4.5 stars What a charming little book! I sincerely adored it! Who knew that fantasy and regency historical romance would make such a great combo!
I real4.5 stars What a charming little book! I sincerely adored it! Who knew that fantasy and regency historical romance would make such a great combo!
I really loved the characters in this one and their banter and connection was great! Looking forward to reading more from this author and series. A bit scared as I've heard the rest of the books are not as great but I will definitely give them a try....more
4.5 stars Who is surprised that I liked this? I definitely am. To be completely honest, the only reason I bought this is because I looooove this cover 4.5 stars Who is surprised that I liked this? I definitely am. To be completely honest, the only reason I bought this is because I looooove this cover and I hadn't read any spoilers at that point so I didn't know. I mean, look at this masterpiece!
(view spoiler)[Looking at my shelves I don't even have one for books with polyamorous relationships because I don't enjoy that kind of thing. But I loved all the characters here! I was more attached to Ashley because we spent more time with him and I might have loved this even more if she had simply ended up with him because I prefer relationships with 2 people and that's not going to change. At least Priest didn't end up alone and heart-broken as he was an equally great character and I would have hated to have him suffer (hide spoiler)]
I'm not saying I will now start picking up books like Sea of Ruin, but it goes a long way to show that a good writer can make you love a book you would normally hate....more
I am in love with Thomas Cresswell and it was a joy to be in his head for a few precious chapters.
This was more of a teaser though, a gift for the fanI am in love with Thomas Cresswell and it was a joy to be in his head for a few precious chapters.
This was more of a teaser though, a gift for the fans, as it was quite short and it didn't add much to the main storyline, except for maybe a discussion between Audrey Rose and Thomas about what happened with Mephistopheles, which was missing from book #3 for a lot of readers.
I did read a few rage reviews where people were complaining because Audrey Rose never apologised for what she did. I don't think what she did was that bad but I was missing this apology too, though it was clear for me Audrey Rose did accept her mistakes and regretted causing Thomas any harm. It was nice to see her also admitting that to Thomas....more
Because it was the finale, the book had some limitations though. There had to be a murderer on the loose as As a finale, this was a really good book.
Because it was the finale, the book had some limitations though. There had to be a murderer on the loose as this is what the series is about and there also had to be a resolution for the romantic subplot.
So basically what we have here is the first half mostly dedicated to the romance and some drama that ensues. However, I adore this couple. I like both Thomas and Audrey Rose so much individually that I was really invested in their romance! Such amazing characters, truly! I'm also really happy to see Audrey Rose finally being absolutely certain about what she wants, and I don't mean just Thomas because that was always clear, but what she wants from life and that she's truly happy to get married and spend her life with Thomas as husband and wife, who would never ask her to give up on forensic studies and would always support her. The romance was really swoon-worthy in this one!
Then we have the second half of the book which is mostly about the murder case. The murder case is gruesome and the story line quite dark, plus I did learn about another real-life murderer I didn't know anything about. However, because the murder mystery was mostly crammed in the second half of the book (about 200 pages) I found that things progressed way too fast and it wasn't as developed as the previous cases. This is only normal as the author had to dedicate more page time to Audrey and Thomas in this one, especially since they didn't work together that much in the previous novel.
There was also an issue that caused some drama between Audrey and Thomas that was resolved too quickly and conveniently for my liking at the end but all in all I adored this finale and I'm very happy to have read this series. I'm also happy this final book didn't suck like most series conclusions do!...more
I read the first book in the series and it was quite action-packed. Plus I could already tell that Cassandra Clare did a better job with characterisatI read the first book in the series and it was quite action-packed. Plus I could already tell that Cassandra Clare did a better job with characterisation in this series, which makes sense the more she grows as a writer.
However, I didn’t particularly care about any of the characters (though I liked them fine) and mostly enjoyed the action, the world and the steampunk elements.
Clockwork prince is a much slower read but also so much more than I expected. Only 150 pages in and I already was in love with all these characters. It all came out of left field. There were so many unexpected twists and revelations and a lot of these characters’ actions suddenly made sense and they were cast in a different light.
