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3.46 AVERAGE
3.46 AVERAGE
lighthearted
fast-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
This book never really drew me in. The plot is straightforward as two people from different classes and with drastically different personalities are thrust together and come to love each other. I found it hard to stay engaged due to an excessive number of adjectives, abrupt time shifts, and disappearing items.
emotional
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Georgiana and Edward were such an interesting couple. She was fantastic! I liked how unapologetically herself she was. And I loved Edwards growth.
the meadow scene from pride and prejudice... I'm at peace now
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Edward Stanhope, the Duke of Thornfield, likes his ordered life and is not ready to get married and share it with anyone else. But a chance encounter and kiss with Miss Georgiana Bly in his library creates a potential scandal and forces Edward to suddenly announce that Georgiana is to be the new Duchess of Thornfield. While both Edward and Georgiana are reluctant to be forced into this marriage, they grow first to appreciate each other's intellect and then fall madly in love with each other. This was a short and sweet grumpy-sunshine romance. Edward is on the autism spectrum, and I loved how that was addressed and how Georgiana connects with him throughout the book. I love regency romance, so I enjoyed this quick read, but it was very simple, and the writing was clunky at times. Overall, it was a sweet romance that was a light and fun read!
I have just finished watching Bridgerton on Netflix and after reading the blurb on this book, thought that this was a similar title to dive into while I await for the next season. I was a bit disappointed, this is not the witty, romantic equivalent it claims to be. The storyline does have a lot of potential—I really wish the author would have latched on and delved deep into character's, as I felt she barely grazed the surface of who they are and where they stand in society. I was immediately drawn to our heroine Georgianna. She was fiery, middle class, and of course loved to read. When she is forced into a marriage because her bravado is a bit too much for the Duke of Thornfield I am right there alongside our girl as she fights her way to learn about the society she really doesn't care at all about.
Unfortunately, that is where my love affair ends. We don't see struggle in society, we don't hear the whispers, we don't see the crushing realization that Georgianna's desire to live a lonely, sheltered life in a bookstore has come to a VERY sudden end.
Honestly, there is barely a plot until you are almost 3/4 of the way through the novel. The tension that the author built up in the first few chapters between the Duke and Georgianna fizzle just as quickly as they start, more of a lighting of a match rather than the slow burn of the woodpile. There is a number of repetitive "he's so great" "she's so smart" comments, but the emotion was flat, those repetitive moments make their impact feel forced rather than truthful. We really don't get much of a plot either as they are both amiable to the marriage in order to "do their duty" and "help their family" so the marriage itself wasn't an obstacle; and neither was the physicality of the couple either -- there was no tension and for Georgianna to be portrayed as a strong, independent thinker, I thought her a bit to eager to be deflowered. In short, there was no character development - they both remained unchanged.
I also was unsure how old Georgianna was supposed to be. In the first chapters, it is mentioned that she is not even out in society yet, however, she is attending this grand ball—women in the time period were usually making their entrance into society around the age of 16, so if she hasn't done so yet, perhaps because her older sister is still unmarried, she could be 16-17 years old at the oldest, or even younger. That also then made me question how old the Duke is, since he seems quite overbearing, due to take a wife, and overall his character seemed far older than Georgianna; and yet he seemed too childlike in other instances.
That brings me to the first substantial plot point of the Duke's childhood; it was too easy solved and glossed over, following the second plot point being an even easier and even more amiable solution to that as well. For those of you who want a quick read, that doesn't require much thought, and is predictable even beyond the genre's scope of thematic needs, then I would recommend to add this to your shelves. That being said, I will not be back for book two. Originally I thought one star, but decided on two stars for the strong beginning.
Unfortunately, that is where my love affair ends. We don't see struggle in society, we don't hear the whispers, we don't see the crushing realization that Georgianna's desire to live a lonely, sheltered life in a bookstore has come to a VERY sudden end.
Honestly, there is barely a plot until you are almost 3/4 of the way through the novel. The tension that the author built up in the first few chapters between the Duke and Georgianna fizzle just as quickly as they start, more of a lighting of a match rather than the slow burn of the woodpile. There is a number of repetitive "he's so great" "she's so smart" comments, but the emotion was flat, those repetitive moments make their impact feel forced rather than truthful. We really don't get much of a plot either as they are both amiable to the marriage in order to "do their duty" and "help their family" so the marriage itself wasn't an obstacle; and neither was the physicality of the couple either -- there was no tension and for Georgianna to be portrayed as a strong, independent thinker, I thought her a bit to eager to be deflowered. In short, there was no character development - they both remained unchanged.
I also was unsure how old Georgianna was supposed to be. In the first chapters, it is mentioned that she is not even out in society yet, however, she is attending this grand ball—women in the time period were usually making their entrance into society around the age of 16, so if she hasn't done so yet, perhaps because her older sister is still unmarried, she could be 16-17 years old at the oldest, or even younger. That also then made me question how old the Duke is, since he seems quite overbearing, due to take a wife, and overall his character seemed far older than Georgianna; and yet he seemed too childlike in other instances.
That brings me to the first substantial plot point of the Duke's childhood; it was too easy solved and glossed over, following the second plot point being an even easier and even more amiable solution to that as well. For those of you who want a quick read, that doesn't require much thought, and is predictable even beyond the genre's scope of thematic needs, then I would recommend to add this to your shelves. That being said, I will not be back for book two. Originally I thought one star, but decided on two stars for the strong beginning.
adventurous
challenging
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
medium-paced
The Spinster and the Rake had some interesting elements, but they were never fully developed. For example, I wish more had been explored with the heroine's political leanings and the secondary couple. I also found the pacing/timeline of the first few chapters confusing.
emotional
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:
Yes