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3.83 AVERAGE
3.83 AVERAGE
a_romance_reader's review against another edition
4.0
Jane Burke is a conchologist who is determined to go on a Royal Society expedition at the cost of her reputation and personal comfort. The first lieutenant on board, Charles Dance, endears himself to her by not sending her away in spite of the crew's superstitions about women aboard ship. Through perils great and small, Dance and Jane fall in love.
As with previous books in this serious, I instantly fell in love with the protagonists. They are always so vividly drawn, as are secondary characters. I love the flow of Ms. Essex' writing and the vivid marine metaphors and descriptions. Her language always makes me feel like I am onboard ship with the characters and is so vivid and beautiful. I always read her books as soon as possible when they come out and can't wait for the next one!
As with previous books in this serious, I instantly fell in love with the protagonists. They are always so vividly drawn, as are secondary characters. I love the flow of Ms. Essex' writing and the vivid marine metaphors and descriptions. Her language always makes me feel like I am onboard ship with the characters and is so vivid and beautiful. I always read her books as soon as possible when they come out and can't wait for the next one!
transientmeow's review against another edition
5.0
Another excellent entry in this series! I felt like this was closer in tone and setting to the first book, Almost a Scandal, since we spend 95% of the story onboard a ship and the heroine is once again facing a hostile environment. I really love learning about how a ship of this time period functions, how people navigated, and it's always nice to have a historical set outside the ballroom! I think this is the first one I've read that takes us to South America and the islands of the Pacific.
I'm always a sucker for a scientific heroine and it was a treat to see Jane get excited over barnacles and all kinds of crustacean creatures. (and yes Jane, they are now properly classified as crustaceans and not mollusks!). After being brave enough to break out of her father's shadow and needing to claim credit for her work, it was good to see that Jane was also organized enough to have thought of nearly everything, and nice to see her pride an humor in "arranging things just so." And it was even better that she didn't wilt under pressure and continued rescuing herself and arranging things right until the very end of the book.
It's always good when a scientific heroine has a hero on her side, but Lt. Charles Dance certainly didn't start out as a big fan of Jane Burke! She was an upset to the order of the ship and just one more thing that would fall under his responsibility. His "easy posting" has turned out to be nothing of the sort, with a drunken captain, a disloyal crew on the verge of mutiny, and a ship that's barely staying afloat in the harbor, much less in the rough southern seas. Dance sees this all as his duty and a matter of personal honor. He takes everything on to his shoulders, something that only Jane is able to truly see. Luckily he's not a total idiot and does unbend enough to accept her help, though he is totally out of his element on land and struggles to reclaim his purpose.
The ending did seem a little rushed, and not quite what I was expecting, though really I was hoping for it to never end!
I'm always a sucker for a scientific heroine and it was a treat to see Jane get excited over barnacles and all kinds of crustacean creatures. (and yes Jane, they are now properly classified as crustaceans and not mollusks!). After being brave enough to break out of her father's shadow and needing to claim credit for her work, it was good to see that Jane was also organized enough to have thought of nearly everything, and nice to see her pride an humor in "arranging things just so." And it was even better that she didn't wilt under pressure and continued rescuing herself and arranging things right until the very end of the book.
It's always good when a scientific heroine has a hero on her side, but Lt. Charles Dance certainly didn't start out as a big fan of Jane Burke! She was an upset to the order of the ship and just one more thing that would fall under his responsibility. His "easy posting" has turned out to be nothing of the sort, with a drunken captain, a disloyal crew on the verge of mutiny, and a ship that's barely staying afloat in the harbor, much less in the rough southern seas. Dance sees this all as his duty and a matter of personal honor. He takes everything on to his shoulders, something that only Jane is able to truly see. Luckily he's not a total idiot and does unbend enough to accept her help, though he is totally out of his element on land and struggles to reclaim his purpose.