I hate love triangles, but I swear it’s the first time in my life I love every part of a love triangle. Would I have preferred the book not to have the love triangle? Yes, I’m still me after all! But I love Tessa, I love Will, I love Jem and while I have a preference this time I get it why the heroine can’t pick one over the other between these two boys and loves them both for different reasons. What makes all the difference here is that Jem and Will also love each other, they’re brothers in all the ways that matter. I don’t see how this will be resolved in a satisfactory manner. And by that I mean in a way that everybody will be happy and alive! I have a theory, but it’s pretty obvious, so I’m not sure this is what’s actually going to happen. ...more
I was really scared to read this book as I had been spoiled about the love triangle. Not sure if it's because I knew it was coming but, yeah, while itI was really scared to read this book as I had been spoiled about the love triangle. Not sure if it's because I knew it was coming but, yeah, while it was annoying, it wasn't anywhere near as bad as I thought it would have been. The way I saw it, I don't think Audrey Rose pursued anything with the other dude out of her own free will even if she was slightly confused by the fact that she could feel attraction for someone other than Thomas. She never said she was confused about who she truly loved though, just the kind of life she wanted, so it was tolerable.
Now the murder mystery in this one though was really good! I really, really enjoyed it. It was very clever and kept me at the edge of my seat. I'm getting better at guessing who's done it in murder mysteries. I have guessed who the murderer is at about 75% in the book for this entire series, so late enough to not render the story boring but I still got a sense of satisfaction for being that clever haha. I might have given it 4.5 stars if not for the slightly annoying love triangle.
Anyway, loved this one and I didn't think I would so colour me surprised! Book 1 is my fave but I've loved every book in this series....more
I loved that the voice of the author sounded so authentic. I adored all the Jane Austen references, I used to be a big I am conflicted over this book.
I loved that the voice of the author sounded so authentic. I adored all the Jane Austen references, I used to be a big fan of Jane Austen and I have read all her books multiple times as a teenager and in my early twenties. I've also seen every TV and film adaptation of her works out there so this book was really up my alley.
On the other hand, while I started off really enjoying this book, I felt that it dragged a bit. There was a lot of focus on who the heroine would choose to marry without the story progressing along to my liking. And yet, despite that, I didn't think the romance was as developed as it should have been when we reached the end of the novel.
There was a twist, towards the end, though that I didn't see coming so definitely credits to the author for that.
All in all, I didn't love this one as much as I thought I would but I enjoyed my time reading it....more
I'm not very much into historical romance lately as I feel like I've read them all before. However this one has been everywhere this past month so I cI'm not very much into historical romance lately as I feel like I've read them all before. However this one has been everywhere this past month so I couldn't help myself.
When this story started, I was rolling my eyes endlessly as it seemed clichéd and insta-lovey so I was really surprised that I was proven wrong and that this book ended up being quite profound with a lot of social commentary on the importance of women being free and given the opportunity to form their own path in life and also being recognised as mens' equals.
I was impressed by the emotional depth of the story and how the characters had to deal with the consequences of their actions, things didn't magically get resolved and I really liked that Sebastian and Annabelle both acknowledged how Annabelle's station in life was an obstacle in their relationship and wouldn't possibly be able to be together without Sebastian sacrificing his social standing and reputation.
All in all, I was very much impressed with this story, especially since it was a debut, and I look forward to reading more from this author....more
This was a lovely book, I really enjoyed it - there is just so much to love about the book. The characters, the humor, the light-heartedness,3.5 stars
This was a lovely book, I really enjoyed it - there is just so much to love about the book. The characters, the humor, the light-heartedness, the adventures, it was all really good.
However, my only issue with this book was that it was a mix of so many things. Was this a romance? A coming of age story? An adventure? A comedy? A serious book? Historical fiction? Or anachronistic and not meant to be taken seriously? There was even a kind of "fantastical" element in there which I normally don't appreciate in stories that are supposed to be realistic, though I didn't mind too much here.
