Sunday Salon: Historical Fiction Reading Challenge - January statistics

Every month I share some of the statistics related to the Historical Fiction Reading Challenge. I try very hard to visit every post which has been linked (time permitting) and I find it interesting to see what are the books that people are reading and reviewing! I often end up adding a couple of books to my never ending TBR list.

In terms of the books read in January, there were  reviews linked up for the challenge, shared by 22 participants. There were 55 individual titles reviewed, written by 52 different authors. There were 3 reviewers who reviewed more than 5 books each. There were also a couple of people who contributed their first reviews for the challenge! Welcome to you all. Thank you to everyone who shared their links whether it be 11 or just 1.

So which books were reviewed more than once in January?

There Were Rivers in the Sky by Elif Shafak was reviewed by myself and Bree from All the Books You Can Read.Now you would be right to wonder if this is a coincidence as we did have a conversation where one of us said we were reading it and the other said maybe I will too. You can read Bree's review here and mine is here.

The other book that was reviewed twice was The Night on the Darling River by Darry Fraser. I am so excited to see this book by an Australian historical fiction author reviewed by two American reviewers! The first review was from Laura at Laura's Reviews and the second was from Sarah at Reading the Past.

There was also one author who had two individual books review which was Mary Balogh. Laura from Laura's Reviews reviewed Under the Mistletoe and Susan from Reading World reviewed Remember When.

I'll be back next month with the statistics for February!

I am sharing this post with Sunday Salon, hosted at Readerbuzz.

Top Ten Tuesday: Authors I Have Read the Most Book By

Welcome to this week's edition of Top Ten Tuesday which is hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl.

I am soooo excited! I have been keeping a spreadsheet of the books that I have read since 2014. For a long time I would also use it to keep track of when and where I acquired books, what series I was reading and what the new books were in each series, for my reading challenges and more. These days though, it really is just my log of what I have read. But for a question like this, it really comes into it's own! Hello, pivot tables!

The question for this week's TTT is which authors have you read the most books by. I therefore have 14 years of worth of data to analyse. Sounds like fun right!

Nora Roberts/J D Robb - with a whopping 59 titles read published under either the name Nora Roberts or J D Robb, this is the author that I have read the most over the last 14 years. The interesting thing is that over the last 4 years I have only read three Nora Roberts books, and I haven't actually read a J D Robb novel since 2009. I am up to book number 17 in the In Death series. Given that book number 50 just came out I don't think I will be catching up any time soon. This cover is from Sea Swept, the first book I ever read by Nora Roberts

Janet Evanovich - This is another case of a reader who I have read a lot of books by that I don't really read at all any more. I have read 45 books which includes her standalone romances and a copy of the shortlived series. I did read 19 of the Stephanie Plum books, but I couldn't take it any more. I was a Morelli cupcake from the beginning, but I would be okay with Stephanie choose Ranger if it just meant that she was picking one of them!

Robyn Carr - This author comes in third place, mainly due to the fact that I have reread the entire Virgin River series more than once, and I would again. As much as I love the VR series, I haven't really been that impressed by the standalone books or other series.

Lisa Kleypas - I have read 34 books by this author. At one stage I was pretty much up to date but then I haven't read that much for the last few years and so got a bit behind. This book is one of the rare standalone books. You don't hear a lot about this book but it is one of my favourites.

Mary Balogh - This one surprised me in some ways, because I wouldn't have thought I had read so many books but according to my handy spreadsheet I have read 24 books by her. The interesting thing on this author is that I haven't rated any of these books at more than a 4/5 so her books are of a pretty consistent standard.

Jill Shalvis - This is another author I have read 24 books by. I read one earlier this year for the first time but it didn't blow my mind so not sure if that was just that book! I do have fond memories of several series so it isn't time to give up just yet.

Elizabeth Chadwick - Oh, I do enjoy Elizabeth Chadwick's medieval historical fiction. I loved her William Marshall books. Really I don't think there are any books I haven't enjoyed. It is therefore surprising that I am a few books behind. Need to get back to her books.

Alexander McCall Smith - AMS's books are always very soothing reads, so I don't think it is surprising that I have read so many of his books - at last count 21. Most of those are the No. 1 Ladies Detective Agency books although I have read other books by him as well. I will say that these are still my favourite style of covers for this series.

Elizabeth Peters - This was another that surprised me, and then I was reminded that it has been many years since I read any of the books in the Amelia Peabody series and I haven't finished it yet. I don't really know why because I did love this series.

Julia Quinn - Another surprise entry in the list as I wouldn't have thought I would have read 20 books from this author, and there are still plenty more available, although it has been quite some time since I read any of her books. I am wondering if the upcoming Bridgerton series on Netflix may inspire me to get back to reading her books.

My most read Aussie authors were just outside this top 10 and they were for Kelly Hunter and Rachael Johns. I have a Rachael Johns book on my bedside table right now so her numbers are still on the rise.

I do find it a bit curious that there are so many romance authors on this list, but I think it is because they often write series or linked books, and they publish regularly.

Which authors made your list!

Simply Perfect by Mary Balogh

Set against the seductive backdrop of Regency England, New York Times bestselling author Mary Balogh’s latest novel sweeps us into the sensual, enthralling world of an elite academy for young ladies. Here, amid music lessons and garden parties, whispered confessions and secret yearnings, one of the school’s teachers—headmistress Claudia Martin—will find her well-ordered world jolted by love when she meets a man who would make the perfect husband…for somebody else.

Tall, dark, and exquisitely sensual, he is the epitome of male perfection. Not that Claudia Martin is looking for a lover. Or a husband. As owner and headmistress of Miss Martin’s School for Girls in Bath, she long ago resigned herself to a life without love. Until Joseph, Marquess of Attingsborough, arrives unannounced and tempts her to toss away a lifetime of propriety for an affair that can only lead to ruin.

Joseph has his own reasons for seeking Claudia out. Instantly, irresistibly attracted to the dedicated teacher, he embarks on a plan of seduction that leaves them both yearning for more. But as heir to a prestigious dukedom, Joseph is expected to carry on his family’s legacy. And Claudia knows she has no place in his world.

Now that world is about to be rocked by scandal. An arranged marriage, a secret that will shock the ton, and a man from Claudia’s past conspire to drive the lovers apart. But Joseph is deter mined to make Claudia his at any cost. Even if that means defying convention and breaking every rule for a love that is everything he has ever wanted—a love that is perfection itself…

Roll out the Bedwyns! It's another Mary Balogh book so they have to be there don't they, and seeing as the Bedwyn's are going to be out, let's trot the Ravensburg's out for another outing. And this is of course, the last book in the Simply series, so we must, must have all the other couples make an appearance. If this is the first book by Balogh that you were reading it would have been almost overwhelming trying to figure out who all the other people being talked about were with dukes and duchesses, and their various offspring, and not to mention the siblings and their spouses.

Does that sound a little cynical? Well...I guess it is, but I cannot tell you how relieved I am that Balogh has announced that the next book will not be related to the Bedwyn's already, because as much as I like them, they do tend to overwhelm the other characters.

How about this book then? As I said before this is the final book in the Simply series, featuring the school teachers of Miss Martin's School for Girls in Bath. The heroine in this book is the aforementioned Miss Martin - a very prim and proper head mistress who has a well known dislike for dukes. What isn't well known is why she dislikes dukes.

Enter Joseph, Marquess of Attingsborough, who is not a duke...yet! He is next in line to the title though - a duke in waiting if you like! Joseph visits Miss Martin's school with a message from her friend, and very kindly offers to share a carriage with her and two of her pupils as they travel to London in a couple of days time. He also appears to be very interested in Miss Martin's school, and whilst Claudia has some suspicions about the motive behind this interest, she can't fail to be charmed by this very likable man.

I really liked Joseph. When his secret revealed to Miss Martin, I couldn't help be charmed by him myself, and I cheered (on the inside) when he revealed his secrets to his family and friends, despite the fact that a man's private business should never be told in society. I really, really disliked his fiance, although I guess that that is what we were supposed to feel, but in many ways I found her a bit too one dimensional, and we never did find out if there was a reason for her cold fish kind of ways.

I liked Claudia too. When we learn why it is that she doesn't like dukes, I did find the reason a bit flimsy, but still understandable. and I loved the devotion and care she showed to all her students and friends.

The strongest parts of this book were when the author concentrated just on our couple. Their growing friendship and attraction to each other was again well written. Where the book was weakest however was in the need to have so many previous characters play a part.

So now that this series is over, what are my thoughts on it? I guess I could sum it up by saying simply forgettable, although that would be a bit harsh. Certainly I could remember Anne and Sydnam's stories from Simply Love, but I really struggled to remember Peter and Susanna's story from Simply Magic. It is fair to say that I remember nothing of the story from Simply Unforgettable, which is kind of ironic. **checks MB's website** Oh yes, Simply Unforgettable featured Frances and Lucius...nope don't remember it!

There was nothing majorly wrong with any of the books really. I rated them all between 3.5 and 4 out of 5, which are perfectly respectable grades, but there really is very little that makes then stand out amongst the other historicals out there either!

I will read Balogh's future books, and I do still have many books from her back list to read, but in this case, I will be looking forward to seeing what can be done with brand new characters.

Simply Magic by Mary Balogh

On a splendid August afternoon Susanna Osbourne is introduced to the most handsome man she has ever seen . . . and instantly feels the icy chill of recognition. Peter Edgeworth, Viscount Whitleaf, is utterly charming - and seemingly unaware that they have met before. With his knowing smile and seductive gaze, Peter acts the rake; but he stirs something in Susanna she has never felt before, a yearning that both frightens and dazzles her. Instantly she knows: this brash nobleman poses a threat to her heart . . . and to the secrets she guards so desperately.

From the moment they meet, Peter is drawn to Susanna's independence, dazzled by her sharp wit-he simply must have her. But the more he pursues, the more Susanna withdraws . . . until a sensual game of thrust-and-parry culminates in a glorious afternoon of passion. Now more determined than ever to keep her by his side, Peter begins to suspect that a tragic history still haunts Susanna. And as he moves closer to the truth, Peter is certain of one thing: he will defy the mysteries of her past for a future with this exquisite creature-all Susanna must do is trust him with the most precious secret of all. . . .

This is the third book in the Simply series after Simply Love , which itself was a spin off of the Slightly series which featured the Bedwyn family, as well as a couple of characters from earlier books! And once again the author chooses to feature all of these characters in her latest book. Mercifully they are shorter appearances by the whole gang than there have been in the earlier Simply books, but they are still there. I was thankful to read on Mary Balogh's website that she is starting a new series, one not connected at all to her previous books - thank goodness. There is such a thing as too much of a good thing.

The other thing that there was too much of in this book is the over use of the words magic, magical and magically - we get it already. There was also a strange use of italics used for emphasis throughout the book. Even though I have been known to use capitals in posts and comments, I don't think I have seen anything similar in a book before!

And what about the story itself...well, it was nice! And I mean that in the nicest possible way. There was no cold distant duke, wounded hero, or even redeemable rake. What we have with Peter is a funny, charming, honourable man who is trying to find his sense of identity in his current role as a Viscount. When he meets Susannah he instantly knows that she is the one, although he is not 100 percent sure what that means. However, as soon as Susannah meets him she knows exactly who is his, and is determined not to like him. As she gets to know him though, she can't help but like spending time with him, and without being attracted to him, despite the fact that he is close neighbours with important figures from her past that she would rather avoid.

In terms of timing, the first half of this book overlaps with the events in the last book, and Peter and Susannah meet each other again at the wedding reception that was held for the hero and heroine, Syd and Anne. The other thing that happens is that those same figures from Susannah's past also come back to haunt her.

In many ways the love story between Susannah and Peter is pretty straightforward. The only impediment is really the events from her past, and once they the events of years before are cleared up satisfactorily then there is only their feelings towards each other that matter. Whilst this wasn't the most electrifying book that I have ever read, it wasn't a bad book either. In fact, if I was to choose just one word to use to describe this book it would be ...... nice!

Rating 4/5

Simply Love by Mary Balogh

New York Times bestselling author Mary Balogh returns to the elegance and sensuality of Regency England as she continues the enthralling story of four remarkable women- friends and teachers at Miss Martin's School for Girls. At the center of this spellbinding novel is Anne Jewell, a teacher haunted by a scandalous past...until she meets a man who teaches her the most important lesson of all: nothing is simple when it comes to love....

She spies him in the deepening dusk of a Wales evening- a lone figure of breathtaking strength and masculinity, his handsome face branded by a secret pain. For single mother and teacher Anne Jewell, newly arrived with her son at a sprawling estate in Wales on the invitation of an influential friend, Sydnam Butler is a man whose sorrows- and passions- run deeper than she could have ever imagined.

As steward of a remote seaside manor, Sydnam lives a reclusive existence far from the pity and disdain of others. Yet almost from the moment Anne first appears on the cliffs, he senses in this lovely stranger a kindred soul, and between these two wary hearts, desire stirs. Unable to resist the passion that has rescued them both from loneliness, Anne and Sydnam share an afternoon of exquisite lovemaking. Now the unwed single mother and war-scarred veteran must make a decision that could forever alter their lives. For Sydnam, it is a chance to heal the pain of the past. For Anne, it is the glorious promise of a future with the man who will dare her to reveal her deepest secrets...before she can give him all her heart.

When Anne Jewell is convinced to go on holidays with the Marquess of Hallmere (her son's cousin and self appointed guardian angel), Anne is determined that she will in effect be like a companion and act as a servant. When it appears on her first night that her hosts have other ideas, she is mortified, and decides to go for a walk. Whilst out walking she catches her first glimpse of Sydnam Butler. At first captivated, when he turns to face her she sees the scars on his face and flees. Mortified by her own terrible behaviour she returns to the spot within minutes but the mysterious man has disappeared.

When she meets him again, Anne apologises, and is then drawn to spend time with Sydnam, finding another lonely soul, with a similarly scarred psyche. Whilst Sydnam's scars are very visible (along with the inner ones he has), Anne's are invisible, but still very much affecting her daily life. As Anne and Sydnam continue to spend time together there is a growing sexual tension between them.

The first half of this book where the couple get to know each other was really good. The dialogue, both internal and external, was well written and completely believable. Given that we had met both of these characters before, there was already a sense of knowing them, at least a little, as I was going into the book and I think that helped with my enjoyment. Sydnam is the brother of Kit Butler who was the hero in A Summer to Remember, and Anne first was mentioned in Slightly Scandalous, and then appeared again in Simply Unforgettable.

The only thing I have felt a couple of times recently with Mary Balogh is that I have read the story before. The scarred war hero had echoes of Adam from The Secret Pearl, although I liked Sydnam from the get go, not like Adam, who I had to get to like eventually throughout that book!

I actually had a couple of issues with the turns that the book took in the second half, and also overall with the characters, oh, and the copyrighters who wrote that back cover blurb!!!

Firstly, my issue with the characters..........this book was like a passing parade of characters from Balogh's previous books. All of the Bedwyn's were present and accounted for - along with their spouses, children, and in some cases their in-laws. Yes, some of them performed a role within the story, but maybe it is time to give some of them time to live quietly in the country and not be dragged out into the spotlight in every book. Then, when the Bedwyn's temporarily exit (stage right), in come all of the Butler's from A Summer to Remember, oh, and a mention of the characters from One Night for Love for good measure. And then, change of location, and role in the characters from Simply Unforgettable.

Secondly, my issue with the storyline. Please be aware that there will be SPOILERS in the following couple of paragraphs.

************SPOILERS**********

Why, why, why did the author have Anne Jewel get pregnant from her one sexual encounter with Sydnam. The poor woman has had sex twice in her life (one being a rape) and she has ended up with two pregnancies. Yes, I understand that that meant that Sydnam would do the right thing and marry her thus moving the story forward, but surely it would have been a more romantic story had they been so drawn to each other that they continued some kind of communication eventually leading to their getting together. Yes, I know that it could happen (after all my own mother must have only had sex three times!!) but to me it felt very manipulative way of making the story go where it needed to go.

Secondly, the copyrighters. "Anne and Sydnam share an afternoon of exquisite lovemaking". Did they read the book? One of the things that I thought the author did do very well was in the portrayal of the sexual issues that a woman that has been raped or abused feels. Whilst Anne was a very willing participant initially, the lovemaking was not exquisite for her, and Sydnam knew it! Of course, he thought it was about him when it wasn't but still!

*********End SPOILERS********

If it was just Sydnam and Anne's story then I would have rated this higher, but because of my issues I have had to mark it down just a little.

Rating 3.5/5

The Secret Pearl by Mary Balogh

This is one of Mary Balogh's older books that has recently been rereleased. On her website she says that "is often named by long-time readers as one of their favorites among my books". I'm afraid that I am going to disagree!

