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kitten_nugget's review against another edition
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
fishgirl182's review against another edition
3.0
IN PROGRESS
Sir Richard Kenworthy is in need of a wife and he finds the perfect candidate in Iris Smythe-Smith. A shy, unassuming young lady a clever mind, Iris isn't used to attracting much attention. Therefore she is very suspicious when it becomes clear that Richard Kenworthy means to woo her into marriage. However, Richard hasn't told Iris the whole truth. Will his secret tear them apart?
I had mixed feelings about this one. I normally love Julia Quinn's historical romances. Her heroines are smart and witty and often a little unconventional.
Sir Richard Kenworthy is in need of a wife and he finds the perfect candidate in Iris Smythe-Smith. A shy, unassuming young lady a clever mind, Iris isn't used to attracting much attention. Therefore she is very suspicious when it becomes clear that Richard Kenworthy means to woo her into marriage. However, Richard hasn't told Iris the whole truth. Will his secret tear them apart?
I had mixed feelings about this one. I normally love Julia Quinn's historical romances. Her heroines are smart and witty and often a little unconventional.
tonyriver's review against another edition
4.0
Well sometimes the (surprise) love of your life acts like a cad, but in this world forgiveness is likely and happiness will surely win out. That’s romance for you! Nice to read of a Smythe-Smith winning through after being in the background through all those Bridgerton romances.
nellesnightstand1's review against another edition
5.0
How do I begin?!! Julia Quinn is one of the few authors that make me want to reread a book right after I finished it! I feel like I’ve been through an emotional wringer. How can she make me fall in love with the hero, make me absolutely despise him, then make me fall in love all over again!!!! I will NOT be posting a spoiler. I will NOT be posting spoiler! (Yes, it needed said TWICE!)
I love historical romances but sometimes the plots get a little redundant. NOT THIS ONE! O.M.G! My heart hurt for ALL of these characters when the secret came out! My emotions were all over the place! Julia Quinn is a phenomenal writer! Her heroines are strong, independent, courageous women! Iris certainly has all those qualities! On the surface she’s a wallflower, quiet, unassuming, almost “on the shelf” lady, when underneath, she’s this outspoken, forthright, snarky, sarcastic woman. LOVED HER! I could FEEL her emotions. She’s so damn smart! She KNOWS Richard is up to something. She doesn’t understand just what it could be, but she knows herself well enough that when he singles her out so quickly that there is something to be suspicious about. Doesn’t stop her from falling for him, though.
Richard, Richard, Richard!!! He’s in London for a reason, to marry quickly. No reason given, but hints are laid. He seemed so adorably cute in his interactions with Iris in the beginning. His inner dialogue was compelling. Here was a gentleman who knew he wasn’t doing the right thing for Iris. So much guilt there! But you can see that he really does like her for who she really is. The betrayal hit my heart and I was in a rage!!! But dammit! He was trying to make the best of a bad situation! In the end, I had to forgive him. Sigh.
Ok, that was all about the main plot. If you’ve ever read a Julia Quinn novel, you’ll know about the Smythe-Smith Musicales. Yes, that’s where Richard met Iris. I love how they are such a train wreck every year but people still go see/hear them! What you won’t know about is the Smythe-Smith poetry readings! Oh, Francis!! I can’t decide if I want you to grow up or stay sweet and young and continue to believe in unicorns! (Unicorns have a special place in my heart! I used to have a small collection of unicorn figurines, but our many moves, have depleted them. :( )
Although I did receive a complimentary copy of this book, my words are heartfelt. I’ve read EVERY Julia Quinn novel out there. Oh, Anthony Bridgerton! Sigh. She is one of my favorite authors. I’ve found some of her recent books so-so but with this one, she brought me back into the fold. I laughed, I cried, I gritted my teeth in fury, but eventually I sighed in contentment.
PSST… I hear that the BRIDGERTONS are coming back!! *YES!!!!* Oh sister dear…I’ll get you to read again yet!! *rubbing my hands together and grinning evilly!*
I love historical romances but sometimes the plots get a little redundant. NOT THIS ONE! O.M.G! My heart hurt for ALL of these characters when the secret came out! My emotions were all over the place! Julia Quinn is a phenomenal writer! Her heroines are strong, independent, courageous women! Iris certainly has all those qualities! On the surface she’s a wallflower, quiet, unassuming, almost “on the shelf” lady, when underneath, she’s this outspoken, forthright, snarky, sarcastic woman. LOVED HER! I could FEEL her emotions. She’s so damn smart! She KNOWS Richard is up to something. She doesn’t understand just what it could be, but she knows herself well enough that when he singles her out so quickly that there is something to be suspicious about. Doesn’t stop her from falling for him, though.
