Customer Reviews

Betraying Season (Leland Sisters, Book 2)

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(3)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Penelope Leland is off on an adventure of her own. Eager to get away from her newly married, not to mention disgustingly happy twin Persephone, Pen ships off to Ireland with her former governess Ally to continue her studies in magic in the hopes of getting to the same level as her sister.

But things never seem to go according to plan, and Pen soon finds herself more alone than she could have thought possible, Ally is expecting a baby and is dreadfully sick all the time, and though she has her magic classes with Ally's father-in-law to distract her, the gentlemen who she studies with are not enthusiastic about sharing their knowledge with a woman.

Quite unexpectedly, Lady Keating, a wealthy woman who is influential in Cork's society has taken a liking to Pen and graciously takes her under wing. She also has a very handsome son, Niall Keating whom Pen finds herself unexpectedly drawn to.

But the Keatings are hiding something. Lady Keating has instructed Niall to woo Pen and to lure her into a sense of security so she can take advantage of Pen's magical abilities. Niall agrees, not knowing what he's signing up for but soon finds himself falling in love with Pen. Niall has to choose where his loyalties lie: with the woman he loves, or with his family.

I find myself a little distraught on how to describe "Betraying Season." I liked it to be sure. Doyle has created very likable characters in the Leland girls and I'm hoping she'll write a third novel with the twins' brother Charles as the main character. "Betraying Season" however, lacked some of the charm that its predecessor "Bewitching Season" oozed in abundance.

My first gripe was with the character of Niall. I couldn't bring myself to like him the way I cheered for Lochnivar (the main love interest in "Bewitching Season"). I found the character of Niall to be almost Narcissistic in a way, and it kept me from liking him. Niall seemed to be one of those guys who was good-looking and knew it. Remember those guys in college? The ones who took longer to get ready than the girls did to go out, and who had to have their shirts ironed just to go to a dark bar where no one could see the difference anyway? The character of Niall reminded me of those guys, it was quite annoying after awhile.

"Betraying Season" also had a more PG-13 edge to it that was not present in "Bewitching Season." While not over the top in anyway, and definitely not outside the realm of YA, "Betraying Season" definitely had more sexual innuendos than its prequel, some of which I found...not disturbing per say, but more...disconcerting.

For example, (spoiler alert) Lady Keating's scheme is based on the fact that Pen is a virgin, so when Niall decides it's about time he saved her from this wretched fate his mother has concocted, he finds that his best course of action is to sleep with Pen rather than just tell her the truth.

Really? I get a little testy thinking about it because in my mind that whole part was just not needed. I mean it's a YA book! I'm not saying that all kids are naïve about sex, but in my opinion Doyle took her series from one very large age group (10 - 16 years), and totally bounced her series into another (13+) which is a much smaller market. I think she did herself a disfavor by doing this. It's just my opinion, but I would have let my 11 year old read "Bewitching Season" and would have been more than a little shocked if when he/she started "Betraying Season" and put the book down to ask me: "Mom, what's a virgin?" Talk about a derailment there.

On the flipside, I was still engaged with "Betraying Season." I was not as riveted as I was with "Bewitching Season," but I feel that Doyle is a strong author and will continue to churn out some good YA fantasy. I liked "Betraying Season," I will definitely read more of Marissa Doyle, but unfortunately in comparison with the Cinderella book "Bewitching Season," "Betraying Season," was a simply a moderately good-looking stepsister.

I read the first book in this series, Bewitching Season, and enjoyed it tremendously. While many sequels fail to live up to the first book, this was definitely not the case here - in fact, I like Betraying Season even better (6 stars!!!). Penelope (Pen) is the focus of this book and heads off to Ireland to study magic. She is determined to apply herself to her studies so that she can become as good at magic as her sister Percy. Instead of studying with her former governess, Pen has a new teacher and joins a group of young men who are also studying magic. Of course these "charming" fellows clearly think she is in over her head and make things as difficult as possible. Adding to her feelings of inadequacy, Pen's former governess seems to be sleeping all the time and just isn't available for any girl talk.

So, what's a girl to do? Well, fall in love, of course! Pen meets Niall Keating and they are immediately attracted to one another. Their relationship is encouraged by Lady Keating who seems more than happy to escort Pen around town, have her over for tea, etc. From this point on you expect a lovely romance, but that just isn't in the cards. Marissa Doyle takes you on a journey of love, deceit and powerful magic as Penelope Leland discovers her inner core of strength.

Like Bewitching Season, Betraying Season will appeal to a wide range of ages from teen to adult. The story moves along at a wonderful pace and I found it really hard to put the book down. This is a great series of books and I would recommend reading both books if you get the chance!

I have to say that I am very much disappointed with the second book. I was IN LOVE with the first book and as I started reading this book I was thinking like "Yes!" As I read it more, I was let down. Pen is a baby; there really isn't any way to describe it. She says, "Leave me alone so that I could stare at him" or something like that. Come on; girl needs to grow up. Because that's seriously why she likes him; for the looks. It doesn't seem as if the characters had any life; they were all really fake. And omg, I forgot to mention, this book was boring as hell! It dragged on and on with myths and stories, and charcters...*yawn* I am really disappointed with this book.

