The Marriage Contract (Marriage #3) by Cathy Maxwell

Summary from GoodReads

Journey with Cathy Maxwell to nineteenth-century Scotland…a land of romance and dreams. There, away from the stifling ballrooms and idle gossip of London, a debutante hopes to find a life she could only have imagined…and a noble Highlander discovers that the truest love of all awaits him in the form of an unexpected bride-to-be…

He was a man exiled from society — handsome, unpredictable, and proud. Dark rumors surrounded his name. But Anne Burnett had signed a marriage contract binding her to Aiden Black, the Earl of Tiebauld. And although she’d never met him, she’s determined to keep her word and make theirs a marriage in truth. Because a well-bred lady with little fortune to recommend her has no choice. From the moment she arrived, Anne fell in love with Kelwin Castle and its roguishly handsome laird. By day, he instills a fierce loyalty in his people with his masterful ways…and by night, he tempts Anne to surrender her innocence to him. But while he is willing to offer his body. Aiden refuses to give Anne his heart…making her wonder what prevents him from truly claiming her as his wife.

Review

Talk about inta-love at its worst! Anne is in love with Aiden after mere days. Days, you should know, that Aiden spent coming up with tasks to force his unwanted-bride back to England. He had her mucking stalls with his favorite prostitute for Pete’s sake! And apparently Anne is so beaten down she’ll accept this man as her love? Seriously?

There is so little interaction between the main characters, I think Anne falls in love out of the delirium of exhaustion. The only conversations they have revolve around the “tests” a.k.a “torture” Aiden creates. She falls dead asleep every night without kisses or conversation from the hubby. Yet, I swear to the romance gods, they fall deeply, madly, and passionately in love within 14 days.

And for all the rush when it came to emotional attachment, sex itself was (pardon the pun) frustratingly put off. The smuggler scene (which reminds Anne of her father) was a HUGE set back just as the couple was beginning to build a tenuous bond. The fact that they get over this set back just as quickly, culminating in what I’d like to call The Great Afternoon Delight session, is ridiculous. The Great Afternoon Delight includes more sex with a recent virgin than in ANY OTHER romance I’ve EVER read. And I read a lot people. After waiting 3/4 of the book for a physical commitment to underscore all that insta-love I was blown away by too much sex. Loud, obvious sex in the middle of a drama filled crisis situation where everyone can hear them. Odd. And kinda Eww.

I so wanted this story to work! Regency England and Jacobite Scotland together in one tale?! Sign me up! Too bad this was such a fail. The love happened way too fast. Felt like there were 3 days between when Anne and Aiden were total strangers to completely in love. We won’t even touch their alternate lifestyle choices…Aiden’s love of dressing the part of medieval Scottish Laird was just odd. The story left me feeling as though everything was unfounded. There was no base through the action of the story or a physical connection. Left the story feeling hollow and confused.

Rating: 2/5 Don’t be lured by the promise of a duo of mouth-watering romance eras…the story falls beyond flat. 

Read Full Post »

A Scandalous Marriage (Marriage #2) by Cathy Maxwell

BookTalk

Leah Carrollton just wanted to find love. As a great beauty in a family struggling to maintain their ton-ish lifestyle. A bank account was more important than the love Leah sought. But a love affair found her anyway. Two love affairs to be exact.

Leah’s first love was star-crossed. Falling for Viscount Huxhold, Devon Marshall, was unfortunate. A grudge lasting a generation means that any hope Devon and Leah had for a traditional Happily Ever After was lost from the start.

After losing her great love. Leah rebounds with a less than honorable man. One who leaves her with a baby on the way. But fate expects more from Leah and Devon. Their stars and paths are to cross yet again. And the troubles they incurred during their separation may be the very things that save their love…

Review

I enjoyed this one so much more than the first. Thought starting with the baby’s delivery then flashing back to the start of Leah and Devon’s love then coming back to the delivery was really different. Really cool. I got to know the characters in a way I wasn’t expecting. Their backstory helped explain motivations and feelings…and kept the delivery from seeming too random.

