You need to sign in or sign up before continuing.
Take a photo of a barcode or cover
3.74 AVERAGE
3.74 AVERAGE
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
medium-paced
emotional
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
This book had SO much hype and I just ... don't get it. At all. I hated the heroine - August was so stuck on not being married to this very kind and gentle man that she was attracted to? Because?!! Evan was too nice for her and I was bored beyond belief by the 50% mark, at which point I skimmed the rest looking for any semblance of a redeeming steamy scene. I think I found ONE scene, at the 80% mark? That is way too late in a romance for the two to finally get together, for me, anyway. There's slow burn and then there's WTF.
I also couldn't wrap my head around the ludicrousness of a duke secretly being a prize fighter and no one knowing about it? Like in what universe. Then there was the clunky writing like "He grinned at the nearly besotted fool she had made of him." Uhh ok. Silly premises are great as long as there is also humor or wit in the book. A silly premise without any humor is not good. All the misunderstandings between then felt so forced.
This was my first by this author and I don't think I'll be back. This book just goes to show me yet again that it does indeed take all kinds, because this book is very highly rated and I could barely stand it.
I also couldn't wrap my head around the ludicrousness of a duke secretly being a prize fighter and no one knowing about it? Like in what universe. Then there was the clunky writing like "He grinned at the nearly besotted fool she had made of him." Uhh ok. Silly premises are great as long as there is also humor or wit in the book. A silly premise without any humor is not good. All the misunderstandings between then felt so forced.
This was my first by this author and I don't think I'll be back. This book just goes to show me yet again that it does indeed take all kinds, because this book is very highly rated and I could barely stand it.
4 stars
I had a great time reading this. This was filled with so much angst and tension and really that’s all I can ask for in a romance! It started off really lighthearted so I was shocked and pleasantly surprised when it got deep at times with emotional moments.
I love the strong-willed nature of our protagonist. August was passionate about her goals and plans for her future. I also loved how she still accepted her feelings towards Evan even when she didn’t want to, because I believe there’s nothing more mentally/emotionally strong than fully accepting your emotions.
The duke was also a brilliant protagonist. He was a well fleshed out character who had faults, but we were also given so much to root for. I adored how honest he was with August about his attraction towards her.
The third act conflict wasn’t my favorite since we did encounter some miscommunication but I still think this book was overall quite great!
If you are looking for historical romance with great tension and two amazing protagonists who are also very compatible, then this is definitely the book for you!
I had a great time reading this. This was filled with so much angst and tension and really that’s all I can ask for in a romance! It started off really lighthearted so I was shocked and pleasantly surprised when it got deep at times with emotional moments.
I love the strong-willed nature of our protagonist. August was passionate about her goals and plans for her future. I also loved how she still accepted her feelings towards Evan even when she didn’t want to, because I believe there’s nothing more mentally/emotionally strong than fully accepting your emotions.
The duke was also a brilliant protagonist. He was a well fleshed out character who had faults, but we were also given so much to root for. I adored how honest he was with August about his attraction towards her.
The third act conflict wasn’t my favorite since we did encounter some miscommunication but I still think this book was overall quite great!
If you are looking for historical romance with great tension and two amazing protagonists who are also very compatible, then this is definitely the book for you!
Not my favorite trope but still pulled me in. It’s always nice when the hero is actually a good guy and doesn’t need to be reformed by the heroine.
This was such a fun read! I really enjoyed August and Evan, and loved watching their relationship evolve. This has so many tropes I love; boxing! Kissing in libraries! Forced marriage! I thought the author had some really fresh takes on all of these. I do prefer my romances a bit more high stake, but I still had fun. I will definitely be picking up the sequel! Actual rating: 3.5/4 ⭐️
I really enjoyed the journey of characters coming to realize they like and respect each other.
I was a little cranky that they fell into a bit of Dramatic Misunderstanding Because They Don’t Talk at the end, but that’s a peeve of mine in romance novels.
I was a little cranky that they fell into a bit of Dramatic Misunderstanding Because They Don’t Talk at the end, but that’s a peeve of mine in romance novels.
This audiobook could have been so much better. It was SLOOOW. *Insert mental picture of a turtle*
This was an arranged marriage trope with a Broke Duke and an American Heiress. Made me think of Downton Abbey. But that wasn’t the case here.
Evan was supposed to marry August’s sister and use the dowry to revive his depleted coffers. His dukedom would give prestige and connections in return. Bossy August deduced that Evan was horrible and it was up to her to save her sister. It couldn’t be due to her own attraction to Evan or how she enjoyed his kisses. Nope, she was determined to see him as a money hungry rake.
AND that was my problem. August was rational and business saavy but her consistent fight against the union with Evan lasted way too long to be enjoyable. The author just dragged that out to where all her reasons against Evan felt unreasonable. I eventually grew annoyed with August lost interest.
By the time Evan’s patience won her over, I kept thinking that her money wasn’t worth her attitude
This was an arranged marriage trope with a Broke Duke and an American Heiress. Made me think of Downton Abbey. But that wasn’t the case here.
Evan was supposed to marry August’s sister and use the dowry to revive his depleted coffers. His dukedom would give prestige and connections in return. Bossy August deduced that Evan was horrible and it was up to her to save her sister. It couldn’t be due to her own attraction to Evan or how she enjoyed his kisses. Nope, she was determined to see him as a money hungry rake.
AND that was my problem. August was rational and business saavy but her consistent fight against the union with Evan lasted way too long to be enjoyable. The author just dragged that out to where all her reasons against Evan felt unreasonable. I eventually grew annoyed with August lost interest.
By the time Evan’s patience won her over, I kept thinking that her money wasn’t worth her attitude