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3.64 AVERAGE
3.64 AVERAGE
I've read better historical romances. This one never really drew me in. I've read better "marriage of convenience" stories. I didn't care about the characters and I didn't find the story very romantic.
I just wasn't impressed. I'd definitely recommend Judith McNaught, Lisa Kleypas or Jude Deveraux over this.
I just wasn't impressed. I'd definitely recommend Judith McNaught, Lisa Kleypas or Jude Deveraux over this.
This was more fun than the other two books—not as angsty, though not without its own amount of sadness, and I was really happy to read about Freddie!
It was kind of a Scarlett Pimpernel riff (only set in the 1890s), but dealing with the personal cost of being a public waste of space (to the point where even your very close brother doesn't know you're having him on). The sex in that was a little more pushy than I often like, but not too bad. Mostly it hit the right balance of humour and angst, with a decent mystery/adventure plot thrown in.
It's painful watching Vere's idiocy, even if it's all put on. More fun when he gives it a rest.
This was thoroughly enjoyable (a couple of quibbles aside), and I read it so quickly that I needed to re-read it immediately to get everything I had missed first time through in my eagerness to see what happened next.
I have a weakness for the silly ass hero - think Peter Wimsey - so I had no real problems with the central premise of His at Night (though it is a bit preposterous, I agree). Vere's relationship with his brother was sweet and touching (nice to see Freddie getting his own happy ending too, after his disappointment in [b:Private Arrangements|16430602|Private Arrangements|Sherry Thomas|https://s.gr-assets.com/assets/nophoto/book/50x75-6121bf4c1f669098041843ec9650ca19.png|2685945]).
And Elissande was a most sympathetic heroine-tied-to-the-train-tracks. I particularly liked the way she used smiling as a weapon - the only one available to her.
The opening scenes are, on the whole, closer in nature to a screw-ball comedy than anything else, eg whenVere persuades Elissande to listen to him caterwauling outside while someone rifles a safe behind her . Great stuff. I'm always blown away by the depth of emotion Sherry Thomas can conjure up in her characters, and I love being battered and bruised as their relationships develop. His at Night is no exception, right up to the delightful final scene of reconciliation.
I did have some problems understanding Vere's motivations in particular. Even though he understands full well why Elissande behaved as she did, he insists on believing her inherently devious. And when he's got over that hump, he is then determined to believe he's not worthy of her. Neither really works for me.
The villain here shapes up as one of the nastiest ever encountered outside [a:Elizabeth von Arnim|2098|Elizabeth von Arnim|https://d.gr-assets.com/authors/1364066879p2/2098.jpg]'s [b:Vera|5503810|Vera|Elizabeth von Arnim|https://s.gr-assets.com/assets/nophoto/book/50x75-6121bf4c1f669098041843ec9650ca19.png|1283481] but I felt he dwindled quite quickly: while he certainly threatened Elissande, the potential for the emotional evil that had intrigued me earlier on dissipated rapidly.
But I know I'll go back to this book again - thoroughly recommended.
I have a weakness for the silly ass hero - think Peter Wimsey - so I had no real problems with the central premise of His at Night (though it is a bit preposterous, I agree). Vere's relationship with his brother was sweet and touching (nice to see Freddie getting his own happy ending too, after his disappointment in [b:Private Arrangements|16430602|Private Arrangements|Sherry Thomas|https://s.gr-assets.com/assets/nophoto/book/50x75-6121bf4c1f669098041843ec9650ca19.png|2685945]).
And Elissande was a most sympathetic heroine-tied-to-the-train-tracks. I particularly liked the way she used smiling as a weapon - the only one available to her.
The opening scenes are, on the whole, closer in nature to a screw-ball comedy than anything else, eg when
I did have some problems understanding Vere's motivations in particular. Even though he understands full well why Elissande behaved as she did, he insists on believing her inherently devious. And when he's got over that hump, he is then determined to believe he's not worthy of her. Neither really works for me.
The villain here shapes up as one of the nastiest ever encountered outside [a:Elizabeth von Arnim|2098|Elizabeth von Arnim|https://d.gr-assets.com/authors/1364066879p2/2098.jpg]'s [b:Vera|5503810|Vera|Elizabeth von Arnim|https://s.gr-assets.com/assets/nophoto/book/50x75-6121bf4c1f669098041843ec9650ca19.png|1283481] but I felt he dwindled quite quickly: while he certainly threatened Elissande, the potential for the emotional evil that had intrigued me earlier on dissipated rapidly.
But I know I'll go back to this book again - thoroughly recommended.
