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jackiehorne's review against another edition
2.0
One of Balogh's earliest books, it's marred by the arrogance of its male protagonist, who is forced/agrees to marry a woman he barely knows because a snowstorm forced him to shelter in her home alone with her. And he's so resentful of having to marry her, believing (against all evidence) that she connived in the scheme, that he weds her, has sex with her, then leaves her for more than a year alone at his country estate. Happily for the estranged couple, his grandparents insist that both attend a family party at their estate celebrating the grandparents' fiftieth wedding anniversary, where grandma connives to get the two back together. There's also an unpleasant fat-shaming tone to the earlier part of the narrative.
haewilya's review
2.0
This is a such a sad story for me. I want to smack both protagonists for the stupid decisions they made that led to them being trapped in a marriage they didn't want. Well, at least for one of them. The story was okay but I didn't fall in love with the main couple or any of the other characters. Well, maybe, except for Jack, the 'villain' in the story and Freddie. I applaud the heroine though for standing up for herself and losing all that self-pity.
mothgirlie's review
emotional
tense
medium-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
tita_noir's review
2.0
The hero in this one was just...I can't...with this guy! He was so mean and cruel to the heroine and he knew he was being a jerk and just kept on doing it. I kept waiting for MB to bring it home. I knew she could redeem a jerk. She made me like Freddie from [b:Dancing with Clara|969587|Dancing with Clara (Sullivan, #2)|Mary Balogh|http://d.gr-assets.com/books/1328040883s/969587.jpg|954484] for goodness sake and I think he has a firm and and permanent place on many people's worst heroes list. But, alas, Alex stayed a jerk. And Anne just cried a lot.
The two stars are for the supporting cast with Alex's huge and lively family whose differing personalities made the book fun to read. And the ending was really good, except not enough to redeem the rest of the book, though.
The two stars are for the supporting cast with Alex's huge and lively family whose differing personalities made the book fun to read. And the ending was really good, except not enough to redeem the rest of the book, though.
bluntrose's review
2.0
Very meh. None of the characters were interesting apart from Freddie. He was kinda adorable in his own way. But yes forgettable story with not much of a substance. Plot line is very simple and quite boring and frankly unrealistic. H is forced into marriage with h, blah blah, he doesn’t like her, constantly judges her, treats her horribly and what does she do? Falls in love obviously. H/h are very conflicted characters and make stupid decisions. And their relationship doesn’t actually deserve a book. I’m trying very hard to think of one good point of the story and am still unable to. I would say the writing is good, but it wasn’t the best. And the pacing of the story was terrible. I really didn’t quite enjoy it. I wouldn’t say the book is horrible, it can be read but like after one has completed the first 50 books in their to-be-read. I love the author tho, just not a fan of this book.
taisie22's review
3.0
Alexander, Viscount Merrick, is snowed in alone with Anne Parish and the couple are forced into marriage when this is discovered the next morning. Alexander is resentful, feeling he was deceived, so he dumps Anne in the country and leaves for the delights of London. When they finally meet again, Anne, who feels betrayed, is determined to ignore her husband. Alexander has had a change of heart but it might be too late.
This is one of her earlier books and I'm afraid not one of her best. Anne is correct in her feelings toward her husband, in my humble opinion, and I never really warmed up to him. His change of heart didn't seem quite real.
This is one of her earlier books and I'm afraid not one of her best. Anne is correct in her feelings toward her husband, in my humble opinion, and I never really warmed up to him. His change of heart didn't seem quite real.
esadday's review against another edition
2.0
I normally love Balogh's work. But this one just didn't sit right with me. I think it's because the hero rubbed me the wrong way. I get that it's a product of its time and back in 1986, when this was published, this type of hero (and his behavior) was considered romantic. I can think of other plots from the time that echo this dynamic and its toxic masculinity. But fast forward to today, and it just seems to be reinforcing this dynamic that's not healthy and playing into the dysfunctional trope that surrounds the bad boy romantic hero in a way that her later novels don't. Rakes and cads pepper series like The Bedwyn Saga, the Survivor's Club, and the Westcott Family. Heck, Jasper Finley and Joshua Moore are 2 of my favorite heroes. But they also have heroines that level the playing field and have that moment where they eat crow. What do I mean?
