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This one was a clear improvement on the first. I think Castle has a better idea of where she's going with the books and it made a difference in the setting, particularly the side characters. Lydia and Emmet were both better, too, and their relationship was as or more fun. So yeah, a clear step up.

As with most series, I'd definitely read the first one before this one; you really need the details of their relationship and Lydia's professional life. That this book is better is something to look forward to.

Not that this book is a clear win. The beginning has long expository pieces that felt awkward, at best. The information was needed for the story, but the clumping was noticeable. Oh, and the mystery was the weakest element again, though stronger as well.

I really enjoyed the continuance of the romance from the first, and that surprised me a little. Their relationship is pretty strong right from the beginning and while they make some amateur (for the characters, not the author) mistakes, they're honest mistakes and they recover gracefully enough. Starting that strong didn't give the relationship that much room to grow, though, which is why it surprised me I was as interested as I was. I mean, each individually knows they're in love with the other (at least, internally) almost from the beginning. From there, all that's left is making things explicit. That I enjoyed that journey speaks for how much I connect with Castle's style, I suppose.

I'm a little torn on the final rating. The book is a solid 3.5 for me, but I'm reluctant to round up. It's better than a three, but not quite a full-on four. I think I'll round to four, though, if only because I liked Fuzz so much and loved the role he played.

A note about Steamy: Middle of my range, but on the low side. There are three explicit scenes, but the last one is uber short and the other two aren't that long, either. The middle one after Emmet defuses a large ghost was rather fun, though... :)