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melblanco's review against another edition
lighthearted
fast-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
3.75
alekswhite's review
4.0
This is historical fluffy romance but it’s so well written that I think it truly deserves 4 stars.
Both hero and heroine are genuinely well developed and so are the cast of characters around them - you even the tropes are sincere because they’re well executed.
So yes there’s 1 bed tropes and him saving her and even “oh I lied and told everyone you’re engaged to me” but it feels fun and fresh.
Both hero and heroine are genuinely well developed and so are the cast of characters around them - you even
So yes there’s 1 bed tropes and him saving her and even “oh I lied and told everyone you’re engaged to me” but it feels fun and fresh.
topy_loving_books's review against another edition
5.0
I LOVED this love story between two broken souls, one more than the other!!! The banter between those two was adorable!!!
I loved the way the handicap and impotence of Alexander was developed. It make me think a lot about When Beauty Tamed the Beast, by Eloisa James. But I loved that here Alexander has been impotent during 10 years, and needed to get the right girl to make everything work again.
I also enjoyed the fact that Katherine is ready to fight for what she wants. She is prepare to be naughty to get it. We can see that those wallflowers are way bolder than the Lisa Kleypas' ones.
Finally, I also loved the fact that they don't need the dude to save them. It's actually them who are here to save the day, or to say f*ck it, I can be in control of my own life!!
I loved the way the handicap and impotence of Alexander was developed. It make me think a lot about When Beauty Tamed the Beast, by Eloisa James. But I loved that here Alexander has been impotent during 10 years, and needed to get the right girl to make everything work again.
I also enjoyed the fact that Katherine is ready to fight for what she wants. She is prepare to be naughty to get it. We can see that those wallflowers are way bolder than the Lisa Kleypas' ones.
Finally, I also loved the fact that they don't need the dude to save them. It's actually them who are here to save the day, or to say f*ck it, I can be in control of my own life!!
andkellyreads's review against another edition
5.0
2024 is the year of vibes over criticism and the vibes for this book were 100/10.
Beauty and the Beast mixed with lying that you’re engaged to the beast because no one knows if he still is a person and hasn’t been seen in society in ages mixed with omg she loves me but I am not enough for her mixed with loud and impudent women and adorably meddlesome maids and butlers and siblings and I loved it I loved it I loved it.
Stupid dumb men are my weakness in romance novels and Stacy Reid nailed it.
Also, the audio?????????????? I love I love.
The vibes! Were! High!
Beauty and the Beast mixed with lying that you’re engaged to the beast because no one knows if he still is a person and hasn’t been seen in society in ages mixed with omg she loves me but I am not enough for her mixed with loud and impudent women and adorably meddlesome maids and butlers and siblings and I loved it I loved it I loved it.
Stupid dumb men are my weakness in romance novels and Stacy Reid nailed it.
Also, the audio?????????????? I love I love.
The vibes! Were! High!
dandelia's review
4.0
CW: ptsd, chronic pain
I will definitely read more books written by Stacy Reid!
I will definitely read more books written by Stacy Reid!
indecisivesailorscout's review
3.0
Somebody please recommend me a book like Never Seduce a Scot, because I am looking for one by myself and not finding anything that comes remotely close. This was fine! This was not a bad book by any means. But I am still finding myself so terribly BORED. A Beauty and the Beast retelling? A disabled protagonist who is not ashamed of that fact? Recipes for success in my book! And yet, it all just feel too flat in the end. Maybe this just wasn't the right book by this author for me, which was the exact same problem I ran into with Maya Banks. I'm hoping against hope I can find something more stirring in my future.
1lukor_3's review
adventurous
emotional
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
ivegotyourpaperback's review against another edition
3.75
I quite enjoyed this story, mostly due to the hero, Alexander. While he could play the part of the brash and crass Duke, this seemed to mostly be a mask that he put on for society, hiding his sweet and adoring nature beneath. He was an emotionally complex character whose POV I loved being in.
Our heroine, Kitty, seemed to fall a bit flat in comparison. She didn’t feel as fully fleshed out. I would have liked a heroine who would have challenged him a bit more rather than the Little Miss Prim & Proper.
And then came the narrator. Good god, I could barely stand her. I almost DNF’d the audiobook at 4% because of her strange over-pronunciation of words (I wouldn’t be surprised if she was an American putting on a British accent) and the melodramatic performance of the text which constantly brought me out of the story.
But I forced myself to keep going through her weird breathless tone, the sound akin to someone trying, unsuccessfully, to whistle but only able to blow air out of their mouth. The only character whose voice I enjoyed was the minor Russian side character
Content warnings:
⚠️implication of SA
⚠️physical impairment due to injury
⚠️mention of impotence
⚠️mention of past drug addiction
Content Warnings
Moderate: Fire/Fire injury, Injury/Injury detail, and Infertility
Minor: Drug abuse and Sexual assault
eckajay's review
1.0
Bruh! I think I’m gonna start writing romance novels because it seems like any hack can have a go and be published.
First off, no one wants to hear someone complaining about how poor and low off they are when they have servants.
None of the characters were believable.
The relationship between the duke and the plain (and yet somehow beautiful all at once) lady is completely contrived.
You know the writing is terrible when you can skip a few pages and you can gather what’s going on. This was mostly because the author repeated the same thoughts of the character over and over. It’s no longer turmoil at that point it’s insanity.
One final thought... you know, as an author, you can write dialogue without the description? For instance, “You’re a terrible rake Duke of Whatever.” No need to include “she spat at him with a scowl”. The reader can project that she is insulting him and the rest is redundant.
There is no need to breakdown the huge plot holes and character contradictions because it would take up too much of my time and I’ve already spent enough of it reading this “novel”.
One other thing, it took over 200 pages to get to the “romance”. Honestly anyone reading it for anything more than that is a lunatic.
What I’m trying to say ultimately is as women writing soft core/romance we’ve got to do better.
(Yes I finished the book. No I will not read the rest of the series.)
First off, no one wants to hear someone complaining about how poor and low off they are when they have servants.
None of the characters were believable.
The relationship between the duke and the plain (and yet somehow beautiful all at once) lady is completely contrived.
You know the writing is terrible when you can skip a few pages and you can gather what’s going on. This was mostly because the author repeated the same thoughts of the character over and over. It’s no longer turmoil at that point it’s insanity.
One final thought... you know, as an author, you can write dialogue without the description? For instance, “You’re a terrible rake Duke of Whatever.” No need to include “she spat at him with a scowl”. The reader can project that she is insulting him and the rest is redundant.
There is no need to breakdown the huge plot holes and character contradictions because it would take up too much of my time and I’ve already spent enough of it reading this “novel”.
One other thing, it took over 200 pages to get to the “romance”. Honestly anyone reading it for anything more than that is a lunatic.
What I’m trying to say ultimately is as women writing soft core/romance we’ve got to do better.
(Yes I finished the book. No I will not read the rest of the series.)
avsreads13's review
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
slow-paced
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
4.25