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Charlotte Holmes #2
The Last of August
Watson and Holmes: A match made in disaster.
Jamie Watson and Charlotte Holmes are looking for a winter-break reprieve after a fall semester that almost got them killed. But Charlotte isn’t the only Holmes with secrets, and the mood at her family’s Sussex estate is palpably tense. On top of everything else, Holmes and Watson could be becoming more than friends—but still, the darkness in Charlotte’s past is a wall between them.
A distraction arises soon enough, because Charlotte’s beloved uncle Leander goes missing from the estate—after being oddly private about his latest assignment in a German art forgery ring. The game is afoot once again, and Charlotte is single-minded in her pursuit.
Their first stop? Berlin. Their first contact? August Moriarty (formerly Charlotte’s obsession, currently believed by most to be dead), whose powerful family has been ripping off famous paintings for the last hundred years. But as they follow the gritty underground scene in Berlin to glittering art houses in Prague, Holmes and Watson begin to realize that this is a much more complicated case than a disappearance. Much more dangerous, too.
What they learn might change everything they know about their families, themselves, and each other.
Jamie Watson and Charlotte Holmes are looking for a winter-break reprieve after a fall semester that almost got them killed. But Charlotte isn’t the only Holmes with secrets, and the mood at her family’s Sussex estate is palpably tense. On top of everything else, Holmes and Watson could be becoming more than friends—but still, the darkness in Charlotte’s past is a wall between them.
A distraction arises soon enough, because Charlotte’s beloved uncle Leander goes missing from the estate—after being oddly private about his latest assignment in a German art forgery ring. The game is afoot once again, and Charlotte is single-minded in her pursuit.
Their first stop? Berlin. Their first contact? August Moriarty (formerly Charlotte’s obsession, currently believed by most to be dead), whose powerful family has been ripping off famous paintings for the last hundred years. But as they follow the gritty underground scene in Berlin to glittering art houses in Prague, Holmes and Watson begin to realize that this is a much more complicated case than a disappearance. Much more dangerous, too.
What they learn might change everything they know about their families, themselves, and each other.
317 pages, Hardcover
First published February 14, 2017
761 people are currently reading
19137 people want to read
About the author
Brittany Cavallaro
23 books3,094 followersBrittany Cavallaro is a poet, fiction writer, and old school Sherlockian. She is the New York Times bestselling author of the Charlotte Holmes novels from HarperCollins/Katherine Tegen Books, including A STUDY IN CHARLOTTE, THE LAST OF AUGUST, THE CASE FOR JAMIE, and A QUESTION OF HOLMES. She's also the author of the poetry collections GIRL-KING and UNHISTORICAL (University of Akron) and is the recipient of a National Endowment for the Arts fellowship. She earned her BA in literature from Middlebury College and her MFA in poetry from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. She lives in Michigan with her husband, cat, dog, and collection of deerstalker caps.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 3,149 reviews
May 25, 2018
Unfortunately, I did not love the sequel to A Study In Charlotte as much as book one. Truthfully, I don’t have many significant critiques, I just didn’t enjoy it as much!
CW: talk of substance abuse and rape, ptsd
I did enjoy the setting of the novel. The story ranges from England to Berlin and as Berlin is rarely a location featured in young adult novels, it was a breath of fresh air!
I was very frustrated by the dynamic between Jamie and Charlotte in the second installment. I adored their relationship in book one as it teetered the line between powerful friendship and intimate romance so well, but book two was almost infuriating. The Last of August falls into the unfortunate trope of angsty romance where both characters don’t properly verbalize their feelings and communicate leading to arguments and unnecessary tension. Additionally, there is a sort of “low key” love triangle (which is strange as one leg of the love triangle isn’t currently active but history between the two causes even more strain on the story.) I feel I would have enjoyed this book much more if one of the main conflicts of the story was not the main relationship problems which I’ve seen a thousand times in young adult sequels.
I’m a little conflicted on the mystery in this installment. In theory, I found the focus on an art forgery to be very unique. Exploring the underground art scene was really intriguing, but I felt the plot sort of fell apart near the ending. It was illogical and confusing; I wished things were a bit more tightly construed.
Overall, The Last of August wasn’t my favorite book. It wasn’t the worst sequel ever but I do not feel it compares to book one. I do still love this series and I am definitely planning on reading book three soon!
CW: talk of substance abuse and rape, ptsd
I did enjoy the setting of the novel. The story ranges from England to Berlin and as Berlin is rarely a location featured in young adult novels, it was a breath of fresh air!
I was very frustrated by the dynamic between Jamie and Charlotte in the second installment. I adored their relationship in book one as it teetered the line between powerful friendship and intimate romance so well, but book two was almost infuriating. The Last of August falls into the unfortunate trope of angsty romance where both characters don’t properly verbalize their feelings and communicate leading to arguments and unnecessary tension. Additionally, there is a sort of “low key” love triangle (which is strange as one leg of the love triangle isn’t currently active but history between the two causes even more strain on the story.) I feel I would have enjoyed this book much more if one of the main conflicts of the story was not the main relationship problems which I’ve seen a thousand times in young adult sequels.
I’m a little conflicted on the mystery in this installment. In theory, I found the focus on an art forgery to be very unique. Exploring the underground art scene was really intriguing, but I felt the plot sort of fell apart near the ending. It was illogical and confusing; I wished things were a bit more tightly construed.
Overall, The Last of August wasn’t my favorite book. It wasn’t the worst sequel ever but I do not feel it compares to book one. I do still love this series and I am definitely planning on reading book three soon!
August 1, 2017
Spoilers for those who didn't read book #1. I suggest you read that first prior to reading this book.
I am so annoyed. Since I gave book #1 three stars, I hoped for another three star read or higher this time. But due to the lack of any mysteries to solve and just more teen angst and a love triangle that only one person was interested in (Jamie) I was over this book before the end.
I haven't read all of Arthur Conan Doyle's Sherlock stories, but I never got from him a sense of disdain for Watson. Or that Sherlock didn't know right from wrong. I don't know if putting this in the YA setting is the issue or what. I really enjoyed A Study in Scarlet Women so you can have a gender flipped Sherlock Holmes that doesn't make you loathe the character.
As others may recall based on the last book, the Moriarty family realizes August is alive and they want him back and Charlotte Holmes and her family punished. Charlotte and Jamie head back to England for the holiday break and while there stay at both their homes. While at Charlotte's family home, Jamie finally meets Leander Holmes. Leander is currently undercover looking into some art forgeries and then goes missing. Jamie and Charlotte believe it may be the Moriarty family or the case he's working that's behind his disappearance. The trail leads Charlotte and Jamie to go to Berlin to figure out what's going on. This leads to the not dynamic duo staying with Milo (Charlotte's older brother) and Charlotte connecting with August Moriarty again.
Good things:
We get to meet August Moriarty in this one and he's more developed than most of the other characters. He has a lot more patience for Jamie's jealously than I would have and the fact that he even speaks to Charlotte is a point in his favor. It's like everyone but Leander Holmes gets what Charlotte did was wrong with ruining August when he rejected her romantically. He's too good for Charlotte and I felt the most for him since he is torn between the Holmes family and his. Even with everything we readers get to see, Jamie constantly keeps needing him to be a villain and sorry I was not here for that.
Leander Holmes is another character I enjoyed we just didn't get to spend much time with. He definitely has a better sense about things than any Holmes besides Charlotte's mother. We get more insight into him due to emails he sends Jamie's father, but I don't think anything Jamie is reading sinks in at all.
