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metrovm's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
balletbookworm's review against another edition
4.0
A sweet romance, but I didn't love it quite as much as The Soldier's Scoundrel. Georgie, even in his own book as a POV character, doesn't feel solidly drawn as a character, he still feels an enigma to some extent. At times the story felt less like a love story and more like Lawrence found a handler he couldn't frighten away. I did appreciate that Lawrence's "madness" was not perfectly defined according to a modern definition of psychological disorder (it comes across as either extreme social anxiety or somewhere on the spectrum) and there were several interesting turns to the plot I liked. Plus we get to see Oliver and Jack in their home, which was so lovely. A good second novel.
nevclue's review against another edition
4.0
This was interesting. M/M romance between a grifter (Georgie) and a mad scientist who thinks he's actually mad earl (Lawrence). Lawrence is clearly meant to be on the autism spectrum. Fun, fast read.
ruthnessly's review against another edition
4.0
giggling, swinging my legs, twirling my hair
this is my favourite one! does it make any sense that i read this series 3 -> 1 -> 2. no it doesn't! but this is my FAVOURITE one. i loved it a lot! SWINGING MY LEGS, TWIRLING MY HAIR, GRINNING AT MY KINDLE.
this is my favourite one! does it make any sense that i read this series 3 -> 1 -> 2. no it doesn't! but this is my FAVOURITE one. i loved it a lot! SWINGING MY LEGS, TWIRLING MY HAIR, GRINNING AT MY KINDLE.
teresab78's review against another edition
4.0
3.5 stars
The story was interesting, although the narrator was kind of dull. I’ve had success with him before but this felt flat.
I liked Georgie and Lawrence. I loved how Georgie brought Lawrence out of his shell.
The story was interesting, although the narrator was kind of dull. I’ve had success with him before but this felt flat.
I liked Georgie and Lawrence. I loved how Georgie brought Lawrence out of his shell.
mdalida's review against another edition
5.0
I devoured this book as quickly as I did the first in the series - and was not disappointed! Wow wow wow, if I had only known about Cat Sebastian earlier!
Lawrence, the reclusive Earl who thinks craziness will seep into him like it did to his father and brother, was my favorite - described like a big bear with his massive size and muscles but also with some crippling anxiety and past trauma issues; he is also a scientist who is working on what will become the telegraph. His character almost screams past trauma like a wounded animal who is obviously in pain and yet snarls at any one who comes close. Reading his wonder at identifying flirtation and also engaging in sexual acts without all the guilt and shame was very sweet.
Georgie was a bit more problematic for me. While Jack from the first book is like an edgier Robin Hood, Georgie doesn't really pretend to be helping anyone; he's into the plotting and swindling. I always have a bit of a hard time with criminal lead characters. And his name is Georgie! It sounds cute and innocent, which is likely the point, but it was hard to take it seriously that he was some hardened criminal with a name like Georgie!
Their chemistry was HOT. Holy wow, I stopped a few times just to soak it all in! Lawrence's repressed sexual nature, since he thought being gay was part of his madness, was a big emotional pull for me. I enjoyed their buildup / love me some angst!
The set up of the heroes was similar in some ways to the first book where the couple is built on opposites. Here, there's the same class difference between the two, though Georgie has zero concern about that. There's also the personality difference where the aristocrat is more repressed but innocent in different ways that is appealing to the jaded Turner brothers. In this book, their physical appearances were also strikingly different; Georgie is described as slight and slender while Lawrence is big, muscly, and hairy. I didn't mind the similar tropes between the books because they were identical, and it didn't detract from the main story.
And an aside: I loved loved loved that the main other scientist in this book, who also showed herself to be empathetic to her friend the Earl, was a woman! All kinds of mavericks for characters!
In the end, I was blown away by this book even with the high standards that were set from the first one. So, on to the third book in this series!