Richard, Richard, Richard!!! He’s in London for a reason, to marry quickly. No reason given, but hints are laid. He seemed so adorably cute in his interactions with Iris in the beginning. His inner dialogue was compelling. Here was a gentleman who knew he wasn’t doing the right thing for Iris. So much guilt there! But you can see that he really does like her for who she really is. The betrayal hit my heart and I was in a rage!!! But dammit! He was trying to make the best of a bad situation! In the end, I had to forgive him. Sigh.
Ok, that was all about the main plot. If you’ve ever read a Julia Quinn novel, you’ll know about the Smythe-Smith Musicales. Yes, that’s where Richard met Iris. I love how they are such a train wreck every year but people still go see/hear them! What you won’t know about is the Smythe-Smith poetry readings! Oh, Francis!! I can’t decide if I want you to grow up or stay sweet and young and continue to believe in unicorns! (Unicorns have a special place in my heart! I used to have a small collection of unicorn figurines, but our many moves, have depleted them. :( )
Although I did receive a complimentary copy of this book, my words are heartfelt. I’ve read EVERY Julia Quinn novel out there. Oh, Anthony Bridgerton! Sigh. She is one of my favorite authors. I’ve found some of her recent books so-so but with this one, she brought me back into the fold. I laughed, I cried, I gritted my teeth in fury, but eventually I sighed in contentment.
PSST… I hear that the BRIDGERTONS are coming back!! *YES!!!!* Oh sister dear…I’ll get you to read again yet!! *rubbing my hands together and grinning evilly!*
brandypainter's review against another edition
1.0
I can't believe I'm giving a Julia Quinn novel one star. I almost want to cry as I type this. I was tempted to give it two just for the comedic genius in the scene where Iris's young cousins were performing "The Sheperdress, the Unicorn, and Henry VIII". That scene had my sides hurting I laughed so hard. But one inconsequential scene that made me laugh so much my sides hurt doesn't make up for what I endured the rest of the book.
Was I supposed to like Sir Richard? Even a little bit? Because I can't. I don't care how much he regretted his actions. (Something I was NEVER convinced of.) I don't care that he thought he had a good motive. He was in the wrong completely and totally. I couldn't help comparing this to another hero-hides -things-from-the-heroine book I read recently and really liked. That was Courtney Milan's [b:The Suffragette Scandal|17343236|The Suffragette Scandal (Brothers Sinister, #4)|Courtney Milan|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1399859670s/17343236.jpg|24081161]. The difference is in that, Edward only ever wanted to protect Free and was determined to let her go. He never intended to completely rob her of her choices in life. Not so Sir Richard. Richard only wants to entrap Iris, and as much as he claims to regret his methods later on, his actions do not back up his words. Iris is the sacrificial lamb on the altar of Richard's dumb plan. And boy is it dumb. His dictatorial decrees that Iris must fall in line with said plan did not raise him in my esteem, and his turn around was too abrupt with the actual true problem conveniently removed for me to care about him at all.
I liked Iris fairly well until she condescended to go along with her husband's ridiculousness. I mean really. I hoped for the entire time that she locked herself in her room in anger that she was plotting. Or leaving. Or quietly contacting her cousins so that she would have help. Unfortunately, Quinn does not allow us the privilege of being in Iris's head during this time-we are stuck with her idiot husband instead-so have no clue what she was thinking by submitting and not doing any of those other things.
I nearly put the book down.
Why didn't I? I really kept hoping at some point her cousins would come back into the picture and that Marcus and Daniel would beat the tarnation out of Richard while Hugh gave sarcastic tips from the sidelines. I'm really upset I was denied this scene. They aren't even in this book, which was probably a wise move on Quinn's part. Her hero needed enough help as it was without being compared to the previous ones.
I have had issues with each book in this series, but at least in the previous three I LIKED the main characters. And I was okay with the plots in the first two. But this one was just a hot mess from start to finish. Ridiculous premise, dumb characters with little to no development, and I am not buying a happily ever after when Richard is.....Richard.