Spending her first time away from her newly-married twin sister Percy is difficult for Penelope Leland, but she is determined to take the opportunity to learn to wield magic as well as her talented twin. While visiting her old governess/magical instructor Ally in Ireland, Pen learns new magic and meets new people: a wealthy Lady with a disreputable past, a small Irish faery called a clurichaun with a taste for fairy whiskey and an affinity with young witches, a ghost, and a young gentleman with mysterious origins and a very handsome face. In Ireland, Pen's magic thrives along with an exciting new romance...until both threaten to turn Pen against all that she holds most dear.

I always find it interesting to read sequels of books I've already reviewed, to see how they compare to the first book. Overall, I found the writing/plot/and pacing of Betraying Season to show a development and growth in Marissa Doyle's writing. Also, Pen's voice was delightfully easy to follow and interesting. It was infinitely readable and entertaining, but I felt it still suffered from some of the same problems as the first book. Namely, the magic is thrown into the real world in a way that brings up far more questions than are answered; the ones that are answered are a mix between vague and detailed which leaves the reader slightly disoriented. Also, though I thought the overall plot development was well-done, unfortunately the very crux of it was highly doubtful. Without any spoilers, that's hard to explain, but basically I felt like the authors/characters were trying to fool me into believing something was far more important than it actually was. "The only way" a certain character could get what she wanted was unbelievable, as was another character's "only way" to prevent that, but other possibilities of either plot point were never even explored. And as this second "only way" involved a character doing something entirely against the nature that had been developed for him (but conveniently adding a hightened tension for the romance plot), I was quite disappointed.

On the plus side, I felt the author has really improved her ability to bring the world of Victorian Europe alive; her dialogue was excellent and appropriate to the character's time and place, though I did note a few anachronisms that both sounded modern and could have been easily avoided. (If anyone's wondering, the word "hangover" wasn't used until the late 19th century.

Penelope feels inferior to her twin sister's magical abilities and now spends her days studying in Ireland under the care of their former governess.

Ally, a newlywed, is having a hard pregnancy, forcing Pen to spend most of her days indoors, studying. Pen doesn't mind much until she meets Lady Keating.

Lady Keating takes Miss Leland under her wing, introducing her to society's people, plus playing matchmaker between Penelope and her handsome son. However, she has an ulterior motive - and a plot in motion.

Will Penelope fall under her spell, or will she use her studies to help untangle herself from Lady Keating's clutches?

A romantically magical tale complete with double-crossings, a domineering mother, a seduction, and the power of women's magic, BETRAYING SEASON is a sweet sequel to BEWITCHING SEASON.

I love this series, and I do hope the adventures continue.

Reviewed by: Jennifer Rummel

After her twin sister, Persephone, marries - during her first London season, no less - teenage witch Penelope Leland travels to Ireland in the spring of 1838 with her former governess Ally, who is also newly married. Pen has never been as talented with magic as Persy, and would like to prove that she can be as good a witch as her twin. She hopes her studies in Ireland will enable her to do just that.

Shortly after her arrival in Dublin, Pen meets the handsome young Niall Keating. He begins to court her, and attracted to him, she enjoys it - even to the point where she is distracted from her studies. Unknown to Pen, however, is that Niall is acting on orders from his mother, who is also a powerful witch. Lady Keating wants to use Pen as part of a sinister plot against Queen Victoria. What wasn't part of the plan was Niall and Pen falling in love with each other for real.

Betraying Season is a wonderful sequel to Marissa Doyle's first book, Bewitching Season, but also manages to stand on its own for readers who haven't read the first book. It contains a perfect blend of magic, romance, and history. I highly recommend both books to readers who enjoy young adult fantasy or historical fiction.

After her twin sister saved Princess (now Queen) Victoria from a dastardly magical plot, the Honorable Miss Penelope Leland realizes that she must dedicate herself to her magical studies if she is ever to become as gifted a witch as Persephone. To that end, Pen travels to Ireland to live and study with her former governess Ally, Ally's equally magically talented husband, Michael Carrighar and Michael's wizard father.

Pen is enchanted by the city of Cork, and by Ireland as a whole, and her skill with magic seems to be increasing daily. But, as Ally is confined to bed by the effects of morning sickness, Pen soon finds herself a bit lonely. As luck - or fate - would have it, Pen meets the mysterious Lady Keating when she absent-mindedly steps in front of the Keating carriage. Almost immediately, Lady Keating takes Pen under her wing, drawing her into the social life of Cork. It doesn't hurt that Lady Keating's son Niall is both charming and handsome. He also seems to be more than mildly interested in Pen.

What Pen doesn't know is that Niall Keating is flirting with her because his mother has directed him to do so. Lady Keating is actually a powerful and dangerous witch who has singled Pen out to help her with a nasty bit of intrigue. For his own part, Niall finds that he is rapidly falling for the Honorable Miss Leland. Before too long, heis as thoroughly in love with Pen as she has with him.

