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rjordan19's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Overall: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Readability: 📖📖📖📖
Feels: 🦋🦋🦋
Emotional Depth: 💔💔💔💔
Sexual Tension: ⚡⚡⚡⚡
Romance: 💞💞💞
Sensuality: 💋💋💋💋
Sex Scene Length: 🍑🍑🍑 (varied a bit)
Steam Scale (Number of Sex Scenes): 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥
Humor: A bit
Perspective: Third person from both hero and heroine
More character focused or plot focused? character
How did the speed of the story feel? medium
When mains are first on page together: quite soon in
Cliffhanger: No, this ends with a happily ever after
Epilogue: No
Format: listened to audiobook from library (hoopla)
Should I read in order?
Maybe, ideally, yes?? The other characters have page time here from earlier in the series and there’s some mentions of various plot points that have happened. For a total rebel reader, you won’t be confused here to start though.
Basic plot:
Emily wants to marry to escape her families plans for her unwed...and Marcus will marry anyone that his father doesn’t approve of...
Give this a try if you want:
- Regency
- house party
- one bed at the inn (minor scene)
- compromised heroine resulting in marriage of necessity-ish
- mid to higher steam – there’s a plethora of scenes here but some are shorter? It's hard to tell on audio sometimes...
Ages:
- didn’t catch either...
First line:
Marcus Roberts, the Earl of Blakely, leaned against the brocaded wall, arms crossed.
My thoughts:
I think I might have liked this one the most so far in the series? It was a bit more character focused than the first two and I enjoyed a lot of their push and pull at each other.
In this one, Marcus is quite tortured by his past. And some of that was frustrating, like when he refused to see the good in what Emily was doing for him and kept focusing on the pain he had. But I enjoyed the emotional pull of this one and how Marcus slowly opened for her. The sex especially I felt was just really emotional and tugged at me.
The ending of the book centers the couple and gives family depth and closure that I appreciated. I feel so invested in this series now 😆 I definitely want to read Rhoda’s story.
Content warnings: These should be taken as a minimum of what to expect. It’s very possible I have missed some.
- wanted to mention the hero fucks another woman on page with the heroine watching – they are not together but I know some people don’t like to see the mains on page with other people
- estranged relationships – the hero hasn’t interacted much with his mother, father and sister
- mention of pregnant prior relationship and death of hero’s past love
- poisoning
- scenes of danger/physical threats/risk of death
- there’s a brief scene the hero has a barmaid (?) on his lap but nothing happens
Locations of kisses/intimate scenes:
Safe sex: I want to say no? I'm not sure if it's explicitly stated
Hows the consent? It’s good/implied
5% - heroine watches the hero fuck someone from behind
50% - 🔥breast play o for her in the carriage
56% - 🔥hero self pleasure in front of the heroine
66% - 🔥kisses, fingering/oral for her, sex (it’s a bit vague?) - this scene overall felt a bit shorter than the others but I still counted
68% - 🔥her on top in the carriage
between like 70-75% there’s a fade to black scene
79% - 🔥sex outside against a tree with the risk of discovery (felt short, but again I counted)
91% - 🔥sex against the wall
Readability: 📖📖📖📖
Feels: 🦋🦋🦋
Emotional Depth: 💔💔💔💔
Sexual Tension: ⚡⚡⚡⚡
Romance: 💞💞💞
Sensuality: 💋💋💋💋
Sex Scene Length: 🍑🍑🍑 (varied a bit)
Steam Scale (Number of Sex Scenes): 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥
Humor: A bit
Perspective: Third person from both hero and heroine
More character focused or plot focused? character
How did the speed of the story feel? medium
When mains are first on page together: quite soon in
Cliffhanger: No, this ends with a happily ever after
Epilogue: No
Format: listened to audiobook from library (hoopla)
Should I read in order?
Maybe, ideally, yes?? The other characters have page time here from earlier in the series and there’s some mentions of various plot points that have happened. For a total rebel reader, you won’t be confused here to start though.
Basic plot:
Emily wants to marry to escape her families plans for her unwed...and Marcus will marry anyone that his father doesn’t approve of...
