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johnw613's review against another edition
adventurous
informative
lighthearted
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Victoria Thompson is really hitting her stride in this series. Her usual cast of con artist characters takes a delightful Dick Francis turn in this story centered around the horse racing world. A well known jockey, Cal Regan, is injured during a race, it turns out through malicious intervention by another jockey, and it falls to Elizabeth Bates, her husband Gideon, and their extended family to create a most elaborate scheme to restore the injured jockey’s prospects, especially his plans to marry Irene Nolan, the daughter of the stable owner he works for. The revelations are unveiled fast and furious and the deceptions more and more ingenious, including the last at the end of the story that allows Cal to save face and finally propose to Irene. Along the way we learn a lot about horse racing as well as the social confinement of women and the prevalence of pride among men in early twentieth century America. A stellar entry in an increasingly vigorous series.
taliaissmart's review against another edition
lighthearted
fast-paced
2.5
Meh. Book 6 of the series, and it this point there's not much overarching plot, just one-off cons featuring the same cast of characters.
reading_srsly's review
adventurous
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
shadowmaster13's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
ksanders013's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
I loved how Gideon was allowing himself to enjoy participating in the cons more & find his place in Elizabeth’s world. It was also nice to see a bit more of the couple’s relationship to balance out the plot heavy moments, although it could still benefit from more of a balance between plot & character. Although I figured out the plot twist early on, it was still enjoyable to watch it play out.
stephmcd's review
adventurous
emotional
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
octygon's review
adventurous
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75