Lawrence, the reclusive Earl who thinks craziness will seep into him like it did to his father and brother, was my favorite - described like a big bear with his massive size and muscles but also with some crippling anxiety and past trauma issues; he is also a scientist who is working on what will become the telegraph. His character almost screams past trauma like a wounded animal who is obviously in pain and yet snarls at any one who comes close. Reading his wonder at identifying flirtation and also engaging in sexual acts without all the guilt and shame was very sweet.
Georgie was a bit more problematic for me. While Jack from the first book is like an edgier Robin Hood, Georgie doesn't really pretend to be helping anyone; he's into the plotting and swindling. I always have a bit of a hard time with criminal lead characters. And his name is Georgie! It sounds cute and innocent, which is likely the point, but it was hard to take it seriously that he was some hardened criminal with a name like Georgie!
Their chemistry was HOT. Holy wow, I stopped a few times just to soak it all in! Lawrence's repressed sexual nature, since he thought being gay was part of his madness, was a big emotional pull for me. I enjoyed their buildup / love me some angst!
The set up of the heroes was similar in some ways to the first book where the couple is built on opposites. Here, there's the same class difference between the two, though Georgie has zero concern about that. There's also the personality difference where the aristocrat is more repressed but innocent in different ways that is appealing to the jaded Turner brothers. In this book, their physical appearances were also strikingly different; Georgie is described as slight and slender while Lawrence is big, muscly, and hairy. I didn't mind the similar tropes between the books because they were identical, and it didn't detract from the main story.
And an aside: I loved loved loved that the main other scientist in this book, who also showed herself to be empathetic to her friend the Earl, was a woman! All kinds of mavericks for characters!
In the end, I was blown away by this book even with the high standards that were set from the first one. So, on to the third book in this series!
weweresotired's review against another edition
4.0
Probably my least favorite of the series and by least favorite I mean, would initially rate it like 3.75 stars instead of 4. Feels very Brooding Gothic Romance to me, which is not my favorite genre, but I really loved Georgie and the journey he goes on to discover a path forward in his life. The handling of Lawrence, who in today's world would have an anxiety disorder or be on the autism spectrum but in this time period he's just thought to be mad, is very sensitive and I loved how kind and understanding Georgie is. Also having accidentally read the whole series out of order, this book was crucial for understanding how Jack, Georgie, and Julian's novels all intersect.
sherrios's review against another edition
5.0
Ah, another good book by Cat Sebastian. She's very rapidly worked her way into my "must finish her entire catalogue" list.
I have to say that I enjoyed this one a great deal more than I enjoyed The Soldier's Scoundrel, not in the least because it seems she very rapidly fixed her continuity problem, but primarily because of Lawrence.
The characterization of Laurie and his mental illness (I'm fairly certain he's got a massive anxiety disorder as well as possibly agoraphobia?) were spot on. She deftly set up this character without him feeling stilted, over the top, or like his bouts only came about when the plot necessitated them.
Guh. I loved this so much.
I have to say that I enjoyed this one a great deal more than I enjoyed The Soldier's Scoundrel, not in the least because it seems she very rapidly fixed her continuity problem, but primarily because of Lawrence.
The characterization of Laurie and his mental illness (I'm fairly certain he's got a massive anxiety disorder as well as possibly agoraphobia?) were spot on. She deftly set up this character without him feeling stilted, over the top, or like his bouts only came about when the plot necessitated them.
Guh. I loved this so much.
qalminator's review against another edition
3.0
Decent, enjoyable yarn. I thought the character progression here was much more believable than that in its predecessor, The Soldier's Scoundrel. Here, Georgie's progression from thief to protector never felt forced, and there were some decent subplots involving Radnor's inventions, correspondence, and adopted son. Still, it never drew me fully in until about the last 20% or so. It was a bit of slog for me to get that far, but at least the ending made it worthwhile.
eacolgan's review against another edition
5.0
Yay Cat Sebastian! You got better art this time and the story was just as good if not better! I love Georgie to deeeaaaaath and I love him falling in love with being a country mouse instead of a city mouse. Also, MAD props to Ms. Sebastian for so accurately and sympathetically portraying an anxiety disorder in a time when there was no terminology or recourse for them.