DEATH BE NOT PROUD . . . it is safe to say this novel really
stretched by comprehension as a reader.
Some good. Some bad.
This is book two in The
Secrets of the Journal series. Since
I didn’t read book one–MORTAL FIRE, I was at a bit of a disadvantage. If I hadn’t requested this book as part of a
blog reviewer agreement I probably never would’ve finished it, but I am so glad
that I did.
The first half of the book is a confusion between back-story
and set-up. Since I didn’t read MORTAL
FIRE, you would’ve assumed I would like the back-story to bring me up to
speed. Instead, it only served to
confuse and frustrate me. The back story
never came right out and told me what happened in book one, it only alluded to
it. I found myself reading and
re-reading sections to try and grasp where the story had come from and where it
was heading. So, for readers jumping in,
it wasn’t too helpful, and probably for readers who already read book one, it
probably frustrated because of the length of rehashing that happened.
The second half of the book is where momentum really picked
up. It was so enthralling and captivating,
I couldn’t put it down. Of course, the
second half is where both hero and heroine are reunited. I have long said that I do not like romance
books that keep the two main characters at arm’s length for an extended period of
time, so I am sure that led to my dislike of the first half.
The other thing that was bothersome, is when reading the
first half of the book I found myself wondering . . . is Matthew a ghost, a time
traveler, an alien, etc. ? I am not into
paranormal fiction so I kept wondering how long I was going to be in the dark
regarding Matthew’s secret, and once revealed would I want to continue? No worries there. By the end of book two, you still don’t know
what Matthew’s story is. And now, I am
so emotionally invested, I will have to watch for the release of book three
ROPE OF SAND in order to have my questions answered and conclusions tied
up. If this was the hope of author C.F.
Dunn, she achieved it expertly! This
reader is on the hook for the last installment.
Book provided for review purposes.
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