Sweetheart (Archie Sheridan & Gretchen Lowell, #2)

by Chelsea Cain

[empressbrooke]

In reality, this is probably worth 2.5 stars. On the upside, we get far more Gretchen-based plot in this book than we did in Heartsick. The other mystery is one that ties directly into the Molly Palmer/Senator Castle story that reporter Susan had been working on in Heartsick, so this time the side-plot made sense and had a purpose.

On the downside, Chelsea Cain nearly destroyed everything interesting about Archie Sheridan's attraction to Gretchen by revealing that they'd had an affair before she kidnapped and tortured him. Nevermind that it doesn't make sense within the plot of the first book, but it ruins what had been an fascinating Stockholm Syndrome case.

And, of course, Gretchen is STILL free at the end of the book, leaving the door open for yet another sequel, but I can't say I'll be interested in reading it.