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3.64 AVERAGE
3.64 AVERAGE
This story is one of a kind and the characters are one of a kind. I remember someone once mentioned that Sherry Thomas tends to write unconventional characters. With this being the second book of hers that I've read, I agree with that statement.
Vere and Elissande are wounded souls who both pretend to be someone they're not. Vere pretends to be an idiot so he can covertly serve his duty to the Crown, while Elissande pretends to be happy to survive. They actually share quite a few similarities with each other, although they don't realize this until way after they get married. I don't want to go into too much detail on the plot because this story is well worth reading and I don't want to spoil anything.
The protagonists were realistic and I felt pain for everything that they had to go through. What I admire the most about Sherry Thomas is that she doesn't shy away from showing her characters at their worst. I understand that most readers might not feel particularly comfortable reading such scenes. You need a lot of patience to be able to get through this book lol.
I couldn't hate the characters even though they mistreated each other. I completely understood Elissande's desperation, but I also couldn't blame Vere for acting harshy towards her. I understood that Vere was in dire need of normalcy, but I also think he's dumb for wanting a perfect woman—a woman who sounded more like a dog or a robot ready to do his bidding and not ask any questions.
The thing is, these characters are so complex. They've had tragic pasts and they hide their true selves from society. I enjoyed seeing them getting to know each other. The actual love and understanding came very much later on. Again, this book requires patience lol.
I also love Sherry Thomas's beautiful prose. I truly felt like I was in Victorian England. This was a good story, with interesting characters, and I can't wait to read other books by this author.
Vere and Elissande are wounded souls who both pretend to be someone they're not. Vere pretends to be an idiot so he can covertly serve his duty to the Crown, while Elissande pretends to be happy to survive. They actually share quite a few similarities with each other, although they don't realize this until way after they get married. I don't want to go into too much detail on the plot because this story is well worth reading and I don't want to spoil anything.
The protagonists were realistic and I felt pain for everything that they had to go through. What I admire the most about Sherry Thomas is that she doesn't shy away from showing her characters at their worst. I understand that most readers might not feel particularly comfortable reading such scenes. You need a lot of patience to be able to get through this book lol.
I couldn't hate the characters even though they mistreated each other. I completely understood Elissande's desperation, but I also couldn't blame Vere for acting harshy towards her. I understood that Vere was in dire need of normalcy, but I also think he's dumb for wanting a perfect woman—a woman who sounded more like a dog or a robot ready to do his bidding and not ask any questions.
The thing is, these characters are so complex. They've had tragic pasts and they hide their true selves from society. I enjoyed seeing them getting to know each other. The actual love and understanding came very much later on. Again, this book requires patience lol.
I also love Sherry Thomas's beautiful prose. I truly felt like I was in Victorian England. This was a good story, with interesting characters, and I can't wait to read other books by this author.
I read this in 2020 but didn't review or rate it. I know I liked it, but....
Picked it up and didn't put it down until I'd finished. Not perfect, but pretty darn good. Some of my enjoyment might come from the fact that I'd only just learned about the story behind the joke on page fifty. A joke so unexpected, that I laughed for about five minutes before I could continue reading. That aside, this was another book that includes the heroine saying "No. Please stop." and the hero ignoring. How common is this? Have I been ignoring it for years? Or is it a growing thing?
I felt like it took too long for Vere and Ellie to find out the truth about each other and become united against her uncle. I also didn't like that the first several times they're intimate, one or another of them is drunk and might not be fully on board with the act. I did enjoy the side romance with Freddie and Angelica and wish they could have had their own book!
I really enjoyed this, but I wanted more from it in a way I cannot really articulate.
Encounter counter: 3 I think
CW: domestic violence, dubious consent (intoxication)
Encounter counter: 3 I think
CW: domestic violence, dubious consent (intoxication)
emotional
hopeful
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
RATING: 2.5 stars.
