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ashbats99's review against another edition
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
tessisreading2's review against another edition
3.0
A fun, lighthearted regency with some Scottish accoutrements - pretty much exactly what it says on the package, nothing much surprising. An enjoyable read, with the expected amount of historical inaccuracies and too-cute coincidences, but I'm probably not going to remember any of the details a week after reading.
pn_hinton's review against another edition
2.0
I picked this book up, eager to discover another new historical author to add to my rotation. It fell way short of my expectations and in the long one was disappointing.
The premise was a bit weak to begin with and required a lot of suspension of belief. Such as a girl being able to conceal a Claymore on her person from her brother and the other visitors to Hyde Park. Such as Prudence being able to hide her true identity from society when she lived with her elderly aunt. That alone made me scoff because even if she wore glasses she only changed her last name. That coupled with living with a known relative means that she was in actuality fooling no one. But I was willing to give it a chance.
There was so much with this book that left me with an unsatisfied feeling. The personalities of Prudence, Robbie, and Mary Elizabeth were inconsistent. Prudence went from being prim to sultry with no reasonable development. One example of this is a chapter that ended with her vowing that Robbie would end up up in her bed one way or the other. She ended up abandoning that promise the very next morning. The reason for Prudence becoming apart of their lives got abandoned. Every now and then Prudence would throw in a 'rule' about society but it seemed forced and not natural. The development of the love was lacking in a severe manner. Robbie went from wanting to make Prudence his mistress to his wife in the turn of the page with no real reason why. They didn't even have much a friendship at the beginning of the story for love to seem possible.
Then, when they got married Robbie turned into a "chest-thumping male". *I read this in another review and couldn't have agreed with it more*. He became brutish and chauvinistic. He was amorous to the point where he wouldn't even let her eat dinner. Some people may interpret that as swoon-worthy. I interpret it as him being selfish. And a horndog. Which is not charming by any stretch of the imagination. Then we got to the ending and the mystery of her brother. Which was lackluster at best. The end read forced and rushed, as a way to get all the loose ends tied together. The showdown in the warehouse was yet another example of Prudence's inconsistent personality.
I read this on my Kindle which tied into what is likely the final nail in the coffin for me. This book ended at 72% with the remaining 28% being a 'preview' of the next book. That ended up roughly twelve chapters which is almost half the book. And if 28% is set aside for a preview, that doesn't say much for the actual story. Since I didn't read the physical copy I don't know if it is the same but it was disappointing to see in the digital one.
I did not enjoy this book. I wanted to and it started off promising. The ending is what killed it for me since I don't like rushed endings. They feel too much like pandering and an insult to the reader and I can't stand that. If the ending had been better fleshed out this book may have gotten a three star rating. I am not inclined to read any more of this series. While I may pick up another one by the author it won't be for awhile.
The premise was a bit weak to begin with and required a lot of suspension of belief. Such as a girl being able to conceal a Claymore on her person from her brother and the other visitors to Hyde Park. Such as Prudence being able to hide her true identity from society when she lived with her elderly aunt. That alone made me scoff because even if she wore glasses she only changed her last name. That coupled with living with a known relative means that she was in actuality fooling no one. But I was willing to give it a chance.
There was so much with this book that left me with an unsatisfied feeling. The personalities of Prudence, Robbie, and Mary Elizabeth were inconsistent. Prudence went from being prim to sultry with no reasonable development. One example of this is a chapter that ended with her vowing that Robbie would end up up in her bed one way or the other. She ended up abandoning that promise the very next morning. The reason for Prudence becoming apart of their lives got abandoned. Every now and then Prudence would throw in a 'rule' about society but it seemed forced and not natural. The development of the love was lacking in a severe manner. Robbie went from wanting to make Prudence his mistress to his wife in the turn of the page with no real reason why. They didn't even have much a friendship at the beginning of the story for love to seem possible.
Then, when they got married Robbie turned into a "chest-thumping male". *I read this in another review and couldn't have agreed with it more*. He became brutish and chauvinistic. He was amorous to the point where he wouldn't even let her eat dinner. Some people may interpret that as swoon-worthy. I interpret it as him being selfish. And a horndog. Which is not charming by any stretch of the imagination. Then we got to the ending and the mystery of her brother. Which was lackluster at best. The end read forced and rushed, as a way to get all the loose ends tied together. The showdown in the warehouse was yet another example of Prudence's inconsistent personality.
I read this on my Kindle which tied into what is likely the final nail in the coffin for me. This book ended at 72% with the remaining 28% being a 'preview' of the next book. That ended up roughly twelve chapters which is almost half the book. And if 28% is set aside for a preview, that doesn't say much for the actual story. Since I didn't read the physical copy I don't know if it is the same but it was disappointing to see in the digital one.
