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3.62 AVERAGE
3.62 AVERAGE
medium-paced
adventurous
informative
inspiring
lighthearted
relaxing
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
One of the best Historical Romances I’ve read. I really loved both main characters. I wish Leela was more honest with Victoria in the beginning but the elopement kind of fixed everything. The ending was very satisfying too
emotional
lighthearted
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:
No
I liked this even though it felt very angsty towards the end when they kept changing their minds about being together. It's a good forbidden love trope that has been done before, and specifically this book is veryyyyy reminiscent of Julie Quinn's The Viscount Who Loved Me. Just like Anthony selected Kate's younger sister to be a docile, amenable wife, so does Elliot Townsend, Duke of Huntington, have in mind to marry Leela's stepdaughter Victoria. But both men can't help but fall for the other women.
I liked the meet cute with them at the inn and Leela being take-charge about what she wants. Although Elliot is a dick at multiple times in this book. Leela being of.. Palestine? Arab descent was also interesting. It's explained that her.. mother? Eek I forget now. Think it was her mom caught the eye of a ~duke and they married, had Leela and her brother who inherited and Leela married an older duke who already had children. Leela couldn't conceive but the duke loved her anyway. But his son was 19 while Leela was only 17 at the time, and the daughter I think was 9 years younger than Leela.
After Leela and Elliot meet and have sex at the inn without knowing who each other really is, he leaves her in the morning without saying goodbye. Leela continues on to her home where she encounters the Duke again. He's been courting Victoria and plans to marry her. The first time she sets eyes on him again she barfs on his shoes.
Leela has been away for 2? years since the duke died. She's a prevalent author of Arabian travels and has been traveling the entire time. She's only back in town because it seems like Victoria will soon be married and Leela wants to set new term for her third book.
So the entire book is Elliot trying to maintain his engagement to Victoria but he outright tells Leela he's still obsessed with her. But if he breaks the engagement it will ruin Victoria's reputation, and it would look even worse if he went on to be with Leela. Leela convinces him to go through with it, but on the day of the wedding Victoria goes missing. While they were obsessing over each other, Victoria was falling for Elliot's valet. They elope and go off together, eventually come back but she's been disowned and he's fired so they are getting by being poor but happy together.
After this happens, Elliot refuses to talk or see Leela. She eventually tracks him down where they hate fuck and he leaves her again. Then he immediately regrets it but she's been burned one too many times so then she's like nope you had your chance. Eventually they do get together of course. One kind of shitty thing is there is an epilogue baby even though she's been "barren" for years (it's blamed on the dead husband being so old).
The side plot with her book kind of plays out as expected. She's a woman, which shocks the publicist who refuses to do business with her. With Elliot's help she buys her own printing press and plans to publish her own books (and likely others). She learned that the duke specifically set aside a home and farms for income for her because he knew his son was a little shit who wouldn't care for his step-mom. She sells it to the stepson and uses the money to buy the press.
I liked the meet cute with them at the inn and Leela being take-charge about what she wants. Although Elliot is a dick at multiple times in this book. Leela being of.. Palestine? Arab descent was also interesting. It's explained that her.. mother? Eek I forget now. Think it was her mom caught the eye of a ~duke and they married, had Leela and her brother who inherited and Leela married an older duke who already had children. Leela couldn't conceive but the duke loved her anyway. But his son was 19 while Leela was only 17 at the time, and the daughter I think was 9 years younger than Leela.
Leela has been away for 2? years since the duke died. She's a prevalent author of Arabian travels and has been traveling the entire time. She's only back in town because it seems like Victoria will soon be married and Leela wants to set new term for her third book.
So the entire book is Elliot trying to maintain his engagement to Victoria but he outright tells Leela he's still obsessed with her. But if he breaks the engagement it will ruin Victoria's reputation, and it would look even worse if he went on to be with Leela. Leela convinces him to go through with it, but on the day of the wedding Victoria goes missing. While they were obsessing over each other, Victoria was falling for Elliot's valet. They elope and go off together, eventually come back but she's been disowned and he's fired so they are getting by being poor but happy together.
After this happens, Elliot refuses to talk or see Leela. She eventually tracks him down where they hate fuck and he leaves her again. Then he immediately regrets it but she's been burned one too many times so then she's like nope you had your chance. Eventually they do get together of course. One kind of shitty thing is there is an epilogue baby even though she's been "barren" for years (it's blamed on the dead husband being so old).
The side plot with her book kind of plays out as expected. She's a woman, which shocks the publicist who refuses to do business with her. With Elliot's help she buys her own printing press and plans to publish her own books (and likely others). She learned that the duke specifically set aside a home and farms for income for her because he knew his son was a little shit who wouldn't care for his step-mom. She sells it to the stepson and uses the money to buy the press.
Why are they always dukes in historical fiction, and billionaires in modern romances?
Anyway, this was an enjoyable Regency romp with a diverse heroine and a crisis that was actually a truly difficult situation--the heroine discovers that she has had a tryst with her stepdaughter's soon-to-be betrothed. She's also fighting for her publishing rights a la Charlotte Bronte. I would have liked to read more about some of the supporting characters, especially Leela's brother, but hopefully there will be more books in this series.
Thanks to the publishers and NetGalley for a digital ARC for the purpose of an unbiased review.
Anyway, this was an enjoyable Regency romp with a diverse heroine and a crisis that was actually a truly difficult situation--the heroine discovers that she has had a tryst with her stepdaughter's soon-to-be betrothed. She's also fighting for her publishing rights a la Charlotte Bronte. I would have liked to read more about some of the supporting characters, especially Leela's brother, but hopefully there will be more books in this series.
Thanks to the publishers and NetGalley for a digital ARC for the purpose of an unbiased review.
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Second hand embarrassment isn't my thing, so I stopped early on. I saw in another review MCs didn't get together until more than half way into the book and...I just don't have it in me.
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:
Complicated
It felt a little repetitive at times what with the main couple splitting apart and coming back together multiple times , but other than that, I really enjoyed it!