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3.89 AVERAGE
3.89 AVERAGE
lighthearted
medium-paced
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Here for #swordbae
See me discuss it in my August wrap up: https://youtu.be/plrKGeYsG24
See me discuss it in my August wrap up: https://youtu.be/plrKGeYsG24
I loved this one! Portia and Tavish were wonderful main characters. I loved their banter back and forth and their slow burn, enemies to lovers romance. The little bit of swordmaking was cool too, coming from someone who has studied that. It was fun to see slipped into a romance novel.
I also really liked that we got a redemption novel for Portia. She was kind of a dick of a friend in the first book and I wasn't sure about having a book from her perspective but I was all about it within a single chapter. She took charge of her life and her mistakes. I also liked that the twist at the ending, the betrayal that Alyssa cole is so fond of wasn't as stupid as the one from the first book.
Scotland was also a great character. It was such a fun environment it be in. There were still moments that I wished they spoke to one another instead of assuming but that always seems to be the case when it comes to romances. Still really enjoyable and I loved it, along with the rest of the series.
Conclusion: Keep
I also really liked that we got a redemption novel for Portia. She was kind of a dick of a friend in the first book and I wasn't sure about having a book from her perspective but I was all about it within a single chapter. She took charge of her life and her mistakes. I also liked that the twist at the ending, the betrayal that Alyssa cole is so fond of wasn't as stupid as the one from the first book.
Scotland was also a great character. It was such a fun environment it be in. There were still moments that I wished they spoke to one another instead of assuming but that always seems to be the case when it comes to romances. Still really enjoyable and I loved it, along with the rest of the series.
Conclusion: Keep
This was a solid 4 star until the final chapters, where a poorly thought out final twist made me lose all respect for the decency of the hero and the mental acuity of the heroine. I get that it triggered affirming discussions with her best friend and her sister, and I guess he got to have his mom explain to him that "You are a loser who should go away" is perhaps not the best way to express one's undying love.
But up until then it was a fun romance. I mean, she was clearly too good for him but he seemed a good fixer-upper (dim but hot, essentially) and she needed some confidence boosting. The ADHD stuff worked well and I even bought the rich-kid problems with her parents.
But up until then it was a fun romance. I mean, she was clearly too good for him but he seemed a good fixer-upper (dim but hot, essentially) and she needed some confidence boosting. The ADHD stuff worked well and I even bought the rich-kid problems with her parents.
Thank you, Alyssa Cole, for writing a Scottish character who doesn't use the word "ken" constantly to convey his Scottishness. As Jean Menzies has pointed out, people from Scotland don't just throw around the word "ken" all the time...unless they're in a book written by a non-Scot. But not here!
He does say "shite" a lot, but at least that one is funny.
ANYWAY I really enjoyed this one, more than the first in this series for sure! I found Portia to be a more engaging and interesting character overall than Ledi - not that I disliked Ledi, but she was a little aggravating at times. I love that Portia is super smart and driven, but that she also has clear vulnerabilities. And when she realizes that she might have ADHD and it would explain why she flits from one pursuit to another and never feels fully settled, it feels so open and real. Black women, whether in books or real life, are rarely considered in conversations around mental health, so it was great to see that portrayed here in a way that felt true to life.
Tav is a bit of a clod at first, but I appreciated that he understood why immediately going after Portia would have been fucked - she was technically his employee during the apprenticeship, and he didn't want to be the kind of boss who would make a female employee uncomfortable or unsafe by hitting on her or even just joking around suggestively. But of course, trying to squash the feelings he had didn't work out so great for them either.
Funny thing is, one of the reasons I liked this one a lot is probably a reason others liked it less, which is that there's not a lot of sex in it. There's one steamy kissing scene over 1/3 of the way in, and then I think only two actual sex scenes? Which, for me being ace, the less sex on the page the better, because the fewer pages I skim past, LOL.
I also like that Cole manages to write these stories that are obviously unlikely but not totally impossible in the real world, and makes you easily believe that this is a thing that could happen. Certainly a duke having a child he doesn't acknowledge publicly is not unthinkable.
