ashlightgrayson's review
adventurous
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? Yes
3.0
I am sad to say that this installment fell short of the first one. There were a lot of ongoing subplots and mysteries that weren't developed as fully as I would have wanted. Besides that, it seemed like all of the concurrent mysteries were meant to overlap and connect at some point, but when they finally do it is very confusing. I actually had to reread the last few sections a second time to make sure I followed. The Holmes and Moriarty's have a long bitter relationship and that is the main point of contention that drives the plot forward. However, by the end it's difficult to tell who needs more therapy because both families are messed up. It felt sloppy and rushed and I would have preferred to spend more time wrapping up the plot, but still enjoyable once I was able to tie all the threads together.
Despite shortcomings in the plot, I appreciated the character development for both Charlotte and Jamie. Charlotte has to grapple with her past trauma and how that affects her ability to enter into a romantic relationship with Jamie. Jamie has to deal with his feelings of inadequacy and jealousy around Holmes that are due to him often selling himself short. He is respectful of her boundaries and abstains from being affectionate with her more than he would want to; however, t is clear that his romantic feelings for Charlotte are strong. I think some people may argue that he idolizes her, but I beg to differ. Jamie and Charlotte argue a lot and he sees her flaws and likes her anyway. I really like their relationship dynamic overall. Other characters observing them see them argue a lot and even comment on it, but in a way it is how they communicate. Their arguments can be very angsty when they are serious, but we get both of their perspectives and it is clear that their inner insecurities are what are causing the miscommunication. I know this will probably annoy some readers, but I would kindly remind them that this is often the cause of conflicts in real life relationships. In addition, they are teenagers who are both still trying to figure things out, so that also helped make me a lot more empathetic towards them. Charlotte in particular is bad at expressing her emotions and it is greatly out of fear of ruining what she has with Jamie. I feel that this made her more human this time around and helped me understand her as a character better.
I'm looking forward to see the continued progression of the relationship between Charlotte and Jamie. Not this author's best work, but I'm hoping it gets better as the series goes on.
Despite shortcomings in the plot, I appreciated the character development for both Charlotte and Jamie. Charlotte has to grapple with her past trauma and how that affects her ability to enter into a romantic relationship with Jamie. Jamie has to deal with his feelings of inadequacy and jealousy around Holmes that are due to him often selling himself short. He is respectful of her boundaries and abstains from being affectionate with her more than he would want to; however, t is clear that his romantic feelings for Charlotte are strong. I think some people may argue that he idolizes her, but I beg to differ. Jamie and Charlotte argue a lot and he sees her flaws and likes her anyway. I really like their relationship dynamic overall. Other characters observing them see them argue a lot and even comment on it, but in a way it is how they communicate. Their arguments can be very angsty when they are serious, but we get both of their perspectives and it is clear that their inner insecurities are what are causing the miscommunication. I know this will probably annoy some readers, but I would kindly remind them that this is often the cause of conflicts in real life relationships. In addition, they are teenagers who are both still trying to figure things out, so that also helped make me a lot more empathetic towards them. Charlotte in particular is bad at expressing her emotions and it is greatly out of fear of ruining what she has with Jamie. I feel that this made her more human this time around and helped me understand her as a character better.
Spoiler
I should mention that despite Charlotte's character growth, the amount of lying she was willing to do to cover up for her family shows that she definitely still has a lot of growth to do. I'm hoping that we get more insight into what has made her so severely loyal to her family in this unhealthy way. It sees like she did not have the most loving childhood and does not truly understand what true love looks like (platonic or not). I am looking forward to that being explored more in the next book.I'm looking forward to see the continued progression of the relationship between Charlotte and Jamie. Not this author's best work, but I'm hoping it gets better as the series goes on.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Addiction, Death, Kidnapping, Murder, Sexual content, Stalking, Suicide attempt, and Toxic relationship
Minor: Chronic illness, Drug abuse, Drug use, Rape, and Vomit
nytephoenyx's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
mysterious
fast-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
It's been far too long since I ventured into Jamie and Charlotte's world. I genuinely, wholeheartedly enjoy the Charlotte Holmes novels, and book two was no less entertaining than book three. They continue the have the Holmes spirit, but in an updated, modernized sense. And they're fun.