I liked the cover.
Everything else:
Dear authors, if one of your characters is raped, and another character who wasn't raped keeps complaining about how that rape is affecting him throughout the entire book your readers may hate the character. I know I did. As readers know we find out that Charlotte Holmes was raped in the last book. She rightfully is still dealing with the aftermath of that. But due to Jamie being in love with her and wanting to be with her "that way", he's frustrated. I hope you enjoy teen fights since that's a good 2/3 of this book. And Jamie stating he loves Charlotte, but gets angry at her every five seconds. Honestly he acts like a spurned lover and I started hoping something would fall on his head.
Charlotte was a contradiction throughout the book. We do her POV in this one again and it was welcomed since I wasn't reading about Jamie and his feelings anymore. But, this character says plainly what she needs from Jamie a lot and then he ignores her. She has bad reactions from him touching her sometimes and tries to do tests to see if she can cure herself of that. I don't know why, but scenes like that bugged. When we switch to her POV and she mentions seeing Jamie like a knight errant I maybe laughed out loud. Okay I did laugh out loud. Her depiction of him doesn't gibe with the Jamie we've been given for two books.
I wish that Cavallaro had shown more of Charlotte and August interactions when the action moves to Berlin. But we unfortunately do not get that here. And once again we get a book showing Charlotte is not as great as deductions as she think she is.
Cavallaro has pretty much depicted the Holmes family as monsters, the Moriarty's too, and the Watson's just enablers of the Holmes.
I actually got Emma Holmes (Charlotte's mom) more at the end and wished we had gotten a chance to spend more time with this character. Also even though Milo is supposed to be dangerous and intelligent he does something beyond stupid at the end of the book that doesn't even fit.
We get Tom and Lena in this one again and they were not necessary. Actually they felt shoehorned in.
The writing was repetitive after a while. The majority of the book is told from Jamie's first person POV. He's in turns rude, angry, jealous, and sad throughout the book. When Jamie meets August he seriously becomes more of a pain, and I didn't know it was possible. The POV told from Charlotte's POV was welcome so you could get out of Jamie's head for a bit. We also get to read emails from Leander Holmes to Jamie's father and that definitely gives us more clues into their friendship. And honestly I would be more interested reading about them then the younger generation at this point.
Also can I say that based on how Jamie's father acts, he wants Jamie to show up Charlotte and solve the case (Leander's disappearance) but it definitely doesn't sound like anything that he would have done while working with Leander.
The flow is actually okay in this one. It's just nothing happens for a good majority of the book. You find out the how behind the forgeries right away, but solving Leander's disappearance takes a while.
Moving the setting from the school to England and then Berlin was a bad idea. I didn't get any sense of Germany in this one. We don't get much details while they are in Germany besides Jamie describing rooms.
The ending was a travesty. I think this book was set up to be along the lines of His Last Bow maybe. I honestly don't see how there can be a third book in this series. Jamie and Charlotte have a highly toxic relationship and I am not here for them together. She needs therapy and he needs to get over himself.
I am so annoyed. Since I gave book #1 three stars, I hoped for another three star read or higher this time. But due to the lack of any mysteries to solve and just more teen angst and a love triangle that only one person was interested in (Jamie) I was over this book before the end.
I haven't read all of Arthur Conan Doyle's Sherlock stories, but I never got from him a sense of disdain for Watson. Or that Sherlock didn't know right from wrong. I don't know if putting this in the YA setting is the issue or what. I really enjoyed A Study in Scarlet Women so you can have a gender flipped Sherlock Holmes that doesn't make you loathe the character.
As others may recall based on the last book, the Moriarty family realizes August is alive and they want him back and Charlotte Holmes and her family punished. Charlotte and Jamie head back to England for the holiday break and while there stay at both their homes. While at Charlotte's family home, Jamie finally meets Leander Holmes. Leander is currently undercover looking into some art forgeries and then goes missing. Jamie and Charlotte believe it may be the Moriarty family or the case he's working that's behind his disappearance. The trail leads Charlotte and Jamie to go to Berlin to figure out what's going on. This leads to the not dynamic duo staying with Milo (Charlotte's older brother) and Charlotte connecting with August Moriarty again.
Good things:
We get to meet August Moriarty in this one and he's more developed than most of the other characters. He has a lot more patience for Jamie's jealously than I would have and the fact that he even speaks to Charlotte is a point in his favor. It's like everyone but Leander Holmes gets what Charlotte did was wrong with ruining August when he rejected her romantically. He's too good for Charlotte and I felt the most for him since he is torn between the Holmes family and his. Even with everything we readers get to see, Jamie constantly keeps needing him to be a villain and sorry I was not here for that.
Leander Holmes is another character I enjoyed we just didn't get to spend much time with. He definitely has a better sense about things than any Holmes besides Charlotte's mother. We get more insight into him due to emails he sends Jamie's father, but I don't think anything Jamie is reading sinks in at all.
I liked the cover.
Everything else:
Dear authors, if one of your characters is raped, and another character who wasn't raped keeps complaining about how that rape is affecting him throughout the entire book your readers may hate the character. I know I did. As readers know we find out that Charlotte Holmes was raped in the last book. She rightfully is still dealing with the aftermath of that. But due to Jamie being in love with her and wanting to be with her "that way", he's frustrated. I hope you enjoy teen fights since that's a good 2/3 of this book. And Jamie stating he loves Charlotte, but gets angry at her every five seconds. Honestly he acts like a spurned lover and I started hoping something would fall on his head.
Charlotte was a contradiction throughout the book. We do her POV in this one again and it was welcomed since I wasn't reading about Jamie and his feelings anymore. But, this character says plainly what she needs from Jamie a lot and then he ignores her. She has bad reactions from him touching her sometimes and tries to do tests to see if she can cure herself of that. I don't know why, but scenes like that bugged. When we switch to her POV and she mentions seeing Jamie like a knight errant I maybe laughed out loud. Okay I did laugh out loud. Her depiction of him doesn't gibe with the Jamie we've been given for two books.
I wish that Cavallaro had shown more of Charlotte and August interactions when the action moves to Berlin. But we unfortunately do not get that here. And once again we get a book showing Charlotte is not as great as deductions as she think she is.
Cavallaro has pretty much depicted the Holmes family as monsters, the Moriarty's too, and the Watson's just enablers of the Holmes.
I actually got Emma Holmes (Charlotte's mom) more at the end and wished we had gotten a chance to spend more time with this character. Also even though Milo is supposed to be dangerous and intelligent he does something beyond stupid at the end of the book that doesn't even fit.
We get Tom and Lena in this one again and they were not necessary. Actually they felt shoehorned in.
The writing was repetitive after a while. The majority of the book is told from Jamie's first person POV. He's in turns rude, angry, jealous, and sad throughout the book. When Jamie meets August he seriously becomes more of a pain, and I didn't know it was possible. The POV told from Charlotte's POV was welcome so you could get out of Jamie's head for a bit. We also get to read emails from Leander Holmes to Jamie's father and that definitely gives us more clues into their friendship. And honestly I would be more interested reading about them then the younger generation at this point.
Also can I say that based on how Jamie's father acts, he wants Jamie to show up Charlotte and solve the case (Leander's disappearance) but it definitely doesn't sound like anything that he would have done while working with Leander.