Give this a try if you want:
- Regency
- house party
- one bed at the inn (minor scene)
- compromised heroine resulting in marriage of necessity-ish
- mid to higher steam – there’s a plethora of scenes here but some are shorter? It's hard to tell on audio sometimes...
Ages:
- didn’t catch either...
First line:
Marcus Roberts, the Earl of Blakely, leaned against the brocaded wall, arms crossed.
My thoughts:
I think I might have liked this one the most so far in the series? It was a bit more character focused than the first two and I enjoyed a lot of their push and pull at each other.
In this one, Marcus is quite tortured by his past. And some of that was frustrating, like when he refused to see the good in what Emily was doing for him and kept focusing on the pain he had. But I enjoyed the emotional pull of this one and how Marcus slowly opened for her. The sex especially I felt was just really emotional and tugged at me.
The ending of the book centers the couple and gives family depth and closure that I appreciated. I feel so invested in this series now 😆 I definitely want to read Rhoda’s story.
Content warnings: These should be taken as a minimum of what to expect. It’s very possible I have missed some.
- wanted to mention the hero fucks another woman on page with the heroine watching – they are not together but I know some people don’t like to see the mains on page with other people
- estranged relationships – the hero hasn’t interacted much with his mother, father and sister
- mention of pregnant prior relationship and death of hero’s past love
- poisoning
- scenes of danger/physical threats/risk of death
- there’s a brief scene the hero has a barmaid (?) on his lap but nothing happens
Locations of kisses/intimate scenes:
Safe sex:
Hows the consent?
5% - heroine watches the hero fuck someone from behind
50% - 🔥breast play o for her in the carriage
56% - 🔥hero self pleasure in front of the heroine
66% - 🔥kisses, fingering/oral for her, sex (it’s a bit vague?) - this scene overall felt a bit shorter than the others but I still counted
68% - 🔥her on top in the carriage
between like 70-75% there’s a fade to black scene
79% - 🔥sex outside against a tree with the risk of discovery (felt short, but again I counted)
91% - 🔥sex against the wall
sassysmutlover's review
5.0
You will need a fan and a cold drink with these two! The heat and tension between them leaps off the pages from the start and continues to build and explode multiple times. Fate brought them together by throwing a wrench into her plans. But they were made for each other. I never knew what they were going to get up to between experiments and the past coming up. They learned about themselves and each other as they fell deeper in love. I did not see the truth of his father's plans coming or anything that followed. His father was a surprise with how he reacted to things. I was even holding my breath at one time near the end. The meaning behind their rings pulls at my heart. I can't wait for the next book!
Emily is not afraid of anything and curiosity gets the best her at all most every turn. I loved her from the moment she was in the library and saw him. She noticed things that many wouldn't and wanted to help everyone. Her meddling was always done with the best of intentions to the point she forgot about her self when it came to helping other.
Marcus has let hate and the unknown rule him for too long. He could make his own way in the world, but he needed to know the truth and listen to his heart. I have the images of him leaning against something and winking burned into my mind. All I can think of is a tall drink of water to describe him. He couldn't hide his feelings and would protect her forever.
The chapter names shouldn't be missed either.
Copy provided for an honest and voluntary review.
Emily is not afraid of anything and curiosity gets the best her at all most every turn. I loved her from the moment she was in the library and saw him. She noticed things that many wouldn't and wanted to help everyone. Her meddling was always done with the best of intentions to the point she forgot about her self when it came to helping other.
Marcus has let hate and the unknown rule him for too long. He could make his own way in the world, but he needed to know the truth and listen to his heart. I have the images of him leaning against something and winking burned into my mind. All I can think of is a tall drink of water to describe him. He couldn't hide his feelings and would protect her forever.
The chapter names shouldn't be missed either.
Copy provided for an honest and voluntary review.
virgo_reader's review
1.0
This book had a lot of potential, but that's where it ended — potential.
I liked the trope of a shy girl with a rake. I liked that they knew of each other due to their mutual married friends and he seemed to find her blunt honesty charming. I liked that she was a bit of an outcast and a wallflower who was interested in sex and bought books (worth one month of pin money) on just that topic. I even liked that she was caught in a mortifying situation of accidentally hiding in the library, where he walked in to have a tryst.
There was, again, so much potential. Her "experimentations" and scientific nature reminded me of Pippa from the far superior One Good Earl Deserves a Lover by Sarah MacLean.