The ending did seem a little rushed, and not quite what I was expecting, though really I was hoping for it to never end!
mariah3's review against another edition
adventurous
hopeful
lighthearted
mysterious
tense
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? No
4.0
janellsutherland's review against another edition
5.0
It might be too soon for me to declare this, but I think I love shipboard romances. I know I love a woman stealing away on a ship disguised as a boy, and I recently read a fun book with a woman pirate captain, and now this one with a female scientist — a conchologist — going on a research expedition. All good!
Jane’s father is a famous conchologist (studier of shells, mollusks, barnacles, and the like), but what the world doesn’t know is that Jane does all the work for him. She draws and colors the illustrations, writes the studies, obtains research equipment, and corresponds with scientific peers. Her father is too proud to give her recognition, and too ashamed to let her go on an extended expedition with him because she’ll demonstrate her superior skills. Jane is fed up with his nonsense. She hops in her little sailboat, which she has packed just so with all of her supplies, and sails away to meet the naval ship that has been tasked with transportation.
Lieutenant Charles Dance has just accepted what he believes is a simple post. Since the end of the war, so many naval officers have sat around useless, so he is grateful for any job. But the Tenacious is not what he had in mind. The captain is a drunk who refuses to come out of his cabin, the ship is in such a state of disrepair that it would be suicide to sail, and the men onboard are lazy and belligerent. After much work on his part, the ship is finally ready to sail. And then a wide-eyed, buttoned-up spinster sails up and claims to be a member of the expedition.
You guys, Jane is awesome. No one wants her onboard, but with no objection from Lieutenant Dance, and a vague acceptance from one other member of the research team, she manages it anyway. Then she uses her scientific eye to study the ship, the barnacles on her hull, and the handsome, stern Lieutenant. “He was strange — handsome and off-putting all at the same time, like a spiny combed murex. Beautiful and dangerous and very, very interesting. And she wanted to catalogue his secrets.” Jane is forever observing and trying to arrange things and people to suit her better.
Dance is equally awesome. He has to run the ship without looking mutinous towards the absent captain, and it’s not easy with all the grumbling men. He maintains strict outward professionalism, which contrasts mightily with his interior thoughts full of cursing and anger. His dedication to his job, his downright refusal to crack under pressure, is astonishing. Jane is the only person to realize how hard he works and worry about his well-being, but he can’t do anything about it because he has a bloody ship to run! Here’s what he thinks of her at one point: “She would… deny him the pleasure of thinking ill of her, the efficient, unfairly intelligent little bluestocking. Damn her for being so accommodating.”
Their dialogue is, yes, awesome. They begin with a battle of wills over who can shock the other more. Then, Jane continues to approach Dance because he’s her closest thing to an ally. She tells him, “If you are not careful I might discover that there is an actual charming gentleman hiding beneath your impressive naval scowl.”
Later, when he reminds her of something she once said, Jane says, “It is ungentlemanly of you to remember that.” “It is not,” Dance responds. “It is charming.” Theirs is a buttoned-up attraction, until it ignites. They only kiss at first, but it’s tangled with different emotions and it was so rewarding to see them lean on each other for comfort.
I should mention the plot. It’s exciting! There are deserters, bad guys, storms, troubles, and more troubles. I couldn’t put it down. I had my eye on the percentage mark, willing it to stop changing because I wanted the last third to go on and on. The part where Jane is in her element and totally competent is a nice contrast to the shipboard scenes where Dance is in total control, and it gives him a chance to be torn between his affection for Jane and his need to take charge. I wanted to see more of them as a couple, but the action kept interfering.
This book is the fifth in a series but a perfect standalone. It takes place onboard a ship, or at a distant port of call, so there are no run-ins with previous characters, although a few are mentioned in passing. That being said, I think the other books are also shipboard romances, and one of them is a woman disguised as a man, so you can bet I’ll be digging into that one.
