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carbs666's review against another edition
emotional
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.5
Another book that I desperately wanted to be better than it was. I feel like the blurb on the back cover gives you more insight into Beth's character than the entire novel and while Ian MacKenzie is kind of 100% my type of romance hero (autistic-coded, commanding, and traumatized) I just wasn't getting everything I wanted from this. Also HEAVY content warning for descriptions of Victorian-era incarceration and "treatment" (aka torture) of people with mental illnesses and disabilities.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content and Torture
heydebigale's review against another edition
dark
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
5.0
Lord Ian is a neuorodiverse son of a Duke (reads as autistic to me, but is never named on the page). Many people in London believe he is a murderer and Beth, who has fallen in love with him, decides to seek out the truth.
It came out in 2009, so not super old but there is once again the racial slur for Romani folks in this book. (2nd book in a row that I’ve read with this).
I listened to this one primarily on audio, Angela Dawe was an excellent narrator!
What I really liked about this book is that it’s both a mystery and a romance but neither the romance or the mystery suffer if that makes sense?? Plus the two MCs are very kind to each other basically the entire book which I loved. Ian and Beth are so gentle with each other basically the entire book and I loved all that!!
Notes: takes place in London, England. Both MCs are white, with a slight class difference. Ian is autistic.
It came out in 2009, so not super old but there is once again the racial slur for Romani folks in this book. (2nd book in a row that I’ve read with this).
I listened to this one primarily on audio, Angela Dawe was an excellent narrator!
What I really liked about this book is that it’s both a mystery and a romance but neither the romance or the mystery suffer if that makes sense?? Plus the two MCs are very kind to each other basically the entire book which I loved. Ian and Beth are so gentle with each other basically the entire book and I loved all that!!
Notes: takes place in London, England. Both MCs are white, with a slight class difference. Ian is autistic.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Ableism, Confinement, Torture, and Abandonment
Minor: Racial slurs
fa1th_'s review against another edition
emotional
funny
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
I love this one! I have been a fan of Jennifer Ashely ever since her Below Stairs series, and having seen booktubers rave about her more famous series about the Mackenzies, I thought why not? I'm fairly new to the historical romance genre, a few that I've tried were not bad but not great either, but I think this book was a great start of the series. (And I have now realized just how much historical romances love a Scottish hero lol)
I love Ian so much. The fact that he was straightforward, blunt, honest, say what he wants and do what he wants, unafraid to be who he was, he was just a breath of fresh air. In some ways he was all-sharp-edges, and Beth, our heroine, was the absolute perfect match for him. She was rounded, kind, embracing, and she saw Ian for who he was, without all of the judgements and prejudice. The fact that in the beginning Ian could not understand Beth's jokes to the end of the story where he tried to make jokes, ah, my heart just could not handle all of this cuteness.
And I must say I really love the mystery aspect of the story as well. Coming from the Below Stairs series, I was most in love with her murder mysteries, and reading this one was just as intense and puzzling. Though the end of this 'whodunit' was a bit underwhelming. The whole plot of the book was Beth finding out what happened that night, but the ending was confusing since the murderer died off so suddenly, and we only read about pieces of what really happened through Beth's words.
Nevertheless I'm satisfied with this one, cute romance, great group of characters, fast read too. I'm most likely to pick up the next book of the series soon.
I love Ian so much. The fact that he was straightforward, blunt, honest, say what he wants and do what he wants, unafraid to be who he was, he was just a breath of fresh air. In some ways he was all-sharp-edges, and Beth, our heroine, was the absolute perfect match for him. She was rounded, kind, embracing, and she saw Ian for who he was, without all of the judgements and prejudice. The fact that in the beginning Ian could not understand Beth's jokes to the end of the story where he tried to make jokes, ah, my heart just could not handle all of this cuteness.
And I must say I really love the mystery aspect of the story as well. Coming from the Below Stairs series, I was most in love with her murder mysteries, and reading this one was just as intense and puzzling. Though the end of this 'whodunit' was a bit underwhelming. The whole plot of the book was Beth finding out what happened that night, but the ending was confusing since the murderer died off so suddenly, and we only read about pieces of what really happened through Beth's words.
Nevertheless I'm satisfied with this one, cute romance, great group of characters, fast read too. I'm most likely to pick up the next book of the series soon.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content, Violence, Forced institutionalization, and Death of parent
Moderate: Death, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Torture, and Injury/Injury detail
ashleycmms's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Alcoholism, Death, Torture, Violence, and Forced institutionalization