Though it must be noted that no one recovers from giving birth as quickly as Leah does. Seriously?! the day after a traumatic (and premature!) birth and we’ve got our heroine throwing the baby in a drawer (yep. a dresser drawer. padded with blankets. duh.) and riding a coach to London. Leah even feels the stirring of desire for Devon. You have to ignore a lot of logic to bridge the unrealistic-ness of this situation. But if you can get past it watching Devon and Leah rebuild their love is rewarding.

What was great about this read was how much I enjoyed these characters as people. Getting to know Leah better in this novel makes such a difference…and sheds so much light on her, shall we say, sluttiness of the last novel. I actually liked her. And Devon is simply the sweetest. Even if it took them FOREVER to say the L-word. That confession was pretty obvious way before the characters admitted their feelings.

Again, the second in this series keeps the ‘drama’ to a minimum…at least in the main character’s relationships. This semi-drama-free relationship was one of the things I most like about the first book, Married in Haste. No grand displays followed by white knights to be found here. Just major issues sorted out by realistic people.

Finally, the epilogue to this book was better than the first in the series. It completed Leah and Devon’s story, giving a Happily Ever After that is the sweetest I’ve read in awhile. Well done Maxwell.

Rating: 3.5/5 A swift, sweet novel worth the hour or two of escape it provides.

Read Full Post »

Married in Haste (Marriage #1) by Cathy Maxwell

BookTalk

The Earl of Merton can have his choice of debutantes. Sweeping in from his family home in Wales, Brenn is on the hunt for a wife.

Tess Hamlin is the belle of the Ton. She’s held the supreme position of Queen Bee for years now…so many years in fact, she’s running out of suitable men to turn down.

On the surface Brenn and Tess are perfect for each other. He is her fresh meat, and she is his wealthy wife. But neither comes to this marriage without a secret motivation. Neither is what they appear. So when the truths are revealed will the love they’ve built be enough to weather the results of their secrets…

Review

I liked that in Brenn and Tess’s relationship nothing was too “dramatic” – no one flounced off, slammed a door, left in the dead of night – even in situations where other romances would have gone there. We’ve all seen the third act escape…where one or both of the characters runs away for some flimsy reason that a simple, honest discussion would have cleared up. And while all that drama can be fun. It was refreshing to read a romance that didn’t depend on a dramatic crisis to prove character love. The key to this was that these characters kept fairly open hearts and minds through out the story. Not that they always did it for love (sometimes they were agreeable for their own gain) but they seemed to work together with understanding.

However, now that I’ve just complimented such a perfect couple, I’ll say I disliked how long Brenn and Tess kept their secrets. So many times one or the other could have unburdened themselves. Shared the secret weighing on their mind and the relationship. Maybe it would have given a bit of dramatic depth to the story to reveal…without having to involve the cliche ‘foot-stomp’.

Also, Tess’s brother was hard to swallow.He was the genesis of such a common trope – The ‘used’ daughter/sister. Tess is somehow to pay for her brother’s exorbitant debt and lifestyle.  The brother gets off without a smidge of change or shame. At least Maxwell openly states how women are used…helps watching yet another female romance character fall into the sacrificial lamp role. But seriously, Tess’s brother was a little too extreme for me to feel that Tess’s sacrifice was worth it…even if she did end up with a good man.

The ending was quick and the epilogue was long. I think the beginning of this story deserved a more fleshed out ending and a shorter ‘tacked on’ epilogue. ‘Cause that extra bit was practically another story in and of itself!

Rating: 3/5 This one had potential had the author not relied so heavily on tropes and kept her character’s secrets this one would have been stronger. 

* Spoilers *

*

*

*

*

The silver solution was a little…”duh”…wondered that Maxwell never let the ‘battery’ investment pay off as batteries do in fact exist – and it would have been a major windfall. Could have added some historical significance to the tale.

