deanna raybourn – GoodeyReads

Rating: ★★★
Audience: Historical Mystery
Length: 325 pages
Author: Deanna Raybourn
Publisher: Berkley Books
Release Date: February 15th, 2022
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

While investigating a man claiming to be the long-lost heir to a noble family, Veronica Speedwell gets the surprise of her life in this new adventure from the New York Times bestselling and Edgar Award-nominated author Deanna Raybourn.

London, 1889. Veronica Speedwell and her natural historian beau Stoker are summoned by Sir Hugo Montgomerie, head of Special Branch. He has a personal request on behalf of his goddaughter, Euphemia Hathaway. After years of traveling the world, her eldest brother, Jonathan, heir to Hathaway Hall, was believed to have been killed in the catastrophic eruption of Krakatoa a few years before.

But now a man matching Jonathan’s description and carrying his possessions has arrived at Hathaway Hall with no memory of his identity or where he has been. Could this man truly be Jonathan, back from the dead? Or is he a devious impostor, determined to gain ownership over the family’s most valuable possessions–a legendary parure of priceless Rajasthani jewels? It’s a delicate situation, and Veronica is Sir Hugo’s only hope.

Veronica and Stoker agree to go to Hathaway Hall to covertly investigate the mysterious amnesiac. Veronica is soon shocked to find herself face-to-face with a ghost from her past. To help Sir Hugo discover the truth, she must open doors to her own history that she long believed to be shut for good.

NEUTRAL.

I went into this with a different mindset after not loving the previous two books. This series reads much more like a cozy mystery set in a historical time period and once my brain clicked to that kind of genre, things got better.

Veronica and Stoker were as always, just fine! I liked getting more of Veronica’s back story and learning some new angles to her personality. Stoker, formidable and dedicated still made me swoon with the way he talks to Veronica. I love that there connection continually seems to strengthen which each passing tale.

This started off as an interesting story. I liked the new characters added and seeing the old resurface. Towards the end I thought things became repetitive again. There’s only so many times you can get kidnapped at gun point before a switch in story telling needs to be made.

While I didn’t love the ending, it definitely opens the story back up for future books. I heard there’s at least two more coming so I get it, EVEN IF I’M FRUSTRATED BY IT. Anywho, this is a fun series to mix in with denser reads.

Overall audience notes:

Historical Mystery + Romance
Language: little
Romance: closed door
Violence: low blood, mild otherwise
Overall audience notes: kidnapping, impersonation, mentions of torture, gun violence, physical altercations, near death experiences, colonialism

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Book Review

Book Review: An Unexpected Peril (Veronica Speedwell #6) by Deanna Raybourn

January 17, 2022April 18, 2021 GoodeyReads

Rating: ☆☆☆
Audience: Historical fiction / Mystery
Length: 336 pages
Author: Deanna Raybourn
Publisher: Berkley
Release Date: March 2nd, 2021
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

A princess is missing, and a peace treaty is on the verge of collapse in this new Veronica Speedwell adventure from the New York Times bestselling and Edgar Award-nominated author Deanna Raybourn.

January 1889. As the newest member of the Curiosity Club—an elite society of brilliant, intrepid women—Veronica Speedwell is excited to put her many skills to good use. As she assembles a memorial exhibition for pioneering mountain climber Alice Baker-Greene, Veronica discovers evidence that the recent death was not a tragic climbing accident but murder. Veronica and her natural historian beau, Stoker, tell the patron of the exhibit, Princess Gisela of Alpenwald, of their findings. With Europe on the verge of war, Gisela’s chancellor, Count von Rechstein, does not want to make waves—and before Veronica and Stoker can figure out their next move, the princess disappears.

Having noted Veronica’s resemblance to the princess, von Rechstein begs her to pose as Gisela for the sake of the peace treaty that brought the princess to England. Veronica reluctantly agrees to the scheme. She and Stoker must work together to keep the treaty intact while navigating unwelcome advances, assassination attempts, and Veronica’s own family—the royalty who has never claimed her.

NOT THE SAME.

It’s official. This series has lost its steam. I honestly think it should have ended around book 4 (maybe 5 with a better ending?). Each book has a new case to solve, but there isn’t enough progression personally to keep me overall invested.

This was my first listen on audio for this series too! I didn’t LOVE it, but I could listen to it at a very fast pace so that was nice.

I do love my main man Stoker. He never gets old. I love his snark and romantic self and how he is always trying to protect Veronica. If I could just get Veronica to ADMIT SOME DANG FEEEEELINGS, it would be better. I would love some reciprocation. Then I can really cheer on this power couple. They do actually have conversations and work through disagreements which is really great to see.

The mystery here was fine. I was definitely distracted by other characters enough to not see the true murderer and involvement of other parties. I like the twists towards the end and getting to know the full story.

A mixed bag all around. I don’t love these like I originally did, but it’s kind of nice reading about them again at the same time?

