A review by koalathebear
The Unquiet Heart by Kaite Welsh

4.0

I enjoyed this book as I enjoyed the first, but probably in spite of rather than because of the two main characters. Sarah is worse in this novel than she was in the first. On the one hand we're supposed to like and admire her for her intellect, her spirit and her overcoming of adversity - but in this book in particular, she comes across as somewhat entitled and a little too stupid to live.

I really enjoyed the secondary characters, the writing, the plot etc but I really, really disliked Sarah's behaviour and the way she treated other people, particularly Gregory Merchiston - who is equally stupid sometimes. They're almost codependent in their self-destructive behaviour.

Spoiler

.I was also completely flabbergasted at Sarah deciding to put herself in harm's way by going to confront a possible murderer on her own - possible rape, possible murder ... Yes she brought arsenic with her as protection, but she seemed almost determined to make herself at risk and then she stupidly dropped the bottle of arsenic, which made no sense. I was just rolling my eyes and groaning as I read it. There are elements of the Sarah-Gregory romance I like but overall, I dislike the mixed messages she sends him, I dislike his self-destructive substance abuse ...
Sarah's supposed to be a smart, liberated woman but she mostly comes across as a brat.

This makes it sound like I didn't like the book - I did like it. I just wish I liked the leads more ..