I really do enjoy this story world and characters, despite the overly long descriptions. ( )

Another wonderful book in The Charismatics series! Lily is back, and this time the stakes are higher than ever!

The Shape of Water is an engaging historical mystery with a supernatural twist and a dash of romance to round it out.

Here's what I loved:
Everything. No, seriously.

The characters are wonderfully colorful and wrapped in layers of complexity and secrets. They each bring more depth and mystery to the story. Lord Strangford is my favorite, but I really enjoyed getting to know some of the others a little more in this book.

The plot is like a rollercoaster. You start out cruising along, gathering information and enjoying the few gentle bumps, then you start to build, and it's almost maddeningly slow (because you know something is coming), you build and build and then Whoosh! you're racing along and you can't see what's coming, you're just along for all the twists and turns, until suddenly it's over. Then you start remembering all the pieces, all those little dips and turns that built the momentum for the bigger drops... and you can't wait to go again.

Benson's writing blows me away. Yes there are a lot of details and on occasion I want more action, but the details are what makes the story so brilliant. I have no idea how she keeps all those little nuggets lined up, not to mention the beautiful foreshadowing that permeates throughout. Even though the story is in third person, I never feel like I'm missing the connection with the main character, which is a testament to the amazing writing.

Overall, I highly recommend this book, not just if you love a good mystery, but also if you love historical fiction or slow burn romance. Be prepared though, even though this book wraps up the storyline, you are going to want more.
I received an ARC of this book and am voluntarily leaving this review. ( )