Unfortunately, a lot of things didn't add up for me. The writing, the pacing, the dialogue — these are three things that count heavily to me, maybe more than character or plot development, because those three things will alter how much I enjoy the reading experience.
There were so many random bits thrown in that you thought may be important later but never came up again. Emily's bookish father or her flighty mother, who Marcus says is basically a harlot and who tried to come onto him. His whole "mystery" past with a woman who claimed to have been pregnant with his child. His relationship with his family — and his family's relationship with Emily, who they immediately looked down on.
I liked the trope of a shy girl with a rake. I liked that they knew of each other due to their mutual married friends and he seemed to find her blunt honesty charming. I liked that she was a bit of an outcast and a wallflower who was interested in sex and bought books (worth one month of pin money) on just that topic. I even liked that she was caught in a mortifying situation of accidentally hiding in the library, where he walked in to have a tryst.
There was, again, so much potential. Her "experimentations" and scientific nature reminded me of Pippa from the far superior One Good Earl Deserves a Lover by Sarah MacLean.
Unfortunately, a lot of things didn't add up for me. The writing, the pacing, the dialogue — these are three things that count heavily to me, maybe more than character or plot development, because those three things will alter how much I enjoy the reading experience.
There were so many random bits thrown in that you thought may be important later but never came up again. Emily's bookish father or her flighty mother, who Marcus says is basically a harlot and who tried to come onto him. His whole "mystery" past with a woman who claimed to have been pregnant with his child. His relationship with his family — and his family's relationship with Emily, who they immediately looked down on.
Spoiler
Her kidnapping attempt??rani_reeds's review against another edition
emotional
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.25
kaycuozzo's review
4.0
My favorite in this series. I love the banter and interactions of Emily and Marcus. My favorite characters so far. Everything about this book made you keep reading. Well done.
teaandbooklover's review against another edition
3.0
This gets a solid three stars from me because I liked the H & H but did not love them. There were a lot of people in this book to keep track of and several times I wanted to quit reading. Not just because of that but because the main characters were just likable to me. I thought there was too much meddling and manipulation in this book for me to really love it.
susanabra's review against another edition
5.0
The heroine of this book is the best recommendation for reading it. She's such an intriguing mix of naivety, knowledge and a wisdom that seems to be innate, that she was completely fascinating to me.
virgo_reader's review against another edition
1.0
This book had a lot of potential, but that's where it ended — potential.
I liked the trope of a shy girl with a rake. I liked that they knew of each other due to their mutual married friends and he seemed to find her blunt honesty charming. I liked that she was a bit of an outcast and a wallflower who was interested in sex and bought books (worth one month of pin money) on just that topic. I even liked that she was caught in a mortifying situation of accidentally hiding in the library, where he walked in to have a tryst.
There was, again, so much potential. Her "experimentations" and scientific nature reminded me of Pippa from the far superior One Good Earl Deserves a Lover by Sarah MacLean.
Unfortunately, a lot of things didn't add up for me. The writing, the pacing, the dialogue — these are three things that count heavily to me, maybe more than character or plot development, because those three things will alter how much I enjoy the reading experience.
There were so many random bits thrown in that you thought may be important later but never came up again. Emily's bookish father or her flighty mother, who Marcus says is basically a harlot and who tried to come onto him. His whole "mystery" past with a woman who claimed to have been pregnant with his child. His relationship with his family — and his family's relationship with Emily, who they immediately looked down on.Her kidnapping attempt??
I liked the trope of a shy girl with a rake. I liked that they knew of each other due to their mutual married friends and he seemed to find her blunt honesty charming. I liked that she was a bit of an outcast and a wallflower who was interested in sex and bought books (worth one month of pin money) on just that topic. I even liked that she was caught in a mortifying situation of accidentally hiding in the library, where he walked in to have a tryst.
There was, again, so much potential. Her "experimentations" and scientific nature reminded me of Pippa from the far superior One Good Earl Deserves a Lover by Sarah MacLean.
Unfortunately, a lot of things didn't add up for me. The writing, the pacing, the dialogue — these are three things that count heavily to me, maybe more than character or plot development, because those three things will alter how much I enjoy the reading experience.
