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3.46 AVERAGE
3.46 AVERAGE
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
medium-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
We loooove ND rep in HR đ excited for the rest of this series!
hopeful
sad
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
emotional
funny
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I have mixed feelings about this book. This is the second time I've finished the book. The first time I picked it up, I DNF'd it pretty quickly, the second time I gave it 5 stars. I'm settling on 4, final answer.
On one hand, I liked the echos of Pride and Prejudice, and I guess I liked the attempt at autistic representation. There was some witty dialogue and banter. But, on the other hand, it felt...kind of half baked. We want the MMC to hate society events AND be a duke AND a rake AND autistic. He's somehow great in bed but also avoids people. It just seemed like trying to make too many conflicting tropes be true without showing how they all work. Darcy wasn't a rake, either - because it doesn't make sense for the personality type. Anyway. I also thought some of their inner monologue went on a bit too long and skimmed a bit.
Also, towards the end, the"I will reveal my true self to you" felt a bit heavy handed. Like you can just tell her "I tend to get very absorbed in what I am working on and may not hear you but it's important to me to finish my work." I like that he found comfort in horses and sharing that with his wife was great, that wasn't the issue. I think it's more than the vibe is "I am broken and I take care of broken horses just like me" which is, in the end, not great representation. It just reinforced stereotypes. Which, I guess is the real problem I had with the book; all of the neurodivergence/autism that she tried to write in felt very much like a stereotypical presentation and not a true understanding of what it is like to be autistic. The presentation was also inconsistent and she dropped it when it didn't fit with the other parts of the character.
With all that criticism, why am I still marking it 4 stars? I still enjoyed the read, I liked the banter, the side characters were fun (I loved the Aunt and wish we'd gotten more time with her.) I enjoyed their HEAs, and there were some sweet scenes I liked a lot. I liked how the FMC stood her ground, and I liked the growth arc of the MMC. I just wish the author had put more time into creating a more human portrayal of neurodivergence/autism (she never says either way) than sticking to a more stereotypical presentation.
On one hand, I liked the echos of Pride and Prejudice, and I guess I liked the attempt at autistic representation. There was some witty dialogue and banter. But, on the other hand, it felt...kind of half baked. We want the MMC to hate society events AND be a duke AND a rake AND autistic. He's somehow great in bed but also avoids people. It just seemed like trying to make too many conflicting tropes be true without showing how they all work. Darcy wasn't a rake, either - because it doesn't make sense for the personality type. Anyway. I also thought some of their inner monologue went on a bit too long and skimmed a bit.
Also, towards the end, the
With all that criticism, why am I still marking it 4 stars? I still enjoyed the read, I liked the banter, the side characters were fun (I loved the Aunt and wish we'd gotten more time with her.) I enjoyed their HEAs, and there were some sweet scenes I liked a lot. I liked how the FMC stood her ground, and I liked the growth arc of the MMC. I just wish the author had put more time into creating a more human portrayal of neurodivergence/autism (she never says either way) than sticking to a more stereotypical presentation.
emotional
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
hopeful
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This was an enjoyable story. I really liked the characters. I was entertained throughout the read. I look forward to reading more books from this author
medium-paced
I'm surprised this book didn't open with "It is a truth universally acknowledged..."
Why is this book 5 stars?
- The MMC is just an explicitly autistic Mr. Darcy
- The FMC is fun and quirky like Elizabeth Bennet (honestly I thought she was autistic at the start too, but as I read on she definitely was the more neurotypical one)
- There was no third act misunderstanding that could have been resolved in 3 sentences if people just talked to one another
- People talked to each other to resolve problems
- Both MCs were kind and considerate and both had to learn and grow together to find happiness (I'm sick of these historical romances with broody MMCs who never actually improve themselves but somehow its still a happy ending)
- This was just two people getting to know each other and falling in love. Honestly so refreshing and nice
Was this book a 5 star read? Enjoyability-wise I would probably give it a 4, but it was so nice to see these types of characters that I absolutely must give 5 stars.
Bravo Eva Devon, I will be reading more from you.
Why is this book 5 stars?
- The MMC is just an explicitly autistic Mr. Darcy
- The FMC is fun and quirky like Elizabeth Bennet (honestly I thought she was autistic at the start too, but as I read on she definitely was the more neurotypical one)
- There was no third act misunderstanding that could have been resolved in 3 sentences if people just talked to one another
- People talked to each other to resolve problems
- Both MCs were kind and considerate and both had to learn and grow together to find happiness (I'm sick of these historical romances with broody MMCs who never actually improve themselves but somehow its still a happy ending)
- This was just two people getting to know each other and falling in love. Honestly so refreshing and nice
Was this book a 5 star read? Enjoyability-wise I would probably give it a 4, but it was so nice to see these types of characters that I absolutely must give 5 stars.
Bravo Eva Devon, I will be reading more from you.
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
slow-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:
Yes
âA pair of muggy britches can lead to remarkable things.â
I canât believe it took me this long to read this book! Honestly out of the 3 this one might be my favorite. I do love a marriage of convenience but that wasnât exactly what this was. More of a marriage by accident? Kind of? Maybe not.
Georgianna isnât a social person. She wants to be left alone to read (girl,same) so while at a country ball while her sisters are dancing the night away, she steals away to a secluded study to read. However, she isnât alone.
Edward is a very stoic and grumpy Duke who always does the right thing. When he goes to his study before his ball for some peace and quiet he finds Georgianna not only there but sitting in his favorite chair. When she refuses to leave the room or even the chair he takes desperate measures that changes both of their lives immediately.
I canât believe it took me this long to read this book! Honestly out of the 3 this one might be my favorite. I do love a marriage of convenience but that wasnât exactly what this was. More of a marriage by accident? Kind of? Maybe not.
Georgianna isnât a social person. She wants to be left alone to read (girl,same) so while at a country ball while her sisters are dancing the night away, she steals away to a secluded study to read. However, she isnât alone.
Edward is a very stoic and grumpy Duke who always does the right thing. When he goes to his study before his ball for some peace and quiet he finds Georgianna not only there but sitting in his favorite chair. When she refuses to leave the room or even the chair he takes desperate measures that changes both of their lives immediately.
lighthearted
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes