Note to self: Upgraded due to more processing time. Still magic, just not the exact right mix for me. The writing left me breathless, their connection was lovely, and the epilogue made me cry. I did love how he loved her, and I appreciated her through him, but that's not enough. Still, there are memorable parts, but unfortunately, I struggled too much with an indecisive and regressing Marie who never quite showed up for Sébastien. But, the comparisons are direct to Bliss. I just wish that her vulnerability would have felt more resolved. The complements are exact.Īnd again, we're absolutely treated to a beautiful, earthy book with a swoony and controlled hero (especially if those proper and put together guys are your gig) and a heroine who knows her own mind. Luckily, that exact right and convincing hero was indeed Sébastien, which is why these books are a joy to read. In the end, she obviously wanted the 'dance' and the 'chase,' which I can appreciate, but also this means her own happiness depended on finding the exact right person who'd essentially let her go.but not. I don't mind how Marie fell apart, exactly, but it did leave the end feeling a bit muddied and the reader feeling a bit frustrated with her.įor this heroine-centric reader, that was problematic. And Sébastien remained this steadfast, focused person who grew. Because while Sébastien went from mystery to forthright, charming, pretty amazing hero, Marie ended up quite a mess. Take a hero who doesn't know how to love (or loves in his exacting, expected way) throw in a heroine who owns herself but doesn't know how to be loved.and you end up with a little bit of a dissatisfied reader. Oh, maybe that's it.īut maybe it's not.While I could admire and respect Marie for the first portion of the book, and it looked to be a book, which we discussed, almost similar to THE HEIRESS EFFECT in that the hero has all the developing to do, it turned out, for me, all that happened is I got tipped upside down. She does so in setting, in bringing up the past characters, in the fact that you have read Bliss and frankly haven't forgotten almost any of it.

It is almost, almost unfortunate that Cuevas invites direct comparisons between her first two novels. Spoilering for sake of Buddy Read-and probably anyone who hasn't read it.

Judy cuevas bliss