Loved, loved the bit about Brenn wooing Tess in Wales. Again we had a situation of the townspeople falling hard and fast for Tess (uhm, totally unrealistic!). But the flowers…the priest…really really sweet. It was stuff like this that kept me reading!

Read Full Post »

Salem Falls by Jodi Picoult

BookTalk

The definition of a Witch Hunt is to persecute those who practice witch craft and/or to search out and deliberately harass those who differ from the majority.

Jack St. Bride is no stranger to the witch hunt. Roughly a year ago he was accused by a student of crimes that tanked his career as a private school professor and sent him to jail. Now a newly free man, he’s simply trying to figure out his role in this new world. One where from the beginning of every relationship he’s suspect.

Addie Peabody is a woman haunted by her own ghost. One that she feeds a burger and fries to on a daily basis. The owner of the local diner, Addie has no idea of the change she invites into her life – the test she is about to take on – when she hires a vastly overqualified Jack St. Bride as a dishwasher.

Gilly Duncan is a motherless child, a beautiful girl, and head of her coven. Gilly is a witch. In a religion based in heady power, Gilly won’t treat it with the respect it deserves.

Like hysteria in the Salem of 1692 this modern day witch hunt will be started by a teenage girl with too many issues and more power than she deserves. A he said – she said battle will rage in the courtroom…leaving the reader guessing till almost the last minute where the true blame should fall…

Review

If you’re looking for a Picoult novel minus the emotional tears you’ve found a contender. Like most of her plots this one comes with it’s own twists and turns. You know that until the final page there’s always room for a plot point you never saw coming. Picoult plays the reader by revealing critical information so slowly you’re dying to have the whole picture. Right. Now.

I’ll admit this book starts a little slower than I expected. It definitly took about 50 to 70  pages (till the first twist happens) to really get hooked. What keeps you glued to the story is the need to find out if Jack really did it. I swear there were several points where I wanted to throw the book against a wall…

“He couldn’t have done it!!! Could he??? Ahh!”

Mind you, my frustration was exacerbated by the fact that my assistant had just read the book…She knew the ending! You have no idea how badly I wanted to get the ending from her; how many times I begged for her to tell me if Jack did it! She’s a woman of strength though, and managed to restrain herself from spilling the beans.

I have a special place in my heart for the Salem Witch Trials. They were the focus of my minor in Women’s Studies. Some really cray cray stuff. I loved the way Picoult picked and chose which parts of the historical situation she pulled out exact and which she remixed in a new way. The choice to include an actual Wiccian Coven in the book was very cool. The part they played; remixed and interesting.

As much as I enjoyed the book a few parts didn’t do it for me. It was actually the fact that she was a little grandiose in her characterization and motivations that the plot fell a bit flat. Some of the conversations were so dramatic as to feel forced. Like it was trying too hard; stressing too much. Plus the real bad guy never gets his due.

3.5/5 Worth the addictive read…even if it doesn’t work perfectly. 

Read Full Post »

Somebody to Love by Kristan Higgins

BookTalk

Parker Wells is loaded. Girl’s rich like Midas and raising her son in the family compound. But Parker isn’t just some spoiled rich girl. She’s focused on raising her son along with her son’s father…who just so happens to be married to Parker’s BFF. She has a bestselling series of children’s books featuring a band of  rollerskating angels named The Holly Rollers. And those perky pipsqueeks are about to debut in their first full lengh feature film!

Life is really comfortable for Parker…sure there’s no man turning on “Lady Land” but a girl can be happy with a beautiful child and full life.

That is until Parker’s Dad…and all of his assets (including Parker’s trust fund and home) are seized by the government. Parker is now homeless, and almost penniless looking at a pretty bleak future. Her only hope is renovating and selling a forgotten Aunt’s coastal home in rural Maine. Pumped up with hope, a new puppy, and a hot, but annoying minion of her father’s tagging along Parker may be able to change her life around…And she may find that her new life is worth far more than the wealthy one she lost…

Review

I loved this book. Can I just leave my review at that?

