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A review by leandrathetbrzero
Viviana Valentine and the Ticking Clock by Emily J. Edwards
adventurous
funny
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
New York City, 1950, New Year's Eve.
Recently engaged, Viviana and Tommy make their way to Times Square to celebrate 1951's arrival when the sleuthing duo witness a brutal stabbing. As Viv attempts to save the dying man, she hears his final words: a whispered apology to an unknown friend.
This is admittedly my lowest rated book in the series, and I have some theories about why. But first, would I continue this series? 100% yes, no question about it! My theories as to why this book was as spectacular as books 1 and 2 include that fact that it was long before picking this up that I gave book 2 five stars. It can be dangerous reading through a series so quickly. This book also shows the signs for middle-series syndrome, that dreaded disease that many series suffer from. Either the author is shifting characters into position in preparation for the plotting of future books, or they are trying to figure out where to take these characters next so some experimentation take places. I'm not fully sure if any or all of these reasons fully explain my 3.25-star rating, but I'll acknowledge they are possibility!
I loved the opening scene with New Year's Eve, I still love Viviana Valentine as our eyes and ears, and the audiobooks remain high quality. My issues with the book were that there may have been too many mysteries be juggled at once in this narrative, and I disliked the turbulence within Viv and Tommy's relationship. I'd prefer them to be stable, working through conflicts openly and support each other. It's too common that we see a coupling take place and then it's disrupted immediately after to cause drama. I like Viv and Tommy's dynamic too much to accept that they would lose faith in their relationship so quickly.
Actual Rating: 3.25 stars
Original Pub Date: 7 November 2023
Reading Format: audio
PREVIOUS BOOKS IN THE SERIES:
Viviana Valentine Gets Her Man—4 stars
Viviana Valentine Goes Up River—5 stars
Thank you NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for an E-ARC copy in exchange for this honest review!
Recently engaged, Viviana and Tommy make their way to Times Square to celebrate 1951's arrival when the sleuthing duo witness a brutal stabbing. As Viv attempts to save the dying man, she hears his final words: a whispered apology to an unknown friend.
This is admittedly my lowest rated book in the series, and I have some theories about why. But first, would I continue this series? 100% yes, no question about it! My theories as to why this book was as spectacular as books 1 and 2 include that fact that it was long before picking this up that I gave book 2 five stars. It can be dangerous reading through a series so quickly. This book also shows the signs for middle-series syndrome, that dreaded disease that many series suffer from. Either the author is shifting characters into position in preparation for the plotting of future books, or they are trying to figure out where to take these characters next so some experimentation take places. I'm not fully sure if any or all of these reasons fully explain my 3.25-star rating, but I'll acknowledge they are possibility!
I loved the opening scene with New Year's Eve, I still love Viviana Valentine as our eyes and ears, and the audiobooks remain high quality. My issues with the book were that there may have been too many mysteries be juggled at once in this narrative, and I disliked the turbulence within Viv and Tommy's relationship. I'd prefer them to be stable, working through conflicts openly and support each other. It's too common that we see a coupling take place and then it's disrupted immediately after to cause drama. I like Viv and Tommy's dynamic too much to accept that they would lose faith in their relationship so quickly.
Actual Rating: 3.25 stars
Original Pub Date: 7 November 2023
Reading Format: audio
PREVIOUS BOOKS IN THE SERIES:
Viviana Valentine Gets Her Man—4 stars
Viviana Valentine Goes Up River—5 stars
Thank you NetGalley and Crooked Lane Books for an E-ARC copy in exchange for this honest review!