Reviews

For some reason I’ve read this book four times. Apparently I liked it enough at some point to buy it digitally too so I could get rid of the old paperback. But rereading it today, I cannot fathom what I liked about it to buy a second copy. The first two chapters of the characters instalove attraction was super annoying and it ends based on misunderstandings. The second part when it’s 7 years later and they see each other again at a house party where he’s an esteemed guest and she’s part of the help, and that’s the only good part of the book. The angst and tension are compelling. But then he

ruins it by asking her to be his mistress. He gets mad when she says no and leaves her. She then gets fired and leaves without a reference. He eventually learns why she never eloped with him when they were young and realizes he’s been wrong for years and panics when he can’t find her again since she was fired. And that’s when the book gets worse and worse with every page. The firing wasn’t the end of the world for Victoria. She’s finally independent and happy. Then he shows up and is so overbearing, won’t hear no for an answer. He has serious issues with consent. I felt that the author writing such characters is irresponsible behavior, because she framed his overbearing-ness as romantic and he loved her and Victoria slowly agrees with him.

By the end of this book I hated them both so much. Also he warned the main character has THREE attempts of rape done to her, and some the descriptions were actually terrifying. It’s way too much for a “lighthearted” reading.

Content Warnings

jackiehorne's review against another edition

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2.0

It's amazing how bad a plotter Julia Quinn was in her early career. Makes me wonder what changed for her later in her career -- did she find a very good writing group? Take some courses in plotting and in Regency history? Despite her humor, this book, like many of her pre-Bridgerton volumes, is woefully lacking in anything resembling a probable plot...

dee_reads23's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional reflective tense fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

diana_acc's review against another edition

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3.0

2.75⭐

Lo he disfrutado, ha sido una lectura bastante ligera, de esas que te devoras en poco tiempo, pero el final me ha quedado a deber, fue como ¿en serio así acaba?, ambos protagonistas son fuertes y decididos, solo cuando están juntos se permiten estar vulnerables y tal vez debido a su juventud un poco demasiado influenciables, aunque tambien tercos, aunque eso sigue presente cuando son adultos.

Su relación empieza cuando Victoria tiene 17 años y Robert 24, y todo va viento en popa, es increíble que un futuro Marqués se enamore de la hija de la vicaría de la familia, pero es obvio que en esas epocas siempre buscaban bodas ventajosas y Tori no era lo que quería el padre de Robert, y el padre de ella, no confiaba en que un joven con tantas responsabilidades, viera a su hija como otra cosa que no fuera una distracción. Y así es como llegamos a la parte interesante 7 años después de un malentendido.

Tiene varios buenos momentos, pero nada destacable

melissajmay's review against another edition

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1.5

The worst romance I've ever read. This abusive psychopath is definitely going to snap and murder her one day

atf1216's review against another edition

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2.0

Honestly, about 200 pages in this became a hate read. There was so much potential but bogged down by “I hate you Robert!” and his obsessive nature that it just ruined the entire book.

cayleeguy's review against another edition

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emotional lighthearted sad medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

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