Just say: “Read It”

Tell you to find a comfie couch, cup of coffee, glass of wine and read, read, read

Offer the advice to “Save this one for when you really need a great dose of chick lit”

…For when you want to find a funny and surprisingly strong heroine make the most out of life

When you want to see a fiesty relationship spring from a misunderstood past…

When you want to kick back with some lemonade and imagine watching the hero nail some shingles to your beach cottage…shirtless…

I Change my Mind. Wait till the summer to read this one. Save it for a beach chair and some waves, a deck and a cold beer, a pool float and some SPF.

Enjoy watching characters from Higgins previous books (Catch of the Day and The Next Best Thing) find more Happily Ever After.

Laugh about all the references to “Lady Land”

Just read this one…You’ll thank me, because like I said after I read Until There Was You, Higgins only gets better and better with each book released.

4/5 For an almost perfect Chick Lit read. 

Read Full Post »

Barefoot Season (Blackberry Island #1) by Susan Mallery

Summary from GoodReads

(a.k.a. didn’t like this one enough to booktalk)

Michelle Sanderson may appear to be a strong, independent woman, but on the inside, she’s still the wounded girl who fled home years ago. A young army vet, Michelle returns to the quaint Blackberry Island Inn to claim her inheritance and recover from the perils of war. Instead, she finds the owner’s suite occupied by the last person she wants to see.

Carly Williams and Michelle were once inseparable, until a shocking betrayal destroyed their friendship. And now Carly is implicated in the financial disaster lurking behind the inn’s cheerful veneer.

Single mother Carly has weathered rumors, lies and secrets for a lifetime, and is finally starting to move forward with love and life. But if the Blackberry Island Inn goes under, Carly and her daughter will go with it.

To save their livelihoods, Carly and Michelle will undertake a turbulent truce. It’ll take more than a successful season to move beyond their devastating past, but with a little luck and a beautiful summer, they may just rediscover the friendship of a lifetime.

Review

Right from the beginning of this book I had some confusion…

Issues:

• I get that a bunch of sh*t went down in High School – but I don’t know how successful the introduction of the Ellen character was. On Michelle’s re-meet they seemed to always have been acquaintances. From Carly’s point of view they were once friends (all three of them) now they’re enemies…confused…
• Don’t see how Michelle deserves to be so angry at Carly…Just doesn’t seem appropriate. Carly overwhelmingly seems to be the victim.
• How does Carly have all these amazing ideas and yet never used them at the inn? She’s always shocked that Michelle works so well with her and yet they’ve never (past the 1st day) had a business meeting that didn’t.

Biggest of all of these issues was the whole Michelle hating Carly situation. Let’s break it down…

Michelle has a crush on a guy.

Carly ends up dating said guy…Michelle never made a play for him = No harm no foul.

Carly becomes engaged to said guy

Michelle has sex with said guy right before his wedding to Carly…Carly walks in on the sexy-times. (From this point on I’ll be referring to ‘said guy’ as ‘a$$’.)

Carly still marries the a$$ and becomes pregnant.

A$$ leaves her and takes all the money.

Leaving Carly with nothing, about 8 months pregnant.

Fast forward to the beginning of this book where EVERYONE pities Michelle.

Do you understand how Michelle became the victim?

Nope. Neither did I. It eerked me to say the least.

If this was supposed to be a girlfriend novel then I want more depth and more likable characters…not just a martyr and a bitch. It took them too long to reach a reconciliation point with too much tell and not enough show along the way. And *Spoiler Alert* At the end of the book I still have no idea why everyone pitied Michelle over Carly.

This read it fell flat for me. I wasn’t getting my friendship novel…And don’t hold your breath for romance either. It’s a side note at best and comes with its own issues. You see, Carly is thought of as this big slut from High School (though she’s only slept with her ex-husband) and while I think it’s unfair for her to have this reputation she still jumped into bed with her love interest real quick. Quick like, hi I just met you and let’s have a quickie: you’ve got 10 minutes…Go!

