An Unexpected Peril

As soon as I saw shining, blazing, tempting cover of the book promising me another dazzling Veronica and Stoker adventure, I clicked the request button so hard and I broke several keyboard letters of my longtime friend/ companion pc! Sorry! When I am getting too excited about something I turn into readzilla ( new name of extra dedicated avid reader) <br /><br /> This book is quite satisfying like the other installments. There is still amazing sizzling chemistry, smart banters between characters make you squirm in your seat. <br /> <br />This time Veronica finds herself impersonating a princess as she’s in the middle of a suspicious accident investigation which is highly a murder! <br /> <br />Mystery part was well developed and some twists are truly fascinating. I also enjoyed the evolvement of Veronica and Stoker’s relationship because after they come clean I was wondering which direction the author will follow for them. I was a little worried about probable separation or angsty heartbreaking parts but I’m so happy that their blooming relationship is going better than I imagine. Especially some parts of the book made me sigh for a long time. A few tears dropped but I dried them quickly, wore my big girl’s pants! <br /><br />Overall: the author never disappoints me! I had fantastic time with smart mystery and heartwarming romance! I’m addicted to this series! I’m looking forward to devour the next installment! <br /><br />Special thanks to Netgalley and Berkley Publishing Group for sharing this remarkable arc copy with me in exchange my honest opinions.

<b>2023 ⭐️4<br />Reading Vlog: <a target="_blank" rel="noopener nofollow" href="https://youtu.be/MrU2exNWEJA">https://youtu.be/MrU2exNWEJA</a></b><br /><br />This is the only one that I stand by being less of a delight than the rest of the series. It's still great in it's own right. But compared to every other book in the series? Um...it's mid for me. <br /><br />Quote that took me out<br /><input type="checkbox" class="spoiler__control" aria-label="The following text has been marked spoiler. Toggle checkbox to reveal or hide." onchange="this.labels[0].setAttribute('aria-hidden', !this.checked);" id="e10e3301-cb08-418b-bd85-c0f8ae1a2275" /><label aria-hidden="true" class="spoiler" for="e10e3301-cb08-418b-bd85-c0f8ae1a2275"> <i>"You are not among the good that has happened to me. You are the best of all that I have known. You are what I searched for when I left that house and wandered this earth, boy and man. You are the part of myself I never thought to find because I did not even dare to dream you existed. You are all that I want and more I deserve, and I will go to my grace thanking a god in whom I do not believe for bringing me to you."</i> </label><br /><br /><b>2022 ⭐️3.5 <br />Reading Vlog: <a target="_blank" rel="noopener nofollow" href="https://youtu.be/2vf4HqIG5z4">https://youtu.be/2vf4HqIG5z4</a></b><br /><br />I am sure that I would enjoy this even more upon reread. I was binging this series and having such a lovely time. This wasn't above other 5 star reads I had in this series but I still thoroughly enjoyed it and am so happy to have these characters in my life

Veronica Speedwell - the intrepid lepidopterist, natural history buff and part time sleuth - is at it again. This time she’s attempting to solve a crime involving the famous female alpinist Alice Baker-Greene, who may or may not have been murdered while climbing a mountain in the tiny foreign country of Alpenwald. Along with her handsome and stalwart - although sometimes argumentative - lover Stoker, Veronica will need to investigate without creating a political incident. When the Princess Gisela of Alpenwald goes missing, Veronica is pressed into service to impersonate her Serene Highness. They do have common ancestors so their resemblance isn’t too shocking. Investigations and impersonations make for a fun and interesting new installment of Veronica’s adventures. <br /><br />Raybourn is a favorite author of mine and Veronica is my favorite heroine from all of her books. Her writing style is gorgeous. The imagery is enough to set the scene without sacrificing characterization or plot. In fact, her imagery usually sets tone, illustrates characters and their personalities, as well as develops the action and movement of the scene. That’s a lot to do but Raybourn does it well. I never feel like the story is bogged down by descriptions of clothing, setting, characters and food. More often than not, I love to soak in the ambience of her descriptions. <br /><br />I love the sense of humor and the romance in these books. Some of the lines had me laughing out loud or sighing in rapture. <br />“The baroness gave me a thin smile. ‘We have a saying in the Alpenwald, Fraulein. Plans are jokes written by men for God’s amusement.’ <br />‘That is hardly reassuring,’ I told her. <br />‘It sounds better in German.’ <br />There is a scene where Stoker expresses just how much he loves Veronica and my heart melted into a puddle. Just as good as the scene in A Dangerous Collaboration that I loved so much. Stoker’s poetic words and his tendency to quote Keats just make him that much more lovable. <br /><br />Veronica and Stoker have a beautiful relationship. It’s taken awhile to get to this point but they are finally open with their feelings. While Veronica loves Stoker beyond doubt, she is struggling in her new committed relationship. She has spent her life being independent and free from confines. Although, I would say that she probably ran away from things more than she ran towards anything. Veronica has had something missing from her life and Stoker fills that void. The problem is Veronica is afraid and this novel finds her running straight into a mystery in order to distract her from serious relationship worries. What I love about Stoker is that he understands all of this and supports her in her identity crises, even when he’s afraid he’ll lose the love of his life. I love these two so much. <br /><br />The mystery is good and twisty - just how I like them. There’s a lot going on with Alice’s murder and the missing Princess Gisela. The clues and foreshadowing are well done and I definitely had a fun time figuring it out before the big reveal. Raybourn always makes you work for it, which I appreciate. <br /><br />If you have tried the others in the series, this one is just as good as A Dangerous Collaboration (#4). I know some reviewers were disappointed with A Murderous Relation (#5). I would say that this one made up for some of those issues. Although, I have loved all of them! An Unexpected Peril was a joyful reading experience - just like all the others.