The flow is actually okay in this one. It's just nothing happens for a good majority of the book. You find out the how behind the forgeries right away, but solving Leander's disappearance takes a while.
Moving the setting from the school to England and then Berlin was a bad idea. I didn't get any sense of Germany in this one. We don't get much details while they are in Germany besides Jamie describing rooms.
The ending was a travesty. I think this book was set up to be along the lines of His Last Bow maybe. I honestly don't see how there can be a third book in this series. Jamie and Charlotte have a highly toxic relationship and I am not here for them together. She needs therapy and he needs to get over himself.
March 29, 2018
I REFUSE TO BELIEVE ITS LEGAL TO END A BOOK LIKE THAT WHAT THE HELL WHAT THE HELL WHAT THE HELL
RTC
RTC
August 14, 2018
turns out i'm still a sucker for men named jamie
it's hard to express the kind of love i have for these characters. brittany cavallaro seems to have plucked the sort of unrequited love i NEED in books, from my mind. few things are more satisfying to me than deep romanticization... and i'm thankful that this series provides.
this book takes our holmes and watson away from sherringford and across the atlantic to the corners of europe. we finally come face to face with august moriarty and an art forgery ring whilst searching for holmes' lost uncle leander.
in all honesty, the plot sort of left something to be desired. it didn't wrap up neatly, it frankly wasn't very intriguing, and it all seemed sort of a thin veil for the will-they-won't-they that holmes and watson seem unable to escape. and i didn't mind that much. that's sort of why i read these.
i definitely can understand why people would be disappointed in this installment. but i wasn't. and i'm ready for even more angst in the next book.
it's hard to express the kind of love i have for these characters. brittany cavallaro seems to have plucked the sort of unrequited love i NEED in books, from my mind. few things are more satisfying to me than deep romanticization... and i'm thankful that this series provides.
this book takes our holmes and watson away from sherringford and across the atlantic to the corners of europe. we finally come face to face with august moriarty and an art forgery ring whilst searching for holmes' lost uncle leander.
in all honesty, the plot sort of left something to be desired. it didn't wrap up neatly, it frankly wasn't very intriguing, and it all seemed sort of a thin veil for the will-they-won't-they that holmes and watson seem unable to escape. and i didn't mind that much. that's sort of why i read these.
i definitely can understand why people would be disappointed in this installment. but i wasn't. and i'm ready for even more angst in the next book.
August 20, 2017
Okay, I did not expect to like this even more than the first book. These characters have grown on me immensely. I love that both Jamie and Charlotte are both complex and dynamic characters. Their relationship is interesting and I'm enjoying the slow development. I also really liked that Charlotte narrated a portion of this book - it was great to read from her more clinical perspective. I absolutely never say this, but I would be so down for this series to be like 6 books.
May 13, 2017
this book was such a disappointing mess. i don't even know what to say. half the time, i had zero idea what was going on; the other half, i was annoyed with charlotte and jamie, who i really wish was called james, and their mess of a relationship. (is it me or does anyone else think their relationship/friendship/whatever is so toxic? it's so unhealthy and messed up and god, yes, i know there are a lot of reasons for that, but honestly.)
February 14, 2017
(I received an advance copy of this book for free. Thanks to HarperCollins and Edelweiss.)
This was a YA mystery story featuring a missing uncle and some art forgeries.
Watson (Jamie) and Holmes (Charlotte) were okay characters. Charlotte did come across as slightly crazy at times though, and also seemed to have problems expressing her feelings.
The storyline in this was about a missing uncle and some art forgeries, and we also had Charlotte’s mother being poisoned. I did get a little lost as the story went along though, and was quite confused by the end. I think I may have to re-read this one at some point to see if it makes more sense the second time around.
6 out of 10
“It seemed like a good idea at the time.”
“That’ll be written on a few tombstones before this is over,”
This was a YA mystery story featuring a missing uncle and some art forgeries.
Watson (Jamie) and Holmes (Charlotte) were okay characters. Charlotte did come across as slightly crazy at times though, and also seemed to have problems expressing her feelings.
The storyline in this was about a missing uncle and some art forgeries, and we also had Charlotte’s mother being poisoned. I did get a little lost as the story went along though, and was quite confused by the end. I think I may have to re-read this one at some point to see if it makes more sense the second time around.
6 out of 10
March 20, 2019
Love the characters, but these mysteries aren't capturing me. :(
Audio: Good. Would recommend.
Audio: Good. Would recommend.
October 23, 2018
You ever finish a book, open the goodreads reviews, scroll down, read some reviews .. squint in confusion .... read some more .. and just go ... what. Every single review, you're like, what the heck. Because that is me with this book. because apparently everyone else didn't like it as much as ASIC but oh my god, I liked it SO MUCH MORE.
If you saw my review for A Study in Charlotte you would know I thought it was fun but there were some key elements I wanted development on to really like it. If you wanna know more about what this series is about, read that review. This one is going to be talking about this book specifically and the things I liked more about it compared to book one. Lets break them down:
x
→THE FAMILY BRANCHES: From the get go, the thing that interested me most about this series for me, was the different family branches and their tenuous connections between the Moriartys, Holmes' and Watson's. Most of this book focussed on family politics and explored the Moriarty family, which I LOVED. I also liked that Milo played a larger role in this, and so did Leander, Charlotte's uncle as well as Jamie's dad. The complex family politics, and each families influence on the global sphere was really interesting.
→CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT: In A Study in Charlotte, I felt like every character was a bit too simple and predictable. The Last of August took a much deeper dive into these characters psyche, and developed them far outside of their famous namesakes. Charlotte, especially, I felt was given much more of an edge, and her character has this kind of dark side to it I really like. I disliked that she felt so similar to Holmes' the character in the first book, but in this one she feels much more developed and unique and I was glad of it. I also LOVED the Moriarty's and their characterisation.
→NOT AS PREDICTABLE: That ending ... what the FUCK. All I can say is I did not see where this book was going and I LOVE IT. The subversion of typical tropes around Holmesian characters and the absolute twist at the end was TOO GOOD. I didn't see it coming but it all came together so well at the end, and I was left wondering how I missed it. I love those reveals.
→THE GOOD WAS JUST AS GOOD: Everything I liked about book one was just as good here. The relationship between Charlotte and Jamie is great, and I love them a lot. I'm gonna real need them to step out of This Mess and be happy together to be honest. I think they're such an interesting duo, they're real different and yet two sides of the same coin. It's an interesting dynamic, and I really like the emphasis on the fact their relationship is built upon some questionable foundations. The unravelling of Jamie's romanticisation of Holmes was also interesting here, and I hope it continues.
Anyway, I really liked this. I feel like Cavallaro capitalised off of so much missed potential from book one here. I really don't get the bad reviews, for me this was just as exciting as the first book, but it had the added bonus of being much more complex and dynamic in terms of character construction. I really enjoyed the extension to the worldbuilding, and the way Cavallaro expanded the scope of the series tenfold. Bringing the characters into the realm of international politics and organised crime, for me, heightened the stakes enormously. The ending is mind-bending and a hell of a cliffhanger, and I'm definitely excited to pick up book three soon!
“She smiled at me, that one particular smile I hardly ever saw, the one that could open padlocks, Yale locks, bank vaults, the one that was a trapdoor down into everything.”