Our hero, Alex Stewart, Viscount Merrick is mean (sometimes down right vicious) to our heroine, Anne Parish, most of the time and yet she falls in love with him? Even after he realizes he was wrong about her trapping him into marriage and quite innocent in the whole thing, he still lets his pride be an excuse to become angry, take that anger out on her, to shake her, manhandle her. He continually sleeps with her (not a clean read) even as he's being hateful, and that horrible behavior is just supposed to be ignored/forgotten by the reader once he realizes loves her and hasn't been a gentleman? He has his epiphany of how horrid he's been but he never really humbles himself. There's sort of an apology, an acknowledgement of his behavior, but it only comes after she throws herself at him, clings to him and begs him not to leave. Not ever does he act like the gentleman he's supposed to be, except in his own head.
The synopsis made it sound like she's going to grow into a woman with a backbone, who becomes indignant with his behavior, but there was no blistering set down over his attitude and abuse. She gets angry, but there's never that moment when she realizes her own worth and right to demand better. I've read stories where a character has self-esteem/self-worth issues and I usually empathize. I just didn't get there with this story, most likely because she stayed a doormat. She got her HOA with a man who loves and treasures her, but it didn't have the same emotional heft as it might if the story was updated to match today's wisdom regarding domestic abuse. I would love for Balogh to update this story so that Alex and Anne become the couple they have the potential to be, in a healthy relationship, rather than a pair with an uneven power dynamic who link arms and happily head off to scandalized the butler. I originally have this 3 stars, but have lowered my rating to match my feelings many days after finishing the novel.
Our hero, Alex Stewart, Viscount Merrick is mean (sometimes down right vicious) to our heroine, Anne Parish, most of the time and yet she falls in love with him? Even after he realizes he was wrong about her trapping him into marriage and quite innocent in the whole thing, he still lets his pride be an excuse to become angry, take that anger out on her, to shake her, manhandle her. He continually sleeps with her (not a clean read) even as he's being hateful, and that horrible behavior is just supposed to be ignored/forgotten by the reader once he realizes loves her and hasn't been a gentleman? He has his epiphany of how horrid he's been but he never really humbles himself. There's sort of an apology, an acknowledgement of his behavior, but it only comes after she throws herself at him, clings to him and begs him not to leave. Not ever does he act like the gentleman he's supposed to be, except in his own head.
The synopsis made it sound like she's going to grow into a woman with a backbone, who becomes indignant with his behavior, but there was no blistering set down over his attitude and abuse. She gets angry, but there's never that moment when she realizes her own worth and right to demand better. I've read stories where a character has self-esteem/self-worth issues and I usually empathize. I just didn't get there with this story, most likely because she stayed a doormat. She got her HOA with a man who loves and treasures her, but it didn't have the same emotional heft as it might if the story was updated to match today's wisdom regarding domestic abuse. I would love for Balogh to update this story so that Alex and Anne become the couple they have the potential to be, in a healthy relationship, rather than a pair with an uneven power dynamic who link arms and happily head off to scandalized the butler. I originally have this 3 stars, but have lowered my rating to match my feelings many days after finishing the novel.
janlhill's review
3.0
This one definitely shows its age as one of the author’s early books but has some enjoyment value. I could not quite connect with the characters, but it was a pleasant way to pass an afternoon in isolation.
weirdtea's review
2.0
I haven’t read a romance with protagonists this abominably stupid in quite some time. Use your words, people.
Use.
Your.
Words.
1.75
Use.
Your.
Words.
1.75
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