And that would be one of the few times a sexual relationship happens in the novel. Though for Carly it held weight because she thinks this later while gazing upon her lover:

“She remembered that body from their lone but very powerful sexual encounter” (30 pgs from end of book)

What I immediately thought following my reading of this was that this ‘encounter’ (of the third kind?) was 10 minutes long and that Carly was kinda slutty.

I’ve turned into one of her high school classmates! The book did it to me. I didn’t like anyone but the dog by the end of this one. I was so sick of waiting for them to begin to change their lives and attitudes. However, the relationship between Michelle’s PTSD healing and her adoption of an abused dog was beautiful. Wish the book had been simply about that.

Rating: 1/5 This should have been a friend book or a romance book. 364 pages was not enough for this author to do both…  

Read Full Post »

Breakaway (Blades #11) by Deirdre Martin

BookTalk

Erin O’Brien and Rory Brady were childhood sweethearts and in their small town of Balleycraig they were famous for their long distance love. Years of teenage romance fueled by summers spent lounging under an old tree in an Irish field seemed to be enough to keep these love birds strong for the winters spent in separate countries; as Rory had moved to the US in his early teens. When Rory’s illustrious hockey career began it appeared as if all the couples dreams would come true.

Until Rory dumped Erin.

And Rory became the official sh*t of Balleycraig. Now years later Rory is back sure that all he’ll have to do is show up and smile to win back the heart of his childhood love…Rory may have to think again. He’ll need time, perseverance and a bit of Irish luck to right his past wrongs. Because the Erin he left all those years ago isn’t the same woman he’s returning to…

Review

My biggest issue with this book is that Rory never got a swift kick in the balls. Emotionally or physically. He got off the hook too easily. All was forgiven without too much hassle. Almost like his mere presence was enough to soothe his past wrongs. As a reader it wasn’t enough for me. Apparently I’ve got more chutzpah than our beloved Erin O’Brien.

I will bow down to the fact that this plot is probably more realistic. Erin is obviously still in love with Rory, and to be honest the fact that he’s back does more to melt her than anything else. But it still doesn’t stop me from wishing for more. In real life fate rarely gives us the perfect words or situation for retribution. But isn’t that why I’m reading romance novels? People rarely have multiple-orgasmic sex with a professional athlete in the back of a Range Rover on a beautiful day in Ireland. Mostly because it’s constantly raining. If Martin can give me a sunny day in the Irish Isles she can give me a perfectly structured moment of understanding for Rory…Or at least one well tongued criticism that makes him see the light.

I liked Erin well enough. I thought that her issues with her mom were tidied up a bit quickly in the end. But ultimately I was simply bored by the book. It dragged.

Rating: 1/5 One egotistical Hockey Player plus One small town Irish Lass equals One bored reader…

Read Full Post »

Tempted by Her Innocent Kiss (Pregnancy and Passion #3) by Maya Banks

The ladies over at Smart Bitches Trashy Books have got me thinking…I’ve been a bad romance reader. I’ve shunned, out of prejudice, a major section of the romance publishing industry.

The Harlequin Novel.

I figured if those intelligent ladies over at Smart Bitches found them worthy of a read or two (if only to pick apart where the whole thing went wrong) I too could give these reads a second chance. And thus, my experiment was born.

I’ve started with Maya Banks’s Pregnancy and Passion series (mostly born of a love for the first book’s title).

So Without Further Ado…

Third in the Pregnancy and Passion Series is:

Wanted by her Lost Love

BookTalk

Ashley lives a life of privilege. A world that allows her to be her own woman – even if that’s a slightly scatter-brained animal activist. A woman whose actions have her father convinced she can’t stand on her own two feet.

Devon Carter is a man on a mission. He’s bound and determined to be a leader in the business world and is willing to give his life (or at least his hand in marriage) to achieve his goals. When Ashley’s father offers the proposition: Marry my daughter and you can take over my company, Devon’s desires are put to the test.

Can he really marry a woman in the name of business?

Can he keep up the charade of marriage with a woman who has no idea the love of her life is a sham?

