J.A. Belfield

**Warning: Contains some spoilers**

What I liked about this book? The fact I’ve been struggling for weeks to really get into a story and this one suckered me right in from the off. I’m not even mad about the fact that we had to wait so long for Bones’ reappearance.
Yes, that does sound as though I quite liked Bones in this one. Because whilst he grated on me a little in the first book (mostly his chipper British accent), he was toned down enough in this book for him to not get on my nerves and I ended up quite liking him.
So onto what bugged me about the book:
- I felt as though the beginning was rushed. The whole deal with Noah felt like a fake setup to add something extra (that didn’t seem particularly needed) to the endgame–especially the way the beginning of their relationship (their entire relationship, in fact) was skimmed over to get through the story faster. I think it would have worked better for the plot if Noah had just been left out of it all together rather than trying to force that thread in. It just didn’t quite work as smoothly as it needed to for me. I mean, even the well placed cat was barely mentioned again after the event.
- I’d have preferred it if Cat hadn’t whined about every bit of jealousy she felt over Bones in front of her colleagues. It was a somewhat belittling. I’d have expected better of her.
- I wasn’t too keen on the whole ghoul idea for wrapping the book up. It seemed to have no relevance in this story, apart from the fact this is where Dave dies. Is his ghoulness going to be relevant later in the series? Just seems as though it was stuck in the wrong place when I can’t see the relevance of it here. Maybe he could have been opened up at the beginning of the next book instead. That would have made a decent opener.
- I wasn’t keen on the time transitions (or timeline jumping, if you prefer). Time passed with little showing of what had occurred during the time. I think maybe they could have been handled a bit better. I don’t know if this might have been because so much time had passed between the first book and this, and then it felt as though the beginning was being rushed as much as possible to get the reader to the juice. In that case, should the author question if the story was started in the right place? I dunno.
- Tate. I’m sorry, I just didn’t find his later actions in the book very believable. He declares his feelings for Cat, but then sleeps with a vampire, a species he HATES, as though in a petty attempt to get back at her or make himself feel better. It just didn’t gel for me. And seemed to serve no particular purpose to the book.

Sounds like quite a few cons, I know. However, the fact I really enjoyed this bookdespite those should tell you a lot.

That is all … I think.  )