There were so many random bits thrown in that you thought may be important later but never came up again. Emily's bookish father or her flighty mother, who Marcus says is basically a harlot and who tried to come onto him. His whole "mystery" past with a woman who claimed to have been pregnant with his child. His relationship with his family — and his family's relationship with Emily, who they immediately looked down on.
jenreadsromance's review
3.0
Emily Goodnight is a wallflower who is secretly in love with Marcus, the Earl of Blakely. He's friendly and nice to her. She's nosy and comes up with a plan to help him gain revenge on his father, the Duke. But nothing goes to plan.
Pluses: This has a pleasant pace & some nice banter. Emily may be a wallflower, but she's an interesting heroine. I liked her and I liked Marcus.
I SHIT YOU NOT, this has the most astounding scene I have ever read in a historical romance of this nature (straightforward regency). At the beginning, Emily is hiding in the library (as wallflowers often do) and Marcus comes in with a paramour. He fucks this other woman RIGHT IN FRONT OF THE FUTURE HEROINE, which she secretly watches bc she's absolutely curious and she'll never have this chance again! Lol. I liked it, but I am sure some people will not. I say learn where you can, Emily.
WISHES: This book is a series of plot machinations and obstacles on the way to the HEA. Lots of things HAPPEN, but it felt strangely devoid of heart. I don't know how else to describe it.
One very interesting thing in this book, and I think it's part of why it didn't quite work for me, Emily is determined to find a husband at this country house party, and she basically engineers a situation where she can trap this one dude. Now, she is very matter-of-fact about this. She has no choice, men have choices, and if she wants a family and a future, this is just what has to be done. When she describes her reasoning to Marcus, it's full of feminist fury. But, when there is a big reveal about a bad woman from Marcus' past that basically tries to do the same thing, she's vilified. Because that woman did it for MONEY (which is crass to all these aristocrats), where Emily doing it for FREEDOM is justified. I don't think that our author meant to set up this dichotomy; It's an example of how romance fails to show class differences with any kind of nuance.
Verdict: A whole lot of plot to chew on if that's your thing, but I didn't emotionally connect with it. Forgettable.
I would like to revise my previous statement. Demonizing poor characters is more than a romance problem. It's definitely an capitalism problem that is bigger than romance. But I noticed it here and wish we were better.
Copied & Pasted from Twitter as part of a project where I'm reading all the 2019 RITA finalists
Pluses: This has a pleasant pace & some nice banter. Emily may be a wallflower, but she's an interesting heroine. I liked her and I liked Marcus.
I SHIT YOU NOT, this has the most astounding scene I have ever read in a historical romance of this nature (straightforward regency). At the beginning, Emily is hiding in the library (as wallflowers often do) and Marcus comes in with a paramour. He fucks this other woman RIGHT IN FRONT OF THE FUTURE HEROINE, which she secretly watches bc she's absolutely curious and she'll never have this chance again! Lol. I liked it, but I am sure some people will not. I say learn where you can, Emily.
WISHES: This book is a series of plot machinations and obstacles on the way to the HEA. Lots of things HAPPEN, but it felt strangely devoid of heart. I don't know how else to describe it.
One very interesting thing in this book, and I think it's part of why it didn't quite work for me, Emily is determined to find a husband at this country house party, and she basically engineers a situation where she can trap this one dude. Now, she is very matter-of-fact about this. She has no choice, men have choices, and if she wants a family and a future, this is just what has to be done. When she describes her reasoning to Marcus, it's full of feminist fury. But, when there is a big reveal about a bad woman from Marcus' past that basically tries to do the same thing, she's vilified. Because that woman did it for MONEY (which is crass to all these aristocrats), where Emily doing it for FREEDOM is justified. I don't think that our author meant to set up this dichotomy; It's an example of how romance fails to show class differences with any kind of nuance.
Verdict: A whole lot of plot to chew on if that's your thing, but I didn't emotionally connect with it. Forgettable.
I would like to revise my previous statement. Demonizing poor characters is more than a romance problem. It's definitely an capitalism problem that is bigger than romance. But I noticed it here and wish we were better.
Copied & Pasted from Twitter as part of a project where I'm reading all the 2019 RITA finalists