I've heard so many good things about this author that I really, really wanted to love this book. But I didn't.
The overall concept was interesting (more funny than interesting), albeit improbable. But as this is fiction I was prepared to go along with it and have some fun. A 'dumb' hero is pretty original, or at least I've never read about one of those.
The thing is, the author didn't pull it off. The entire plot, the characters, the whole book were a little... off mark.
The first thing that annoyed me was the fact that the author decided to explain right at the beginning that Lord Vere wasn't actually dumb, he just pretended he was. Now, this is probably more a matter of personal taste, but I'd have preferred if, as the story unfolded we, the readers, discovered this fact(let's say, at the same time as Lady Vere). It would have made the story all the more interesting to read, in my opinion.
Second, I must confess I felt a complete lack of chemistry between the main characters. A lot of historical romances suffer this flaw, so it's not like it's unheard of, but as romance is all about sparks flying between the protagonists, I am always disappointed when the romance feels flat. Honestly to the end of the book I didn't feel any connection between Vere and Elissande and was puzzled as how they suddenly decided they were in love.
Third, and this one is related to the second one, Vere was a very unlikable character. He spent most of the book not liking our heroine because she had deceived him when he had been deceiving everyone for years. I think the realization that he in fact hated his own deceitful ways came way too late in the book.
And these were my main problems with this book. Perhaps I had very high expectations because of all the raving reviews and recommendations, but I felt the book didn't deliver. The love story and the characters felt flat and it was not even very sensual either... the scenes of intimacy were not very well written and couldn't convey the desire that Vere supposedly felt for Elissande.
In this book's defence I will say that not all of it was bad. The author has a good writing style and a good sense of the period. Also, the non-romantic part of the plot (the mystery storyline) was pretty well crafted.
I've heard so many good things about this author that I really, really wanted to love this book. But I didn't.
The overall concept was interesting (more funny than interesting), albeit improbable. But as this is fiction I was prepared to go along with it and have some fun. A 'dumb' hero is pretty original, or at least I've never read about one of those.
The thing is, the author didn't pull it off. The entire plot, the characters, the whole book were a little... off mark.
The first thing that annoyed me was the fact that the author decided to explain right at the beginning that Lord Vere wasn't actually dumb, he just pretended he was. Now, this is probably more a matter of personal taste, but I'd have preferred if, as the story unfolded we, the readers, discovered this fact(let's say, at the same time as Lady Vere). It would have made the story all the more interesting to read, in my opinion.
Second, I must confess I felt a complete lack of chemistry between the main characters. A lot of historical romances suffer this flaw, so it's not like it's unheard of, but as romance is all about sparks flying between the protagonists, I am always disappointed when the romance feels flat. Honestly to the end of the book I didn't feel any connection between Vere and Elissande and was puzzled as how they suddenly decided they were in love.
Third, and this one is related to the second one, Vere was a very unlikable character. He spent most of the book not liking our heroine because she had deceived him when he had been deceiving everyone for years. I think the realization that he in fact hated his own deceitful ways came way too late in the book.
And these were my main problems with this book. Perhaps I had very high expectations because of all the raving reviews and recommendations, but I felt the book didn't deliver. The love story and the characters felt flat and it was not even very sensual either... the scenes of intimacy were not very well written and couldn't convey the desire that Vere supposedly felt for Elissande.
In this book's defence I will say that not all of it was bad. The author has a good writing style and a good sense of the period. Also, the non-romantic part of the plot (the mystery storyline) was pretty well crafted.
emotional
lighthearted
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
emotional
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
This one was good. Loved the spy angle hated the idiot. Also felt like the miscommunication was too big of a role. Yes in the spy way good but in the hating her after she tricked me even though I saw her uncle choking and hitting her it was annoying. Fmc is abused only niece of mean uncle who abuses and drugs aunt. MMC is marquess spy. Secondary romance was very prominent and I skipped every scene. Just didn’t stand out.
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced