REVIEW: A Perilous Undertaking by Deanna Raybourn

A Perilous Undertaking
by Deanna Raybourn

Publisher: Berkley
Page Count: 338
Release Date: January 10, 2017
Format: ARC Trade Paperback

How got: ARC gotten via bookmooch.com

First attention getter: already loved book one

Synopsis:

From GoodReads:

London, 1887 . . 

Victorian adventuress and butterfly hunter Veronica Speedwell receives an invitation to visit the Curiosity Club, a ladies-only establishment for daring and intrepid women. There she meets the mysterious Lady Sundridge, who begs her to take on an impossible task saving society art patron Miles Ramsforth from execution. Accused of the brutal murder of his artist mistress Artemisia, Ramsforth will face the hangman's noose in a week s time if Veronica cannot find the real killer.

But Lady Sundridge is not all that she seems and unmasking her true identity is only the first of the many secrets Veronica must uncover. Together with her natural historian colleague Stoker, Veronica races against time to find the true murderer a ruthless villain who not only took Artemisia s life in cold blood but is happy to see Ramsforth hang for the crime.

From a Bohemian artists colony to a royal palace to a subterranean grotto with a decadent history, the investigation proves to be a very perilous undertaking indeed....

My Thoughts:

Star Rating - 5

A fantastic addition to the Speedwell series, this volume adds to the original and builds on our lead’s pasts to create stronger characters. Along with a character chemistry that is second to none and for the most part solid mystery component, Raybourn’s new series has a future that never looked brighter.

Favorite part hands down our Veronica, Stoker, and their relationship. I've never read a pair who have so much chemistry on the page and such intriguing interactions. Alternating between hilarious exchanges and heated UST scenes, these two banter their way across London as they encounter artists, royals, and an abandoned sex club. The intensity and hilarity never lightens up.

The mystery aspect wasn't as original as book one but still enjoyable. Reading more like a mystery than the previous book, this one delves into an enigmatic secret behind a murder in an artist circle's mansion. I wasn't as surprised at the eventual who done it as I might have been. Yet, the journey through the various clues and discussions was pleasurable nonetheless.

What I did enjoy about the mystery part was how much it added to our leads pasts again. While touching lightly on Veronica and her familial connections, the best part we got was more exploration on Stoker’s past. We get to see the family circumstances that develop his character and personality, getting to see how the bitterness developed when it comes to his family. Since most of book one was devoted to developing Veronica, these peeks into Stoker’s past helps develop him more fully.

And that's what makes this series so unique and special. Every aspect of the story, even the mystery itself, always builds and supports our leads personalities and pasts. It's not totally about the mystery itself; it's about the people involved: investigators, allies, suspects, and victim. I think that's what makes Veronica, Stoker, and their relationship so extraordinary. The author concentrate so much on building them up, then centering the mystery around them rather than the other way around.

Even though the mystery itself wasn't as enthralling as the first one, this book is still a solid five for me. The leads, how they play off each other, and the overall story carry the day. I can't help but find myself drawn into Veronica's and Stoker’s chases across London, reveling in their hysterical sniping banter and heated UST scenes. The mystery flows smoothly, if a bit predictably, yet it also enhances our leads and their backgrounds. If you're a fan of book one, definitely look this one up. If you haven't read book one and now this one, where have you been hiding?!?! Go read the series now! I can't recommend it highly enough.

The Escape
by Mary Balogh

Publisher: Dell
Page Count: 394
Release Date: July 1, 2014
Format: Mass Market Paperback

How got: BookMooch

First attention getter: the author

Synopsis:

From Amazon:

In this poignant novel of longing and salvation, a hopeful widow and a resilient war hero discover the promise of love’s magic and new beginnings.

After surviving the Napoleonic Wars, Sir Benedict Harper is struggling to move on, his body and spirit in need of a healing touch. Never does Ben imagine that hope will come in the form of a beautiful woman who has seen her own share of suffering. After the lingering death of her husband, Samantha McKay is at the mercy of her oppressive in-laws—until she plots an escape to distant Wales to claim a house she has inherited. Being a gentleman, Ben insists that he escort her on the fateful journey.

Ben wants Samantha as much as she wants him, but he is cautious. What can a wounded soul offer any woman? Samantha is ready to go where fate takes her, to leave behind polite society and even propriety in her desire for this handsome, honorable soldier. But dare she offer her bruised heart as well as her body? The answers to both their questions may be found in an unlikely place: in each other’s arms.

My Thoughts:
Star Rating - 4

This is my first book read in this series by Balogh. I was intrigued with the idea of a series that is dedicated to leads that are damaged in some way or dealing with issues heavier than your usual romantic fluff. This introduction was pulled off fairly well, enough that I’m already dedicated to tracking down other volumes and bulldozing through them.

The leads shined in this introduction (to this reader at least). I loved that Ben dealt with more than just his physical limitations, though they were the cause of his emotional ones as well. There was a lesser feeling of self-worth and what he saw as his offerings to a relationship that kept me intrigued.

I also liked Samantha. She determined that she wouldn’t be happy in the opportunities presented to her by her in-laws so chose a dream in “wild” Wales with a man who could really only be counted as an acquaintance in the beginning. That takes balls to go into the unknown like that. I did feel that the emphasis placed on her “darker” looks and Gypsy blood was bit much, to the point of being clichéd (why can’t her darker complexion be from somewhere more abnormal like the Middle East or Native American blood?). But overall, I liked her strong inner core and dream of a comfortable, independent life.

The emotional pull of this book was off the charts. Part of that was from the author, I know, as Balogh just knows how to do emotions. Yet, I think a part of it was the circumstances of our leads and their intense yearning for family, love, and peace. Ben’s handicaps and Samantha’s family situations are intense. As they start to grow closer together and develop this deep love, there’s also a powerful sense that they may not have a future and that any relationship they have is only transitory.

At times, this was stressed to the extreme of being melodramatic, though. There were times where I really couldn’t see why these two couldn’t just hitch a ride to the nearest church and say their “I dos”. Maybe it’s a period thing, a Regency thing, that wasn’t coming across clearly for me. But that all made for dramatic reading!

Speaking of the Regency thing, Balogh really gets this time period and brings her readers into it. Maybe it’s the intense role the Napoleonic wars play in the story and lives of the characters; that certainly comes through. Yet, she also gives us a unique and thorough look at the social mores, relationship models, and the daily lives people lived back then. The Regency period is written to death in historical romance, but in Balogh’s hands, it gets a more in-depth look and becomes more than just background fluff.

This was a fantastic introduction to the Survivor’s series. I loved the characters, their emotional pulls, and the setting we see them in. At times, the story crosses into the melodramatic and the character’s backgrounds slide into cliché territory. Yet, that in no way makes this a horrible read. I look forward to continuing on this series; I’ve already made some significant headway.