rainbowbrarian's Reviews (1.85k)

I wanted to like this story more. But it felt like Ray spent a really long time making excuses for kips behavior. And the way Kip acted was pretty awful towards Ray.  Refusing to acknowledge him in public as his fiancé, allowing their neighbor to believe they were just roommates and constantly erasing Ray’s existence in his life was pretty awful to read and pretty awful to hear Ray excusing all the time. I understand the internalized homophobia that Kip grew up with, but I think it should’ve been a discussion that they had much earlier in their relationship. Because that kind of behavior is really hurtful.

 

Thank you to @netgalley and @randomhouse for this eARC copy.

In this sequel to Mortal Follies, we follow the story of Gentleman John Caesar and Captain Orestes James as they meet when the Captain steps in to prevent him from getting a thrashing from the dastardly Major Bloodworth.  Situations are further complicated when James’ sister enters a bargain with a Lady from Faerie.  The family must come together to stand against the combined dangers of the Seelie Court, a Murderous Ancient Cult, and the unsubtle racism of English society.

I haven’t read Mortal Follies, the first in the series, so there were parts of this I’m sure I would have liked better if I had read it, but I still enjoyed this one.  I SUPER love that it’s narrated by Puck/Robin Goodfellow, and there’s a whole thread of Puck being shady towards William Shakespeare.  I really only have one complaint which was why this wasn’t a four star read for me.  Alexis Hall’s works are marketed as romances and they really aren’t.  They are fantasies and contemporary fictions with romantic subplots IN THEM.  And there is a difference.  I need to keep this in mind going in, because I do really enjoy Alexis Hall’s work, the snarky dialog is SO GOOD.  But they aren’t romances and when I see them marketed that way and then they turn out not to be, I’m left disappointed.  It’s like if you ordered hot chocolate and were delivered iced tea.  I like both beverages, but when I want hot cocoa, iced tea isn’t going to hit the spot.