Rating: A-
This review originally posted on Red Hot Books at: http://redhotbooks.com/2014/08/review-a-scandal-to-remember-by-elizabeth-essex.html
Jane’s father is a famous conchologist (studier of shells, mollusks, barnacles, and the like), but what the world doesn’t know is that Jane does all the work for him. She draws and colors the illustrations, writes the studies, obtains research equipment, and corresponds with scientific peers. Her father is too proud to give her recognition, and too ashamed to let her go on an extended expedition with him because she’ll demonstrate her superior skills. Jane is fed up with his nonsense. She hops in her little sailboat, which she has packed just so with all of her supplies, and sails away to meet the naval ship that has been tasked with transportation.
Lieutenant Charles Dance has just accepted what he believes is a simple post. Since the end of the war, so many naval officers have sat around useless, so he is grateful for any job. But the Tenacious is not what he had in mind. The captain is a drunk who refuses to come out of his cabin, the ship is in such a state of disrepair that it would be suicide to sail, and the men onboard are lazy and belligerent. After much work on his part, the ship is finally ready to sail. And then a wide-eyed, buttoned-up spinster sails up and claims to be a member of the expedition.
You guys, Jane is awesome. No one wants her onboard, but with no objection from Lieutenant Dance, and a vague acceptance from one other member of the research team, she manages it anyway. Then she uses her scientific eye to study the ship, the barnacles on her hull, and the handsome, stern Lieutenant. “He was strange — handsome and off-putting all at the same time, like a spiny combed murex. Beautiful and dangerous and very, very interesting. And she wanted to catalogue his secrets.” Jane is forever observing and trying to arrange things and people to suit her better.
Dance is equally awesome. He has to run the ship without looking mutinous towards the absent captain, and it’s not easy with all the grumbling men. He maintains strict outward professionalism, which contrasts mightily with his interior thoughts full of cursing and anger. His dedication to his job, his downright refusal to crack under pressure, is astonishing. Jane is the only person to realize how hard he works and worry about his well-being, but he can’t do anything about it because he has a bloody ship to run! Here’s what he thinks of her at one point: “She would… deny him the pleasure of thinking ill of her, the efficient, unfairly intelligent little bluestocking. Damn her for being so accommodating.”
Their dialogue is, yes, awesome. They begin with a battle of wills over who can shock the other more. Then, Jane continues to approach Dance because he’s her closest thing to an ally. She tells him, “If you are not careful I might discover that there is an actual charming gentleman hiding beneath your impressive naval scowl.”
Later, when he reminds her of something she once said, Jane says, “It is ungentlemanly of you to remember that.” “It is not,” Dance responds. “It is charming.” Theirs is a buttoned-up attraction, until it ignites. They only kiss at first, but it’s tangled with different emotions and it was so rewarding to see them lean on each other for comfort.
I should mention the plot. It’s exciting! There are deserters, bad guys, storms, troubles, and more troubles. I couldn’t put it down. I had my eye on the percentage mark, willing it to stop changing because I wanted the last third to go on and on. The part where Jane is in her element and totally competent is a nice contrast to the shipboard scenes where Dance is in total control, and it gives him a chance to be torn between his affection for Jane and his need to take charge. I wanted to see more of them as a couple, but the action kept interfering.
This book is the fifth in a series but a perfect standalone. It takes place onboard a ship, or at a distant port of call, so there are no run-ins with previous characters, although a few are mentioned in passing. That being said, I think the other books are also shipboard romances, and one of them is a woman disguised as a man, so you can bet I’ll be digging into that one.
Rating: A-
This review originally posted on Red Hot Books at: http://redhotbooks.com/2014/08/review-a-scandal-to-remember-by-elizabeth-essex.html
janellsutherland's review
5.0
It might be too soon for me to declare this, but I think I love shipboard romances. I know I love a woman stealing away on a ship disguised as a boy, and I recently read a fun book with a woman pirate captain, and now this one with a female scientist — a conchologist — going on a research expedition. All good!