If you saw my review for A Study in Charlotte you would know I thought it was fun but there were some key elements I wanted development on to really like it. If you wanna know more about what this series is about, read that review. This one is going to be talking about this book specifically and the things I liked more about it compared to book one. Lets break them down:
x
→THE FAMILY BRANCHES: From the get go, the thing that interested me most about this series for me, was the different family branches and their tenuous connections between the Moriartys, Holmes' and Watson's. Most of this book focussed on family politics and explored the Moriarty family, which I LOVED. I also liked that Milo played a larger role in this, and so did Leander, Charlotte's uncle as well as Jamie's dad. The complex family politics, and each families influence on the global sphere was really interesting.
→CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT: In A Study in Charlotte, I felt like every character was a bit too simple and predictable. The Last of August took a much deeper dive into these characters psyche, and developed them far outside of their famous namesakes. Charlotte, especially, I felt was given much more of an edge, and her character has this kind of dark side to it I really like. I disliked that she felt so similar to Holmes' the character in the first book, but in this one she feels much more developed and unique and I was glad of it. I also LOVED the Moriarty's and their characterisation.
→NOT AS PREDICTABLE: That ending ... what the FUCK. All I can say is I did not see where this book was going and I LOVE IT. The subversion of typical tropes around Holmesian characters and the absolute twist at the end was TOO GOOD. I didn't see it coming but it all came together so well at the end, and I was left wondering how I missed it. I love those reveals.
→THE GOOD WAS JUST AS GOOD: Everything I liked about book one was just as good here. The relationship between Charlotte and Jamie is great, and I love them a lot. I'm gonna real need them to step out of This Mess and be happy together to be honest. I think they're such an interesting duo, they're real different and yet two sides of the same coin. It's an interesting dynamic, and I really like the emphasis on the fact their relationship is built upon some questionable foundations. The unravelling of Jamie's romanticisation of Holmes was also interesting here, and I hope it continues.
"You used to go to plays with me and stay up late reading A Wrinkle in Time, and you'd make things out of clay and we'd bake them in the oven when mum wasn't around to complain about the smell, and some of them cracked. But you make beautiful art(I realise this quote is weird out of context but if FUCKS ME UPPP)
Anyway, I really liked this. I feel like Cavallaro capitalised off of so much missed potential from book one here. I really don't get the bad reviews, for me this was just as exciting as the first book, but it had the added bonus of being much more complex and dynamic in terms of character construction. I really enjoyed the extension to the worldbuilding, and the way Cavallaro expanded the scope of the series tenfold. Bringing the characters into the realm of international politics and organised crime, for me, heightened the stakes enormously. The ending is mind-bending and a hell of a cliffhanger, and I'm definitely excited to pick up book three soon!
Read
March 22, 2017Ugh whyyyyyy do I keep doing these books to myself when I know they will only cause me physical pain
Oh right, because they are so fucking good and because I ship Holmes and Watson with the darkest, most vehement flame.
I can't even talk about this leave me alone bye
Oh right, because they are so fucking good and because I ship Holmes and Watson with the darkest, most vehement flame.
I can't even talk about this leave me alone bye
November 3, 2019
I'm sorry. I thought briefly that maybe this book didn't deserve to be with my other one star books, but honestly, the mystery was so sloppy. It isn't just that I find these characters insufferable-- the writing leaves something to be desired as well.
Let's start right at the most infuriating: Charlotte Holmes is raped and we learn about it in book 1. At first, I thought it was a plot device in order to make Charlotte and Jamie suspects. Then, though, it was clear that this was going to be something Charlotte lived with and had to contend with. Unfortunately, we get to see all of this through Jamie's eyes.
I just... I just don't understand why you would frame Charlotte's PTSD through Jamie being upset that he couldn't touch her or kiss her. It was gross and it happened so many times throughout the book. The fact that they couldn't figure out how to be with each other in part because Jamie wanted to kiss her so much, he couldn't respect her trauma? Jesus.
The other part of this, though, is that this book was one giant relationship fight, repeated over and over and over again. Jamie and Charlotte keep talking around each other. One of these almost says the thing they should say and then they both get mad and some one stomps away and then they end up together again for some mystery thing and just pretend everything is alright.
Jamie is possessive, jealous and petty.
Charlotte is dismissive and condescending.
I don't understand why I should care about these two characters completely missing each other's point.
In the middle of all that was the most convoluted yet boring mystery. Something about art? Something about poison? Something about a missing uncle? Something about a professor? Who knows, really. Not me. Not me.
Nothing felt real. Not one of these characters or situations or families felt like something I could hold onto. There wasn't one entry point for me into the story. And it wasn't magical or whimsical or absurd enough for those things to not matter.
I picked this up with the intention of finishing some series I had unfinished for way too long, but after this, the real mystery is whether or not I'll force myself through the final two books.
March 9, 2021
“maybe this is what happened when you built a friendship on a foundation of mutual disaster. it collapsed the second things righted themselves, left you desperate for the next earthquake.”
after having enjoyed the first book so much, my expectations for this one were through the roof. the characters were developed so nicely and, finally, didn’t feel like such a copy of the original holmes and sherlock, but had their own colors and identity, which was really refreshing. i loved how we got to explore more about them and their respective families. charlotte’s uncle, especially, is such a nice addition to the story!
the plot about art forgery was absolutely fascinating, nonetheless i found it to be not developed enough at times. another thing i noticed was that the last of august was much more serious than the first book, which had been much more lighthearted and easy to read and that had been something i really liked about that one, but i guess we gotta get to business!
furthermore, i loved that almost the entirety of this book was set in berlin. but being german myself, i noticed a few errors here and there concerning culture and history that seem to not have been researched well enough. for the average non-german reader, i’m sure this is all absolutely lovely to read about and you get to learn a few things about berlin and germany in general, but they really annoyed me (probably more than they should’ve) so that even might be the biggest negative aspect for me personally.
but… that ending though? i IMMEDIATELY picked up the next book to continue which was already the case after a study in charlotte (and i might’ve mentioned that in my review for that one as well?) but, honestly, that happens so incredibly rarely that i could probably count the amount of times on one hand.
→ 4 stars
after having enjoyed the first book so much, my expectations for this one were through the roof. the characters were developed so nicely and, finally, didn’t feel like such a copy of the original holmes and sherlock, but had their own colors and identity, which was really refreshing. i loved how we got to explore more about them and their respective families. charlotte’s uncle, especially, is such a nice addition to the story!
the plot about art forgery was absolutely fascinating, nonetheless i found it to be not developed enough at times. another thing i noticed was that the last of august was much more serious than the first book, which had been much more lighthearted and easy to read and that had been something i really liked about that one, but i guess we gotta get to business!
furthermore, i loved that almost the entirety of this book was set in berlin. but being german myself, i noticed a few errors here and there concerning culture and history that seem to not have been researched well enough. for the average non-german reader, i’m sure this is all absolutely lovely to read about and you get to learn a few things about berlin and germany in general, but they really annoyed me (probably more than they should’ve) so that even might be the biggest negative aspect for me personally.
but… that ending though? i IMMEDIATELY picked up the next book to continue which was already the case after a study in charlotte (and i might’ve mentioned that in my review for that one as well?) but, honestly, that happens so incredibly rarely that i could probably count the amount of times on one hand.
→ 4 stars
February 10, 2017
I wasn't in love with the first book, but I was intrigued and that's what got me to request this sequel.
Right off the bat, I was confused. There's a lot of people mentioned: all sorts of Holmes, Watson, and Moriarty family members and I had a hard time keeping track of who was who. And then the plot line...take all of those random family members, add an art forgery set up, several party scenes with quirky Europeans and shake. Repeat 3-4 times and serve with an ending that I'm still scratching my head at.
The only thing that kept me reading {and I literally jumped from 40% to 75% because I was losing interest} was that I ship Jamie and Charlotte. Or I want to. They're just sort of toxic and I feel bad for him at the same time that I'm rooting for him to get what he wants.
I wish I could see the spark everyone else does. Obviously people will love it {and already do judging by the high reviews already up}, but this one wasn't for me. I doubt I'll read the next one.
**Huge thanks to Katherine Tegen Books and Edelweiss for providing the arc free of charge**
Right off the bat, I was confused. There's a lot of people mentioned: all sorts of Holmes, Watson, and Moriarty family members and I had a hard time keeping track of who was who. And then the plot line...take all of those random family members, add an art forgery set up, several party scenes with quirky Europeans and shake. Repeat 3-4 times and serve with an ending that I'm still scratching my head at.
The only thing that kept me reading {and I literally jumped from 40% to 75% because I was losing interest} was that I ship Jamie and Charlotte. Or I want to. They're just sort of toxic and I feel bad for him at the same time that I'm rooting for him to get what he wants.
I wish I could see the spark everyone else does. Obviously people will love it {and already do judging by the high reviews already up}, but this one wasn't for me. I doubt I'll read the next one.
**Huge thanks to Katherine Tegen Books and Edelweiss for providing the arc free of charge**
Read
February 11, 2018I must be honest: I didn't like this book nearly as much as A Study in Charlotte, the first book in the series. I really missed the boarding school setting, and I liked it better when Watson and Holmes were just getting to know each other. There was not a lot of recap of the first book to re-orient me, and I struggled to remember everything that happened in that book.
I also desperately needed Holmes and Moriarty family trees for reference. This book was filled with Holmes and Morarity siblings and cousins and uncles and honestly, I kept forgetting who was who and who was allied with whom. That could be a function of my currently scattered mental state, and be easier for someone with greater concentration, but there were a lot of related people with a lot of crisscrossing agendas, and I got confused.
My other complaint was the newly evolved relationship between Charlotte and Jamie. Their relationship felt like the one in a typical book two of an Angsty YA Paranormal Trilogy where the love interest pushes the main character away for her (though this time his!) own good. Yay for gender equality - why shouldn't women be the pushers-away? -- but the pushing-away plot is super-tedious. Plus, Charlotte was (of course) also withholding information from Jamie, so he seemed to spend most of the book moping around feeling uncertain and unnecessary. About two-thirds of the way into the story, Charlotte narrated a couple chapters (while Jamie was knocked unconscious) and that was like a breath of fresh air. Sorry that poor Jamie had to be knocked out for my enjoyment, but I enjoyed that part of the book more.
I did really like the art forgery aspect of the story, and wished that more of that had been included in the plot. But most of the action seemed centered around the various factions and their sneaking around Europe trying to double- and triple-cross each other.
Read more of my reviews on YA Romantics or follow me on Bloglovin
The FTC would like you to know that the publisher provided me a free advance copy of this book, that free books can be enjoyable (or not), that I will be honest about my opinion, and that other readers may completely disagree with it.
I also desperately needed Holmes and Moriarty family trees for reference. This book was filled with Holmes and Morarity siblings and cousins and uncles and honestly, I kept forgetting who was who and who was allied with whom. That could be a function of my currently scattered mental state, and be easier for someone with greater concentration, but there were a lot of related people with a lot of crisscrossing agendas, and I got confused.
My other complaint was the newly evolved relationship between Charlotte and Jamie. Their relationship felt like the one in a typical book two of an Angsty YA Paranormal Trilogy where the love interest pushes the main character away for her (though this time his!) own good. Yay for gender equality - why shouldn't women be the pushers-away? -- but the pushing-away plot is super-tedious. Plus, Charlotte was (of course) also withholding information from Jamie, so he seemed to spend most of the book moping around feeling uncertain and unnecessary. About two-thirds of the way into the story, Charlotte narrated a couple chapters (while Jamie was knocked unconscious) and that was like a breath of fresh air. Sorry that poor Jamie had to be knocked out for my enjoyment, but I enjoyed that part of the book more.
I did really like the art forgery aspect of the story, and wished that more of that had been included in the plot. But most of the action seemed centered around the various factions and their sneaking around Europe trying to double- and triple-cross each other.
Read more of my reviews on YA Romantics or follow me on Bloglovin
The FTC would like you to know that the publisher provided me a free advance copy of this book, that free books can be enjoyable (or not), that I will be honest about my opinion, and that other readers may completely disagree with it.
November 26, 2017
It started well, but it didn't end well.
This story felt like it was trying to be clever, whereas the 1st book in the series -- A Study in Charlotte -- was clever.
The clues were intriguing and difficult to figure out, as they should be.
And it was a cohesive story ... until the art auction.
The art auction made no sense, and the ending made even less sense.
In my opinion, the entire plot collapsed under the weight of this illogical ending.
In the plus column, I loved the relationship between Charlotte & Jamie.
Although I was really disappointed in this book, I want to read the next one, and I hope the author returns to the excellence that was A Study in Charlotte.
This story felt like it was trying to be clever, whereas the 1st book in the series -- A Study in Charlotte -- was clever.
The clues were intriguing and difficult to figure out, as they should be.
And it was a cohesive story ... until the art auction.
The art auction made no sense, and the ending made even less sense.
In my opinion, the entire plot collapsed under the weight of this illogical ending.
In the plus column, I loved the relationship between Charlotte & Jamie.
Although I was really disappointed in this book, I want to read the next one, and I hope the author returns to the excellence that was A Study in Charlotte.
November 5, 2020
Overall Rating : C+
I think I spent over half the book with a dumbass look on my face trying to understand what the hell was going on. The only thing I learned from this is that the Holmes family are dicks and can't be trusted.
I think I spent over half the book with a dumbass look on my face trying to understand what the hell was going on. The only thing I learned from this is that the Holmes family are dicks and can't be trusted.
January 6, 2019
“Happy New Year, Jamie.” I got the chills because of how perfect that last sentence was, considering this was my first read of 2019! 🌟 I thoroughly enjoyed this book, and I have grown so close to Jamie and Charlotte. The writing was so wonderfully done; I truly felt Jamie’s frustration towards Charlotte. The plot was a little slow at one point, but it picked back up when the POV switched. I always love knowing the thoughts of both main characters! I’m so excited to read the next book!
July 18, 2017
Can you give this book to me now I need it for make out scenes with Jaime and Charlotte !!
UPDATE: never got the arc even though she said I would be part of the arc tour- and this is why I don't really want to read now. :/ first of all my mother been bugging me about physical ARCS. second of all I have no enthusiasm to continue reading...I'll read this one because I been wanting to.
Finished book two- it took me a while but it's finally done. 3.5 stars! I am going to make a review when I get home from vacation tomorrow or Sunday
Actual review spoilers may be present:
Hiya Guys- Welcome to the Nether! Today I'm going to be talking about the last of August by Brittany Cavallaro. This was a long time coming and it is my fault that I actually put down this novel 50% the way through of it and didnt get back to it until I went on vacation. If you want to know the truth I did get bored of the novel halfway through of it- because it did not have the witty-ness of the first novel. This book was called sexual tension the novel in my opinion- but let's just get this started.
I always start with the characters dynamics between them first. I feel like this novel actually need some explaining because all of it really was about Jamie and Charlotte having this sexual tension between them. Jamie likes Charlotte, Charlotte likes Jamie Charlotte is afraid of ruining her and Jamie's relationship. This doesnt even have to do anything with them - meaning solving a mystery or anything like that- this was a problem of its own in this novel. What I liked about the first book was that there was a actual mystery that involved the solving something in the book- this one had a mystery kind of sort of but you kind of already knew what was happening and then you flipped it to having this problem between Jamie and Charlotte again. We also have August in the mix which does not help it any further. I love the dynamics between Jamie and Charlotte but I also wish that there was more of a plot point to what was going on in the novel. They do some sexy thing that is really not really explained- we will never know what they did. Other than that I still like their dynamic even though I thought that was a little over done in this novel.
Which brings me to the plot which wasn't strong enough for me. Most of it revolved around Charlotte's family which we all know is the Holmes family. One of charlottes family members goes missing and most of that is the making of charlottes own family. They perceive it to be the Moriarty's but really it is nothing to do with them. So this whole novel was basically for nothing for them to arrest the Moriarty family- for nothing. We do get Jamie's family a little bit-but not much. We find out the relationship between his father and charlottes uncle which is kind of interesting. This all concludes with the death of August which wasn't really needed and it is said that it's not really needed in the novel.
The side characters really don't come up in this novel as much as expected. Luna does come out with her boyfriend but they are not very present in the novel like they were in the last novel. Really the side characters here are the Holmes family- which we already know how the holmes family is so they weren't that exciting in my opinion. Overall I'm excited for the next novel because I actually read the synopsis and actually am interested- but other than that this was a dud for me. Writing was still fun but not to pair with the first one.
In Conclusion I am going to give this novel 3 stars - wish it was a little more exciting..wasn't that exciting. I will see you the next time I read a novel!
BYE~
UPDATE: never got the arc even though she said I would be part of the arc tour- and this is why I don't really want to read now. :/ first of all my mother been bugging me about physical ARCS. second of all I have no enthusiasm to continue reading...I'll read this one because I been wanting to.
Finished book two- it took me a while but it's finally done. 3.5 stars! I am going to make a review when I get home from vacation tomorrow or Sunday
Actual review spoilers may be present:
Hiya Guys- Welcome to the Nether! Today I'm going to be talking about the last of August by Brittany Cavallaro. This was a long time coming and it is my fault that I actually put down this novel 50% the way through of it and didnt get back to it until I went on vacation. If you want to know the truth I did get bored of the novel halfway through of it- because it did not have the witty-ness of the first novel. This book was called sexual tension the novel in my opinion- but let's just get this started.
I always start with the characters dynamics between them first. I feel like this novel actually need some explaining because all of it really was about Jamie and Charlotte having this sexual tension between them. Jamie likes Charlotte, Charlotte likes Jamie Charlotte is afraid of ruining her and Jamie's relationship. This doesnt even have to do anything with them - meaning solving a mystery or anything like that- this was a problem of its own in this novel. What I liked about the first book was that there was a actual mystery that involved the solving something in the book- this one had a mystery kind of sort of but you kind of already knew what was happening and then you flipped it to having this problem between Jamie and Charlotte again. We also have August in the mix which does not help it any further. I love the dynamics between Jamie and Charlotte but I also wish that there was more of a plot point to what was going on in the novel. They do some sexy thing that is really not really explained- we will never know what they did. Other than that I still like their dynamic even though I thought that was a little over done in this novel.
Which brings me to the plot which wasn't strong enough for me. Most of it revolved around Charlotte's family which we all know is the Holmes family. One of charlottes family members goes missing and most of that is the making of charlottes own family. They perceive it to be the Moriarty's but really it is nothing to do with them. So this whole novel was basically for nothing for them to arrest the Moriarty family- for nothing. We do get Jamie's family a little bit-but not much. We find out the relationship between his father and charlottes uncle which is kind of interesting. This all concludes with the death of August which wasn't really needed and it is said that it's not really needed in the novel.
The side characters really don't come up in this novel as much as expected. Luna does come out with her boyfriend but they are not very present in the novel like they were in the last novel. Really the side characters here are the Holmes family- which we already know how the holmes family is so they weren't that exciting in my opinion. Overall I'm excited for the next novel because I actually read the synopsis and actually am interested- but other than that this was a dud for me. Writing was still fun but not to pair with the first one.
In Conclusion I am going to give this novel 3 stars - wish it was a little more exciting..wasn't that exciting. I will see you the next time I read a novel!
BYE~
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 6, 2019
I love this series so so so so so much. It's not fair I'm reading it while so tired and pregnant...but that's just the way of it, I guess.
I hope to get a full review up, but if not, here are my reasons for 3 stars:
Cons:
-Honestly, just wanted more Jamie and Charlotte (not a bad thing, just...you know)
-Perhaps not enough happened until the end, for my bloodthirsty taste. I need MOAR
-Wished more happened earlier.
Nothing bad at all, actually. Just too tired and pregnant not to have more happening, I suppose.
PROS:
-JAMIE
-CHARLOTTE
-JAMIE AND CHARLOTTE
-My Jamie boy peril that I am, as mentioned above, bloodthirsty for. I needs it and loves it
-The story, in general
-These characters
-Everything to do with the plots-everyone is in danger and isn't it just lovely? I think so
In conclusion:
I am a sick fiend, but I'm not the sicko here. I didn't write it, ya know?? So back off. I love the peril in these books. So understated and perfectly used. Love it so much. I love the dynamics of the characters and the complexity of their relationship. It's so different and I really love it. I just wish we'd have gotten to the meat of the story earlier, but it wasn't bad in any way. A wonderful addition to addicting series. I just need the next ASAP.
Sincerely,
Obsessed.
For more of my reviews, please visit:
I hope to get a full review up, but if not, here are my reasons for 3 stars:
Cons:
-Honestly, just wanted more Jamie and Charlotte (not a bad thing, just...you know)
-Perhaps not enough happened until the end, for my bloodthirsty taste. I need MOAR
-Wished more happened earlier.
Nothing bad at all, actually. Just too tired and pregnant not to have more happening, I suppose.
PROS:
-JAMIE
-CHARLOTTE
-JAMIE AND CHARLOTTE
-My Jamie boy peril that I am, as mentioned above, bloodthirsty for. I needs it and loves it
-The story, in general
-These characters
-Everything to do with the plots-everyone is in danger and isn't it just lovely? I think so
In conclusion:
I am a sick fiend, but I'm not the sicko here. I didn't write it, ya know?? So back off. I love the peril in these books. So understated and perfectly used. Love it so much. I love the dynamics of the characters and the complexity of their relationship. It's so different and I really love it. I just wish we'd have gotten to the meat of the story earlier, but it wasn't bad in any way. A wonderful addition to addicting series. I just need the next ASAP.
Sincerely,
Obsessed.
For more of my reviews, please visit:
April 15, 2017
Sherlock Holmes retellings are a love of mine, and I adored Cavallaro's debut, A Study in Charlotte. As soon as I could, I ordered a copy of its sequel, and dove straight in.