Overall this was a lot of fun, but also had some depth to it, and is much more about the story than the sex, which is good in my book! Suuuuuuper looking forward to book 2.5, [b:Once Ghosted, Twice Shy|42128976|Once Ghosted, Twice Shy (Reluctant Royals, #2.5)|Alyssa Cole|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1541510712l/42128976._SY75_.jpg|65725346], because QUEER LADY ROMANCE YES PLEASE.
He does say "shite" a lot, but at least that one is funny.
ANYWAY I really enjoyed this one, more than the first in this series for sure! I found Portia to be a more engaging and interesting character overall than Ledi - not that I disliked Ledi, but she was a little aggravating at times. I love that Portia is super smart and driven, but that she also has clear vulnerabilities. And when she realizes that she might have ADHD and it would explain why she flits from one pursuit to another and never feels fully settled, it feels so open and real. Black women, whether in books or real life, are rarely considered in conversations around mental health, so it was great to see that portrayed here in a way that felt true to life.
Tav is a bit of a clod at first, but I appreciated that he understood why immediately going after Portia would have been fucked - she was technically his employee during the apprenticeship, and he didn't want to be the kind of boss who would make a female employee uncomfortable or unsafe by hitting on her or even just joking around suggestively. But of course, trying to squash the feelings he had didn't work out so great for them either.
Funny thing is, one of the reasons I liked this one a lot is probably a reason others liked it less, which is that there's not a lot of sex in it. There's one steamy kissing scene over 1/3 of the way in, and then I think only two actual sex scenes? Which, for me being ace, the less sex on the page the better, because the fewer pages I skim past, LOL.
I also like that Cole manages to write these stories that are obviously unlikely but not totally impossible in the real world, and makes you easily believe that this is a thing that could happen. Certainly a duke having a child he doesn't acknowledge publicly is not unthinkable.
Overall this was a lot of fun, but also had some depth to it, and is much more about the story than the sex, which is good in my book! Suuuuuuper looking forward to book 2.5, [b:Once Ghosted, Twice Shy|42128976|Once Ghosted, Twice Shy (Reluctant Royals, #2.5)|Alyssa Cole|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1541510712l/42128976._SY75_.jpg|65725346], because QUEER LADY ROMANCE YES PLEASE.
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
loved this! it was so fun and sexy. my favorite part was the little things, like how tav’s nickname for portia was “freckles” and how, to get her attention, he would gently hold her wrist between his thumb and forefinger because he knew she liked it. gah! i die.
If you're not reading this series, you should be.
Once again, Cole has delighted me with a reluctant royal in the form of Tavish. This gruff sword maker had a hidden heart of gold, and I loved getting to know every nook and cranny of him. It took a while for Tav to give into his attraction and admiration for Portia, but once he did, I was all in. But do you want to know what was really delightful about him? He was a silver fox. We don't see too many almost 40-year old heroes in romances, so cheers for us old people!
What a great arc Cole gave to Portia. She always seemed so devil-may-care and confident, but underneath it all, was someone who felt less than, and I loved watching Portia find out how fabulous she was.
Watching the heat and sparks fly between these two was fantastic, but watching them go a little deeper was even better.
I cannot wait for more Reluctant Royals!
Once again, Cole has delighted me with a reluctant royal in the form of Tavish. This gruff sword maker had a hidden heart of gold, and I loved getting to know every nook and cranny of him. It took a while for Tav to give into his attraction and admiration for Portia, but once he did, I was all in. But do you want to know what was really delightful about him? He was a silver fox. We don't see too many almost 40-year old heroes in romances, so cheers for us old people!
What a great arc Cole gave to Portia. She always seemed so devil-may-care and confident, but underneath it all, was someone who felt less than, and I loved watching Portia find out how fabulous she was.
Watching the heat and sparks fly between these two was fantastic, but watching them go a little deeper was even better.
I cannot wait for more Reluctant Royals!
lighthearted
fast-paced
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes