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katemc's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Main takeaway - will DEF be reading more Adriana Herrera. I love how deeply researched this was, how real both characters felt, and how vivid their settings were! The supporting cast was also so, so good.
Third act breakups or conflicts are always tough for me to believe, because so many couples in histroms lowkey barely know each other. They happen in like less than a month timelines (and that’s on the long end) so I don’t usually have a lot of patience or sympathy for people upset by “secrets.” Especially when the secrets are usually at the core of the other person’s trauma or family.
In this, by the end Luz had PMO when she decides her insecurities about his behavior would be resolved or soothed if he “told her it wasn’t about her” meanwhile she’d been the one initiating the distance on purpose over and over? As IF a) she would have taken him as his word (seeing as she spends the whole book actively distrustful based on nothing) and b) she gave him any reason to think his behavior was affecting her at all. She never once asked him what was wrong or if he was upset about something. She’s then insistent he has to grovel/apologize over literally what?? Having a life before her and outside of her?? They’ve known each other a month by the end??
Anywayyyy other than that I really liked. The ending was a bit cuckoo bananas and I’m not someone who’s into groveling lol so that wasn’t a selling point, but other than THOSE aspects, very solid 4.
Third act breakups or conflicts are always tough for me to believe, because so many couples in histroms lowkey barely know each other. They happen in like less than a month timelines (and that’s on the long end) so I don’t usually have a lot of patience or sympathy for people upset by “secrets.” Especially when the secrets are usually at the core of the other person’s trauma or family.
In this, by the end Luz had PMO when she decides her insecurities about his behavior would be resolved or soothed if he “told her it wasn’t about her” meanwhile she’d been the one initiating the distance on purpose over and over? As IF a) she would have taken him as his word (seeing as she spends the whole book actively distrustful based on nothing) and b) she gave him any reason to think his behavior was affecting her at all. She never once asked him what was wrong or if he was upset about something. She’s then insistent he has to grovel/apologize over literally what?? Having a life before her and outside of her?? They’ve known each other a month by the end??
Anywayyyy other than that I really liked. The ending was a bit cuckoo bananas and I’m not someone who’s into groveling lol so that wasn’t a selling point, but other than THOSE aspects, very solid 4.
gmolina's review
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
meghareads's review against another edition
funny
mysterious
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.75
Love these characters & their banter
apple_atcha_reading's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
I loved this spicy romance. I enjoyed that Herrera balanced plot and explicit scenes, so the novel was more balanced instead of wholly relying on sexual encounters between the two protagonists. I'm now officially a marriage of convenience fan, especially in cases like in this novel, where it began as business arrangement benefitting both sides fairly equally, but became something more.
Besides a well balanced novel in terms of explicit content and plot, I loved the conversations our FMC was able to have with her partner about classism, racism, and misogyny. He was never going to experience those as a rich, cis, white man, and she needed him to understand why her business was always going to be more difficult than his (although her product was superior).
Novel also features: LGBTQIA+ characters (side), marriage of convenience, "get away from my wife", Latinx characters (main and side), Scottish MMC, historical setting (late 1800s)
Besides a well balanced novel in terms of explicit content and plot, I loved the conversations our FMC was able to have with her partner about classism, racism, and misogyny. He was never going to experience those as a rich, cis, white man, and she needed him to understand why her business was always going to be more difficult than his (although her product was superior).
Novel also features: LGBTQIA+ characters (side), marriage of convenience, "get away from my wife", Latinx characters (main and side), Scottish MMC, historical setting (late 1800s)
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcohol, Classism, Sexual content, Racism, and Cursing
Moderate: Violence, Gun violence, Colonisation, Death of parent, and Slavery
lyriclorelei's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.0
You know, I didn't appreciate Evan's actions some of the times, but it was nice that they were both on the same page.
esther_d's review against another edition
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
savannaha's review against another edition
funny
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
4.0
nrlatzig's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.25
bookschaosnart's review against another edition
for someone that doesn't read historical romance at all this one was a joy for dipping my feet in the genre. i'm still not sure it'd be my first pick up but Herrera takes my favorite parts of her contemporary writing and adds them well into the historical genre. you can tell care was taken to make this more than just throwing parts against the wall and hoping they would stick. I'm also very inerested in the queer untertones of one of the lead characters best friend as well as the potential for ensuing drama as the other best friend
dumin's review against another edition
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0