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mishimarlee's review against another edition
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
bhnmt61's review against another edition
2.0
I usually really enjoy Julia Quinn. Even when she writes a book that isn't a favorite, at least she is an interesting, intelligent writer. But this book is just a mess. It starts out OK, with a hero who must marry in a hurry because of a big secret. The heroine, Iris, is kind and intelligent, and she knows something is up, but like the reader, she's not sure what it is.
And that is basically the situation for the next hundred and fifty pages. It goes on and on and on, and still you don't know what the big secret is. And then it goes on and on some more. TWO THIRDS of the book goes by without knowing what the secret is.
Unlike some of the other reviewers, I did not guess what the problem was, and when you finally, finally (FINALLY) find out, you can hardly believe how stupid the hero is to think that he is going to pull this off. And then zip zap, OH! turns out it wasn't that big a problem and hello, it's solved! and everybody forgives and forgets in the space of about ten pages. It's insulting.
The most frustrating thing for me is that it wouldn't have been that hard to make this into a much better book. The hero wouldn't be so intensely unlikable if he had actually TOLD the heroine what the big secret was seventy-five pages earlier. Then there would have been enough time for Iris to build relationships with the sisters and to make the solution seem like something real instead of something that just popped into Quinn's head ten pages before the end of the book (that's an exaggeration, but that's how it feels when you're reading). And also there would have been enough time to make the idiotic Richard GROVEL like he should, instead of Iris thinking that it's going to take a long time for her to forgive him, and whaddayaknow, two pages later she forgives him.
I probably wouldn't have thought this book was so bad if it weren't for the comparison with how good Quinn's books usually are. I bought this one when it came out and I'd been saving it up for spring break because I was so sure I was going to love it. VERY disappointed.
And that is basically the situation for the next hundred and fifty pages. It goes on and on and on, and still you don't know what the big secret is. And then it goes on and on some more. TWO THIRDS of the book goes by without knowing what the secret is.
Unlike some of the other reviewers, I did not guess what the problem was, and when you finally, finally (FINALLY) find out, you can hardly believe how stupid the hero is to think that he is going to pull this off. And then zip zap, OH! turns out it wasn't that big a problem and hello, it's solved! and everybody forgives and forgets in the space of about ten pages. It's insulting.
The most frustrating thing for me is that it wouldn't have been that hard to make this into a much better book. The hero wouldn't be so intensely unlikable if he had actually TOLD the heroine what the big secret was seventy-five pages earlier. Then there would have been enough time for Iris to build relationships with the sisters and to make the solution seem like something real instead of something that just popped into Quinn's head ten pages before the end of the book (that's an exaggeration, but that's how it feels when you're reading). And also there would have been enough time to make the idiotic Richard GROVEL like he should, instead of Iris thinking that it's going to take a long time for her to forgive him, and whaddayaknow, two pages later she forgives him.
I probably wouldn't have thought this book was so bad if it weren't for the comparison with how good Quinn's books usually are. I bought this one when it came out and I'd been saving it up for spring break because I was so sure I was going to love it. VERY disappointed.
bridget101's review against another edition
funny
hopeful
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
4.0
r_maree's review against another edition
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
3.0
smodderman's review against another edition
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? No
2.5
hebberelle's review against another edition
1.0
I rolled my eyes through this whole book. I'm not even sure if I can call it a book, it was so bad. Let me save you the pain of reading this and just tell you what you can figure out for yourself less than a quarter of the way in : his sister is pregnant. What a surprise! Oh no wait, it wasn't. So he needs to find a bride really fast because he and the new wifey will take sister's baby. Except... He doesn't tell her. Actually, he doesn't tell anyone.. Including the reader. That's right, it's 80% through this novel when the reader is supposed to learn THE SECRET. Only any astute reader has already gotten it for 60% of the novel.
So let's detail the kind of man Richard is. He's forced marriage to a woman he's known for less than two weeks, refuses to consummate (which by the way she could get the marriage annulled, stupid) because he can't have his wife pregnant at the same time as the sister, and then doesn't tell her, just leaves her flailing around thinking she's doing something wrong. Then this goes further into utter garbage territory because she's decided (in two weeks) that she loves this picture of idiodicy, and proceeds to forgive him. No no, it's cool. I'll just take that baby your sister doesn't want to give up, raise it as my own because you trapped me until this plot on purpose, but I still love you.
This book is simply vile, and so is Richard.
So let's detail the kind of man Richard is. He's forced marriage to a woman he's known for less than two weeks, refuses to consummate (which by the way she could get the marriage annulled, stupid) because he can't have his wife pregnant at the same time as the sister, and then doesn't tell her, just leaves her flailing around thinking she's doing something wrong. Then this goes further into utter garbage territory because she's decided (in two weeks) that she loves this picture of idiodicy, and proceeds to forgive him. No no, it's cool. I'll just take that baby your sister doesn't want to give up, raise it as my own because you trapped me until this plot on purpose, but I still love you.
This book is simply vile, and so is Richard.
maireadsbooks's review against another edition
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? No
3.5
As fun as the rest of the series, but I hate Richard a little bit for his lying and reasons behind it, he’s an idiot.
corinne_readsbooks's review against another edition
lighthearted
fast-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? Yes
3.0
loiseigenraam's review against another edition
lighthearted
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
1.0
I hate Richard and I hate this story. I was really looking forward to Iris’s story, ‘cause I thought she was an interesting character in the previous books with how witty and sarcastic she was portrayed but Quinn really did her wrong in this book. If I had read this as an actual physical book I would’ve dnf-ed it.
Thing I hate most of all is how Richard practically forced himself on her all so that she’d have to marry him and her ending up getting all the blame for it and this was all just glossed over and fixed with some stupid ass i love you and a some spice. ugh.