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3.46 AVERAGE
3.46 AVERAGE
Edward Stanhope, the Duke of Thornfield is a wonderful hero and I was pleasantly surprised by his uniqueness among the heroes that we usually read about in historical romances. From his preferences and actions we can deduce that Edward is somewhere on the Autism Spectrum. He does not feel comfortable in the social scene, and that is precisely what leads him to run into Georgiana and having to marry her due to being caught in a ruinous situation.
Georgiana was also unique in her background, her awkwardness in social situations, and her intelligence. I liked all of that about her.
I enjoyed watching these two develop and find their way together. There were a few instances in which Georgiana's actions felt wrong and I disagreed with how she handled herself. There was one instance in particular in which she leaves for a month, and I was very unhappy with her decision. It was frustrating and interrupted the flow of the story.
While these two were a sweet and unique pairing, Edward stood out the most to me, especially when we meet his horses. I have a special connection in that I volunteer at an animal sanctuary with animals from similar situations. People come to the sanctuary for animal-assisted therapy and I could see that the horses did the same for Edward. I loved that detail about him.
One last thing that I really liked about this story was that there were so many supportive family members. It's fairly often in historical romance that you see trauma and adversity between parents and their children-especially children who are different-but there was an absence of that in this book, and that really stood out in a positive light.
There was a bit of telling rather than showing, otherwise I might have rated this story a little higher.
If you like a low angst love story about two unique individuals and a hero with a heart of gold, I highly recommend this book.
Georgiana was also unique in her background, her awkwardness in social situations, and her intelligence. I liked all of that about her.
I enjoyed watching these two develop and find their way together. There were a few instances in which Georgiana's actions felt wrong and I disagreed with how she handled herself. There was one instance in particular in which she leaves for a month, and I was very unhappy with her decision. It was frustrating and interrupted the flow of the story.
While these two were a sweet and unique pairing, Edward stood out the most to me, especially when we meet his horses. I have a special connection in that I volunteer at an animal sanctuary with animals from similar situations. People come to the sanctuary for animal-assisted therapy and I could see that the horses did the same for Edward. I loved that detail about him.
One last thing that I really liked about this story was that there were so many supportive family members. It's fairly often in historical romance that you see trauma and adversity between parents and their children-especially children who are different-but there was an absence of that in this book, and that really stood out in a positive light.
There was a bit of telling rather than showing, otherwise I might have rated this story a little higher.
If you like a low angst love story about two unique individuals and a hero with a heart of gold, I highly recommend this book.
This is hard to rate...to be fair - autism wasn't a thing people understood at this time, so her reaction to him was appropriate. Still, her pouting because he didn't 'behave' the way she wanted left me cringing. She just runs away (like a petulant child) and tell her family he's a horrible man. It's hard to like this heroine who's only happy when people do exactly what she wants.
The entirety of the story focuses on ‘fixing him’. The MFC wanting to have a good husband is reasonable, but I feel like the author really had no idea what it is like to live with a person who has autism. He isn’t going to be able to just figure it out because you demand him to do so….If you want better representation for autism, try The Madness of Lord Ian Mackenzie.
There is redemption where they figure things out, but at the end...they open a bookstore....huh?
Spice 🌶🌶
Stars ⭐⭐
The entirety of the story focuses on ‘fixing him’. The MFC wanting to have a good husband is reasonable, but I feel like the author really had no idea what it is like to live with a person who has autism. He isn’t going to be able to just figure it out because you demand him to do so….If you want better representation for autism, try The Madness of Lord Ian Mackenzie.
Spice 🌶🌶
Stars ⭐⭐
adventurous
funny
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
This was such a fun Listen.
emotional
funny
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Definitely a "my fair lady" retelling via a context forced marriage, though the lady is much more sophisticated. Georgina stows away to a library at a party she did not want to attend. She's accosted by the Lord of the house (Technically a Duke) who wants her gone yet can't resist kissing her.
Of course, others walk in and he does the noble thing and offers for her hand. She considers herself beyond a spinster and does not want it but she does for the sake of family and propriety.
The relationship gets off to a rough start, and I'll be honest I never really warmed to the Duke that much. I do like Georgina. A fine book, but not particularly notable.
Of course, others walk in and he does the noble thing and offers for her hand. She considers herself beyond a spinster and does not want it but she does for the sake of family and propriety.
The relationship gets off to a rough start, and I'll be honest I never really warmed to the Duke that much. I do like Georgina. A fine book, but not particularly notable.
writing felt clunky.. there was a lot of showing and not telling.. mmc’s neurodivergent characteristics felt inauthentic
reflective
slow-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
I just needed them to use their words and communicate. Just a little bit.
lighthearted
medium-paced
adventurous
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
The premise of an autistic aristocrat falling in love with a woman who says exactly what she thinks was definitely enough to pull me in, and I think it was well-delivered, even if some bits were far-reaching.
The good:
The good:
- Autistic representation, and the struggles that exist mixing autism with intimacy, were beautifully represented
- The female lead was strong but not antagonistic, voicing relevant causes and providing a multi-faceted character
- The third-act-drama and ending took the right amount of time, rather than being succinctly wrapped up as is unfortunately too common in historical romances
- The intimacy building and sex scenes were tastefully written, being more direct than poetic, which is my own personal preference
The cons:
- The heroine, Georgiana, was almost too super-human (in an everyone clapped kind of way) in how simply she impressed everyone after only weeks of becoming a duchess, and at the first political dinner where all the men continuously supported her radical (at the time) ideas
- Edward's "comforts", which were wonderfully described at his house in Yorkshire, were overlooked once the characters travelled to London. It felt as though representing a hero with autism was no longer part of the plot, with the exception of the one day of travelling to his horses.
- The vocabulary was sometimes too derivative from Pride and Prejudice (word-for-word quotes), and a little too ostentatious in other places
- Some of the side characters (his female cousins) were cliché "villainous" without personality to back it up
Overall, I found this a great read, and would definitely recommend it for readers who enjoy strong heroines, and cold heroes that grow with affection.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content, Classism
Moderate: Death of parent, Pregnancy
Minor: Suicidal thoughts
lighthearted
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes