September Readathon
3+
I enjoyed this one the most of the three, in part because the couple and Campbell's overwrought, overwritten style really came together to complement one another. A ton still happened, high emotion and low despairs and fraught action, but it blended better and was pushed along with a more coherent plot than add-ons and extensions to wring out a bit more drama before the end.
I also see an improvement in Campbell's work from the first book to this one. Not relying so much on the abrupt everybody-gets-a-say POV shifts (although it was still present), and again, less lumping on yet another event or misunderstanding to make drama happen. The drama came more naturally from what was already in the plot, foreshadowed and otherwise.
And while I didn't enjoy the three books equally, I have appreciated in each that Campbell takes. the. time. to delve into more complicated things of characterization and emotion, and put action on the page, and make some messy messes happen before it gets resolved to a happy ending.
Gosh these two PINE and YEARN. It's slow burn that crackles. They're each almost too naive in what they believe about themselves and how "being in love" works, but eh, this is also a time period people believe in witches and devil's herbs. So their wrongly and fixed ideas being ruled by one experience -- that would never have been well explained by anyone unless they asked, and then only if they could ask the just-right person -- isn't incredulous.
The whole thing borders on melodramatic. The emotions are sweeping, the recriminations and suffering and denial deep, that -yearning- so powerful. But I enjoyed that because the tone never wavers; it's sincere, earnest, as sincere and earnest as the leads are about themselves and toward each other. It MEANS you to feel all these things they go through during their agonies and pleasures on the path to love.
And once they give in it's great, because boy do they need each other's love.
Trading almost dying and fervent promises to god and sundry just to keep the other alive... melodramaaaaaa (that really worked for me).
A bit of magic appears in the heroine being a healer. Nothing fey or over the top; it's her version of being courageous and strong-willed and worthy. I like her garden, and the two of them gardening together.
This hero is the sweetest, most unsure, and quasi-tragic of the three books; can't deny that appeals to me (including his lack of a village of by-blows). He needs healing (thematic! but nicely so) and understanding and a place to belong, more so than his brothers. The heroine is the most 'together'--she's grounded and sure of herself rather than fiery or hardheaded, and needs to be set free from duty, but by being given a life of her own. They fight each other less than the couples do in the other books, because they're busy fighting attraction and the fate of belonging to each other in HEA.
I like them both, and how they get along so well, and the wrench of big emotion and protestations and finally succumbing, and then just embracing full-on being together. Neither are conventional and they enjoy and accept that about the other, and are going to be great parents and leaders of their little enclave.
I was laughing (in a good way) by the end and the rollicking rescue where the brothers and wives and friends all show up, everyone playing their role and ensuring this final big victory and HEA comes to pass. I like that the brothers prove loyal--to their ladies but also to each other--and make the rescue and victory happen just in time.
A nice end to a trio that started a bit dubiously for me.