In The Last of August, we meet our heroes, Holmes and Watson, spending their Christmas holidays between both their families. As soon as they arrive at the Holmes family manor in Sussex, they are drawn into intrigue when Charlotte's beloved uncle goes missing, and no one else seems that bothered. Obviously, Jamie and Charlotte aren't going to sit back and wait for something to happen. No, they're going to get right on a plane, and travel to Berlin, when Leander had been working undercover. With the help of Charlotte's brother, Milo, they find themselves working with August Moriaty, the reason the crime family hate Charlotte, in order to take down some of his own siblings.
I felt like this book was a good sequel, but it didn't blow me away as much as I wanted it to. The plot line was good, but, again, it could've been better. However, I did still enjoy the book, and found myself caring more and more about both Jamie, and Charlotte. The mystery of the missing uncle did have the right amount of suspense, as well as things we could work out ourselves.
Like I said, Jamie and Charlotte have grown since we first met them, and I love how they are now, and how I can see them being in the future. The romance between them, which I shipped from the start of book 1, is still as slow as ever, but we do get some very swoony moments, which made it all worth it. Understandably, with what happened to Charlotte prior to the series, and with August's involvement in the case, there were moments when both characters were, perhaps, a tad too headstrong, but both seriously care about each other, and don't want to hurt them.
One of my favourite things about this series is how Jamie is the narrator, though we get little bits in which Charlotte takes the reins, and shows her more vulnerable side. Because of that, we have a much better reading experience, because, to be honest, Jamie is rather clueless at times, and it lets us find out things at the right time, rather than all at once. Though I felt this book was perhaps lacking something, I still really enjoyed it, and can't wait for the finale of the series.
In The Last of August, we meet our heroes, Holmes and Watson, spending their Christmas holidays between both their families. As soon as they arrive at the Holmes family manor in Sussex, they are drawn into intrigue when Charlotte's beloved uncle goes missing, and no one else seems that bothered. Obviously, Jamie and Charlotte aren't going to sit back and wait for something to happen. No, they're going to get right on a plane, and travel to Berlin, when Leander had been working undercover. With the help of Charlotte's brother, Milo, they find themselves working with August Moriaty, the reason the crime family hate Charlotte, in order to take down some of his own siblings.
I felt like this book was a good sequel, but it didn't blow me away as much as I wanted it to. The plot line was good, but, again, it could've been better. However, I did still enjoy the book, and found myself caring more and more about both Jamie, and Charlotte. The mystery of the missing uncle did have the right amount of suspense, as well as things we could work out ourselves.
Like I said, Jamie and Charlotte have grown since we first met them, and I love how they are now, and how I can see them being in the future. The romance between them, which I shipped from the start of book 1, is still as slow as ever, but we do get some very swoony moments, which made it all worth it. Understandably, with what happened to Charlotte prior to the series, and with August's involvement in the case, there were moments when both characters were, perhaps, a tad too headstrong, but both seriously care about each other, and don't want to hurt them.
One of my favourite things about this series is how Jamie is the narrator, though we get little bits in which Charlotte takes the reins, and shows her more vulnerable side. Because of that, we have a much better reading experience, because, to be honest, Jamie is rather clueless at times, and it lets us find out things at the right time, rather than all at once. Though I felt this book was perhaps lacking something, I still really enjoyed it, and can't wait for the finale of the series.
Read
September 2, 2024Probably more of 3.5 stars.
I didn't love this one the way I fell in love with the first book. This one often felt confusing and info-dumpy and the big reveals did not have as much emotional payoff as I was hoping for. The ending for Jamie is one where he feels cheated and slightly horrified by the people he's surrounded himself by and the way he's allowed his life to be entangled in theirs and I felt the same at the end of this book. This book also felt a lot different from the first one in terms of setting and tone. Overall, I wish I enjoyed this more, because I did very much enjoy parts of it. I will be continuing with the series since the goodreads rating for the third one gives me hope that things will be better.
I didn't love this one the way I fell in love with the first book. This one often felt confusing and info-dumpy and the big reveals did not have as much emotional payoff as I was hoping for. The ending for Jamie is one where he feels cheated and slightly horrified by the people he's surrounded himself by and the way he's allowed his life to be entangled in theirs and I felt the same at the end of this book. This book also felt a lot different from the first one in terms of setting and tone. Overall, I wish I enjoyed this more, because I did very much enjoy parts of it. I will be continuing with the series since the goodreads rating for the third one gives me hope that things will be better.
October 3, 2025
3.5 stars
I like this book for most of it. I like the characters of Jaime and Charolette and I am excited to see them develop more in the future. Th setting was good I liked the aesthetic of art in Berlin and how they travelled.
I really really didn’t like the miscommunication though. If these characters like talked, a lot of things could’ve gone differently. I understand that Charlotte was working through a trauma, but it wasn’t even about that, Jamie was just being jealous over nothing and he wasn’t talking.
The ending really confused me. I’m not sure what happened.
Overall I did like it and I want to read the next one.
I like this book for most of it. I like the characters of Jaime and Charolette and I am excited to see them develop more in the future. Th setting was good I liked the aesthetic of art in Berlin and how they travelled.
I really really didn’t like the miscommunication though. If these characters like talked, a lot of things could’ve gone differently. I understand that Charlotte was working through a trauma, but it wasn’t even about that, Jamie was just being jealous over nothing and he wasn’t talking.
The ending really confused me. I’m not sure what happened.
Overall I did like it and I want to read the next one.
September 5, 2016
;_;
;_;
;_;
This was like ....the Skyfall of this series. Which is fine. And who knows, maybe book 3 will be even darker. The humor is also still there and still wonderful. Wait til you get to Elmira Davenport. *cackles*
Also, my Jamie and Charlotte feels are absolutely out of control.
Full review later.
;_;
;_;
This was like ....the Skyfall of this series. Which is fine. And who knows, maybe book 3 will be even darker. The humor is also still there and still wonderful. Wait til you get to Elmira Davenport. *cackles*
Also, my Jamie and Charlotte feels are absolutely out of control.
Full review later.
July 23, 2017
I am thoroughly enjoying this series. I found this one to be more of a mystery and less predictable than the first book of the series. The progression between Charlotte & Jamie is moving at a good speed and I am interested to see what the next book entails for them.
August 21, 2023
I remembered much less of this one this time around, but I still really enjoyed it! I loved seeing Holmes and Watson out in the wider world, but I think I'm going to like seeing the school setting back again in the next one.
February 5, 2018
Gah, was this ever raw! Can I say, I'm so grateful I only have a month to wait for the final book in the trilogy. Which has already been preordered within the five minutes of my finishing this book.
The dynamic between Holmes and Watson has always been a complicated, almost painful one. We saw this in book one and also saw growth in their friendship with their vulnerabilities being laid out. If we thought our beloved duo was vulnerable in book one... book two takes it to another place. As Watson and Holmes return to England, they find Holmes' Uncle Leander has disappeared. With the aid of August Moriarty (yes... that August Moriarty!) they set out to solve the puzzle along with breaking up an art forgery ring. Key players begin to play their chess pieces and it begins to become unclear if Holmes and Watson are players or pawns in a bigger, more costly game.
So many feels were generated from reading this series, especially this book. I love how deeply flawed Holmes is. She isn't the typical heroine in the story; she is either a savior or a catalyst for destruction. Watson isn't a typical knight in shining armor, he's got his own demons to contend with. As they wrestle with the ghosts of the past and the present; this is a story that reveals to the reader where their course may lie in history. Brilliantly written, bleak at times, and never a dull moment to be had. I am eagerly awaiting the March release of the third.
