The Twisted Tragedy of Miss Natalie Stewart

by Leanna Renee Hieber

• ISBN10: 1402262035
• ISBN13: 9781402262036
• Publish Date: 1 November 2012 (first published 1 January 2012)
• Publish Status: Active
• Out of Print: 12 June 2014
• Publish Country: US
• Imprint: Sourcebooks, Inc
• Format: Paperback (US Trade)
• Pages: 336
• Language: English

Reviews

[Angie]

The Twisted Tragedy of Miss Natalie Stewart picks up right where we left off, with Natalie and Jonathon heading west. When they reach their destination, Jonathon must pretend to still be possessed, and it's there that they learn that a doctor is planning to resurrect the dead. Natalie returns to New York to get help from Mrs. Northe, and Jonathon heads back to England to check on his estate and learn more about why he was killed. The couple just wants to be free of this black magic, but something darker is brewing.

The Twisted Tragedy of Miss Natalie Stewart isn't quite as twisted or tragic as I was hoping, but I still enjoyed this sequel quite a bit! Natalie is tangled up in this mess of dark magic and ambitious mortals and there seems to be no end! She doesn't want to drag anyone else into it, but she definitely needs help to vanquish this evil, especially when the demon reappears in her nightmares. And her friend Rachel--who is a medium--is being used for evil by the previously mentioned doctor, so of course Natalie must save her! What she must save her from is a bit disturbing and I liked it!

While evil may have been thwarted once again in The Twisted Tragedy of Miss Natalie Stewart, the fight is certainly not over. The Society has something planned. Natalie and Jonathon don't know what, but they do know they're the two who have been chosen to stop them.

Read more of my reviews at Pinkindle Reads & Reviews.

[wyvernfriend]

Natalie Stewart is dealing with a lot of issues, not least of which is Jonathan, they have some clues about the secretive group that put Jonathan in the painting and they're trying to find out more, but this requires that Jonathan plays the part of the other who invaded his life, which makes Natalie suspicious. Add in a jealous friend and another friend who is troubled by what she is being asked to do and you get a melange of issues and stories and a bridging novel.

It just didn't seem to take long enough for things to develop and the father's reaction seemed a little off, they would have been married off much earlier than that after the (rail)road trip and she probably would have been ostracised from society if not. Marriage wasn't always because of love in the period and they could have kept the illusion of him being evil going and it would have helped them with their mission. Add to this the fact that it wouldn't have been strange for her to keep living at her father's house until Jonathan had them "settled" and you get something that jarred a little.

It's a somewhat minor thing but it is how the society of the time worked and while they might rail against it, it would have been how it would have been rescued, also there would have been pressure put to bear from not only her father but also some friends.

Not a bad read, just doesn't feel like early 20th century period.

[Cocktails and Books]

Natalie Stewart was hoping that she would be able to lead a somewhat normal life, now that her beloved Jonathan Whitby, Lord Denbury is freed from his prison. But they soon realize that Jonathan is wanted for murder and he must return to his native England to try and figure out what happened to his parents and exactly why he was imprisioned. But the Majesty Society is spreading and Jonathan is forced to play the double agent while trying to determine exactly what it is they plan to do.

I didn't read the first book in this series (Darker Still), but it didn't matter as I found myself instantly pulled into a wonderfully crafted world where paranormal elements mixed with historical turn of the century America (or close to it). Even more, I loved that an eighteen year old girl (mute for most of her life) was given such a strong character to not only save her Prince Charming once before, but to delve into the world of magic and demons to prevent worse things from happening.

And while there was all sorts of bad and weird things happening around Jonathan and Natalie, they managed to keep each other grounded and knew when levity needed to be added to the situation. They didn't have much time for romance or wooing, but when they did get those moments, it was clear that these two were meant for each other.

I look forward to more in this series (which includes reading the first book). I must know who is after Natalie and what's in store next from the Majesty.