I did not enjoy this book. I wanted to and it started off promising. The ending is what killed it for me since I don't like rushed endings. They feel too much like pandering and an insult to the reader and I can't stand that. If the ending had been better fleshed out this book may have gotten a three star rating. I am not inclined to read any more of this series. While I may pick up another one by the author it won't be for awhile.
witandsin's review against another edition
3.0
My review cross-posted from Wit and Sin: http://witandsin.blogspot.com/2016/01/review-how-to-wed-warrior-by-christy.html
The irrepressible Waters family is back in How to Wed a Warrior. The second Broadswords and Ballrooms story is even better than the first as ladies’ man Robert Waters falls fast and hard for a “widow” who is more than she seems.
Prudence was born and raised a lady, but after the death of her parents a scandal that tears her family’s reputation to pieces, she dons a disguise and hires herself out as a companion. Pru has got her work cut out for her with Mary Elizabeth Waters, a spirited Highland lass whose unladylike manner makes her an outcast among society. But Pru can handle a spitfire Scottish lady; it’s Mary Elizabeth’s brother, Robert, who throws Pru off her stride. It’s clear from the start that Robert wants her, and to Pru’s own surprise she’s equally attracted to him. The sexual tension between them is excellent, but between Pru’s deception and her concern over dragging the Waters family down if her secrets are revealed, the road to happily ever after isn’t an easy one for her and Robert.
Author Christy English makes it easy to root for Pru and Robert. They have solid chemistry, are both incredibly likeable characters, and their romance is both sweet and sensual. The “I love yous” do come a bit too fast to be believable, but otherwise the love story is perfectly charming. A bit of a mystery involving Pru’s family adds excitement, and (though it’s a bit predictable) helps the story move at a quick clip. That being said, while I liked Robert and Pru, and their romance was sweet, they were clearly outshone by the more vivacious Mary Elizabeth. As she did with the previous Broadswords and Ballrooms book, Mary Elizabeth steals every scene she’s in. She’s exuberant, definitely unusual for a lady, speaks her mind, and has different ideas about what’s important. She’s a strong, interesting character who’s also quietly vulnerable and I wanted desperately to learn more about her. This in and of itself is fantastic, but since it’s not Mary Elizabeth’s book it did highlight the fact that neither Robert nor Pru were as complex and engaging. Still, I enjoyed How to Wed a Warrior and I finished it incredibly excited to read the next Broadswords and Ballrooms story, which I hope will be Mary Elizabeth’s book.
FTC Disclosure: I received this book for free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
The irrepressible Waters family is back in How to Wed a Warrior. The second Broadswords and Ballrooms story is even better than the first as ladies’ man Robert Waters falls fast and hard for a “widow” who is more than she seems.
Prudence was born and raised a lady, but after the death of her parents a scandal that tears her family’s reputation to pieces, she dons a disguise and hires herself out as a companion. Pru has got her work cut out for her with Mary Elizabeth Waters, a spirited Highland lass whose unladylike manner makes her an outcast among society. But Pru can handle a spitfire Scottish lady; it’s Mary Elizabeth’s brother, Robert, who throws Pru off her stride. It’s clear from the start that Robert wants her, and to Pru’s own surprise she’s equally attracted to him. The sexual tension between them is excellent, but between Pru’s deception and her concern over dragging the Waters family down if her secrets are revealed, the road to happily ever after isn’t an easy one for her and Robert.
Author Christy English makes it easy to root for Pru and Robert. They have solid chemistry, are both incredibly likeable characters, and their romance is both sweet and sensual. The “I love yous” do come a bit too fast to be believable, but otherwise the love story is perfectly charming. A bit of a mystery involving Pru’s family adds excitement, and (though it’s a bit predictable) helps the story move at a quick clip. That being said, while I liked Robert and Pru, and their romance was sweet, they were clearly outshone by the more vivacious Mary Elizabeth. As she did with the previous Broadswords and Ballrooms book, Mary Elizabeth steals every scene she’s in. She’s exuberant, definitely unusual for a lady, speaks her mind, and has different ideas about what’s important. She’s a strong, interesting character who’s also quietly vulnerable and I wanted desperately to learn more about her. This in and of itself is fantastic, but since it’s not Mary Elizabeth’s book it did highlight the fact that neither Robert nor Pru were as complex and engaging. Still, I enjoyed How to Wed a Warrior and I finished it incredibly excited to read the next Broadswords and Ballrooms story, which I hope will be Mary Elizabeth’s book.
FTC Disclosure: I received this book for free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
bethandhertea's review against another edition
4.0
This was pretty cute! I do really like a "secret past" type of story, and the characters were entertaining. As like the last book, I am really most interested in Mary Elizabeth's story, which is thankfully next!
libtastic's review
3.0
"I enjoyed this book. English’s writing style was funny in an anachronistic way – it reminded me of Katie MacAlister’s historical romance books. The situations were unbelievable in a way I’ve come to expect from my historical romance. Pru was a cliche, but not a bad one."
read the rest of my review on my blog at https://libtastic.wordpress.com/2016/02/27/review-how-to-wed-a-warrior-by-christy-english/
read the rest of my review on my blog at https://libtastic.wordpress.com/2016/02/27/review-how-to-wed-a-warrior-by-christy-english/
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