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kathleenmcg's review against another edition
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
spost's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
fast-paced
3.25
The Roguish Baron is essentially a romance novel on speedrun mode. It's jam packed from beginning to end with all the beats of a romance - seemingly unrequited affection, a rake trying to reform, familial troubles, an orphan of unknown parentage, getting caught in a storm - but it moves through them all extremely quickly.
The quickness of this book is both a benefit and a drawback. On the one hand, it's a quick bite, perfect for when you want a romance that won't take long to read (I read it in an evening). But on the other, the pace comes at the cost of genuine-seeming character development and an ability to savor anything that's happening. Revelations about feelings ended up being spelled out explicitly rather than being allowed to develop naturally on the page, and background elements - like Jack's sister's romances - felt rushed, like afterthoughts merely shoe-horned in to fill space. The central love story also felt like it needed a little more room to breathe. I wanted to linger with the two main characters, but the pace simply did not allow for that.
That said, the setup of childhood friends to lovers was a good one, and both main characters were solid enough that I cared about seeing how their story would wrap up. I just wish there had been a little more substance to it!
The quickness of this book is both a benefit and a drawback. On the one hand, it's a quick bite, perfect for when you want a romance that won't take long to read (I read it in an evening). But on the other, the pace comes at the cost of genuine-seeming character development and an ability to savor anything that's happening. Revelations about feelings ended up being spelled out explicitly rather than being allowed to develop naturally on the page, and background elements - like Jack's sister's romances - felt rushed, like afterthoughts merely shoe-horned in to fill space. The central love story also felt like it needed a little more room to breathe. I wanted to linger with the two main characters, but the pace simply did not allow for that.
That said, the setup of childhood friends to lovers was a good one, and both main characters were solid enough that I cared about seeing how their story would wrap up. I just wish there had been a little more substance to it!
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