Overall audience notes:

Historical fiction mystery / romance
Language: a little
Romance: kisses to mentions of closed door scenes
Violence: physical altercations
Trigger/Content Warnings: murder, mountain climbing accidents (resulting in death), kidnapping, attempted murder

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Book Review

Book Review: A Murderous Relation (Veronica Speedwell #5) by Deanna Raybourn

August 19, 2020April 4, 2020 GoodeyReads

Rating: ☆☆☆
Audience: Historical fiction / Mystery
Length: 308 pages
Author: Deanna Raybourn
Publisher: Berkley Books
Release Date: March 10th, 2020
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

Veronica Speedwell and her natural historian colleague Stoker are asked by Lady Wellingtonia Beauclerk to help with a potential scandal so explosive it threatens to rock the monarchy. Prince Albert Victor is a regular visitor to the most exclusive private club in London, known as the Club de l’Etoile, and the proprietess, Madame Aurore, has received an expensive gift that can be traced back to the prince. Lady Wellie would like Veronica and Stoker to retrieve the jewel from the club before scandal can break.

Worse yet, London is gripped by hysteria in the autumn of 1888, terrorized by what would become the most notorious and elusive serial killer in history, Jack the Ripper–and Lady Wellie suspects the prince may be responsible.

Veronica and Stoker reluctantly agree to go undercover at Madame Aurore’s high class brothel, where another body soon turns up. Many secrets are swirling around Veronica and the royal family–and it’s up to Veronica and Stoker to find the truth, before it’s too late for all of them.

LET DOWN.

A big, unfortunate let down.

This wasn’t my favorite of the series by far. Lets go ahead and get into it.

First off, I have spent FOUR books waiting for Veronica and Stoker to admit some feelings. Finally got all of that at the end of the previous book, A Dangerous Collaboration. Super excited, wonderful, revelations. Then, in the last dang book of the series I was expecting a lot more fireworks and flair (and a tiny bit of steam) between them, and NOTHING. There is one good moment between them, at the literal end and I am needed more to love this. I kept waiting for them to just have a chance to kiss and chat, but no.

Instead, time was spent rehashing old plot from the first book. Yes, the same story (which I will omit in-case you’re reading this before reading the first book). Brought in most of the same characters, got stuck in the same situation, and got out of it with the usual flair. WHY. It was like this entire series had rolled through all it had, but still needed to conclude somehow. I was hoping this was going to focus more on Jack the Ripper (mentioned throughout because his murders are happening during this book). Nothing was as I expected.

Those two big paragraphs pretty much sign-off on why I had a hard time loving this and felt entirely let down about everything. I have loved these characters and time period setting. I’ll miss this series, and definitely feel bitter with how this wrapped up.

Overall audience notes:

Historical fiction / Mystery
Language: a little light
Romance: kiss; one scene at the end – very little detailed
Violence: guns, swords, kidnapping, physical, murder

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Book Review

Book Review: A Dangerous Collaboration (Veronica Speedwell #4) by Deanna Raybourn

April 8, 2020January 30, 2020 GoodeyReads

Rating: ☆☆☆☆
Audience: Mystery / Historical fiction
Length: 323 pages
Author: Deanna Raybourn
Publisher: Berkley / Penguin Random House
Release Date: March 12th, 2019
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

Victorian adventuress Veronica Speedwell is whisked off to a remote island off the tip of Cornwall when her natural historian colleague Stoker’s brother calls in a favor. On the pretext of wanting a companion to accompany him to Lord Malcolm Romilly’s house party, Tiberius persuades Veronica to pose as his fiancée—much to Stoker’s chagrin. But upon arriving, it becomes clear that the party is not as innocent as it had seemed. Every invited guest has a connection to Romilly’s wife, Rosamund, who disappeared on her wedding day three years ago, and a dramatic dinner proves she is very much on her husband’s mind.

As spectral figures, ghostly music, and mysterious threats begin to plague the partygoers, Veronica enlists Stoker’s help to discover the host’s true motivations. And as they investigate, it becomes clear that there are numerous mysteries surrounding the Romilly estate, and every person present has a motive to kill Rosamund.

A Curious Beginning | A Perilous Undertaking | A Treacherous Curse

AT LAST.

I’ve been given something to work with because hot dang I was about to burn this series alive. I love how well this held my attention and that there wasn’t much dragging in the story. Things kept moving and the curious moments were always around the corner.

If you haven’t been following along with these reviews (I’ve linked them above), I have been desperately waiting for Stoker and Veronica to get their feelings in check and FINALLY admit something to each other. Geez. That was a long time to wait. I’m still not wholly satisfied, but I’m grateful for the small part it did give. There wasn’t as much banter in this book, but Veronica and Stoker still kept things lively. I love their contrasting (yet similar) personalities and how they play off of each other.

This installment was leaps better than the previous book. I found the mystery much more intriguing and couldn’t put my finger on who the villain/villainess was. Until they came on the page with a gun in their hand I was wondering who it would be. There was a much appreciated setting change that threw more mystical lore into the mix. I liked meeting the new characters and the creepy vibes of being in a castle.

I liked the background information I got on Stoker’s brother, Tiberius. It really humanized his choices and personality from the previous books. I found myself really liking his character by the end and feeling sorry for his situation.

There was a definite set up for [what I believe] is the last book. I’m curious how it will all end because of the villain that will be at the forefront of A Murderous Relation.

Overall audience notes: