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mllecath's review
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
ashbats99's review against another edition
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? No
3.5
blue_moon_purple_sky's review against another edition
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
4.5
stormsreading's review
adventurous
emotional
funny
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
ssejig's review against another edition
4.0
It's 3 o'clock in the morning. Tuppence Templeton is bemused to find the Harlow Hoyden and her twin sister in Tuppence's bedroom. It seems that they need her help. It's a little far-fetched but leads to a delightful story of the very plain Tuppence finding her way back into the realm of the Earl of Gage. Although, it's not as if he even remembers her from their first meeting.
Nicholas Perceval doesn't remember her. He knows that someone interfered with his sister and a fortune hunger but he straightened out that miss in no time. He knows what he knows and what he knows is always, always correct. Yet, dealing with Tuppence Templeton is teaching him exactly how wrong he can be; about the way that inventions work, what women can do, how well he can run off a fortune hunter, and exactly how plain Tuppence is.
The story was a little thin but the writing is as entertaining as always. Ms. Messina writes the type of romance novel that helped me get nearly perfect on my SAT reading scores.
Nicholas Perceval doesn't remember her. He knows that someone interfered with his sister and a fortune hunger but he straightened out that miss in no time. He knows what he knows and what he knows is always, always correct. Yet, dealing with Tuppence Templeton is teaching him exactly how wrong he can be; about the way that inventions work, what women can do, how well he can run off a fortune hunter, and exactly how plain Tuppence is.
The story was a little thin but the writing is as entertaining as always. Ms. Messina writes the type of romance novel that helped me get nearly perfect on my SAT reading scores.
kate_reads_literature's review against another edition
4.0
I had so much fun reading this book. It took me a mere 2 days (plus a morning and minus yesterday’s 7 1/2 hours of work) to finish this book.
This book took a page from the classics and added its own intelligent spin on a historical romance. It had everything I love: witty banter, a sharp heroine, well-developed major and minor characters, and enough action to keep me turning pages with fervor.
Messina doesn’t intend to fully break the mold of the historical romance but gives it a breath of fresh air with themes of feminism in her female (and eventually some male characters) that feels mostly believeable. There were some points that I felt it was a bit too much given the time period but it was all forgiven for how much I genuinely cared about these characters.
It was a great read and the romance didn’t stray into the smut area (with the exception of mentioning a woman’s breasts in a sexual way and that’s why it looses a star for me). The majority of the romance was intellectual mixed with a few passionate kisses and it was truly a pleasure to watch Miss Templeton and the Earl of Gage fall in love with each other.
*I was proved an ARC of the novel by the other in exchange for a review, but all opinions are mine and mine alone.
This book took a page from the classics and added its own intelligent spin on a historical romance. It had everything I love: witty banter, a sharp heroine, well-developed major and minor characters, and enough action to keep me turning pages with fervor.
Messina doesn’t intend to fully break the mold of the historical romance but gives it a breath of fresh air with themes of feminism in her female (and eventually some male characters) that feels mostly believeable. There were some points that I felt it was a bit too much given the time period but it was all forgiven for how much I genuinely cared about these characters.
It was a great read and the romance didn’t stray into the smut area (with the exception of mentioning a woman’s breasts in a sexual way and that’s why it looses a star for me). The majority of the romance was intellectual mixed with a few passionate kisses and it was truly a pleasure to watch Miss Templeton and the Earl of Gage fall in love with each other.
*I was proved an ARC of the novel by the other in exchange for a review, but all opinions are mine and mine alone.
bookadventurer's review
3.0
I enjoyed this historical romance about a young woman who doesn't fit into the Society World of Regency England. Miss Templeton is much to smart, much too logical to be a popular young lady of her world. As a result, after an empty Season or two, she's been relegated to the position of her younger sisters' governess and companion. She sits with the other companions at Almack's and society balls that her sister attends as a debutante, she doesn't dance, and she goes pretty much unnoticed. Until the night the two daring Harlow Hoyden and her sister break and enter into her home to ask for her help with a patent for a garden hose designed by one of the sisters. They think Miss Templeton is the one to help, because she not long ago rescued a young lady from a dastardly fortune-hunter - and earned herself the attention of the biggest snob in London, the Earl of Gage. Who happens to be reforming the patent office.
What follows is a madcap journey to right injustice and win a battle of wits - for Miss Templeton and the Earl of Gage do *not* get along. There are many very witty, barbed exchanges between the two, and deceit and secrets. For me, the dialogue and the plot were a bit overwrought, but it was a fun read. In every exchange between the hero and the heroine, there were paragraphs upon pages about each interlocutor's thoughts, feelings, and tactical musings about how to win the argument. Personally, I'd rather have that hinted at through descriptions of actions and body language.
As a lighthearted historical romance, it does its work well. I'm not sure I'll read any others in the series, although I would be interested to learn more about how the two Harlow sisters came to marry their swains. The preview at the end of this book hinted that the same internal monologues aren't present in the book about the garden-hose-designing sister. If you like regency romances and lots of witty banter, and don't mind reading about characters' thought processes, you should try this one.
What follows is a madcap journey to right injustice and win a battle of wits - for Miss Templeton and the Earl of Gage do *not* get along. There are many very witty, barbed exchanges between the two, and deceit and secrets. For me, the dialogue and the plot were a bit overwrought, but it was a fun read. In every exchange between the hero and the heroine, there were paragraphs upon pages about each interlocutor's thoughts, feelings, and tactical musings about how to win the argument. Personally, I'd rather have that hinted at through descriptions of actions and body language.
As a lighthearted historical romance, it does its work well. I'm not sure I'll read any others in the series, although I would be interested to learn more about how the two Harlow sisters came to marry their swains. The preview at the end of this book hinted that the same internal monologues aren't present in the book about the garden-hose-designing sister. If you like regency romances and lots of witty banter, and don't mind reading about characters' thought processes, you should try this one.
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