35750272 *I was given a copy by the publisher through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you.

BY: Candace Camp

SERIES: The Mad Morelands #1 (can be read as standalone)

GENRE: Romance, Historical Romance, Paranormal

EXPECTED PUBLICATION: December 26th 2017 (1st published: Oct. 2003)

RATING:

MY REVIEW:

Olivia Morelands is the youngest daughter of a noble family known by the lots as the Mad Morelands. Despite being a lady, she made a profession of investigating and exposing charlatans, specifically those who are engaged in paranormal activities, and in such investigations she met Lord Stephen St. Leger.

After his brother’s death, Stephen came home to claim the family title along with an ancestral home named Blackhope Hall which seemed to be more intriguing than the home he remembered and grown up in. With his mother still grieving and enamored by a woman who claimed she can speak to spirits, Stephen seek help from Olivia.

But frauds aren’t just what to be exposed, suddenly, there are talks of lost souls and evil spirits.

And of an intriguing affair between two people who have been dead for centuries.

……..Let me start by saying that my Netgalley shelf is filled with Historical Romances because I love this genre so much. Needless to say, I was so excited to read this one. Sadly it didn’t satisfy me as much as wanted it to.

The story started perfectly. Actually, the whole idea of a man and a woman who is skeptical when it comes to paranormal stuffs joined forces to expose a fraud, and ended up exposing more than they bargained for. It was amazing. How Olivia and Stephen met was amazingly done.

Actually, most of the scenes should’ve been great but I found that the writing isn’t for me. Too informative making it too predictable. I had rolled my eyes countless times, and occasionally blurting out ‘SERIOUSLY?!?’ because really. There are instances that I want the characters to in front of me so I can smack them. The thing is right in front of their eyes, of their beautiful faces, and yet they kept on going over and over about their evidences. And by evidences I mean, the events that have happened all throughout their so-called investigation.

They kept repeating everything. SERIOUSLY!?! They would rehash it first in their minds and then speak it or sometimes vice versa. I thinks that’s not necessary. Tehre are so many times that things could’ve been summarized into a single sentence than repeating everything else. It gets boring.

I also don’t like the style of writing where in another’s POV one is wondering about something about the other and in the other’s POV it would be revealed. TOO INFORMATIVE. The readers can figure these things out. No need to literally tell the readers everything.

Also it bothered me, how saintly the main protagonists are. Their literally saints in all aspect, including physical. Countless times, the main ladies, Lady Alys and Lady Olivia were both depicted as women who aren’t only strong, they’re also have great hearts. Ugh!!!. Worse, sometimes, their good qualities were literally spoken.

I think my stars are only for the paranormal side, I kinda enjoyed them.

Hope if any of you happen to read this book, you guys enjoy it more than I did. 🙂 I think it’s still available on Netgalley.

Happy Reading guys 🙂

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