Jane’s father is a famous conchologist (studier of shells, mollusks, barnacles, and the like), but what the world doesn’t know is that Jane does all the work for him. She draws and colors the illustrations, writes the studies, obtains research equipment, and corresponds with scientific peers. Her father is too proud to give her recognition, and too ashamed to let her go on an extended expedition with him because she’ll demonstrate her superior skills. Jane is fed up with his nonsense. She hops in her little sailboat, which she has packed just so with all of her supplies, and sails away to meet the naval ship that has been tasked with transportation.
Lieutenant Charles Dance has just accepted what he believes is a simple post. Since the end of the war, so many naval officers have sat around useless, so he is grateful for any job. But the Tenacious is not what he had in mind. The captain is a drunk who refuses to come out of his cabin, the ship is in such a state of disrepair that it would be suicide to sail, and the men onboard are lazy and belligerent. After much work on his part, the ship is finally ready to sail. And then a wide-eyed, buttoned-up spinster sails up and claims to be a member of the expedition.
You guys, Jane is awesome. No one wants her onboard, but with no objection from Lieutenant Dance, and a vague acceptance from one other member of the research team, she manages it anyway. Then she uses her scientific eye to study the ship, the barnacles on her hull, and the handsome, stern Lieutenant. “He was strange — handsome and off-putting all at the same time, like a spiny combed murex. Beautiful and dangerous and very, very interesting. And she wanted to catalogue his secrets.” Jane is forever observing and trying to arrange things and people to suit her better.
Dance is equally awesome. He has to run the ship without looking mutinous towards the absent captain, and it’s not easy with all the grumbling men. He maintains strict outward professionalism, which contrasts mightily with his interior thoughts full of cursing and anger. His dedication to his job, his downright refusal to crack under pressure, is astonishing. Jane is the only person to realize how hard he works and worry about his well-being, but he can’t do anything about it because he has a bloody ship to run! Here’s what he thinks of her at one point: “She would… deny him the pleasure of thinking ill of her, the efficient, unfairly intelligent little bluestocking. Damn her for being so accommodating.”
Their dialogue is, yes, awesome. They begin with a battle of wills over who can shock the other more. Then, Jane continues to approach Dance because he’s her closest thing to an ally. She tells him, “If you are not careful I might discover that there is an actual charming gentleman hiding beneath your impressive naval scowl.”
Later, when he reminds her of something she once said, Jane says, “It is ungentlemanly of you to remember that.” “It is not,” Dance responds. “It is charming.” Theirs is a buttoned-up attraction, until it ignites. They only kiss at first, but it’s tangled with different emotions and it was so rewarding to see them lean on each other for comfort.
I should mention the plot. It’s exciting! There are deserters, bad guys, storms, troubles, and more troubles. I couldn’t put it down. I had my eye on the percentage mark, willing it to stop changing because I wanted the last third to go on and on. The part where Jane is in her element and totally competent is a nice contrast to the shipboard scenes where Dance is in total control, and it gives him a chance to be torn between his affection for Jane and his need to take charge. I wanted to see more of them as a couple, but the action kept interfering.
This book is the fifth in a series but a perfect standalone. It takes place onboard a ship, or at a distant port of call, so there are no run-ins with previous characters, although a few are mentioned in passing. That being said, I think the other books are also shipboard romances, and one of them is a woman disguised as a man, so you can bet I’ll be digging into that one.
Rating: A-
This review originally posted on Red Hot Books at: http://redhotbooks.com/2014/08/review-a-scandal-to-remember-by-elizabeth-essex.html
Jane’s father is a famous conchologist (studier of shells, mollusks, barnacles, and the like), but what the world doesn’t know is that Jane does all the work for him. She draws and colors the illustrations, writes the studies, obtains research equipment, and corresponds with scientific peers. Her father is too proud to give her recognition, and too ashamed to let her go on an extended expedition with him because she’ll demonstrate her superior skills. Jane is fed up with his nonsense. She hops in her little sailboat, which she has packed just so with all of her supplies, and sails away to meet the naval ship that has been tasked with transportation.