Mary Balogh has no equal when it comes to capturing the complex, irresistible passions between men and women. Her classic novel, The Secret Pearl, is one of the New York Times bestselling author’s finest–a tale of temptation and seduction, of guarded hearts and raw emotion…and of a love so powerful it will take your breath away….

He first spies her in the shadows outside a London theatre, a ravishing creature forced to barter her body to survive.

To the woman known simply as Fleur, the well-dressed gentleman with the mesmerizing eyes is an unlikely savior. And when she takes
the stranger to her bed, she never expects to see him again. But then Fleur accepts a position as governess to a young girl…and is stunned to discover that her midnight lover is a powerful nobleman. As two wary hearts ignite–and the threat of scandal hovers over them – one question remains: will she be mistress or wife?

Fleur is a desperate young woman. She thinks that she has killed a man and has fled from her home, expecting at any moment to be arrested for murder to have her fate sealed at the hand of the hangman. When she hasn't eating for two days she feels she has only two options. The first is to give up and die, the second to fight for life, anyway she can. So she goes to Covent Garden to hopefully make some cash to be able to survive for the next few days at least.

Adam is married to his Duchess Sybil in name only and has a very precocious child, Pamela, who is one of those terribly not cute children that populate romance novels. When his brother returns his marriage once more turns a corner towards more unhappiness.

After Fleur has been at the Duke's residence at Willoughby, she finally finds out that the man who has employed her was the same man who now taunts her in her nightmares, but she is still safe, that is until a few weeks later, when her accuser tracks her down and then attempts to blackmail her. When Adam finds out he sets out to find out the truth of the matter, unveiling many secrets along the way.

I have a real problem with the hero of this book. I can see why some readers would like him - he is damaged both emotionally from his unhappy marriage to his ill wife, and physically from wounds he received at the Battle of Waterloo. I guess my main problem is with his treatment of Fleur. When he first sees Fleur she is trying to offer herself as a prostitute for the first time. Adam engages her, and then roughly welcomes her to the world of sex. Granted that he has no way of knowing that she is a virgin, and he has no reason to think that she is anything other than a seasoned prostitute. He does then seek her out and employ her as his daughter's governess, which in some eyes I guess would redeem him, but I guess what really annoyed me was that later in the book he says that he recognised her as the love of his life the second that he saw her standing in the shadows of Covent Gardens. If that is the case, why did he treat her so badly. Yes, he redeemed himself to an extent by giving her a respectable job, and by tracking down the truth but for me it just wasn't enough.

That doesn't mean that there weren't some lovely moments as Fleur begins to learn to trust him. There is a scene in a carriage where they just link little fingers that I thought was lovely, but those scenes are not enough to redeem Adam in my eyes. Luckily fate provided the means to a happily ever after!

Rating 3.5/5

No Man's Mistress by Mary Balogh

Having read More Than a Mistress earlier this month, I was looking forward to reading the story of Lord Ferdinand Dudley, younger brother of Jocelyn Dudley, Earl of Tresham.

Ferdinand arrives in the village of Trellick in time for the village fair, and finds himself entranced by both the village, and one particular village girl in particular. After dancing with her and quite rashly kissing her, they part ways. The next morning, Ferdinand thinks that maybe that was a mistake, for she may be one of his new neighbours, perhaps even the vicar's daughter. He has recently gained ownership of Pinewood Manor and has come to see what kind of money pit he has acquired, as the person he won it off of whilst gambling had never seen the property either.

There is, however, a rather large problem to deal with when he arrives at Pinewood Manor. He finds that it is already occupied by the same village girl, who is Miss Viola Thornhill. Ferdinand has the deeds to the property in London, that say that he owns the property, whereas Miss Thornhill insists that she is the rightful owner, having been given the property two years previously. There is a stand off from which neither party is prepared to backdown, and they both end up staying in the house until such time as the appropriate documentation can be obtained and this misunderstanding cleared up once and for all. Of course, this is far from a satisfactory situation, especially in relation to the damage that will be done to Miss Thornhill's reputation.

Initially all Miss Thornhill's friends do their best to drive Ferdinand away, but he gradually wins them over with his friendliness and charm. However, Miss Thornhill has a secret from her past that she is trying to keep hidden, and is not as innocent as she appears to be. Then again, Ferdinand is not quite as worldly as he appears either.