<i> <b>...</b> </i><br><br><i> <b>...</b> </i><br><br><i> <b> <u>"Veronica and her natural historian beau, Stoker"</u> </b> </i><br><br><img src="https://images.gr-assets.com/hostedimages/1566471072ra/28033282.gif" width="400" height="300" alt="description" class="gr-hostedUserImg" loading="lazy"><br><br>me @ how long i've had to wait for this to happen:<br><br><img src="https://images.gr-assets.com/hostedimages/1591937333ra/29633001.gif" width="300" height="200" alt="description" class="gr-hostedUserImg" loading="lazy">

Normally the Veronica Speedwell series is one I look forward to each release and read almost immediately upon receiving it. I love the adventures Stoker and Veronica find themselves in and the settings are always amazing, not to mention the chemistry between these two is always off the charts.<br /><br />And while I did like this newest installment, it felt different from past installments and I have to be honest, I didn't always like Veronica. At times she felt selfish, petulant and downright horrible in character, especially in dealing with Stoker and he concerns for her and I just felt myself not liking her at all, which is something that has never happened with this series for me. I've always admired how headstrong Veronica is and so out of characters (in the best possible way!) for women of this era but this time, it felt forced and made Veronica out to be a not very nice person and someone that was unable to compromise and had to have her way, damn the consequences. At times I confess, she didn't seem worthy of Stoker at all. In fact, I almost put this down and stopped reading altogether. <br /><br />It wasn't until about the 40% mark that things felt more normal for this series and Veronica stopped acting the spoiled petulant child and started being her head strong adventure loving self again...for the most part.<br /><br />Honestly if it wasn't for Stoker and his tender moments, I'm not sure I would have finished this one at all. I can't really explain it but I'm hoping with the way this one ended, the next book will be better. I'm not quite ready to give up on this series yet. <br /><br />*ARC provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.*

Easily the best part of this book was that it wasn't the previous installment. As in, it was better. Not that it counts for much as I felt book five just so overwhelmingly.. well, not good. But anyway, yes, this was likely the closest to being what I loved from these books in the early installments. For which I'm grateful, even as I continue to believe I have just lost the love for this world. Or maybe the magic just isn't there anymore. One or the other.<br /><br />While I won't say that this mystery was compelling or edge of your seat, I do think the diversion of the politics of this little country, and the involvement of the princess to the murder victim, was well done. I even appreciated that despite how things are now going for our investigative duo, there are still moments of friction and disagreements and yet it doesn't become a big moment of drama. They work through their clashes, resolve them, and I appreciate that adult behaviour. I do think my love for Veronica will never quite return and it's definitely Stoker that is keeping me in this game but she does have her moments.<br /><br />Overall, even though we had some near death/disaster moments, the stakes never really feel high or even remotely tense. I think the series has just become somewhat.. fluffy? Lighthearted? I think I saw another reviewer say cozy and I don't disagree with that actually. They are a little silly, while balancing real moments of history, and maybe I just have to stop taking them as seriously as I have during the last few installments. I don't know. Time will tell. Because I still don't think we know how many more books are to come. I wish we did.<br /><br />Ultimately this wasn't a bad addition to the series and I am happy to not have been disappointed yet again.<br /><br />** I received an ARC from NetGalley and the publisher (thank you!) in exchange for an honest review. **<br /><br />----<br /><br />This review can also be found at <a href="https://atakefromtwocities.home.blog/2021/03/04/an-unexpected-peril-by-deanna-raybourn/" rel="nofollow noopener">A Take From Two Cities</a>.

