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emilywemily6's review
hopeful
lighthearted
relaxing
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.25
This could best be described as a cozy romance, and I don’t think that’s the vibe I’m looking for. This book was very character driven and slow, with a lot of dialogue and internal thoughts compared to scene description and plot. Also, one of the major plot points included on the back cover was introduced into the story at the 68% mark, which left no surprises to anticipate. I really loved the idea of Clem seeking Archie’s help with exploring her sexuality, but it came so late in the book that it felt like more of a secondary plot point than a major plot device. And while this book takes place in Regency England, it was greatly modernized to its detriment. It felt like a modern retelling of a classic story but set in the classic time period. Everything I love about Regency atmosphere, relationships, speech, etc. was watered down. It felt Regency only in name. I generally enjoyed the writing style and how to characters interacted, but it didn’t scratch the historical romance itch. The character viewpoints that aligned with modern times (vegetarianism, feminism, found family, etc.) were fun to read but took me out of the story a little because they were so heavy handed. Also, this book was advertised as a The Hangover-like guy’s trip, but the shenanigans were few and far between. The pacing was inconsistent as the story started off with some drama and a rescue, then turned into a turtle crawl. And I know that Simon was labeled as the quiet one, but he had zero personality while Effie and Archie had personalities, even if they weren’t super fleshed out. Sorry to complain so much, it just fell short in a lot of ways for me.
I enjoyed the prose of the writing style even with the content being so modern- lots of nice metaphors and thoughtful commentary from the characters’ interactions. It also warmed my heart how Archie and Clem came together at the end of the book. The spicy scenes were tasteful and tender and complimented their relationship at that point in the story. Overall, this was cute and cozy, but slow and overtly modern to the point of detracting from the Regency vibes. I wanted either more ridiculousness or more subtlety. I would read the next but only if I didn’t know what else to read.
I enjoyed the prose of the writing style even with the content being so modern- lots of nice metaphors and thoughtful commentary from the characters’ interactions. It also warmed my heart how Archie and Clem came together at the end of the book. The spicy scenes were tasteful and tender and complimented their relationship at that point in the story. Overall, this was cute and cozy, but slow and overtly modern to the point of detracting from the Regency vibes. I wanted either more ridiculousness or more subtlety. I would read the next but only if I didn’t know what else to read.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Dementia and Sexual content
Moderate: Misogyny, Gaslighting, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Sexism, Toxic relationship, and Grief
Minor: Death, Gun violence, Violence, Alcohol, Blood, Classism, and War
garbage_mcsmutly's review against another edition
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-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
5.0
This was lots of fun and I'm eagerly anticipating the rest of the series!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content and Dementia
Moderate: Animal death, Grief, and Classism
Minor: Terminal illness, Physical abuse, Confinement, and Death of parent
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