Okay, okay. Maybe I'm not so much 'over' romance novels as I am far more solidified in authors-I-like and authors-I-don't. Sherry Thomas, she of the utterly delightful-to-me [b:Delicious], is an author-I-like. Not perfect, but a whipcracking fun read. Frothy house parties! Spies and intrigue! That glorious fictional moment of escaping wretchedness into a clean, well-fed, elegantly decorated wonderland, complete with gardens! Microscopically more gritty than your average historical romance, which gives the shiny romance-novel-setting a soupcon of reality in a way that I thoroughly enjoy!
I also very much enjoyed the heroine's ruthless practicality when it came to the contemplation of marriage. I like the contrast between what marriage likely meant in the context of the time place and the frothy romance. I like it when the practical, loveless contemplation of the contract of marriage is not portrayed as a bad thing (caused by grasping, greedy womenfolk!), but an unfortunate necessity. I like that contrasted against the happily ever after our hero and heroine manage to scrape out.
What keeps this book from the sheer delight of Delicious, though, is the double-standard and boneheadedness of the hero. He wants an anonymous, perfect lady! Real ladies are confusing and icky, because they have external motivations! He can be a devious manipulator, but heaven forbid a woman do the same! ::facepalm::
I did love the bits where they were both cranking up the obliviousness to eleven and enjoying each other's competence without saying a word.
Thought the secondary romance was sweet but almost entirely unconnected with the main storyline.
I also very much enjoyed the heroine's ruthless practicality when it came to the contemplation of marriage. I like the contrast between what marriage likely meant in the context of the time place and the frothy romance. I like it when the practical, loveless contemplation of the contract of marriage is not portrayed as a bad thing (caused by grasping, greedy womenfolk!), but an unfortunate necessity. I like that contrasted against the happily ever after our hero and heroine manage to scrape out.
What keeps this book from the sheer delight of Delicious, though, is the double-standard and boneheadedness of the hero. He wants an anonymous, perfect lady! Real ladies are confusing and icky, because they have external motivations! He can be a devious manipulator, but heaven forbid a woman do the same! ::facepalm::
I did love the bits where they were both cranking up the obliviousness to eleven and enjoying each other's competence without saying a word.
Thought the secondary romance was sweet but almost entirely unconnected with the main storyline.
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
medium-paced
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
A young woman, desperate to get herself and her aunt away from her abusive uncle, literally throws herself at the first eligible, powerful man she can, forcing him into marriage to save her from ruin. What she can't have known is that the amiable fool she married is actually an agent of the crown investigating her uncle's dirty dealings, and though the two of them have a rocky start, they discover how much stronger they both are when the complement each other.
I really enjoyed this one. The hero is a secret agent who has been playing the fool for the last ten years of his life, the heroine is the caretaker for her invalid aunt and lives with her abusive uncle, there is a marriage of convenience and hijinks ensue. Except not really--this book went to a much darker place than I was expecting it to, and I was really glad of that. It was not what I was expecting and it lent an unexpected depth to the story and characters.
I'll definitely look for Thomas's other books. I hope they're just as interesting and unexpected as this one was.
I'll definitely look for Thomas's other books. I hope they're just as interesting and unexpected as this one was.
Jan 2021 re-read:
Re-read via audio. Kate Reading as good as always apart from one instance of a dodgy regional accent.
Nov 2019:
A Scarlet Pimpernel hero who is pretending to be a harmless dolt but is fighting crime on the sly. A heroine who is suffering awful emotional abuse and is desperate to escape her uncle's home via any means necessary.
My favourite part was the relationship between the hero and his brother Freddie, which was really sweet - and there was a believable explanation of why Freddie didn't know about the secret identity and crime-fighting.
I was less enamoured with the central romance. I didn't like the hero's initial resentment towards the heroine after she traps him into marriage, which manifested as threatening behaviour. And I found myself wishing the heroine would stick up for herself, despite knowing how traumatised she must be. Thomas does a good job of making me believe in their HEA, but I never quite forgot and forgave his initial behaviour.
Re-read via audio. Kate Reading as good as always apart from one instance of a dodgy regional accent.
Nov 2019:
A Scarlet Pimpernel hero who is pretending to be a harmless dolt but is fighting crime on the sly. A heroine who is suffering awful emotional abuse and is desperate to escape her uncle's home via any means necessary.
My favourite part was the relationship between the hero and his brother Freddie, which was really sweet - and there was a believable explanation of why Freddie didn't know about the secret identity and crime-fighting.
I was less enamoured with the central romance. I didn't like the hero's initial resentment towards the heroine after she traps him into marriage, which manifested as threatening behaviour. And I found myself wishing the heroine would stick up for herself, despite knowing how traumatised she must be. Thomas does a good job of making me believe in their HEA, but I never quite forgot and forgave his initial behaviour.
More super triggery stuff for me (major major consent stuff) . I am not a good match with this book any more than I was with her last book, and I think I'll put the uber-erotic novel aside til someone I know reads it and can advise me if I should avoid it or not.