaded peril for the heroine followed by the heroic rescue by the hero. Given how 90's the whole book was, I thought this peril-rescue nonsense to be an inevitability, but the story very pleasantly surprised me in that respect.
So it's a net positive result - so much so that I might find this book rereadable and would want to try more from this author.
P.S. The title did this book a huge disservice - it's so generic bland and off-putting that it made me initially dismiss this author completely. I only picked this up based on the recommendation to try this author, and still had a hard time suppressing my aversion to the title in order to finally give this a try.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content, Blood, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Child abuse, Emotional abuse, and Murder
hotlizard's review
adventurous
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
General Zebadiah Scott, that old rascal, strikes again. I actually really liked this one. The slow burn was sort accelerated x10 but otherwise great plot, not bad spice. But now that General Scott's matchmaking schemes have come to an end - since the series ended - I'm a little sad AND I think I can speak for everyone that's read the series, when I say that we need a book on the start of romance between him and his wife Helen. He can't be this good at matchmaking and not have had an obnoxiously adorable and sweet story himself. GIVE ME ZEBADIAH.
00laura23's review
4.0
3.5
I found Caro and Maxim interesting and fun characters. They are very relatable and had me cheering for them. Maxim is a scarred character both inside and outside; those scares are reflected in his character/personality. Caro is strong, smart, bookish and scared in her own ways. I enjoyed their exchanges and times together. Some of the secondary characters added dimensions to the story – both the romance and the mystery.
I wanted more from the mystery then what we were given. It was an interesting story, but in comparison to others in the series not as interesting for me. There were a couple of situations and characters that I didn’t understand what purpose in the story they played (the story could have done without them).
This is a good series and I highly recommend it. Craig ended this story and the series in the best possible way – the epilogue takes place in 1815 – years after each of the other books. It brings all the characters back and shows where they are in their HEA. Very good ending in my books.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
I found Caro and Maxim interesting and fun characters. They are very relatable and had me cheering for them. Maxim is a scarred character both inside and outside; those scares are reflected in his character/personality. Caro is strong, smart, bookish and scared in her own ways. I enjoyed their exchanges and times together. Some of the secondary characters added dimensions to the story – both the romance and the mystery.
I wanted more from the mystery then what we were given. It was an interesting story, but in comparison to others in the series not as interesting for me. There were a couple of situations and characters that I didn’t understand what purpose in the story they played (the story could have done without them).
This is a good series and I highly recommend it. Craig ended this story and the series in the best possible way – the epilogue takes place in 1815 – years after each of the other books. It brings all the characters back and shows where they are in their HEA. Very good ending in my books.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.