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julianalo's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
sad
tense
medium-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
merrinish's review against another edition
2.0
A prime example of telling and not showing, also containing quite a few sentence fragments. Also, I got SUPER tired of hearing about how ugly and insufferable the heroine was.
reading_historical_romance's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
relaxing
medium-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
3.75
Tropes: Alpha hero, grumpy/sunshine, enemies to lovers, marriage of convenience
+1st book in the Huxtable tetralogy
+H/Elliott Wallace, Viscount Lyngate (29), h/Vanessa Huxtable Dew (24)
+Vanessa is the 2nd of the Huxtable siblings, and a widow. She married Hedley Dew, a childhood friend, who died within a year of marrying from consumption.
+The family lives in the tiny English village of Throckbridge, until Viscount Lyngate arrives on Valentine's Day with the news that the youngest Huxtable, Stephen (17), is now heir to the Earldom of Merton. The family then moves to Warren Hall, Merton's principal seat, in Hampshire. They meet their second cousin, Constantine Huxtable, who has lived at Warren Hall his entire life.
+Elliott is Constantine's first cousin (their mothers are sisters). Elliott is heir to the Duke of Moreland.
+We begin the novel in Throckbridge. In addition to Warren Hall, we visit Finchley Park (Viscount Lyngate's estate), and Moreland House in London.
+Elliott and Vanessa begin the novel as enemies, and ultimately fall in love with each other after agreeing to a marriage of convenience.
+Do they bang outdoors? Yes.
+Do they bang clothed? Yes.
+Is she a virgin? No.
+1st book in the Huxtable tetralogy
+H/Elliott Wallace, Viscount Lyngate (29), h/Vanessa Huxtable Dew (24)
+Vanessa is the 2nd of the Huxtable siblings, and a widow. She married Hedley Dew, a childhood friend, who died within a year of marrying from consumption.
+The family lives in the tiny English village of Throckbridge, until Viscount Lyngate arrives on Valentine's Day with the news that the youngest Huxtable, Stephen (17), is now heir to the Earldom of Merton. The family then moves to Warren Hall, Merton's principal seat, in Hampshire. They meet their second cousin, Constantine Huxtable, who has lived at Warren Hall his entire life.
+Elliott is Constantine's first cousin (their mothers are sisters). Elliott is heir to the Duke of Moreland.
+We begin the novel in Throckbridge. In addition to Warren Hall, we visit Finchley Park (Viscount Lyngate's estate), and Moreland House in London.
+Elliott and Vanessa begin the novel as enemies, and ultimately fall in love with each other after agreeing to a marriage of convenience.
+Do they bang outdoors? Yes.
+Do they bang clothed? Yes.
+Is she a virgin? No.
allyriadayne's review against another edition
4.0
A quite slow read as thus was an introductory book to the series but I came to like it a lot as it neared the end. As it says on the title first came the marriage and then how Vanessa and Elliot learned to love each other and overcome everything else.
I loved the all the Huxtables, even the Mr Wickham of the family lmao. I did thought Elliot was a bit too serious but after a while it was a breath of fresh air considering the kind of romantic hero I've been reading lately haha. Catch me inhaling the rest of the series soon!
I loved the all the Huxtables, even the Mr Wickham of the family lmao. I did thought Elliot was a bit too serious but after a while it was a breath of fresh air considering the kind of romantic hero I've been reading lately haha. Catch me inhaling the rest of the series soon!
reginaexmachina's review against another edition
The rating here could be partially due to the fact that I was in a stressful mood when I gave this book a shot. But mostly I just kept thinking the writing here felt stuffy. I was 20 pages in and everything felt superficial and couldn't hold my interest. Poor stuffy rich gentlemen has to marry on his 30th birthday. Boo hoo. Oh poor happy but financially burdened family and it's poor young and kind sister who has to marry the rich stuffy gentlemen.
Bleeeeh.
In my opinion when everything is too idyllic, even in the set up, I just get turned off. Like I said earlier, it could also just be that I wasn't in the mood for a romance at the time. Either way I just couldn't feel interested in the story no matter how many times I tried.
Bleeeeh.
In my opinion when everything is too idyllic, even in the set up, I just get turned off. Like I said earlier, it could also just be that I wasn't in the mood for a romance at the time. Either way I just couldn't feel interested in the story no matter how many times I tried.
pseudowoodo's review
3.0
Didn’t find the couple super interesting but it got me excited for the rest of the series
moreotter's review against another edition
4.0
Marriage of convenience—not so much hate-to-love but definitely annoyed-to-love. Read this if you’ve read too many instalove books in a row and you need the exact opposite to even the scales! (Also: lovely prose, and I can’t wait to read the rest of the series because the family is great, and a fascinating antihero that gets a book later was set up so well.)
kerryann's review against another edition
4.0
I must qualify that my four stars are with respect to the genre, not every book in the world. If you like romance than Vanessa is a very likable heroine. I love regencies and Mary Balogh. My only criticism is that i wish she would not inject modern sensitivities to conversation and motivation, it feels out of place. However, if you disregard that the love story was delightful. I love the unresolved animosity between Constance and Elliot. A delightful series.
simplyparticular's review
3.0
I li ked bioththe characters in the book, and felt Balogh did an excellent job fleshing out Vanessa and her sweet, sacrifical nature, but elliott felt a bit flat in comparison, and the marriage of convenience trope was a bit on the unbelievable side. But a nice read and I am looking forward to Katherine's book.