You have no idea how hard this is for me. Julia Quinn used to be one of my favorite authors. She's always had a flair for the melodramatic, but I feel she had it under a slightly more realistic control until recently. I guess it's saying something that my favorite book of hers is [b:Romancing Mister Bridgerton|110384|Romancing Mister Bridgerton (Bridgertons, #4)|Julia Quinn|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1274211494s/110384.jpg|659482] and it's probably the least melodramatic of all of them.
Sigh.
I think it is time that I have to say Quinn is no longer going to be an auto-buy author for me. I don't know if it's that my tastes have changed that much or if her writing is just not what it used to be. Maybe it's a combination of the two. Whatever the reason, I think it is time for us to part ways, at least as far as my actually anticipating her books is concerned.
Was I supposed to like Sir Richard? Even a little bit? Because I can't. I don't care how much he regretted his actions. (Something I was NEVER convinced of.) I don't care that he thought he had a good motive. He was in the wrong completely and totally. I couldn't help comparing this to another hero-hides -things-from-the-heroine book I read recently and really liked. That was Courtney Milan's [b:The Suffragette Scandal|17343236|The Suffragette Scandal (Brothers Sinister, #4)|Courtney Milan|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1399859670s/17343236.jpg|24081161]. The difference is in that, Edward only ever wanted to protect Free and was determined to let her go. He never intended to completely rob her of her choices in life. Not so Sir Richard. Richard only wants to entrap Iris, and as much as he claims to regret his methods later on, his actions do not back up his words. Iris is the sacrificial lamb on the altar of Richard's dumb plan. And boy is it dumb. His dictatorial decrees that Iris must fall in line with said plan did not raise him in my esteem, and his turn around was too abrupt with the actual true problem conveniently removed for me to care about him at all.
I liked Iris fairly well until she condescended to go along with her husband's ridiculousness. I mean really. I hoped for the entire time that she locked herself in her room in anger that she was plotting. Or leaving. Or quietly contacting her cousins so that she would have help. Unfortunately, Quinn does not allow us the privilege of being in Iris's head during this time-we are stuck with her idiot husband instead-so have no clue what she was thinking by submitting and not doing any of those other things.
I nearly put the book down.
Why didn't I? I really kept hoping at some point her cousins would come back into the picture and that Marcus and Daniel would beat the tarnation out of Richard while Hugh gave sarcastic tips from the sidelines. I'm really upset I was denied this scene. They aren't even in this book, which was probably a wise move on Quinn's part. Her hero needed enough help as it was without being compared to the previous ones.
I have had issues with each book in this series, but at least in the previous three I LIKED the main characters. And I was okay with the plots in the first two. But this one was just a hot mess from start to finish. Ridiculous premise, dumb characters with little to no development, and I am not buying a happily ever after when Richard is.....Richard.
You have no idea how hard this is for me. Julia Quinn used to be one of my favorite authors. She's always had a flair for the melodramatic, but I feel she had it under a slightly more realistic control until recently. I guess it's saying something that my favorite book of hers is [b:Romancing Mister Bridgerton|110384|Romancing Mister Bridgerton (Bridgertons, #4)|Julia Quinn|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1274211494s/110384.jpg|659482] and it's probably the least melodramatic of all of them.
Sigh.
I think it is time that I have to say Quinn is no longer going to be an auto-buy author for me. I don't know if it's that my tastes have changed that much or if her writing is just not what it used to be. Maybe it's a combination of the two. Whatever the reason, I think it is time for us to part ways, at least as far as my actually anticipating her books is concerned.
nicki_in_nz's review against another edition
3.0
Not as good as some of Julia Quinn's other books, but not nearly as bad as some of reviews led to me believe. The hero and heroine aren't my favourites but they are OK. 3.5 stars
caraheard's review against another edition
2.0
This was such a disappointment. I LOVE Julia Quinn and I love her series. I can't stand the premise of this book and how long it came to light. So bad and nothing like her normal writing style or skill. I'm giving two stars because I can't bring myself to just give her one star.
idkallegra_iguess's review against another edition
lighthearted
mysterious
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
3.25
ipomoea's review against another edition
4.0
Richard is a high-handed and manipulative dickweasel but I like Iris a whole lot.