The dynamic between Holmes and Watson has always been a complicated, almost painful one. We saw this in book one and also saw growth in their friendship with their vulnerabilities being laid out. If we thought our beloved duo was vulnerable in book one... book two takes it to another place. As Watson and Holmes return to England, they find Holmes' Uncle Leander has disappeared. With the aid of August Moriarty (yes... that August Moriarty!) they set out to solve the puzzle along with breaking up an art forgery ring. Key players begin to play their chess pieces and it begins to become unclear if Holmes and Watson are players or pawns in a bigger, more costly game.
So many feels were generated from reading this series, especially this book. I love how deeply flawed Holmes is. She isn't the typical heroine in the story; she is either a savior or a catalyst for destruction. Watson isn't a typical knight in shining armor, he's got his own demons to contend with. As they wrestle with the ghosts of the past and the present; this is a story that reveals to the reader where their course may lie in history. Brilliantly written, bleak at times, and never a dull moment to be had. I am eagerly awaiting the March release of the third.
January 18, 2024
I love the banter between Charlotte and Jamie. It's pretty much the best part of the story. This book had a bit too much running around for me. I know that is a Holmes-style novel, but it has got to be a bit too tedious.
Charlotte was a lot less likable in this one, though. Overall, the reveal was a bit anticlimactic, and I kind of lost interest in the central "mystery." I love that Brittany Cavallaro does a superb job of staying true to how an Arthur Conan Doyle mystery unfolds.
Overall, I liked this one. It was a solid three stars.
Charlotte was a lot less likable in this one, though. Overall, the reveal was a bit anticlimactic, and I kind of lost interest in the central "mystery." I love that Brittany Cavallaro does a superb job of staying true to how an Arthur Conan Doyle mystery unfolds.
Overall, I liked this one. It was a solid three stars.
January 26, 2023
thinking about this book makes me want to drink toothpaste while walking on legos. it manages to give you hope and then takes it away in the most disappointingly painful way possible and is mostly responsible for my consequent reading slump. that's all i have to say.
May 29, 2020
Actual rating 4.5 stars
What the heck was that ending?!
This review was originally posted at https://freadomlibrary.wordpress.com/
I received an e-ARC of this book from Harper Collins Children’s via Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review. Thank you!
Trigger warning for mentions of rape, drugs and violence.
Critically
Plot – 4 out of 5 stars
I always feel like these books are over saturated because there is so much going on with the plot at all times. There’s mystery and suspense. It’s really dark and intense and sometimes very confusing as well. There are always a lot of twists and turns and I didn’t see anything coming which is both good and really bad. The ending was really abrupt and kind of cliffhanging and that’s probably my biggest complaint. It left me with a giant question mark.
Writing Style – 4 out of 5 stars
I really like the author’s writing style. It’s very vivid as well as detailed and descriptive. It’s so fast paced but at the same time very confusing. The main character, Jamie, is left out of a lot of information and so that affects the overall narrative of the story, the reader tends to be just as lost and confused and angry as him throughout the story which is both good and band. When we get a bit of a switch up in the POV, I like how both voices are very distinct and unique.
Characters – 4 out of 5 stars
I’m becoming a huge fan of this cast of characters. However, they are all extremely flawed and extremely complex and maybe not the best people. I don’t think I’d be their friends in real life though I love reading about their craziness. Jamie is getting a lot more reckless and brave in this book. He tagged along and was kind of like the sidekick in the first book but now he’s kind of tired of that role and wants to be a lot more involved in solving the mysteries that are going on though he sometimes pushes it way too far for his safety. He’s a lot angrier and desperate than he was in the first book but he’s also just as loyal and open and kind. I liked seeing how he’s developing as a character though I want more from him as well. Charlotte kind of drives me crazy. She’s reckless and destructive to herself but also really smart and cunning. She opens up a lot more in this books so I feel like the reader gets to know her more in this one but I also feel like there’s still more to learn! I want to know every nook and cranny of her personality because she’s such a complex character but we’re not there yet. The actual relationships between the characters (including the side characters) are my biggest issues with this series. The relationship between the two main characters is problematic and sometimes even toxic in a way that puts me off sometimes. There are also no great familial relationships or relationships between parent and kid that are really healthy. All of them are kind of wrong and weird and uncomfortable and though it makes a lot of sense for the plot and the kind of characters they are, I don’t think its the best theme to explore.
Emotionally
What the heck was that ending?!
This review was originally posted at https://freadomlibrary.wordpress.com/
I received an e-ARC of this book from Harper Collins Children’s via Edelweiss in exchange for an honest review. Thank you!
Trigger warning for mentions of rape, drugs and violence.
Critically
Plot – 4 out of 5 stars
I always feel like these books are over saturated because there is so much going on with the plot at all times. There’s mystery and suspense. It’s really dark and intense and sometimes very confusing as well. There are always a lot of twists and turns and I didn’t see anything coming which is both good and really bad. The ending was really abrupt and kind of cliffhanging and that’s probably my biggest complaint. It left me with a giant question mark.
Writing Style – 4 out of 5 stars
I really like the author’s writing style. It’s very vivid as well as detailed and descriptive. It’s so fast paced but at the same time very confusing. The main character, Jamie, is left out of a lot of information and so that affects the overall narrative of the story, the reader tends to be just as lost and confused and angry as him throughout the story which is both good and band. When we get a bit of a switch up in the POV, I like how both voices are very distinct and unique.
Characters – 4 out of 5 stars
I’m becoming a huge fan of this cast of characters. However, they are all extremely flawed and extremely complex and maybe not the best people. I don’t think I’d be their friends in real life though I love reading about their craziness. Jamie is getting a lot more reckless and brave in this book. He tagged along and was kind of like the sidekick in the first book but now he’s kind of tired of that role and wants to be a lot more involved in solving the mysteries that are going on though he sometimes pushes it way too far for his safety. He’s a lot angrier and desperate than he was in the first book but he’s also just as loyal and open and kind. I liked seeing how he’s developing as a character though I want more from him as well. Charlotte kind of drives me crazy. She’s reckless and destructive to herself but also really smart and cunning. She opens up a lot more in this books so I feel like the reader gets to know her more in this one but I also feel like there’s still more to learn! I want to know every nook and cranny of her personality because she’s such a complex character but we’re not there yet. The actual relationships between the characters (including the side characters) are my biggest issues with this series. The relationship between the two main characters is problematic and sometimes even toxic in a way that puts me off sometimes. There are also no great familial relationships or relationships between parent and kid that are really healthy. All of them are kind of wrong and weird and uncomfortable and though it makes a lot of sense for the plot and the kind of characters they are, I don’t think its the best theme to explore.
Emotionally
February 5, 2017
The follow up book to A Study in Charlotte didn't disappoint, but it did feel a bit disjointed. There was a lot going on plot wise and a lot of new characters added, which made it difficult to follow at times. For me, the relationship dynamic between Holmes and Watson just isn't working in this book.
I really enjoyed parts of the mystery, went "huh?" at others and overall I really enjoy Charlotte's version of "Sherlock Holmes."
Thank you to Harper Collins and Edelweiss for providing me a copy for review
I really enjoyed parts of the mystery, went "huh?" at others and overall I really enjoy Charlotte's version of "Sherlock Holmes."
Thank you to Harper Collins and Edelweiss for providing me a copy for review
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