DNF @ 34%. Loved the tropes (he thinks she tricked him into marriage, she’s also a victim), but the villain was a bit too villainous and the story felDNF @ 34%. Loved the tropes (he thinks she tricked him into marriage, she’s also a victim), but the villain was a bit too villainous and the story felt longer than it needed to be. I usually love a soapy romance but maybe I wasn’t in the mood today because I ended up skimming after 34%....more
I really enjoyed the romance part of this book, which was delightful and reminded me of the dynamic in Ravished (an all-time favourite). Prude4 stars
I really enjoyed the romance part of this book, which was delightful and reminded me of the dynamic in Ravished (an all-time favourite). Prudence was impertinent and quirky, and Sebastian was basically pretending to be a villain but figured out quick that he just wanted to make Prue happy.
The story clipped along at a fast pace, with Prue being an “investigator of spectral phenomena” and Sebastian secretly investigating cases on behalf of Bow Street Runners, and it was fun how they teamed up / butt into each other’s work…
…which is also the part I have mixed feelings about. The big mystery was quite suspenseful, but it was darker than I expected, which tempered my giddiness over the romance.
Overall, it was an engaging read, and probably the one I’ve enjoyed most after Ravished (full disclosure, the other ones I’ve read are Mistress and Seduction). ...more
I really enjoyed the writing, the characters, and the storyline. The spinster + rake pairing always gets me, and I don’t know if my m3.5 - 3.75 stars
I really enjoyed the writing, the characters, and the storyline. The spinster + rake pairing always gets me, and I don’t know if my moral compass is warped but I had no issues with Poppy accidentally-then-intentionally spying on David for writing inspiration (she writes gothic novels), probably because of how quickly he realises what’s happening.
I’ll admit it’s not my favourite book by Aydra Richards — probably because the angst was mild at the beginning and something felt a little uneven, so I wasn’t immediately invested. But the story really hit its stride emotionally after the 40% mark. There were parts I absolutely loved (like when (view spoiler)[he jumped into bed and just wanted to talk about their day (hide spoiler)]...more
This book relied a lot on having a ‘hoyden’ FMC (Olivia), an anti-scandal MMC (Tobias), and the conflict that naturally comes with that type o4 stars
This book relied a lot on having a ‘hoyden’ FMC (Olivia), an anti-scandal MMC (Tobias), and the conflict that naturally comes with that type of pairing.
Tobias was an asshole for most of the book, as he tried to leash his own emotions/passion and expected Olivia to do the same (cue: angst). Not gonna lie, the whole “I cannot control myself around you” drama worked for me.
Even though there were parts of the story I didn’t love (the villains were plot devices more than characters), it was fast-paced and very readable. I found myself swept up in all the angst and passion in this book — two things that Stacy Reid always does well. ...more
5 million stars!!!!!!! OMG I loooooooved this so much! I spent most of the audiobook (narrated by Carmen Rose) giggling away.
The banter and teasing b5 million stars!!!!!!! OMG I loooooooved this so much! I spent most of the audiobook (narrated by Carmen Rose) giggling away.
The banter and teasing between Charlotte and Piers was *chef’s kiss*, and they were so well-matched! I love when the main characters are clever, and they grow more intrigued with the other when they realise they’ve met their match.
The shenanigans about the ‘mystery tuppers’ was also hilarious - I got a bit worried about that plotline for a second towards the end, but it was expertly crafted.
I have zero notes.
This is definitely going on my top-tier list, and I have already re-listened to parts of the audiobook....more
Grace Calloway is my new go-to author for steamy historical romances with good plot, and main characters who aren’t the usual lords and ladies.4 stars
Grace Calloway is my new go-to author for steamy historical romances with good plot, and main characters who aren’t the usual lords and ladies. Charity (the FMC) is a merchant’s daughter and Paul (the MMC) is a prizefighter. She’s been in love with him for years, but he only sees her as his sister’s best friend — until he accidentally compromises her and they need to marry... then onto lots of sexy times.
I don’t usually like lack of communication as the main conflict, but it worked here because of the whole ‘new marriage due to circumstances’ thing. It made sense that they hadn’t built trust or figured out how to communicate well, and were still figuring out their emotions. Charity’s father was also a major source of conflict and a lot of that was frustrating, but in the end I found her complicated relationship with her father quite realistic. This all built up to an angsty moment that had me gasping while sitting at a traffic light - the car next to me probably thought something was seriously wrong. ...more
Something about this historical romance felt nostalgic. Maybe it was the really warm and nurturing FMC who just wanted to find someone to lo4.25 stars
Something about this historical romance felt nostalgic. Maybe it was the really warm and nurturing FMC who just wanted to find someone to love + the ruthless MMC who used underhanded tactics to make her his, but didn’t (at first) know how to love? I loved that dynamic. Poppy and Harry are also some of my favorite Lisa Kleypas characters.
What I liked less was how quickly they flipped from not in love to deeply in love. It wasn’t instalove by any means, but I think the last 25% did a lot of the emotional heavy lifting, and I wish some of it was either brought forward or that part of the book was a little longer.
This book has unlikeable characters doing unlikeable things, but I still found myself loving it?!
Helena (our FMC) is risking ruin by having4.5 stars
This book has unlikeable characters doing unlikeable things, but I still found myself loving it?!
Helena (our FMC) is risking ruin by having a reckless affair with her childhood sweetheart, now a married man. David (our MMC) has a severe case of unrequited love for Helena, but she despises him because he tormented her throughout their teenage years. Because this is a historical romance, they have to elope to save her reputation… and then she gets amnesia.
I don’t know what it is about Sherry Thomas’s writing in this book, but I was just happy to be taken along the journey. It felt really balanced and ticked a lot of boxes for me - engaging plot, interesting characters, so much pining and angst and emotion, a good amount of steam (honestly it got pretty steamy at points). I’ve dfn’d a few other Sherry Thomas books recently, but this one just really worked for me. ...more
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