Through the Evil Days by Julia Spencer Fleming

Through the Evil Days by Julia Spencer-Fleming

My rating: 4 of 5 stars


One of those books I snagged on release day, after two years of looking out for it. Another small town police chief/episcopal priest mystery. As usual, the A-plot is the weakest element – I swear at one point, as her usual series of increasingly improbable events piled up, that the main characters just drove in big circles for twenty pages. I was like, "I feel you, dudes – if I was stuck in a plot this overbaked, I'd opt out, too."

But I'm in it for the characters, and ugh, I just love them so much. As always, there is so much respect here for the work of a relationship. Clare and Russ have always been incredibly different people. That doesn't change the amazing thing they found in each other, but it does mean they have to work at it. Especially when they have two very different and entirely appropriate reactions to an unwanted pregnancy.

And everyone else, being scared and cornered and clever and brave and weak by turns. They are all lovely and flawed, and I want to watch all of them work at happiness for many many more books.

Even if the A plots continue to be this dumb.




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Kindred Hearts by Rowan Speedwell

Kindred Hearts by Rowan Speedwell

My rating: 2 of 5 stars


M/M historical. Flighty nineteenth-century party boy becomes involved with his wife's twin brother (without any of the infidelity kink that implies). Fine, until it ruined itself with a subplot. I appreciate 'reconciling with an estranged family member' plots as much as the next girl, but there's that and then there's 'reconciling with an abuser' plots. This book thought it was doing the first and was really, really wrong. I have kind of a raw nerve in this general vicinity right now, but when this book started in with the pressure from everyone for forgiveness because he loves you really despite the years and years of emotional abuse (apparently it's not abuse if he didn't . . . mean it really?), with a side dish of 'of course you must forgive, he is family and you have to forgive family' – yeah, no, I'm out, and also fuck right off, book.



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