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alisoun's review
4.5
Clem and Dora
Oh my lord. I adored Dora with her eccentric dress and bohemian family!!!!!
And Clem! I loved how he didn't have faith in her acting but was still on the surface very supportive. I think he under estimated how important that is. I loved how he loves fancy furniture and wallpaper and clothes and just brings that into the house. I also love that he is a total gift giving lover!
I do wish he did a bit more grovel - and wasn't drunk for it.
Contains:
Candid discussion about contraception and family planning (v appreciated)
An eccentric family
Honestly Dora is the best girl. So blindly supportive of her family!
Acting! Working for your pay! Still living a good life!
I think 3 spicy scenes plus 1 mutual masturbation.
Oh my lord. I adored Dora with her eccentric dress and bohemian family!!!!!
And Clem! I loved how he didn't have faith in her acting but was still on the surface very supportive. I think he under estimated how important that is. I loved how he loves fancy furniture and wallpaper and clothes and just brings that into the house. I also love that he is a total gift giving lover!
I do wish he did a bit more grovel - and wasn't drunk for it.
Contains:
Candid discussion about contraception and family planning (v appreciated)
An eccentric family
Honestly Dora is the best girl. So blindly supportive of her family!
Acting! Working for your pay! Still living a good life!
I think 3 spicy scenes plus 1 mutual masturbation.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Alcohol
Minor: Pregnancy, Violence, and Death of parent
rebeccalk's review
slow-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
3.75
I found it really hard to get into this one. I know most of these books are slower paced and more about the characters getting to know each other rather than any real plot but this one felt like the first half was so slow things were starting to feel repetitive. In particular, Clem was just constantly thinking about how Theo was going to fail on stage and then when she didn’t he was constantly beating himself up about the theatre shares instead.
That said, Theo was fucking great and I loved that Clem melted in every scene she took control. The neck kink was amazing.
I really enjoyed the dynamic between these two characters and that she was the one who had a dream and he eventually just wanted to support her rather than pursue any meaningful dreams of his own.
While it’s took me a while to warm up to them, i really loved the characters in this book
That said, Theo was fucking great and I loved that Clem melted in every scene she took control. The neck kink was amazing.
I really enjoyed the dynamic between these two characters and that she was the one who had a dream and he eventually just wanted to support her rather than pursue any meaningful dreams of his own.
While it’s took me a while to warm up to them, i really loved the characters in this book
elderflowercordial's review
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
slow-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
3.0
crystalisreading's review
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
relaxing
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
4.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content, Cursing, and Classism
Moderate: Pregnancy and Sexism
Minor: Abandonment, Dysphoria, and Death of parent
molly_p_w'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? No
4.0
anggia's review
emotional
funny
slow-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
kzimm2024's review against another edition
4.0
I really liked this story- for me it felt like a fresh look at the rarely mentioned world of male impersonating in the Victorian area. HA! Did that even exist? I thought it was the other way around, boys playing women since women were scarce in that industry. Well- shows you how little I know about it all.
4.5 stars- some spoilers ahead.
I loved Clem. I loved his inner voice and that we got to hear that perspective, I loved his shock in how he responded to "Dora" (and he was shocked many, many times) and I really liked how Dora kept him on his toes "with a mixture of horror and awe". I loved the variations to her name when spoken endearingly.
The love scenes are very steamy and well done, which I appreciate about Ms. Coldbreath's writing, and this would have been a solid 5 if not for my eventual disappointment in Clem.
We have our big, strong, fearless boxer dude that has to push our girl away so she can live her dreams. I didn't mesh with that whole ending, wishing he was a strong enough man to apologize for his duplicity and hang in there with her instead of running away (it was a short lived separation thankfully).
And be honest with her about his feelings before handing her a bunch of heartache. He didn't want to hurt her so he backed away?? For someone so forthright in his manner, he was at a loss for words with Theodora.
Oh well- it ended alright, but I wished for a softer landing :)
4.5 stars- some spoilers ahead.
I loved Clem. I loved his inner voice and that we got to hear that perspective, I loved his shock in how he responded to "Dora" (and he was shocked many, many times) and I really liked how Dora kept him on his toes "with a mixture of horror and awe". I loved the variations to her name when spoken endearingly.
