Today is week one of our readalong of Between Two Thorns by Emma Newman.  The schedule is below and Today is week three of our readalong of Between Two Thorns by Emma Newman.  The schedule is below and a link to the Goodread’s page here.  Feel free to jump on board and if you haven’t read the book please be aware of spoilers below.

Part 1 – Monday 9th May: Chapters 1-9, hosted by Over The Effing Rainbow
Part 2 – Monday 16th May: Chapters 10-18, hosted by On Starships and Dragonwings
Part 3 – Monday 23rd May: Chapters 19-25, hosted by x + 1
Part 4 – Monday 30th May: Chapters 26-End, hosted by Lynn’s Books

1. Sam is our fish out of water – any sympathy for his predicament?

Sam was just purely a guy in the wrong place at the wrong time and so yes I do have sympathy for him.  He doesn’t seem like a bad type of guy on the face of it.  He seems to be in a job that’s a bit ‘meh’ and in a relationship that’s definitely not going to any good places from where I’m standing.  At the moment he reads a little bit like a rabbit caught in the headlights.  He certainly doesn’t stand up for himself and he’s just getting pulled and pushed about.

2. Horatio Gallica-Rosa is claiming property to try to weasel his way into Aquae Sulis; and the Alba-Rosas are trying to weasel their way into Will’s good graces to stop him. Given what we know about Lady Rose, do we believe in the inter-Rosa feud, or is this all part of a plan? (if so, what do you think it is?)

Difficult to say too much here.  However, my first impressions of all of this is that one is as bad as the other.  I certainly don’t trust either to be honest.  There’s an awful lot of political manoeuvring in this book and it’s all about position.

3. We get to see a lot more of Will this week. What do you make of him now we’ve got to know him better? Do you think Cathy should give him a chance?

My first impressions of Will were not particularly good.  He does come across as a bit of a philanderer and it seemed like he used his ‘tour’ as an opportunity to be a bit wild.  I don’t really appreciate that to be honest.  That being said I did feel like he redeemed himself slightly at the Ball with Cathy.  To be honest, I still have mixed feelings, he seemed to want to almost rescue Cathy when he realised she was being beaten by her father, even requesting that the marriage be brought forward.  Of course that could be for some other self serving need but it did come across at the time that he was a bit outraged.  Then, in the next few chapters he acts like a giddy fool being all swept off his feet by a pretty woman batting her eyelashes at him.  Which isn’t good for a number of reasons.  Okay, he doesn’t love Cathy but is he really just going to openly flirt with any good looking woman that comes along?  Plus, he comes across as a bit too easily to manipulate – in spite of thinking of himself as terribly clever!

4. No sooner has Cathy survived Society – after a fashion – than she’s back in deep water with the Sorcerer and sent to Exilium. How well do you think she handled Lord Poppy?

I thought Cathy did remarkably well, in fact she almost came across as though she couldn’t be bothered even being scared.  A little like she already has enough on her plate so just get it all over and done with.  Of  course, she managed to flatter Lord Poppy and also steer Sam along through it all but she seemed a lot less timid that she did in the first meeting.