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3.34 AVERAGE
3.34 AVERAGE
Victoria and David were penpals for years since they were 10 years old, but David always wrote to her under the name Tom saying he was the kitchen maids son until he went away to school and stopped responding to her.
Victoria's family has basically become destitute since the death of their father and as a last resort she stops next door to try and find the boy Tom that she used to write to and ask him to marry her. When she finds out that Tom is actually David and a Viscount she runs home, only to have David stop by the next day and propose to her because he needs and can't find a wife because of his fathers scandalous past and she needs a home for her and her mother.
This was an interesting combo of hidden identity, childhood friends to lovers and marriage of convenience with a very slow burn. The female MC is debilitatingly shy as a child but the hard year since her father's death changes her and she's determined to save David's relationship with his father as well.
Victoria's family has basically become destitute since the death of their father and as a last resort she stops next door to try and find the boy Tom that she used to write to and ask him to marry her. When she finds out that Tom is actually David and a Viscount she runs home, only to have David stop by the next day and propose to her because he needs and can't find a wife because of his fathers scandalous past and she needs a home for her and her mother.
This was an interesting combo of hidden identity, childhood friends to lovers and marriage of convenience with a very slow burn. The female MC is debilitatingly shy as a child but the hard year since her father's death changes her and she's determined to save David's relationship with his father as well.
funny
lighthearted
relaxing
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
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
fast-paced
I loved how utterly SWEET this story was! Victoria and Tom (David) grew up next door to one another. And they never meet in person they forged a friend ship by writing to one another in a journal. Years latter Victoria remembers her old friend in her hour of need and seeks him out. Imagine her shock when she discovers that Tom is not the cooks son but rather the son of an Earl, and what's this? His name is not Tom but David! After explaining his Duplicity David asks Victoria to marry him, and though she has reservations Victoria has no other choice if she plans to keep her mother and her off the street's.
And thus the story begins! This book is slow moving in time but I found myself rather captivated by the story as I watched Victoria and Davids relationship grow. Unlike most books the H&Hr didn't just fall in bed with one another, nor did she completely shun him until he decided to seduce her. Rather both agreed to wait and David took time to slowly allow Victoria to become accustom to him and the intimacies of there marriage. One might think that this would be boring, instead it rather added to the story and made ever part of there relationship more meaningful.
I highly recommend this story, and if you like it then I might also recommend Lori Wick's 'The Proposal', or any of her English Garden series.
4.5 Stars!
And thus the story begins! This book is slow moving in time but I found myself rather captivated by the story as I watched Victoria and Davids relationship grow. Unlike most books the H&Hr didn't just fall in bed with one another, nor did she completely shun him until he decided to seduce her. Rather both agreed to wait and David took time to slowly allow Victoria to become accustom to him and the intimacies of there marriage. One might think that this would be boring, instead it rather added to the story and made ever part of there relationship more meaningful.
I highly recommend this story, and if you like it then I might also recommend Lori Wick's 'The Proposal', or any of her English Garden series.
4.5 Stars!
This book was one of those that I didn't like, but didn't hate. I liked the characters, but the storyline wasn't all that interesting. I found myself skipping some parts of the books hoping it would get so action. Also, the romance between the hero and heroine was so slow that it really annoyed me. Then at the end? BAM! everything is resolved, everyone loves each other, all is good. IDK.
This one bored me later on in the book and I just wanted to get it finished. The heroine was irritatingly naive.
emotional
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
This is the first book by Gayle Callen that I have read, and I found it, if a touch slow in some parts, quite an enjoyable read. Yes, Victoria and David had a time of it, but they seemed to proceed at a natural pace to me. Both of them had to grow and open themselves up, and (yes, the end might have been a *touch* rushed) they finally did. :)
A story with an interesting premise that somehow failed to engage me as much as I expected.
Victoria and David had been writing to each other as children, but the familiarity one would have expected between people who share that kind of history, was mostly lacking.
For reasons of their own that have nothing to do with affection, the two decide to marry, but David is determined to keep living his life as he has been, consumed by his business and political efforts. Victoria on the other hand strives to become the perfect wife to him, feeling guilty about the secret she's withholding from him about the truth of her father's death, and goes out of her way to initiate his re-entry to society.
There is a slow burn between them as far as intimacy goes, as David follows her wishes and slowly familiarizes her, but all in all the two remain separate for the biggest part of the story and only solve their problems at the very end.
A little less than satisfying, yet with a few interesting elements, this is the first of three books in the series, which continues with [b:The Duke in Disguise|82213|The Duke in Disguise (Willow Pond, #2)|Gayle Callen|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1386920806s/82213.jpg|79385].
Victoria and David had been writing to each other as children, but the familiarity one would have expected between people who share that kind of history, was mostly lacking.
For reasons of their own that have nothing to do with affection, the two decide to marry, but David is determined to keep living his life as he has been, consumed by his business and political efforts. Victoria on the other hand strives to become the perfect wife to him, feeling guilty about the secret she's withholding from him about the truth of her father's death, and goes out of her way to initiate his re-entry to society.
There is a slow burn between them as far as intimacy goes, as David follows her wishes and slowly familiarizes her, but all in all the two remain separate for the biggest part of the story and only solve their problems at the very end.
A little less than satisfying, yet with a few interesting elements, this is the first of three books in the series, which continues with [b:The Duke in Disguise|82213|The Duke in Disguise (Willow Pond, #2)|Gayle Callen|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1386920806s/82213.jpg|79385].
This book was a lesson in grammar. Not the good kind either. It was kind of an example of all the things you shouldn’t do when writing anything but a text message. (Probably harsh judgment, but bare with me.)
There were so many syntax errors, run-on lines, and missing punctuations, that I was shocked. The author started sentences and entire paragraphs, with conjunctions; particularly the use of And’ and ‘But’. The latter happened at least once on every page. (If you think I’m exaggerating, open a random page in the book.)
There were paragraphs whose first lines were the tail end of the preceding paragraph. How someone could have missed the errors confounds me. The conjunctions were entirely unnecessary too. Many of the sentences could have been fixed by simply deleting the connectors (or switching them with an alternative.)
The premise underlying the plot was also illogical. The FMC’s family was in dire state financially having lost all their wealth. The FMC remembered she had a childhood best friend living in the Earl’s estate next to hers. The best friend happened to be a kitchen boy. I don’t understand why the FMC thought it was a good idea to go to a kitchen boy for financial help with saving her family’s estate. I mean does he secretly invest in Bitcoins? What exactly was the plan? Marry a kitchen boy, save her estate?
I wish I could say the characters came alive or the world did. But nope. (See I just did it. Darn conjunctions!)
There were so many syntax errors, run-on lines, and missing punctuations, that I was shocked. The author started sentences and entire paragraphs, with conjunctions; particularly the use of And’ and ‘But’. The latter happened at least once on every page. (If you think I’m exaggerating, open a random page in the book.)
There were paragraphs whose first lines were the tail end of the preceding paragraph. How someone could have missed the errors confounds me. The conjunctions were entirely unnecessary too. Many of the sentences could have been fixed by simply deleting the connectors (or switching them with an alternative.)
The premise underlying the plot was also illogical. The FMC’s family was in dire state financially having lost all their wealth. The FMC remembered she had a childhood best friend living in the Earl’s estate next to hers. The best friend happened to be a kitchen boy. I don’t understand why the FMC thought it was a good idea to go to a kitchen boy for financial help with saving her family’s estate. I mean does he secretly invest in Bitcoins? What exactly was the plan? Marry a kitchen boy, save her estate?
I wish I could say the characters came alive or the world did. But nope. (See I just did it. Darn conjunctions!)