This review can also be found at <a href="https://carolesrandomlife.blogspot.com/" rel="nofollow noopener">Carole's Random Life in Books</a>.<br /><br />I loved this book! I have been a fan of this series from the start and it seems to just get better with each installment. I started reading this book just as soon as a copy made its way into my greedy little hands just because I couldn't wait to see what was next for Veronica and Stoker. I found this installment to be incredibly entertaining and have a fantastic time with it.<br /><br />Veronica and Stoker learn about a female mountain climber and they suspect that her untimely death may not be the accident that it has been believed to be. Soon after they inform the Princess of their suspicions, the Princess goes missing and Veronica is asked to step in and take her place. Things get really interesting very quickly with Veronica posing as the Princess while still investigating the death of the mountain climber. <br /><br />I found this book to be incredibly exciting. I had a lot of fun watching Veronica and Stoker step into a different role even for a little while. They both have such strong personalities so it was very entertaining to see them act differently than they would naturally. The mystery itself was very interesting and much more involved than I thought it would be at the start of the story. There were a few times that I worried if Veronica and Stoker would be able to get out of this situation unscathed. I really loved seeing the relationship between Veronica and Stoker grow during this installment. These two really care about each other and can be quite protective of each other.<br /><br />I would highly recommend this series to others. This is a series that I would recommend reading in order if at all possible since each installment builds on the events of the previous books. I have found each book to be incredibly well-written and entertaining. I cannot wait to read future installments in this fantastic series. <br /><br /><i>I received a digital review copy of this book from Berkley Publishing Group via NetGalley.</i><br /><br /><b>Initial Thoughts</b><br />This book was so good! I have been a fan of this series from the start and I think that these books just keep getting better and better. Veronica and Stoker are both awesome as always but I loved seeing the changes in their relationship and how they have grown together through everything. There was even a scene or two that might have melted my heart more than a bit. The mystery was very well done and I continue to be entertained by the situations this pair seems to find themselves in. I had a wonderful time reading this book.

I'm so sad at how underwhelmed I was by this. ?I didn't hate it as much as the last installment but it just didn't give me the satisfying feeling that books 1-4 did. I also hate the way Veronica and Stoker's romance gets glossed over now that they're together. I'm not saying I expected full on sex scene but I definitely expected more than what we've been given in the last 2 books. If there's going to be another book in the series I hope the mystery takes place somewhere other than England because that setting is quite stale now. <br /><br />I will still stand by recommending this series since there's 4 really great books to start with but I've just been thoroughly disappointed by the last two installments. ?<br /><br /><a href="https://www.youtube.com/c/sarawithoutanH" rel="nofollow noopener">Booktube</a> | <a href="https://www.instagram.com/_sarawithoutanh/" rel="nofollow noopener">Instagram</a> | <a href="https://www.twitter.com/_sarawithoutanh/" rel="nofollow noopener">Twitter</a>

<b>"Stoker, as you well know, murders happen," I told him.<br /><br />"But why must they happen to <i>us</i>?"</b><br /><br />This one gets off to a rough start with Raybourn basically repeating a line from the second novel in the series about men being happiest when they are mansplaining, and things really don't get much better from there.<br /><br />At least some of the magic is back with regards to the dialogue:<br /><br /> <b>"She is a woman of advanced years. Women of advanced years always live in cottages. Usually with cats of malodorous appearance."<br /><br /> "That is the most absurd statement," he began.<br /><br /> "Your old nanny," I hazarded, "probably lives in a cottage." It was always a winning strategy to prod his overweening sense of chivalry.<br /><br /> He snorted. "My old nanny has a boardinghouse in Brighton that is fitted with an electric generator because she blackmailed my father into giving her half of my mother's jewels."<br /><br /> I blinked at him. "She what?"<br /><br /> He picked up his teacup again. "That is a tale for another time."</b><br /><br />And, I much rather would have heard that tale than the one told in Raybourn's sixth Veronica outing. After wading through an insanely tedious chapter in which Veronica is carefully corsetted, clothed, and concocted to resemble a wayward princess, no amount of pay-off could be big enough.<br /><br />I'm not giving up on the series, but I certainly won't be awaiting the next volume with bated breath.

<b>I LOVE THIS SERIES!</b><br /><br />This series continues to make me happy and keep me entertained. The things that I loved in the other installments still thrill me in this one - especially Veronica and Stoker - and I want this series to continue with more books. But I am beginning to need something... more. Something new. Perhaps more LGBTQ, which was a new element in this book.<br /><br /><b>? What I Liked ?</b><br /><br /><u>Stoker and Veronica</u>: There's is no way I will ever stop shipping this couple. They are just so amazing for each other and have so much chemistry, affection and care for each other. They will always be couple goals to me.<br /><br /><u>Mystery</u>: The mystery of these books are, of course, always a big draw for me, but this one was particularly well crafted. It took some delightful turns on the way that I really appreciated.<br /><br /><u>LGBTQ</u>: This was a great addition to the universe, some LGBTQ representation. I wouldn't mind even more of that in the upcoming novels.<br /><br /><b>? What I Disliked ?</b><br /><br /><u>Something new</u>: I hesitate to even call this something that I 'dislike', but I did think that this book didn't add that much new to the series. I would like for Veronica and Stoker to be challenged in some new way (in regards to their mysteries, not their relationship). Or for something new and unexpected to enter this world.