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changeablelandscape's review
emotional
funny
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
This is only the second Beverley novel I've read, and it has some of the unevenness of an early work, but all in all I really enjoyed it, although I could have done without the whole 'Whisperer' sexual harassment/assault plot -- fortunately it is not too much of the book and I just skipped one or two scenes I wasn't in the mood for. Aside from that it's a straightforward romance with a heroine who starts off insecure and unworldly, and to my great satisfaction is able to learn quickly to navigate the new role she finds herself in. I was really glad that Jane is allowed to be so successful -- I understand why a different reader might have wanted her to have a harder time overcoming her strict upbringing and very unkind mother, but I wanted to read about the pretty clothes and new friendships and social politics of ballrooms, and this book did a great job delivering!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual harassment and Emotional abuse
Moderate: Sexual assault
Minor: Rape
westcoastchelle's review
4.0
As a huge fan of romances set in this time period I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I picked it up last night before bed and finished it in the early hours. Loved Jane a lot, she was witty and funny and well-written in my personal opinion. The romance between her and Wraybourne was sweet and developed at a pace that I think seemed reasonable. A nice switch from that insta-love/lust which plagues so many books these days.
The subplot that happened while the romance blossomed with the man assaulting women at the fringes of the Ton was interesting and added a lil something extra to the story.
The one thing that bugged me a LOT was how they captured the "whisperer" in the end. Wraybourne having Jane dance with both the suspected men seemed a bit of a stretch. Personally I'd be furious if my fiance put me in a position where I was in the arms of a man who had raped several women. And he seemed to care for her more than that.
What I really appreciated was how clean the romance was. Just sweet and enjoyable, nothing untoward. It's far too rare these days and it was a nice change of pace to see him fall for her because of her charm and wit and not just her curves.
The subplot that happened while the romance blossomed with the man assaulting women at the fringes of the Ton was interesting and added a lil something extra to the story.
Spoiler
The one thing that bugged me a LOT was how they captured the "whisperer" in the end. Wraybourne having Jane dance with both the suspected men seemed a bit of a stretch. Personally I'd be furious if my fiance put me in a position where I was in the arms of a man who had raped several women. And he seemed to care for her more than that.
What I really appreciated was how clean the romance was. Just sweet and enjoyable, nothing untoward. It's far too rare these days and it was a nice change of pace to see him fall for her because of her charm and wit and not just her curves.
bookadventurer's review
3.0
The first time I read this, I loved the bold hero's patient pursuit of the shy heroine.
That was in... 2011.
Three years later, the second read felt very different. This time, the shy heroine, who readers are told is witty and clever, even if she had been utterly secluded from the world. Her shyness is explained by her innocence and unworldliness, but it goes further than shyness, because she's incredibly impressionable, too. I get this - if you've lived entirely at home, and haven't been able to experience any kind of social life, you're probably not going to know which way is up the first time you enter society. But for me, it went too far - she reads one of the Gothic novels, one of the most famous ones (I forget which), and then CONFUSES HER FIANCE WITH THE VILLAIN. That's not witty, it's not clever. It's dumb.
And it bothers me that this novel perpetuates, without discussion, the belief that women are so impressed by what they read that they confuse stories with reality.
I wish the hints at the heroine pursuing the hero had been more developed. There are a few moments in the story where she decides she's going to play the game and get him to love her, but it quickly fades into passivity.
Unfortunately, the heroine is more Catherine Morland than Elizabeth Bennett.
So, my second rating of this book... is probably a 2.5
That was in... 2011.
Three years later, the second read felt very different. This time, the shy heroine, who readers are told is witty and clever, even if she had been utterly secluded from the world. Her shyness is explained by her innocence and unworldliness, but it goes further than shyness, because she's incredibly impressionable, too. I get this - if you've lived entirely at home, and haven't been able to experience any kind of social life, you're probably not going to know which way is up the first time you enter society. But for me, it went too far - she reads one of the Gothic novels, one of the most famous ones (I forget which), and then CONFUSES HER FIANCE WITH THE VILLAIN. That's not witty, it's not clever. It's dumb.
And it bothers me that this novel perpetuates, without discussion, the belief that women are so impressed by what they read that they confuse stories with reality.
I wish the hints at the heroine pursuing the hero had been more developed. There are a few moments in the story where she decides she's going to play the game and get him to love her, but it quickly fades into passivity.
Unfortunately, the heroine is more Catherine Morland than Elizabeth Bennett.
So, my second rating of this book... is probably a 2.5
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