Lieutenant Charles Dance has just accepted what he believes is a simple post. Since the end of the war, so many naval officers have sat around useless, so he is grateful for any job. But the Tenacious is not what he had in mind. The captain is a drunk who refuses to come out of his cabin, the ship is in such a state of disrepair that it would be suicide to sail, and the men onboard are lazy and belligerent. After much work on his part, the ship is finally ready to sail. And then a wide-eyed, buttoned-up spinster sails up and claims to be a member of the expedition.
You guys, Jane is awesome. No one wants her onboard, but with no objection from Lieutenant Dance, and a vague acceptance from one other member of the research team, she manages it anyway. Then she uses her scientific eye to study the ship, the barnacles on her hull, and the handsome, stern Lieutenant. “He was strange — handsome and off-putting all at the same time, like a spiny combed murex. Beautiful and dangerous and very, very interesting. And she wanted to catalogue his secrets.” Jane is forever observing and trying to arrange things and people to suit her better.
Dance is equally awesome. He has to run the ship without looking mutinous towards the absent captain, and it’s not easy with all the grumbling men. He maintains strict outward professionalism, which contrasts mightily with his interior thoughts full of cursing and anger. His dedication to his job, his downright refusal to crack under pressure, is astonishing. Jane is the only person to realize how hard he works and worry about his well-being, but he can’t do anything about it because he has a bloody ship to run! Here’s what he thinks of her at one point: “She would… deny him the pleasure of thinking ill of her, the efficient, unfairly intelligent little bluestocking. Damn her for being so accommodating.”
Their dialogue is, yes, awesome. They begin with a battle of wills over who can shock the other more. Then, Jane continues to approach Dance because he’s her closest thing to an ally. She tells him, “If you are not careful I might discover that there is an actual charming gentleman hiding beneath your impressive naval scowl.”
Later, when he reminds her of something she once said, Jane says, “It is ungentlemanly of you to remember that.” “It is not,” Dance responds. “It is charming.” Theirs is a buttoned-up attraction, until it ignites. They only kiss at first, but it’s tangled with different emotions and it was so rewarding to see them lean on each other for comfort.
I should mention the plot. It’s exciting! There are deserters, bad guys, storms, troubles, and more troubles. I couldn’t put it down. I had my eye on the percentage mark, willing it to stop changing because I wanted the last third to go on and on. The part where Jane is in her element and totally competent is a nice contrast to the shipboard scenes where Dance is in total control, and it gives him a chance to be torn between his affection for Jane and his need to take charge. I wanted to see more of them as a couple, but the action kept interfering.
This book is the fifth in a series but a perfect standalone. It takes place onboard a ship, or at a distant port of call, so there are no run-ins with previous characters, although a few are mentioned in passing. That being said, I think the other books are also shipboard romances, and one of them is a woman disguised as a man, so you can bet I’ll be digging into that one.
Rating: A-
This review originally posted on Red Hot Books at: http://redhotbooks.com/2014/08/review-a-scandal-to-remember-by-elizabeth-essex.html
keeneam's review against another edition
4.0
I won this in the Good Reads Giveaway. This was a great story with a lot of adventure. I really enjoyed the heroine of this story, very string and intelligent. I enjoyed the hero as well. Their love story was very sweet,
whiskeyinthejar's review against another edition
4.0
4.5 stars
Jane has lived a very sheltered and quiet life but she also lives a shocking secret, she is the mind behind J.E. Burkes the renowned conchologist, not her father. When an opportunity to go on a 2yr expedition comes up and her father declines, she decides to go in his place. Even with her voice and hands shaking Jane is able to convince the other members of the expedition to accept her presence, with the subtle support of Lt. Charles Dance. Dance has been a sailor without a ship since the ending of the war has decreased many opportunities so when he is assigned as First Lieutenant to the Tenacious he is ready to go, the ship and her crew not so much. Battling the forces of a drunken captain, lazy crew, mutinous under dealings from the Bosun, and surprising attraction to a shy bluestocking with a spine of steel, Dance may just be on his most dangerous post yet.