Once Niall learns the extent of his mother's plans for Pen, he struggles with how to thwart them. If he tells Pen what is going on, will she forgive him for his earlier deception? Will she even believe his claims about his mother? In the end, it is Pen who must discover the heart of the truth about Niall's mother, for she alone has the magical talent necessary to put a halt to Lady Keating's evil plan.

Like Bewitching Season, which featured Penelope's twin sister Persephone, Betraying Season is a pleasing combination of history, mystery, magic and romance. Cork is not London and so not as well known to most readers, but Ms. Doyle still manages to make it an integral and interesting part of this story. Although I found Persephone more likable than Penelope in the last novel, Pen really shines here as she grows into a thoughtful and talented young woman. All in all, an enjoyable historical fantasy romp.

Penelope Leland has come to Ireland to further her studies in magic. She hopes to become as good a witch as her dear twin sister Persy, and so she devotes all her energies to being studious. But once Pen meets Niall Keating, that is so much easier said than. Niall is both gorgeous and charming, and Pen is a little surprised when he shows so much interest in her. And she should be, because Niall is only courting Pen at the orders of his mother, a powerful sorceress who needs Pen's help with a dangerous spell. But what began as false pretenses blossoms into real feelings for both Niall and Pen. And when Niall realizes that he loves Pen, he knows he cannot continue deceiving her. But will Pen ever be able to forgive Niall for taking advantage of her in that way? And will Niall even act in time to prevent his mother's evil plans from coming to fruition?

I just loved Bewitching Season when I read it years ago, so I knew that I had to read its companion Betraying Season as soon as I got the chance. I'm happy to say that for the most part, Betraying Season was just as fun and enjoyable as Bewitching Season. Doyle uses the new setting of Ireland well, capturing and beautifully portraying how its customs and people are different from those of the London Pen is from. I loved how Pen's magical and personal journey was so connected to ancient Irish lore, because it allows readers to see magic from a fresh perspective. I was a little less satisfied with the central romance, because something about it felt a little inconsistent. I never thought there was any question that Niall was in love with Pen, but I kept waiting for him to prove that love by being honest with Pen, something that took a very long time. I also didn't really like how easily Pen seemed to be tricked into taking part of Niall's mother's evil scheme; she seemed a little too clever to be manipulated that easily. Despite those two issues, though, Betraying Season was still a quick and entertaining read.

Fans of Bewitching Season will not want to miss its companion in Betraying Season. This novel also appeals to readers who enjoyed La Petite Four by Regina Scott and The Season by Sarah MacLean.

reposted from [...]

i thought the 1st and 2nd book was awesome as soon as i read them i was in love with them they are my favorite books

I had originally heard about the first book in the series, but when it wasn't available at the library, I chose to read this sequel first. Period romance, adventure and fantasy--how could it go wrong?

The first chapter of _Betraying Season_ is not written very coherently for those who didn't read the first volume, but once the plot starts moving, things clear up. The writing becomes very readable indeed. I think Ms. Doyle possesses skill as a wordsmith. However, I think that she needs to work on the psychological aspects of character and action.

Our story centers on Penelope--known as Pen--the sister remaining single at the end of _Bewitching Season_. Pen struggles with her troubles--personal, magical, and even intellectual--in believable ways, which is a credit to Ms. Doyle. You seen her vacillating and trying to cope with he muddles. However, she is "played" rather too easily by Niall's mother. It's hard to believe that Pen doesn't sense that there is more going on under the uncharacteristic friendship proposed so quickly upon their meeting.

For a hero, Niall falls very flat. Why does he have to be so gorgeous? Why do he and Pen have to have an immediate connection? I think the plot would have been more interesting, the relationship more fun to watch develop, if Niall and Pen came to admire and attach to each other more gradually. Pen's finer qualities are described (loyalty, learning from past mistakes, considerateness, etc.), why can't we learn about the finer points of Niall's character and see Pen drawn to him because of something more compelling than golden hair and a fine figure? I actually kept hoping that Pen would find more interesting companionship with Seamus or Dougherty.

I'm tired of teenagers being peddled the idea that 1) they will instantly connect with their future spouse, and 2) he or she will be beautiful and perfect (or nearly so). Real life cannot measure up with this foolish fantasy.

Niall's sister is a very multifaceted character that could have been handled more skillfully and at greater length, I think, to good effect. I have mixed feelings about how her "romance" is handled (don't want to reveal too much of the plot). Readers are exposed to somewhat racy behavior on this character's part...but it is certainly not endorsed. Pen's own virginity is prized as a gift to her future husband, and I think this is to be championed. I also think that for a woman of her class and time, it is believable in a way the behavior of heroines in some other period pieces is not.

The cluricaun is a charming character...perhaps the best written in the book.

The end is very anti-climatic: Pen's choice comes too easily for her, rendering all the "will she do the evil magic or not" drama that precedes it meaningless.

Finally, I think that the whole Queen Victoria bit is very silly and could have been left out of the story. It's namedropping, essentially. Just because a book occurs during Victoria's reign doesn't mean she has to be in it.

Despite these flaws, I think that Ms. Doyle has talent with words and I hope in the future she uses it on some better material.