I can honestly also say that this series is one of the few where I genuinely enjoy the romance. The flirting is cute, but the messy bits also feel real and possible. The drama isn't unnecessarily heightened... Charlotte's reactions are perfect to her character. Introducing August in this book was a great addition - he's a bit of an anti-hero and I enjoyed his addition to the dynamic duo and the way he always made Jamie a little off-balance. It's very nearly a love triangle, but not exactly. I liked it. I like them all. August, more than anyone else in this book, kept me on my toes and second-guessing.
Charlotte's family is a mess, though. And that's not poor writing or anything, they just are very... problematic, I guess. Reactions and behaviors are so cold and unhealthy as a general rule. I think that it's decent writing - ever the pragmatist, Sherlock Holmes was much like this himself in the Conan Doyle novels, so it make sense that his family is much the same. For the most part, I felt like the setup with both Jamie and Charlotte's families was a bit overlong and things didn't really get interesting until the two set off on their own. This didn't ruin or even deeply affect the book from the perspective of my own enjoyment, but it was a little draggy in the beginning.
The writing is really easy to read - Cavallaro's writing has a fantastic flow. It's very easy to get wrapped up in this book and it was finished before I knew it. I think with a slower pace, this book would have dragged out, but for the story here, this was written very well and was easy to get into. I really like both the narrators as well - the audiobook is fantastic, if you like to ingest your books that way.
Book two in the Charlotte Holmes series was a slam dunk, and I'm looking forward to reading A Case for Jamie!
I can honestly also say that this series is one of the few where I genuinely enjoy the romance. The flirting is cute, but the messy bits also feel real and possible. The drama isn't unnecessarily heightened... Charlotte's reactions are perfect to her character. Introducing August in this book was a great addition - he's a bit of an anti-hero and I enjoyed his addition to the dynamic duo and the way he always made Jamie a little off-balance. It's very nearly a love triangle, but not exactly. I liked it. I like them all. August, more than anyone else in this book, kept me on my toes and second-guessing.
Charlotte's family is a mess, though. And that's not poor writing or anything, they just are very... problematic, I guess. Reactions and behaviors are so cold and unhealthy as a general rule. I think that it's decent writing - ever the pragmatist, Sherlock Holmes was much like this himself in the Conan Doyle novels, so it make sense that his family is much the same. For the most part, I felt like the setup with both Jamie and Charlotte's families was a bit overlong and things didn't really get interesting until the two set off on their own. This didn't ruin or even deeply affect the book from the perspective of my own enjoyment, but it was a little draggy in the beginning.
The writing is really easy to read - Cavallaro's writing has a fantastic flow. It's very easy to get wrapped up in this book and it was finished before I knew it. I think with a slower pace, this book would have dragged out, but for the story here, this was written very well and was easy to get into. I really like both the narrators as well - the audiobook is fantastic, if you like to ingest your books that way.
Book two in the Charlotte Holmes series was a slam dunk, and I'm looking forward to reading A Case for Jamie!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Vomit
Minor: Chronic illness and Rape
mmc27's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
This book is moderately fast-paced leading it to be an easy read. The storyline picks up after the first book, as it is the second in a series; it builds upon the storylines, characters, and backstories that were established in the first book. This book introduced a new mystery for Holmes and Watson to solve that still intertwines the already established characters. I appreciated the character's thoughts were written and expressed in an easy way to understand and to help the reader gauge the turmoil and mention that this book posses. This book had a darker tone that progressed along with the story.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Medical trauma, Kidnapping, Gun violence, Violence, Medical content, Drug abuse, Blood, Chronic illness, and Death
Minor: Rape
lexa's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
This is the second book in the series, and I look forward to the next. A fun but dark mystery with a small romantic side plot (but not in the least a fluffy love story).
Content Warnings
Moderate: Violence
Minor: Blood, Chronic illness, Death, Drug use, Gun violence, Kidnapping, and Medical trauma
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