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witcheep's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
"Well... let us say that you have a hundred and one days to marry the man that you love," he offered. "We will see it done, of course. But if something should go awry — and I tell you, Miss Euphemia, it is vanishingly unlikely — then I suppose that you shall simply have to come back with me to faerie and serve me as a maid instead, for the rest of your days. [--] But I know what I shall ask in return. For every minute that you are a lady, you shall add one stitch to my coat. I am sure that you can embroider something quite fetching upon it, if you set your mind to it."
Even with Lord Blackthorn's enthusiastic help the situation reveals itself to be more nuanced and difficult than either of them anticipated at first. Effie begins to doubt whether there are good options beteen her current employment as a maid and being let go and so having no employment– this concern on top of their deal doesn't make her overall situation very easy. Perhaps the same doubt could be said of Effie's love interest as well: it is very hard to get to know Mr Benedict, and Mr Jesson brings new questions to the table. Moreover, Effie's best friend Lydia, a fellow maid, seems to think that Effie is forgetting or overlooking one other option completely. Perhaps Lydia represents the reader as well, since her hinting seems quite obvious even if Effie doesn't catch it.
Lord Blackthorn furrowed his brow with greater and greater concern as Effie spoke. "If all of your options are terrible," he said slowly, "then that is a trap of a different sort, isn't it?"
I could praise almost endlessly the depth that the characters were given: they have multiple sides to them, and they aren't always just in the right or wrong, but stumble their way forward while aiming for their common goal of fulfilling the deal in Effie's favour. When they make wrong choises or end up hurting someone else, they try their best to fix the situation. While doing so, the two of them become closer and begin to enjoy each other's company.
"In a way, I suppose... you have become even more someone to me than everyone else is."
At the top of their scheming,
Moderate: Classism and Emotional abuse
Minor: Domestic abuse
cozyscones's review against another edition
- 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
4.5
Graphic: Emotional abuse and Classism
Moderate: Domestic abuse
ramakn22's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Graphic: Gaslighting, Bullying, Domestic abuse, Classism, and Emotional abuse
sydapel's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Moderate: Bullying and Emotional abuse
Minor: Domestic abuse
sophiesmallhands's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Moderate: Classism
Minor: Emotional abuse and Domestic abuse
evarinya's review against another edition
- 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
5.0
Also the romance was surprisingly sweet in the end.
A great read if you want something lighthearted with Fae :)
Edit 02/2024: Bumping this up to 5 stars after a year full of reading all kinds of books and finishing a reread of this one. It truly is such a wholesome experience that, despite a few situations, the whole thing truly reads like a whimsical fairytale. And I found it all so funny and cute, I think it does deserve the full score after all. :)
Graphic: Classism and Physical abuse
Moderate: Chronic illness and Emotional abuse
Minor: Domestic abuse
friendly_neighborhood_grandma's review against another edition
- 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
Graphic: Slavery, Classism, Bullying, and Emotional abuse
buttermellow's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
1.0
Graphic: Classism
Moderate: Emotional abuse and Misogyny
Minor: Physical abuse