First off, I loved both Jane and Dance separately and together, which doesn't always happen for me in romance books. Jane's first appearance to the reader and Dance is one of a shy, bumbling, petite spinster but with a strong backbone. Jane's determination to be recognized for her talent and thirst to live and experience life will have many women hoping and cheering her on. Dance's calm, strength, leadership, and support for Jane will make you sigh wistfully. The man has a lot on his plate with making sure the ship runs smoothly and yet, he is always there and present with Jane when he needs to be. Their courtship is slower moving with the outer story details moving the story along but when they are together, they are felt. Their back and forth teasing and charmingly realness make Jane and Dance such a heart melting pleasure to read about.
The beginning of the book and for a lot of it, the story focuses more on the dancing around ship politics and Dance having to deal with the disgruntled crew. I'm a big fan of nautical stories, you're going to have to be somewhat of a fan to enjoy this, so I didn't mind but there is a heavy focus on Dance's work and responsibilities for running the ship. I enjoyed how Dance was basically the captain but had to be ever weary of not being accused of mutiny, the mini focuses on crew members titles and their responsibilities, how life is lived on a ship, and how a ship is its own world when out to sea. Each descriptive detail the author provided created a world and scenery that I not only felt but was wholly engrossed in. Dance and Jane definitely have their moments of growing closer but it wasn't until the second half of the story that the focus on their relationship ramped up.
I did feel that the ending wrapped up a little too quickly and the main villain was given a weaker reason for all the problems he caused, he fell flat at the end. Also, the cursing in this book was definitely over the top for what you typically see in a historical, Dance's favorite word seems to be "fuck" and he is not shy about using it, so if that bothers you, beware. Ultimately, this story's strength was the gentle and sweet romance between Dance and Jane. For the responsibility Dance takes on and how he gives Jane due respect, how he is weighed down with responsibility but still lighthearted and for Jane's shyness, awkwardness, but ability to snap her spine straight, I adored this book. Elizabeth Essex has become an author on my radar and I can't wait to read the other books in this series.
Jane has lived a very sheltered and quiet life but she also lives a shocking secret, she is the mind behind J.E. Burkes the renowned conchologist, not her father. When an opportunity to go on a 2yr expedition comes up and her father declines, she decides to go in his place. Even with her voice and hands shaking Jane is able to convince the other members of the expedition to accept her presence, with the subtle support of Lt. Charles Dance. Dance has been a sailor without a ship since the ending of the war has decreased many opportunities so when he is assigned as First Lieutenant to the Tenacious he is ready to go, the ship and her crew not so much. Battling the forces of a drunken captain, lazy crew, mutinous under dealings from the Bosun, and surprising attraction to a shy bluestocking with a spine of steel, Dance may just be on his most dangerous post yet.
First off, I loved both Jane and Dance separately and together, which doesn't always happen for me in romance books. Jane's first appearance to the reader and Dance is one of a shy, bumbling, petite spinster but with a strong backbone. Jane's determination to be recognized for her talent and thirst to live and experience life will have many women hoping and cheering her on. Dance's calm, strength, leadership, and support for Jane will make you sigh wistfully. The man has a lot on his plate with making sure the ship runs smoothly and yet, he is always there and present with Jane when he needs to be. Their courtship is slower moving with the outer story details moving the story along but when they are together, they are felt. Their back and forth teasing and charmingly realness make Jane and Dance such a heart melting pleasure to read about.