I have to say that this book was a disappointment. For once, I think that there were some crucial differences between this book and the other Mary Balogh's books that I have read in terms of plot, so I really wanted to like it, but I just couldn't. The fact that Ferdinand was VERY inexperienced sexually and that Miss Thornhill..well, just wasn't, was something quite unusual, and yet it just didn't work. The reasoning behind why Ferdinand has "saved" himself was explained, and yet just didn't really cut it, and similarly the reasons for why Viola had done the things she had done were explained, but I guess weren't compelling enough for me.

I wasn't drawn into the world of this book, with many of the secondary characters either very one dimensional or just plain annoying. For example, with Viola's mother, there was very little in the way of explanation of why she had done the things she had done. In fact, the most interesting characters to me were the ones that we had previously met in More Than A Mistress.

Overall, the first REALLY disappointing Mary Balogh that I have read.

Rating 2.5/5

A Chance Encounter by Mary Balogh

In following Standing in the Shadows with this book, I feel as though I have gone from one extreme of the romance genre to the other. The former is contemporary romantic suspense, this one Traditional Regency. Where the former has numerous sex scenes, full of detail, A Chance Encounter is very subtle, with the suggestion of undoing buttons and bodies pressed together. Nothing explicit at all.

Elizabeth Rossiter has been employed as first a governess and then a lady's companion for the last 6 years, and she is quite happy with that arrangement. At least until she crosses paths with Robert Denning, Marquess of Hetherington, a man she would rather not have to ever see again. For six years ago, Elizabeth left London with her reputation in ruins and her heart broken.

Overall, I quite enjoyed this book, particularly the first half of the book as Robert and Elizabeth meet again, and then the details of their previous relationship are revealed. There is a big surprise regarding their previous relationship that is very well done, and changed the complexion of everything that had been read before and then after for me. The other thing that was done very well was having little snapshots of events from six years ago interwoven with the current events, so we only got to see little by little exactly what had gone on six years previously. Having said that, by the end of the book I was actually just wishing that the two of them would sit down and have a conversation, sort out the big misunderstanding and get on with the happily ever after!

This was a very early Mary Balogh title (originally written in 1985), and you can tell, but it was still enjoyable and I am glad to have read it.

Rating 3.5/5

More than a Mistress by Mary Balogh

Jane Ingleby is on her way to her third day of work at a milliners shop, walking across Hyde Park, when she sees two men who are about to take part in a duel. She screams and tries to stop the duel, causing one of the men to lose concentration, and he is shot in the leg. As she is late for work on only her third day, she loses her job. Her boss says that if she can get a letter confirming that she was delayed by the unlikely events that she used as her excuse (I mean, everyone knows that no one duels in Hyde Park anymore!) she will not be able to get her job back...and Jane really needs to earn some money!

Never one to hold back, Jane makes her way to the home of Jocelyn Dudley, Duke of Tresham, the man injured in the duel. Tresham is none too happy. How dare an impudent working class girl interrupt his duel, causing him to be injured. When Jane asks him for a letter so that she can get her job back, he refuses, instead giving her employment for three weeks as his nurse, including a place to live. Jane needs to be earning money and therefore agrees.

Tresham is a cold, domineering man, who very few people will stand up to, but Jane has no fear. Indeed Jane isn't quite what she seems. For that matter neither is Tresham. As they get to know one another we find out that Tresham is in fact a very artistic man, whose abilities were quashed by the former duke, his father.

I enjoyed this book quite a lot, right up until the ending. The scenes where the delightfully impudent Jane stood up to the moody and imperious Duke were very entertaining, the changes in the relationship between Jane and Jocelyn were very tender, and very well written, as you would expect from Mary Balogh. There was enough backstory to keep things interesting, without using one of the standard storylines that you see in Regency romances, for example spies.

And yet, at the end of the book I was left feeling that this book just didn't quite hit the mark. A really major event happens off page just before the end, and I can't help but feel that as a reader, I wanted to be there for it, not told about it later. There was probably more to it than that as well, but I guess that was enough of a flaw in the book for me for it to affect the rating.

Having read and enjoyed numerous Mary Balogh books, I can say that she normally writes at a consistently high standard. There is a sequel to this book called No Man's Mistress which features Ferdinand Dudley, the brother of our hero in this book. I will be looking out for it to see whether I can be more satisfied with the next book.

As I enjoyed most of the book, the rating is still relatively high, but with a better ending it could have been higher.

Rating 4/5