TANGLED WEBS \\ A Tangled Mess

Reviewer: Rachel @ A Perfection Called Books 

TANGLED WEBS

by Lee Bross
Series: Tangled Webs
Hardcover: 304 pages
Publisher: Disney-Hyperion (June 23, 2015)
Goodreads | Amazon

Lady A is the most notorious blackmailer in the city. With just a mask and a gown to disguise her, she sweeps into lavish balls and exclusive events collecting the most valuable currency in 1725 London-secrets.

But leading a double life isn't easy. By day Lady A is just a seventeen-year-old girl named Arista who lives in fear of her abusive master,Bones, and passes herself off as a boy to move safely through the squalor of London's slums. When Bones attempts to dispose of his pawn forever, Arista is rescued by the last person she expects: Jonathan Wild, an infamous thief who moves seamlessly between the city's criminal underworld and its most elite circles. Arista partners with Wild on her own terms in order to save enough money to buy passage out of London.

Everything changes when she meets Grae Sinclair, the son of a wealthy merchant. Grae has traveled the world, seen the exotic lands Arista has longed to escape to her whole life, and he loves Arista for who she is-not for what she can do for him. Being with Grae gives something Arista something precious that she swore off long ago: hope. He has promised to help Arista escape the life of crime that has claimed her since she was a child. But can you ever truly escape the past?

Nothing beats the crushing disappointment you feel when one of your most anticipated books falls flat. Tangled Webs had lots of promise yet failed to deliver all that it promised to give. The synopsis has everything I'd love to see in a book! The story hardly matches all that the synopsis claims.

To start, the setting of this novel is London in 1725. London is a fascinating city in my opinion. Send me to London in any book in any year, and I'll be pleased. The one stipulation is that you develop the story around the setting a bit or at least describe the setting! This book gives some references to London sights and places and talks a little about London society and fashion, but there's nothing to match this story with what's going on in London at the time. I feel like this book lacked any possible research to make the setting and story blossom. This book literally could have taken place anywhere at any time and still have the same exact story. 

I couldn't connect to Lady A/Arista at all. The poor girl has an identity crisis throughout this book. She doesn't know who she wants to be. She struggles to cut ties from the evil people who shackle her to a life of crime. Her flat character continued to beguile and charm others in the novel, and I just didn't understand it, neither do I understand how she managed to stay alive so long. Her naiveté and poor decision-making would led to an untimely demise. She's hypocritical at every turn, and it was grating on my patience, 

I love romance that has wonderful development and sparks. This book contained neither. We're told repeatedly about the sparks between Arista and Grae and how they're drawn to each other. I didn't feel nor see any of this though. The romance was more of the author convincing us of the romance's genuineness than actually showing it. This book contains insta-love as well. I couldn't get on board with this romance. It was lackluster and dull. The romance was cringe-worthy and shoved down our throats.

Not much happened in this book. I didn't need action particularly, I just wanted something to hold my attention. I had to force myself to continue reading after each chapter. Overall this one was not my cup of tea. Perhaps you'll have better luck! 

Rachel

aperfectioncalledbooks@gmail.com

A Perfection Called Books 

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