What happens if Devon falls for Ashley?

What happens if she learns the truth?…

Review

This was probably the best paced plot in the series (Enticed by His Forgotten Lover, Wanted by Her Lost Love). Real time actually passed – 2 whole months! Plus, the pregnancy wasn’t ‘automatic’ in this installment. Ashley and Devon got to know each other and progress their relationship from a start to a more, shall we say, complicated point before a pregnancy was introduced. This was different from the first two books in the series where the story (for the reader at least) started with an advanced pregnancy.

Without the emotional ramifications that a pregnancy brings the reader gets to see Devon slowly, even subtly, falling for the ‘real’ Ash. Devon’s huge defense are the physical signs of love: chest tightening, pleasant ache in the chest, being surprised that he actually WANTED to marry her. Apparently for Devon it could be love or a heart attack. Because we all know that physically apparent signs of love resonate in the chest…it would be awful weird if they happened in the foot, or maybe even the brain – where Devon might be forced to logically acknowledge his feelings – though this might be too much to ask from a man whose instigation for marriage springs from a business contract.

Anyway, shocker of shocker Ash finds out about the business contract that led to her marriage proposal and Ash decides not to run or fold like a house of cards. Nope. Ash chooses the martyr route. And while parts of that are super sad – she feels as though she needs to change herself – it also makes her realize that in the end she needs to stay true to herself.

Ultimately, I thought this one was a good effort. Devon doesn’t come off as an ass (huge accomplishment of the author) and even though I think he could have smoothed over the situation a little earlier than he did…He also takes the fall for the heartless start of the relationship. Which was necessary for his character. The ending was pat for how complex Banks allowed the rest of the book to get. So easy it’s a little vomit-in-the-mouth sweetly perfect. The characters deserved more…

3/5: Best of the series so far, but the characters deserved an ending the included more emotional depth – or at least a heart-to-heart. 

Read Full Post »

Library Musings…Trashy Books get Trashier

I’m heading into uncharted territory here.

Yes. The perceived Trashiest of the Trashy reads.

We all know I’m a huge fan of the romance genre and I had thought my reading palate was fairly diverse. Bring me your Urban Paranormal Vampire Kings, Your haunted Medieval Scotsman, Rugged Cowboys, Rakish Regency Dukes, and the Modern Men at all socioeconomic levels…fisherman to billionaire their sexy six-packs are all welcome in my reads.

But the more fond I became of the uber-intelligent Smart Bitches Trashy Books blog the more open my eyes became in regards to my ‘trashy’ reads. These women look at the romance genre from a literary criticism point of view as well as a simple pleasure read. I hate to admit that I almost enjoy their posts more when they don’t like the read. The way they break it down is hilarious.

But back to my point. I noticed a plethora of Harlequin Silhouette Desires books in their review base. You know those red-spined books that are aplenty in your local grocery store? The ones you cleaned out of your mother’s bookshelves (grandma for me!). Those trope filled, quick and dirty reads that we’ve all tried at some point. I realized that I was kinda prejudiced against them. I don’t think I’d picked one up since age 14 instead running toward the more mass-market best sellers…the romance books that looked more like ‘real’ literature to me.

I know.

“For shame!” I thought.

I’m a defender of romance. A white knight of the virgin/rake pairing. I’m willing to suspend reality to follow just about any love story. But a nagging feeling told me I had turned my back on a huge selection of the genre. I needed to return to my teen-reads and revisit a Harlequin. When I saw the title “Enticed by his Forgotten Lover“, part of a Pregnancy and Passion series, I thought: “This is it, it doesn’t get more Harlequin-esque than that”

And so I began. I’m 3 books in already and not sure what I think. Later today I’ll post my review of Enticed by his Forgotten Lover so you can see how this little experiment is going. Get excited…if you haven’t already gathered this little nugget is about a case of amnesia and seduction by a pregnant lady. True, at times it’s slightly more subtle than that…but I suppose you’ll have to tune in later to see what I really think!

