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3.99 AVERAGE
3.99 AVERAGE
Parts of this book hit home much too closely, while other parts were too far fetched. I really liked Callie, and really felt her pain. I know what it's like to be scorned and ostracized for being single and watching everyone else live the life you wanted. That being said, I thought she took too easily to ralston's advances, even after hearing him call her plain. That upset me so that I couldn't really believe they loved each other no matter what was said or how many times they hooked up.
adventurous
emotional
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
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I'll confess, I picked this up because of that positively delectable title. (Plus, I enjoy Sarah MacLean's writing.) Overall thoughts: it's a cute historical rom-com with plenty of situational irony and clearly pokes fun at many of the rigid gender norms of the day. Callie is a headstrong, naive character, and modern readers will empathize with her curiosity about the activities and spaces exclusively reserved for men in this era. I liked the side characters, most especially Mariana and Juliana, since they added so much humor and richness to this story. The scenes where she's crossing items off her scandalous list were the best in the book.
That said, I'm a sucker for when a man is down bad and madly in love with a woman while she is slower to come into her own feelings. This is the exact opposite dynamic – she's chasing his love and naively hoping he will change his ways. While it can't be argued Ralston isn't gone for her by the very end, his overall reluctance and refusal to consider the possibility of love, while understandable given his backstory, dragged on a bit long for me. There was one or two too many instances of his ignorance hurting Callie for my taste, and in truth, I just didn't buy that his feelings changed as quickly as they did in the third act. I wanted him to declare love earlier, or do something that would have laid better groundwork for a longterm partnership.
Also, more than a few times, Callie begged Ralston to leave her alone for various reasons – hurt, time to think, etc. – and he rarely respected her wishes. I don't know, it wouldn't have been such a big deal if his whole I don't believe in love, so I don't think I could ever be capable of loving you routine wasn't already wearing on my nerves.
I'd still say give it a go if the plot sounds interesting to you, because I did overall like it, just not without a few reservations ◡̈
🌶🌶🌶
That said, I'm a sucker for when a man is down bad and madly in love with a woman while she is slower to come into her own feelings. This is the exact opposite dynamic – she's chasing his love and naively hoping he will change his ways. While it can't be argued Ralston isn't gone for her by the very end, his overall reluctance and refusal to consider the possibility of love, while understandable given his backstory, dragged on a bit long for me. There was one or two too many instances of his ignorance hurting Callie for my taste, and in truth, I just didn't buy that his feelings changed as quickly as they did in the third act. I wanted him to declare love earlier, or do something that would have laid better groundwork for a longterm partnership.
Also, more than a few times, Callie begged Ralston to leave her alone for various reasons – hurt, time to think, etc. – and he rarely respected her wishes. I don't know, it wouldn't have been such a big deal if his whole I don't believe in love, so I don't think I could ever be capable of loving you routine wasn't already wearing on my nerves.
I'd still say give it a go if the plot sounds interesting to you, because I did overall like it, just not without a few reservations ◡̈
🌶🌶🌶
My first romance novel! Didn't realize these bad boys had so much porn (for lack of a better term) in them. I'm not a prude or anti-sex, but it was weird to get all hot and bothered in the afternoon while my kids played with Legos on the other side of the room.
I might read more of these? I don't know. I kinda liked the pages and pages of talk about feelings, and how everyone was basically *nice.* But I'm not sure how quickly I'll return to this genre.
I might read more of these? I don't know. I kinda liked the pages and pages of talk about feelings, and how everyone was basically *nice.* But I'm not sure how quickly I'll return to this genre.
This is what I want in a historical romance!! Wilily completing a scandalous bucket list, and continuing to get caught by your longtime crush who's in equal parts mad at you for putting yourself in dangerous situations and really into you pursuing your goals.
I feel like I could pick this book apart if I wanted to. The plot is predictable, the hero and heroine are definite historical romance types, and the language the author uses gets fairly repetitive. (If one side of someone's mouth "kicked up" or the hero gave the heroine any more "drugging kisses," I was going to lose it.) I really liked this book in spite of all that, however, and don't feel particularly inclined to nitpick.
The novel's wallflower heroine, Callie, was likable and easy to relate to. I appreciated seeing her decide to set aside her passive, on-the-shelf status and take some risks in life. The rake hero, Ralston, was enjoyably wicked and witty, and his gradual realization that he actually could fall in love with someone and change his ways was good. The storyline wasn't all that surprising in how it played out, especially in light of the heroine's "crazy things I want to do" list that was obviously going to be checked off one-by-one as the story progressed, but in spite of the predictability it was an enjoyable ride. The dialogue was sharp, and the sex scenes were sexy. As fun, fluffy romance novels go, this was a good one.
A 3.5 star read, I'd say, perfect for some escapist amusement in the midst of a busy work week. I'll be checking out more of Sarah MacLean's books in the future, when I'm in need of a light read.
The novel's wallflower heroine, Callie, was likable and easy to relate to. I appreciated seeing her decide to set aside her passive, on-the-shelf status and take some risks in life. The rake hero, Ralston, was enjoyably wicked and witty, and his gradual realization that he actually could fall in love with someone and change his ways was good. The storyline wasn't all that surprising in how it played out, especially in light of the heroine's "crazy things I want to do" list that was obviously going to be checked off one-by-one as the story progressed, but in spite of the predictability it was an enjoyable ride. The dialogue was sharp, and the sex scenes were sexy. As fun, fluffy romance novels go, this was a good one.
A 3.5 star read, I'd say, perfect for some escapist amusement in the midst of a busy work week. I'll be checking out more of Sarah MacLean's books in the future, when I'm in need of a light read.
funny
lighthearted
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:
Complicated
I enjoyed this book. It was a cliche book that knew what it was and didn’t try to be anything else.
thank u to the NYT flowchart that suggested me this book and showing me that old Sarah MacLean can still hit just as much as her new works.
and dare I say a 5????
and dare I say a 5????