The point is, though, that I feel like this book tried to be so many things at once that - while it was really good - it failed to excel in any of them....more
I'm totally getting the Georget Heyer-ish vibe from this book and I loved that. But I also strongly believe this author has done better.
I think tryingI'm totally getting the Georget Heyer-ish vibe from this book and I loved that. But I also strongly believe this author has done better.
I think trying to put too much of the modern LGBTQ community and way of thinking to a historical romance is a bit tricky, there are CRs for that.
Also, I plainly don't like polyamorous relationships and I didn't like that one of the heroes was in one of those at the start of the book. It's also not clear to me if he will keep doing that with his new lover and his friends, because I would have been okay if it was just something that belonged to the past but it was never clear what's going to happen in the future in that respect.
Not that I'm closed-minded. One of my best friends has multiple bed partners and his ideal is to be in a polyamorous relationship. It's just not how I roll so I don't like that in my romances either, sorry....more
I love this author, and I was sure that this would be a 5-star for me when I picked it up. I mean, it's a military romance with friends to lovers and I love this author, and I was sure that this would be a 5-star for me when I picked it up. I mean, it's a military romance with friends to lovers and a gfy, right?
I don't know what went wrong. Don't get me wrong, it was a great book, but it didn't blow me away. I can't explain why though, there was just something I was missing for this to become an amazing read instead of simply a very good one....more
Not only was this book much better than the previous books in the series but it was a very good romance in its own right.
James is by far the 4.5 stars
Not only was this book much better than the previous books in the series but it was a very good romance in its own right.
James is by far the most interesting hero in the series, I find his sense of humour endearing. Georgiana is also my favourite heroine.
The premise helped avoid the insta-love that put me off in the previous books. It was still there but at least it took the characters longer to act on their feelings because of the heroine's disguise as a cabin boy.
It's definitely an old-style book but I adored this one! Unfortunately, I'm afraid it might also be the best this series has to offer but I will probably continue for a few more instalments to see for myself....more
It's been over 4 months since I read this book so I can't write a proper review to do it justice. I remember that I read this in one day and I went toIt's been over 4 months since I read this book so I can't write a proper review to do it justice. I remember that I read this in one day and I went to work with 2 hours of sleep just to finish this book, it was that good!
It is tropey as hell - seriously, the author hit all the tropes that you could except from an old-school m/f historical romance with pirates - but is so, so good! Definitely in my top two mm historical romances, I can only think of one other book in this category I loved that much....more
I don't know what made me decide on reading this random historical-like fantasy book apart from the word valet in the title which reminded me of the aI don't know what made me decide on reading this random historical-like fantasy book apart from the word valet in the title which reminded me of the amazing A Gentleman's Position by the unparalleled K.J. Charles.
While this book was nowhere near as good, it was suprisingly interesting and easy to read.
Tyler was kind of a boring character but I really enjoyed the sexual tension in the book and didn't think once of putting it down until I reached the last page.
It is good for what it is: a feel-good, quick read....more
I'm giving this book 3 stars despite the fact I decided to dnf it at 70% because I can see the merits of it.
I loved the blurb and I was so very exciteI'm giving this book 3 stars despite the fact I decided to dnf it at 70% because I can see the merits of it.
I loved the blurb and I was so very excited to read it but I can't make heads or tails of it. The writing is just weird, the prose is very lyric but, alas, it is not my cup of tea at all.
Also, I dislike the mix of supernatural elements to an otherwise realistic story. I want either realism or supernatural, but I can't have both in the same book if that makes any sense.
There were some really nice and touching moments in this book and I wish I could finish it, but the writing makes me feel exhausted after a couple of chapters and life's too short for this.
I wish I could give it 2 stars as it doesn't feel right giving three stars to a book I dnfed but it feels unfair - Harper Fox is a master of language and prose after all - so I'm going for 3 because it's not the book, it's me....more
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