Read Full Post »

Blameless (The Parasol Protectorate #3) by Gail Carriger

BookTalk

Alexia Tarabotti is terribly inconvenienced.

Infant-inconvenienced to be exact.

A woman whom no one would call maternal, when Alexia married Lord Maccon, head of the Woolsey werewolf pack, she thought children weren’t an option…her husband had been, technically, not-human for a few hundred years or so. That does not mean that Alexia was unfaithful in any way. Her dear husband should realize that unexpected does not mean impossible…

But the inconvenience of a child that can’t be explained instead sends Conall Maccon into a tail-spin of formaldehyde induced drunkenness. He’s left his Beta to hold down the fort at the worst possible moment for Lady Maccon has absconded to Italy, Lord Akeldama has fled town in pursuit of a stolen item, and the rest of the supernatural society has decided that Alexia and her infant-inconvenience need to die.

The question of the hour is how long will it take for Lord Maccon to come to his senses and beg for forgiveness. Because, Alexia is a little busy fighting off Vampires, Templar Knights, and mechanical ladybugs. A husband by her side would be a great help…

Review

This book is a necessary evil. It reads as a linking book. Almost like a bridge between books two and four. Because, while the text was filled with Carriger’s trademark wit and tongue-and-cheek steampunk creations the plot itself is a bit ‘light’. I’ll say ‘light’ and not ‘weak’ because it’s a necessary story for Alexia and Conall. At the end of book two we find Alexia pregnant and it is (apparently) un-explainable between her and Conall.

My hunch was that the curse breaker plague was going to be the explanation. I mean, it did turn all supernatural completely human…doesn’t that mean reproductive functions will work again as well? Seemed simple enough to me. Heck, even if Carriger didn’t want to take it that far I was willing to accept that given the uniqueness of their relationship (preternatural and supernatural are never to mix in this society) that no one had attempted to cross-breed. Alexia’s touch makes Conall mortal – thus he functions as a mortal man whilst having relations with his wife. This would make a baby possible, no?

No. Apparently not. My mind is not intelligent enough for Carriger’s aether-theory. I guess it’s far more difficult than my pedestrian ponderings. And I’ll admit that by the end of this installment I was still quite confused as to how it scientifically happened. Even Meyer gave me a vampire baby-making explanation I could accept. Forget that part during your reading? Yeah, I got it off her website. Don’t judge. You know you were curious too.

Curious, because you need these fantasy worlds to be completely rational if you are going to accept them. The author needs to build rules and stick to them. You can break them only if there’s a super secret Plan B rule that will make even more sense than Plan A did. I won’t say that Carriger’s pregnancy explanation broke her world for me. Finding and explaining the pregnancy was one of the two reasons for this novel. It was more like I started skimming the explanation. I ‘Smile and Nodded’ at the explanation and politely waited for it to stop talking. Like math involving more than basic addition/subtraction…or integers higher than I can count on my fingers…I just stopped trying to understand and accepted that it did in fact make sense. Someone clearly smarter than myself obviously figured it out. Time to move on now, blah, blah, blah…

It may seem like I harp on this issue a bit, but understand that aside from Lord Maccon’s issue of sobering up and apologizing to his wife…this is the entire plot of the story. The mysteries of the Templar Knights were simplified. The issue of the child’s supernaturality (word?) is simplified. Even the tease of finding out more about Alexia’s father is in the end simplified and then forgotten about. So the complexity of the one thing I thought could actually be simplified was an issue for me.

I still enjoyed the read. I was in the mood for witty Victorian conversation. That play between manners and the absurd that Carriger does so well. Snappy dialogue and chapter titles abound. Just know that in this series the third title is just a hop skip and a jump away from the fourth. I’ll just say that the fourth should pack a bit more of a plot punch to pick up the ‘lightness’ of the third.

Rating: 3.5/5 Proper, polite, and just the right bit of the absurd save this tale of marital discord…Because without it, it’s 200-odd pages of waiting for an apology…

Read Full Post »