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I didn't like the main couple especially Turner. I just didn't like or understand his motives. Seems he didn't actually care for Miranda, and Miranda for telling the baby to "hold on" before it was delivered, "eye roll". The audiobook was a hard listen.
The protagonist Miranda is a girl who, despite her lack of great beauty, has a personality and a sense of justice that is worthy of a main character. Her best friend Olivia is great, their friendship is a highlight of the book. Then there's Turner, Olivia's grumpy once spurned and now salty older brother. Honestly, every time Turner opened his mouth I liked him less. He treats Miranda horribly, seems patronizing and disinterested despite his major role in the story. The reader is never privy to his thoughts or feelings other than when he interacts with his sister and Miranda, so it is hard to feel anything but mildly irritated at him. There was space for more characters to be brought out from the background (Olivia's mom is as boring and one sided as they come, Olivia's twin lacks any personality, Miranda's father is more interested in Greek mythology than participating in the novel). I am experimenting in the romance genre and finding complicated but not downright dickish male characters has proven to be a challenge
Ooo I love an unrequited crush turned requited forbidden romance plot! Turner is indeed crush worthy, and Minerva's "unfashionable" beauty makes her lack of confidence understandable, and I loved seeing how their relationship dynamics and power differential changed over the course of the novel. I am slowly working through all of Julia Quinn's novels this year and am happy to say that she continues to hit the mark whenever I'm in the mood for a light, fun, and steamy historical romance!
It *seemed* like it would have been so fun. I like books about childhood friends falling in love later in life. I don't like books quite so much when there's a 9 year age difference so only one of them was a child at the time and said child never considers another, even when the older member of the pair marries someone else. That's a bit obsessive and desperate, no matter how charming either one of them is supposed to be.
What we have here is a handsome 19-year-old young man who behaved nicely to an unhappy 10-year-old girl, and the girl just never let it go. So the guy gets married (to a cheating slut apparently lacking in any redeeming qualities, of course; God forbid anyone like their first spouses in romance novels ::insert eye rolling here::) who is conveniently dead by the time our book really gets going, and his temperament is ruined so he's horrible and selfish and has a low opinion of women (he's tortured and it's all that nasty cheating slut's fault, oh boohoohoo), and the girl grows up firm in her belief that they are destined and consequently behaves like his doormat.
They both just strike me as very immature and naive, and the way they reacted to situations later in the book seemed frankly bizarre and inappropriate. There's only so much I can suspend my disbelief. The writing itself was enjoyable enough, but the characters are very lacking.
What we have here is a handsome 19-year-old young man who behaved nicely to an unhappy 10-year-old girl, and the girl just never let it go. So the guy gets married (to a cheating slut apparently lacking in any redeeming qualities, of course; God forbid anyone like their first spouses in romance novels ::insert eye rolling here::) who is conveniently dead by the time our book really gets going, and his temperament is ruined so he's horrible and selfish and has a low opinion of women (he's tortured and it's all that nasty cheating slut's fault, oh boohoohoo), and the girl grows up firm in her belief that they are destined and consequently behaves like his doormat.
They both just strike me as very immature and naive, and the way they reacted to situations later in the book seemed frankly bizarre and inappropriate. There's only so much I can suspend my disbelief. The writing itself was enjoyable enough, but the characters are very lacking.
This is the third time I'm reading this book. I totally loved it the first time, and it turned me off the second. I think I've comfortably settled in the middle the third time around.
Pros:
1. I like Turner much more than I thought I would. I expected to despise him from what I remembered of round two, but he's acting pretty understandably for a depressed person.
2. Some of the jokes and dialogues are grinworthy. Turner and Miranda's sniping is pretty fun.
3. I really like the extended Bevelstoke family. Mostly Olivia and her Mom. Particularly her Mom. Her way of dealing with her son gives me life.
Cons:
1. I'm just not a fan of conflicts which center around "but you never TOLD me you loved me" when everything else the person does indicates love. I try to never say this about romance heroes because they are overindulged, but give the guy a break, Miranda.
2. Bad Woman Ruined Good Man and now Good Woman Has To Fix Him plotlines are... not my thing. Leticia gets blamed for way too much by both protagonists.
Other Notes:
1. I have conflicting feelings about Miranda. On one hand, she is not all that objectionable. On the other hand, her personality is fairly standard for romances. Add in the "TELL ME YOU LOVE ME" thing and I'm left feeling vaugely dissatisfied.
2. This book has a strange structure. It's not bad, as such. But it is a little meander-y.
Pros:
1. I like Turner much more than I thought I would. I expected to despise him from what I remembered of round two, but he's acting pretty understandably for a depressed person.
2. Some of the jokes and dialogues are grinworthy. Turner and Miranda's sniping is pretty fun.
3. I really like the extended Bevelstoke family. Mostly Olivia and her Mom. Particularly her Mom. Her way of dealing with her son gives me life.
Cons:
1. I'm just not a fan of conflicts which center around "but you never TOLD me you loved me" when everything else the person does indicates love. I try to never say this about romance heroes because they are overindulged, but give the guy a break, Miranda.
2. Bad Woman Ruined Good Man and now Good Woman Has To Fix Him plotlines are... not my thing. Leticia gets blamed for way too much by both protagonists.
Other Notes:
1. I have conflicting feelings about Miranda. On one hand, she is not all that objectionable. On the other hand, her personality is fairly standard for romances. Add in the "TELL ME YOU LOVE ME" thing and I'm left feeling vaugely dissatisfied.
2. This book has a strange structure. It's not bad, as such. But it is a little meander-y.
Angenehme Geschichte, die Lust macht auf den nächsten Helden. In diesem hier fand ich das Paar eher in Ordnung, bzw, er war mir nicht sympathisch. Sonst sehr gute Idee und Umsetzung!
Gosto muito da escrita de Julia, li-o num instante. Mas este casal irritou-me imenso.. tanta indecisão já me estava a cansar, credo...
Mas é sempre leitura rápida e garantidamente divertida.
Mas é sempre leitura rápida e garantidamente divertida.