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smuttymcbookface's review
emotional
funny
hopeful
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
This was a beautiful balance of wit, plot and romance.
Linnet, the beauty of the ton, knows that her future will involve marriage. With unmatched beauty, and a charm inherited from her mother - a woman capable of talking her way out of the shame of her infedelity - it's clear that she'll do well, even if she's never truly had interest in a man. However, an uncomplimentary dress and a cut from a Prince is all it takes to ruin her reputation.
Piers has decided to never marry based on a long-held grudge against his father, and has led him to believe he's incapable of fathering a child. Clever but unfeeling, he masks the pain of his permanent leg injury behind scathing remarks and sardonic humour. When his father turns up at his door with a bride-to-be in tow, who is supposedly already carrying a child of royal blood, he is anything but impressed. Seemingly impervious to her looks, he finds her sharp tongue is the one aspect he can't help but falling for.
Eloisa James has done a beatiful job of bringing these characters to life, faults and all, in a way that has you truly feeling for them. The humour and wit of her writing has you laughing out loud, and despite the cruelty of their comments to one another, it's easy to feel these two falling in love.
Side characters can often be hit and miss for me, but I loved the Duke and his ex-Duchess, their jabs and longing for one another, and their resolution (though I would have been just as happy had the other path been taken).
Although I did find the last "drama" of the book to be a little out there, I thought it was a wonderful way of humanising Linnet, and showing her overcome her own vanity. I loved Piers "My Wife" Yelverton's determination to not give up, and that he was honest with his feelings, even as he struggled with them too.
Linnet, the beauty of the ton, knows that her future will involve marriage. With unmatched beauty, and a charm inherited from her mother - a woman capable of talking her way out of the shame of her infedelity - it's clear that she'll do well, even if she's never truly had interest in a man. However, an uncomplimentary dress and a cut from a Prince is all it takes to ruin her reputation.
Piers has decided to never marry based on a long-held grudge against his father, and has led him to believe he's incapable of fathering a child. Clever but unfeeling, he masks the pain of his permanent leg injury behind scathing remarks and sardonic humour. When his father turns up at his door with a bride-to-be in tow, who is supposedly already carrying a child of royal blood, he is anything but impressed. Seemingly impervious to her looks, he finds her sharp tongue is the one aspect he can't help but falling for.
Eloisa James has done a beatiful job of bringing these characters to life, faults and all, in a way that has you truly feeling for them. The humour and wit of her writing has you laughing out loud, and despite the cruelty of their comments to one another, it's easy to feel these two falling in love.
Side characters can often be hit and miss for me, but I loved the Duke and his ex-Duchess, their jabs and longing for one another, and their resolution (though I would have been just as happy had the other path been taken).
Although I did find the last "drama" of the book to be a little out there, I thought it was a wonderful way of humanising Linnet, and showing her overcome her own vanity. I loved Piers "My Wife" Yelverton's determination to not give up, and that he was honest with his feelings, even as he struggled with them too.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Chronic illness, Sexual content, and Addiction
Moderate: Pandemic/Epidemic, Medical content, Child abuse, and Infidelity
Minor: Terminal illness and Cancer
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