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3.8 AVERAGE
3.8 AVERAGE
best historical romance Iβve read so far more like a 3.5/3.75
A solid 3.5. I enjoyed this a lot; my one complaint was that the whole courtship was distinctly uncomfortable with the imbalance of power between them. Totally okay with that discomfort, except it was never really adressed in the resolution. How is he so great if he would have really taken advantage of her disadvantaged situation except for having been somewhat inexplicably in love with her?
The plot was slow and I was bored at times.
But, the friendship between the main characters was the highlight for me. They made me laugh and be sooo happy -- I almost think books with a strong female friendship is as necessary as one with romantic love.
Also, Simon Hunt is hot. I want him and I think I'm in love.
This was just average. There wasn't in the book that made me obsessed. I liked the characters, but they didn't burrow themselves into my heart and make me forget everything around me.
It was just fine. A little too long, and sometimes I just didn't care about what was going on. But it was good enough for me to finish.
I LOVED THIS A SECOND TIME!!!!!!!!!!!!! I just think and Annabelle and Simon are so hot. Their interactions just solid it for me.
Sure, there were some parts of the plot that I didn't like. But I still loved it overall!!!
But, the friendship between the main characters was the highlight for me. They made me laugh and be sooo happy -- I almost think books with a strong female friendship is as necessary as one with romantic love.
Also, Simon Hunt is hot. I want him and I think I'm in love.
This was just average. There wasn't in the book that made me obsessed. I liked the characters, but they didn't burrow themselves into my heart and make me forget everything around me.
It was just fine. A little too long, and sometimes I just didn't care about what was going on. But it was good enough for me to finish.
I LOVED THIS A SECOND TIME!!!!!!!!!!!!! I just think and Annabelle and Simon are so hot. Their interactions just solid it for me.
Sure, there were some parts of the plot that I didn't like. But I still loved it overall!!!
Ok Iβm wayyyyy late to the Lisa Kleypas party. My goodreads friends are forever telling me to read her stuff. Well damn. Five star historical read! And I didnβt even like this heroine in the beginning. This is a very Scarlet/Rhett vibe here. Which I π On to book two of this series!
fast-paced
This one had all the banter and tension. I love the Wallflowers group. My favorite scene was the ladies playing in their knickers π Simon & Annabelle are so perfect for each other π₯Ή
π Historical Romance β mid 1800s Britain π¬π§
π Dislike to Lovers
π Boy Falls First
π Series β The Wallflowers β Book 1
πΆοΈ 2/5
_______
Again The Magic β 5βοΈ
π Historical Romance β mid 1800s Britain π¬π§
π Dislike to Lovers
π Boy Falls First
π Series β The Wallflowers β Book 1
πΆοΈ 2/5
_______
Again The Magic β 5βοΈ
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cursing, Sexual content, Violence, Medical content, Injury/Injury detail
How Annabelle can marry the man that for the majority of the book wanted her as only a mistress is beyond me. He never apologized.
Simon is pig so. Heβs pushy doesnβt take not for an answer. It feels like Annabelle had to settle.
There is no natural progression of the love story. There are not indication of time passed which only confuses me. Since the story is dual pov there should have ben more of Simon's pov especially when he realized he wanted to be with her. He only changed his mind suddenly and that gave me whip lash.
okay not to be nitpicky but it annoyed me the author kept butchering coming phrases.
Simon is pig so. Heβs pushy doesnβt take not for an answer. It feels like Annabelle had to settle.
There is no natural progression of the love story. There are not indication of time passed which only confuses me. Since the story is dual pov there should have ben more of Simon's pov especially when he realized he wanted to be with her. He only changed his mind suddenly and that gave me whip lash.
okay not to be nitpicky but it annoyed me the author kept butchering coming phrases.
This is the first romance novel I've read recently that is genuinely disappointing. I like the prequel to this book. But this one never really felt like it had any genuine stakes other than the marriage question. I think the reason I like Tessa Dare so much is her heroines always have a genuine goal or obstacle that goes far beyond the marriage/love question. And the falling in love is incidental to or helped along by pursuing the real problem. It makes for such a rich and rounded characterization for the heroine. So maybe that's why Annabelle and Simon fell flat here. Also, the central conflict is reduced to the will they won't they (of course they will--it's the HOW and WHY that is the interesting bit) and it just doesn't make sense why she wouldn't be happily married to him even if she didn't love him or like him much if she's just going to go out and trap a different man. Early in the novel it sets up the nobility versus money calculus and it just doesn't make any sense why Simon is not a perfectly valid suitor for her and why they would need to keep their relationship under wraps. If it is that she is a classist snob, it is not well-established until after their marriage. If she's a classist snob, why would we like her? That's not admirable.
I also think the smutty stuff was pretty poor. First, it is never initiated by Annabelle. Second, most of the time Annabelle is actively saying "no" or pushing him off and he does not listen. So the author is truly doing a "no means yes" thing and it's gross. Women in historical fiction can actually just want to have sex, not just reluctantly submit to it. I am not a fan of that, and from the two books I've read, I think it might be a Kleypas thing. I am most displeased.
Finally, I just can't listen to another Rosalyn Andor narration. She did the entire Bridgerton series and I just can't take it anymore. Her voice is too mature to be that of a young woman. She makes all the women and all the men sound the same. And she makes all the women fluttery and breathless and all the men gruff. I am literally going to skip the next book because it's an Andor narrated book. The one after that is Mary Jane Wells, who I like much better.
I also think the smutty stuff was pretty poor. First, it is never initiated by Annabelle. Second, most of the time Annabelle is actively saying "no" or pushing him off and he does not listen. So the author is truly doing a "no means yes" thing and it's gross. Women in historical fiction can actually just want to have sex, not just reluctantly submit to it. I am not a fan of that, and from the two books I've read, I think it might be a Kleypas thing. I am most displeased.
Finally, I just can't listen to another Rosalyn Andor narration. She did the entire Bridgerton series and I just can't take it anymore. Her voice is too mature to be that of a young woman. She makes all the women and all the men sound the same. And she makes all the women fluttery and breathless and all the men gruff. I am literally going to skip the next book because it's an Andor narrated book. The one after that is Mary Jane Wells, who I like much better.
This remains my favorite of the series. I don't understand why people like Evie's book more.