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3.76 AVERAGE
3.76 AVERAGE
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I liked the story and the narration was marvelous. But the longer I listened the more unrealistic it became. With as a low point the sentence 'she had ashamed her family in the eyes of the ton'. The writer and her MC just forgot for a moment she was a basterd from the rookery with a mother of low morals.
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
This one was my favorite in the series by far!! I was waiting for Fancy's love story and it delivered on all ends. Her and Matthew were a delightful match — they both love to read, what more do you need? I also think Matthew is up there with my top heroes of the series. I do think the third-act breakup was entirely unnecessary but I loved the rest of their story so much that I'm kind of just ignoring it. I loved that Fancy ran her own bookshop and spent her time teaching people how to read. It was just so wholesome and as a book person I appreciated this aspect. I also enjoyed how she and Matthew started out more as companions than lovers and worked their way into developing into a deeper relationship. Seeing the support from her brothers and sister and all their respective partners was also nice. It showed how close the family remained throughout the series. Something about this one just spoke to my soul. I'm excited to read Beast's book although I'm sad the series is over.
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
DNF @25%
There are better romance novels out there. This one was pretty meh, at least the part i got through, but there was nothing special in it for me.
There are better romance novels out there. This one was pretty meh, at least the part i got through, but there was nothing special in it for me.
After a few strong installments in the Sins of All Seasons series, The Earl Takes a Fancy is another rather polarizing one. Compared to the first book, it’s more mildly so, but I can’t help but feel mixed about it nonetheless.
Fancy has been a prominent character in all the previous books, and I love how Ettie and all the other siblings have done their part to make sure she wants for nothing. I love how the narrative here grapples with this, from her chafing against her family’s hopes for her to marry into the nobility to her complicated feelings once she discovers the truth about her parentage. While I admire Ettie and what she did for all her children, and I respect how she tried to protect Fancy from the truth of how she came into the world, I also felt for both when the truth came to light in the absolute worst way.
Matthew is an equally strong character, having been forced into marriage after being found in a compromising position with his late wife, and it’s his belief she orchestrated the situation. On top of that, she’s decided to humiliate him from beyond the grave by arranging to posthumously publish a letter that turns him into a romantic figure and draws a ton of attention from women interested in becoming his next wife. Given the circumstances, I can understand his cynicism with the whole institution of the Season and “marriage mart,” and any woman, particularly from outside society who wants to capture a lord.
This set up an interesting situation for their romance. Matthew takes up residence in the less posh part of London, shedding his title publicly, and encounters Fancy at her bookshop and elsewhere in this part of town. I like the general concept that these two like-minded people could meet and connect on an authentic level, but given her own frankness about her family’s desires for her to marry well, he is not up-front about who he is for a large portion of the book, for fear she is just like the others. While I could understand his motives, I didn’t love that the deception hung over their heads for so long, especially as Fancy more than proved she wasn’t like any other society lady numerous times, and there were some cute moments, like him anonymously giving a donation to her bookshop. But the fact that the reveal of who he really was ended up being so easily forgiven in the end frustrated me. It wasn’t as infuriating as Mick’s paternity reveal in book one, but how are all these people, especially Fancy, going to so easily forgive Matthew for lying about who he was the entire book, just because he did it for a good reason?!
While I had some issues with this book, I still mostly enjoyed it overall, and would recommend it to readers who enjoy stories with angst and drama.
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
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
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Again with the age gaps. This is one of my least favorite tropes (it alternates being in the bottom spot with pregnancy, and secret keeping/miscommunication). And there was no reason for this age gap to exist. Fancy is 19 and making her debut with the help of her siblings, who despite being part of the nobility through their marriages are still not accepted by the ton. He is 8 years her senior and a widower. It's not as bad of an age gap as some, but he's 27 and she's 19 and it's gross. Plus, she is written to act much older and be much wiser than 19, so there truly was no need for her to be that young. She knows that her one purpose in life is to land a titled gentleman, regardless of how she feels about him because that is what her family has worked so hard for. Mick caves and agrees to give her the bookshop that she wants and one of her customers is handsome, kind, and she is smitten. They start spending time together. Then they start spending time together. He is renting a room in one of Mick's apartment buildings, hiding from the ton. It has been a year since his wife died from an illness and she wrote a letter that was published saying how the ladies should go to him and help him find love again. He was being bombarded with callers so he ran away. When he meets Fancy he does not tell her who he really is, instead just going by his last name Matthew Summersby (name not title). She falls for him. Hard. Then, she ends up getting tricked by a man into being seen alone in the library, with him kissing her. She did not want to be kissed. She told him no. He kissed her anyway. And people were outside on the balcony and saw so now they have to get married. He thinks the worst of her because that is how his first wife became his wife; he doesn't even listen to her side just believes the gossip and stops talking to her. She shows up at a trial that she knows he will be at because he is the witness and that is when she discovers who he really is. She also goes to the family meeting where the compromiser is going to ask her brother for her hand and she tells him no. Then, even though she knows she will be treated poorly, she wants to leave society on her own terms, so she goes to one last ball. Well, it turns out, it's being hosted by Matthew's sister, but she didn't know that. He also uses that ball to make his return to society. And he is there when she shows up. After she is introduced, he makes a big scene on the stairs and asks her to marry him, she agrees. Also, one of her wedding presents is the deed to her bookshop; he and Mick worked it out so that they can find a way around the women can't own property thing. I liked this story without the age gap; it was unnecessary. Yes, it also had the secret keeping so two of my least favorite tropes, but he wasn't keeping the secret to be malicious, he was doing it for his own peace so it wasn't as bad. I am looking forward to the final book in this series, mostly so I can be done with this series and this author.