Heartsong Duet #2
KU e-book
Author: Jennifer Hartmann
Here I go again with a very weird review. Why, you ask? Because, though this was a 5-star book for me because of the writing, there are a few narrative choices that got me confused:
- This was supposed to be Cal’s POV, I expected, as book 1 was 99% Lucy’s. However, it picks up immediately where book 1 ended and we get several chapters with Lucy’s POV. I don’t understand the shift for a dual POV in book 2.
- I’m known for not enjoying duets, so this is definitely influencing my opinion. I truly believe that this duet would have benefitted from being one book with dual POVs. That would probably make the readers warm up to Cal a little more. I’m sure a lot of people will not be happy with some of his actions and the narrative would have worked much better if we saw things through his eyes.
- The build-up about Emma’s death. We’re all used to Jennifer Hartmann’s clever twists, so when the “big reveal” came I was WTF? Is that it? For real? I was hoping for some epic twist in the end that never came. Also, there were some red herrings thrown there that made you think like that.
- Now, I’m nitpicking: Lucy is a vegetarian, so why does she order Chilean sea bass on her date with Cal? Yes, she was under stress, but no vegetarian would do that. And nothing is said about that at all.
Like I said, it’s a weird review because I 5-starred both books. They’re amazingly well-written and gripping, but they are not what expected from what I was promised.
Possible triggers: addiction, terminal illness, death of a sibling (historical), strained relationship with a parent
5/5