The beginning of the book and for a lot of it, the story focuses more on the dancing around ship politics and Dance having to deal with the disgruntled crew. I'm a big fan of nautical stories, you're going to have to be somewhat of a fan to enjoy this, so I didn't mind but there is a heavy focus on Dance's work and responsibilities for running the ship. I enjoyed how Dance was basically the captain but had to be ever weary of not being accused of mutiny, the mini focuses on crew members titles and their responsibilities, how life is lived on a ship, and how a ship is its own world when out to sea. Each descriptive detail the author provided created a world and scenery that I not only felt but was wholly engrossed in. Dance and Jane definitely have their moments of growing closer but it wasn't until the second half of the story that the focus on their relationship ramped up.
I did feel that the ending wrapped up a little too quickly and the main villain was given a weaker reason for all the problems he caused, he fell flat at the end. Also, the cursing in this book was definitely over the top for what you typically see in a historical, Dance's favorite word seems to be "fuck" and he is not shy about using it, so if that bothers you, beware. Ultimately, this story's strength was the gentle and sweet romance between Dance and Jane. For the responsibility Dance takes on and how he gives Jane due respect, how he is weighed down with responsibility but still lighthearted and for Jane's shyness, awkwardness, but ability to snap her spine straight, I adored this book. Elizabeth Essex has become an author on my radar and I can't wait to read the other books in this series.
aquariandancer's review against another edition
4.0
Reckless Brides Book Five.
Charles Dance is posted to the Tenacious to guide the Royal Philosophical Society members to an island in the South Seas. Jane Burke, the mind behind J.E. Burke the conchologist, is ready to sail against all odds. The ship's crew, however, would prefer to stay in the harbor lazing the days away. Dance readies the ship to sail and Jane befriends some of the crew. Once they set sail, it is too late for her to turn back even when the crew renews their objections to her presence.
If you're looking for a naval adventure with romance, hard work and betrayal, this is the book for you!
Charles Dance is posted to the Tenacious to guide the Royal Philosophical Society members to an island in the South Seas. Jane Burke, the mind behind J.E. Burke the conchologist, is ready to sail against all odds. The ship's crew, however, would prefer to stay in the harbor lazing the days away. Dance readies the ship to sail and Jane befriends some of the crew. Once they set sail, it is too late for her to turn back even when the crew renews their objections to her presence.
If you're looking for a naval adventure with romance, hard work and betrayal, this is the book for you!
lumbermouth's review against another edition
4.0
If you're looking for a book about a really steamy shipwreck, it's this one.
cdb393's review against another edition
3.0
I received a free copy of this book through Goodreads first-read giveaways.
The first half of this book moved very slowly. It took me a long time to get through it because I kept putting down the book then reading other books instead of going back to this one. The writing is very detailed which is normally a good thing but in this case the details did not create a wonderful backdrop for a story with interesting characters but took over and put all plot and character development to the backdrop. There was also very little romance in the first half.
The second half of the story, I really enjoyed. I feel like we finally got to see the main characters fully developed and the romance hit its stride. It's paced perfectly with the right amount of action mixed in with the right amount of romance and conflict. I'm glad I stuck with the book but if it hadn't been a first-reads book, I probably wouldn't have.
Overall I'd give the first half of the book two stars and the second four so I went with a three star rating overall.
The first half of this book moved very slowly. It took me a long time to get through it because I kept putting down the book then reading other books instead of going back to this one. The writing is very detailed which is normally a good thing but in this case the details did not create a wonderful backdrop for a story with interesting characters but took over and put all plot and character development to the backdrop. There was also very little romance in the first half.
The second half of the story, I really enjoyed. I feel like we finally got to see the main characters fully developed and the romance hit its stride. It's paced perfectly with the right amount of action mixed in with the right amount of romance and conflict. I'm glad I stuck with the book but if it hadn't been a first-reads book, I probably wouldn't have.
Overall I'd give the first half of the book two stars and the second four so I went with a three star rating overall.