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adventurous
emotional
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
This took me some time to get through. It’s not that it wasn’t funny or smart like JQ’s other books. It was. I think this was more a trope I struggled with. I don’t like secret identity, I don’t like the lying, I don’t like the waiting for the other shoe to drop. It stressed me out right from the beginning because I could tell it was coming. This is probably one of the more suspenseful books I’ve read by this author and once I sat and listened, I did enjoy it- it just perhaps wasn’t automatically a perfect fit. The premise is that Anne is hiding out from a bitter past as the governess to some Smythe-Smith cousins when she meets Daniel Smiths-Smith, recently returned to England after himself escaping to hide from a youthful error. It’s sparks at first sight but Anne knows herself to be in too much trouble to bother with a flirtation with Daniel.
I found this witty and entertaining but I had a few niggling issues. I thought it odd that Daniel and Anne never really went deep into his own trauma from escaping to Europe. I felt like Daniel was at times a little naive as to his recognition of the stakes for Anne and that sometimes made this a little dub-con. I think however, that his naïveté is in line with being a spoiled English Earl who thinks things are because he wills them. It’s an unfortunate part of his character but at least he’s not perfect. I liked this on the balance. No, it’s not my favourite Julia Quinn book, but it was enjoyable.
I found this witty and entertaining but I had a few niggling issues. I thought it odd that Daniel and Anne never really went deep into his own trauma from escaping to Europe. I felt like Daniel was at times a little naive as to his recognition of the stakes for Anne and that sometimes made this a little dub-con. I think however, that his naïveté is in line with being a spoiled English Earl who thinks things are because he wills them. It’s an unfortunate part of his character but at least he’s not perfect. I liked this on the balance. No, it’s not my favourite Julia Quinn book, but it was enjoyable.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Stalking, and Violence
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