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cynethryth's review against another edition
emotional
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
I have read the Gorilla Twins book! I do love deception and angst, and this has that in spades. I listened the audiobook and that wasn’t my favorite, but I still enjoyed the book. There were some things that puzzled me, and it did feel like the social consequences of the deception were brushed aside a bit, but overall? Enjoyable.
stephanieclaire's review against another edition
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? Yes
4.0
bookishandbrewsy's review against another edition
4.0
I honestly am disappointed in the lack of details on the gorilla attack. I really thought we were going to get some real gore. But instead we just got a mild description and some dramatic last words that didn’t seem to make sense. Edbert, as I’ll call him does his best to embody his brother and put his body on and in his sister in-wife. Because that’s what his brother would want him to do. He’s also very attracted to her feet. There’s more detail about that then the gorilla and I gotta say Edbert, I’m scandalized. His sister in wife is down bad for her husband in-law. Totally oblivious to the fact this sexier version of her husband is in fact not her husband at all. She’s also got a bit of a foot fetish it seems. So this is definitely a match made in heaven. Eventually they figure it out go to Switzerland. Maybe for the wooden shoes. Oh wait. That’s Holland.
justinkhchen's review against another edition
4.0
3.75 stars
A solid journey through the rise and fall of an atypical romance, but I need more plot! Reading The Earl Takes All was a constructive experience in further defining my preference in reading historical romance—turned out when a novel focuses solely on the relationship between the hero and the heroine (as if they were living in a vacuum), I'll eventually get bored. And I definitely got bored with this at around the 80% mark, and just skimmed the end.
There's no denying Lorraine Heath could write relationship filled with meaningful minutiae (hero's deaf right ear, heroine's passion for illustration, hero's passion for storytelling, etc.), and there were countless tender moments (Switzerland!), but the novel also felt extremely repetitive and claustrophobic; beyond the rare appearances of the 3 other characters from the series, we didn't have any meaty subplots or memorable secondary characters to 'palette cleanse'. I would've love to see the fake identity trope further explored beyond just in the eyes of the wife.
I'm obviously in the minority on this, as the majority of romance readers love witnessing a burgeoning relationship filled with intense, microscopic details; but for me I also need to be immersed in the fictional world, which is often accomplished through a layered plot lines, a cast of memorable secondary characters, and not making eating strawberry tarts a highlight of the story.
Historical romances I did enjoy: Ravished by Amanda Quick, Flowers from the Storm by Laura Kinsale, Honeytrap by Aster Glenn Gray, and Her Night with the Duke by Diana Quincy.
***Ravished by Romance Book Club | November 2021 Selection***
A solid journey through the rise and fall of an atypical romance, but I need more plot! Reading The Earl Takes All was a constructive experience in further defining my preference in reading historical romance—turned out when a novel focuses solely on the relationship between the hero and the heroine (as if they were living in a vacuum), I'll eventually get bored. And I definitely got bored with this at around the 80% mark, and just skimmed the end.
There's no denying Lorraine Heath could write relationship filled with meaningful minutiae (hero's deaf right ear, heroine's passion for illustration, hero's passion for storytelling, etc.), and there were countless tender moments (Switzerland!), but the novel also felt extremely repetitive and claustrophobic; beyond the rare appearances of the 3 other characters from the series, we didn't have any meaty subplots or memorable secondary characters to 'palette cleanse'. I would've love to see the fake identity trope further explored beyond just in the eyes of the wife.
I'm obviously in the minority on this, as the majority of romance readers love witnessing a burgeoning relationship filled with intense, microscopic details; but for me I also need to be immersed in the fictional world, which is often accomplished through a layered plot lines, a cast of memorable secondary characters, and not making eating strawberry tarts a highlight of the story.
Historical romances I did enjoy: Ravished by Amanda Quick, Flowers from the Storm by Laura Kinsale, Honeytrap by Aster Glenn Gray, and Her Night with the Duke by Diana Quincy.
***Ravished by Romance Book Club | November 2021 Selection***
jelly999's review against another edition
emotional
tense
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? It's complicated
5.0
The book was disgustingly romantic and angsty and I ate up every word.
seeaudreyread's review against another edition
emotional
funny
informative
lighthearted
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
3.5
This is my second time reading the book, but first time listening to the audiobook. If you’re deciding between eyeball or earball, I would recommend eyeball reading. The narrator leaves a lot to desire.