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3.32 AVERAGE
3.32 AVERAGE
There are several flavors of historical romance. There are the ones that go absolutely bananas, using the historical trappings to evoke a magical place out of time where incredibly bonkers things can happen (e.g. Scandal's Bride, The Earl Takes All, Dara Joy's entire HistRom oeuvre). There are the ones that are heavy on the historical accuracy, giving modern readers an idea of what it might have been like for our ancestors to fall in love (Bookshop Cinderella, Miss Wonderful, Forever Your Rogue). There are the ones that utilize the historical setting as a commentary on contemporary issues (Heartbreaker, A Caribbean Heiress in Paris, Bringing Down the Duke).
Of the second category, there's a subcatgory of the Austen-inspired books. Many HistRom readers got at least a part of their start in the genre with an assist from Jane Austen. She's the OG romance author, with her outspoken heroines and heroes who fall irrevocably for them.
My Duty to You is the first in the Austen Generation series. It's not an Austen retelling; the plot is more HistRom than Austen, with a second son who was never meant to inherit, a meddling grandmama, an on-the-shelf bookworm, and a marriage of convenience. But throughout the text, Lynette reads through Sense and Sensibility, comparing her own travails in love and courtship with those of Elinor and Marianne.
We enjoyed this one a lot. At 240 pages, it's a quick read. The pacing is a bit spotty, as the reader moves from courtship to marriage to the post-wedding adjustment period. The conflict took a while to show up, and when it did it was propped up by a lot of miscommunication (never our favorite). This is probably where it felt most like a debut. That said, we never felt like putting it down for another book.
If you're a particular fan of the Austen-inspired HistRom, this is a series to look out for.
This objective review is based on a complimentary copy of the novel.
Of the second category, there's a subcatgory of the Austen-inspired books. Many HistRom readers got at least a part of their start in the genre with an assist from Jane Austen. She's the OG romance author, with her outspoken heroines and heroes who fall irrevocably for them.
My Duty to You is the first in the Austen Generation series. It's not an Austen retelling; the plot is more HistRom than Austen, with a second son who was never meant to inherit, a meddling grandmama, an on-the-shelf bookworm, and a marriage of convenience. But throughout the text, Lynette reads through Sense and Sensibility, comparing her own travails in love and courtship with those of Elinor and Marianne.
We enjoyed this one a lot. At 240 pages, it's a quick read. The pacing is a bit spotty, as the reader moves from courtship to marriage to the post-wedding adjustment period. The conflict took a while to show up, and when it did it was propped up by a lot of miscommunication (never our favorite). This is probably where it felt most like a debut. That said, we never felt like putting it down for another book.
If you're a particular fan of the Austen-inspired HistRom, this is a series to look out for.
This objective review is based on a complimentary copy of the novel.