Since book four stars the ‘Turns Out He Was Only Slightly Dead’ Reynaud, Sam and Emeline are most definitely going to show up. Perhaps the sister will get mentioned then?

I returned to book 1 finally, not for the main couple but for Melisande, Jasper, and the Spinner’s Falls plot. I suppose it’s a complement to the other books in the series that I’m willing to wade through a couple I hate for side characters I learned to love later.

I know how you feel as I’ve struggled through books for things like this too.

But going back and reading this review reminded me that Samuel’s sister is still a loose end. She seemed like she was having feelings for the footman and even talked with him about the opportunities in the New World but since this book, we’ve not heard squat about her.

Samuel tiptoes towards a bit of alpha-ish behavior. She said no and he ignored it a few too many times for my comfort.

THANK YOU, I was hoping I wasn’t the only one who noticed. This is why I don’t like him. At one point he says he enjoys sparring with Emeline, but you know it’s not sparring when you don’t let her finish a sentence. And trailing off this is the reason I, as much as I wanted to, didn’t like Emeline . I prefer my heroines able to give as good as they get. When they’re in the warehouse and she gets excited finding out bargaining is a game of wits, I shouted “Oh now you’re showing some wit!” because all I’d seen was her interrupted gasps of outrage whenever Samuel overstepped the line from charmingly provoking to ass.

I loved the prince series and was excited for a new series, but the first time I started this book I couldn’t finish it because I just could not get into the couple. Still, it was Hoyt and I didn’t like the Leopard Prince much either so I kept buying the books hoping they’d be better and they were. I returned to book 1 finally, not for the main couple but for Melisande, Jasper, and the Spinner’s Falls plot. I suppose it’s a complement to the other books in the series that I’m willing to wade through a couple I hate for side characters I learned to love later.

I was really following the “mission” subplot but then Samuel figures it out and seems to nonchalantly blow it off for a night of hot nookie. “Oh yeah, I know who sold us out and condemned so many men to such horrible deaths….I’ll deal with it in the am.” was the impression I got.

I did think Emmie was prickly but I chalked it up to how worried she was about looking after all the things in her life that her husband, father, brother were supposed to deal with for her but they all died and suddenly she was responsible for it all without probably ever having really been taught how to do it.