The love scenes are very steamy and well done, which I appreciate about Ms. Coldbreath's writing, and this would have been a solid 5 if not for my eventual disappointment in Clem.
We have our big, strong, fearless boxer dude that has to push our girl away so she can live her dreams. I didn't mesh with that whole ending, wishing he was a strong enough man to apologize for his duplicity and hang in there with her instead of running away (it was a short lived separation thankfully).
And be honest with her about his feelings before handing her a bunch of heartache. He didn't want to hurt her so he backed away?? For someone so forthright in his manner, he was at a loss for words with Theodora.
Oh well- it ended alright, but I wished for a softer landing :)
khadijareads's review against another edition
4.0
4 glowing stars for Dora
This is one amazing book. Theodora has been used and abused by pretty much everyone in her life, she was made for the stage and no one believes in her talent, mainly because she is not a conventional beauty
Her brother fires her from the family theatre and her sister elopes leaving Dora and her dreams of realizing stardom in tatters. With no avenues but indentured servitude in the form of housekeeper for her brother left to her, she strikes up a bargain with Clem, himself a disreputable theatre owner. Dora proposes a marriage of convenience for 25% share in her family's respectable theatre and thus begins our romance.
I loved the female characters in this book, my one criticism is Clem.
Overall, I loved this book tho 4 glowing stars.
Merged review:
4 glowing stars for Dora
This is one amazing book. Theodora has been used and abused by pretty much everyone in her life, she was made for the stage and no one believes in her talent, mainly because she is not a conventional beauty
Her brother fires her from the family theatre and her sister elopes leaving Dora and her dreams of realizing stardom in tatters. With no avenues but indentured servitude in the form of housekeeper for her brother left to her, she strikes up a bargain with Clem, himself a disreputable theatre owner. Dora proposes a marriage of convenience for 25% share in her family's respectable theatre and thus begins our romance.
I loved the female characters in this book, my one criticism is Clem.
Overall, I loved this book tho 4 glowing stars.
This is one amazing book. Theodora has been used and abused by pretty much everyone in her life, she was made for the stage and no one believes in her talent, mainly because she is not a conventional beauty
(sidenote: all of Alice Coldbreath's female protagonists' are quasi ugly women with winning personalities)
.Her brother fires her from the family theatre and her sister elopes leaving Dora and her dreams of realizing stardom in tatters. With no avenues but indentured servitude in the form of housekeeper for her brother left to her, she strikes up a bargain with Clem, himself a disreputable theatre owner. Dora proposes a marriage of convenience for 25% share in her family's respectable theatre and thus begins our romance.
I loved the female characters in this book, my one criticism is Clem.
Spoiler
While I love a good alphah*le the lying and lack of belief in Dora's talents and continuing to wait for her to fail pissed me off. Even after her popular success. Some of the things he did towards the end of the book truly pissed me off and crossed into callous behaviour.Overall, I loved this book tho 4 glowing stars.
Merged review:
4 glowing stars for Dora
This is one amazing book. Theodora has been used and abused by pretty much everyone in her life, she was made for the stage and no one believes in her talent, mainly because she is not a conventional beauty
(sidenote: all of Alice Coldbreath's female protagonists' are quasi ugly women with winning personalities)
.Her brother fires her from the family theatre and her sister elopes leaving Dora and her dreams of realizing stardom in tatters. With no avenues but indentured servitude in the form of housekeeper for her brother left to her, she strikes up a bargain with Clem, himself a disreputable theatre owner. Dora proposes a marriage of convenience for 25% share in her family's respectable theatre and thus begins our romance.
I loved the female characters in this book, my one criticism is Clem.
Spoiler
While I love a good alphah*le the lying and lack of belief in Dora's talents and continuing to wait for her to fail pissed me off. Even after her popular success. Some of the things he did towards the end of the book truly pissed me off and crossed into callous behaviour.Overall, I loved this book tho 4 glowing stars.
rachel_reads91's review
emotional
funny
lighthearted
slow-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
Historical, romance, fiction
andskye's review
emotional
hopeful
reflective
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? It's complicated
4.0