Book Review: Grave Expectations by C.J. Archer

Title: Grave Expectations

Author: C.J. Archer

Series:  The Ministry of Curiosities #4

Genre: New Adult, Steampunk, Paranormal, Urban Fantasy

Publisher: Self

Pub Date: February 16, 2016 

Pages: 252

My Copy: From my E-Book Collection, Purchased via Amazon

Book Summary:

Charlie’s life is perfect. She has everything her heart desires. Until it all goes horribly wrong. 

Charlie and Lincoln return to London to find two supernaturals have been murdered, and Charlie might be next. As if that wasn’t bad enough, the man who adopted her has escaped from prison, and the committee members have just learned some news that infuriates them. Now there’s talk of sending Charlie away again. Far away. 

But the worst is yet to come. Charlie is kidnapped and forced to summon one of the murder victims – but she’s unable to send him back. With an angry dead supernatural on the loose and the committee determined to get rid of her, Charlie’s time with the Ministry of Curiosities, and Lincoln, is in grave danger of coming to an end.

Book Review:

A totally interesting and twisty fourth book in this series. I totally found that the relationships in this book grew and seemed to be going so well, until things happen that are unexpected and shocking. We get some information on Charlie’s past and their relationship seems to be growing.

I like how we start learning about Charlie’s past and who her mother was. We get a lot of information about Charlie’s mother and what she left Charlie. Charlie gets a necklace, but inside the amber stone is a creature who will protect her. We call it an imp. The Imp only comes out when Charlie is in danger. She has to say certain words, in a language, but we learn later that the imp is bilingual. Charlie calls on her mother’s spirit. Her mother tells Charlie some wonderful words. Her mother warns her not to marry Lincoln. Lincoln is too strong for Charlie. To marry someone who she can easily control. Charlie loves Lincoln.

Lincoln and Charlie are engaged. Some of the members of the Ministry are not too happy when this gets announced to them. They find that this relationship is bad for Lincoln, because he will not be focusing on Ministry business, but rather Charlie and her safety. Of course, supernaturals are being murdered and no one knows the reason why these murders are happening. Then Charlie’s adoptive father is causing problems as well. He refuses to sign the papers to allow the marriage to happen. Then he escapes the jail where he is being held in. Things happen that are just crazy.

These things that happen are definitely interesting as Lincoln is working his way. He even tells Charlie not to do anything that will put her in danger. Yet she starts to investigate things and learns that certain Ministry members are doing everything in their power to separate Charlie from Lincoln, but not for the reasons she originally thinks. We learn certain ministry members want Charlie to separate from Lincoln Fitzroy for her own protection and Lincoln’s own good. He needs to lead and she could have an education to finish being a lady. Of course we learn Julia Harcourt is the one who arrange for Charlie’s abduction a few books back. Charlie is pissed.

This book takes a crazy twist that the imp literally kills Charlie’s adoptive father after Charlie and her adoptive father have a final conversation that leaves her very worried about her own safety. This leads Lincoln to take a shocking action that leaves everyone at Lichfield pissed at him. Charlie is being sent to a finishing school. He does love Charlie very much. I’m so pissed at Lincoln in this moment. So they break up and it makes things so much more interesting at what’s going to happen next book.

I really do like this series. I didn’t like the ending of this book. I definitely will be reading the next book in this series to see how C.J. Archer resolves this. 

Rating:

Four Hearts

Books in This Series-7 Books

The Last Necromancer-Book 1-Free on Amazon
Her Majesty's Necromancer-Book 2
Beyond The Grave-Book 3
Grave Expectations-Book 4
Ashes to Ashes-Book 5
From The Ashes-Book 6
Of Fate and Phantoms-Book 7