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3.62 AVERAGE
3.62 AVERAGE
emotional
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
emotional
lighthearted
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
N/A
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
We stan demisexual representation.
Also, why is it that everything queer I read is somehow sexual? I mean, I'm not complaining, I'd just like a heads up when a story contains ass licking, that's all.
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
relaxing
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
lighthearted
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I had high hopes for this book, because I have enjoyed everything else by Alexis Hall I’ve read. But I just did not like it! I think it was supposed to be funny, along the lines of an old-timey farce, but I just found it exhausting and implausible. Particularly Belle, and how no one ever called her on her dramatic bullshit. I get that it was probably intended as a caricature on gender roles in the 1800s, with the man seeing himself as a protector and saviour of the damsel in distress. But Belle was not a strong, capable woman. She was just stubborn, selfish, and foolhardy. And I did not read Valentine as the villain. If anything, I read him as neurodivergent and repressed, and would have liked to see more compassion for him, and more people questioning Belle. I think the story would have benefitted from a dual POV, one where particularly Valentine’s actions were seen through Bonny’s eyes, and we could have been made to understand how they were perceived by others.
I also felt like the book was much too long. There were too many obstacles, too many times where Valentine caught up with Belle and she escaped again. I felt empathy for Valentine in the beginning, and I could see why he needed to go after her, but after half the book, I was just wondering why the hell he didn’t just walk away.
I also felt like the book was much too long. There were too many obstacles, too many times where Valentine caught up with Belle and she escaped again. I felt empathy for Valentine in the beginning, and I could see why he needed to go after her, but after half the book, I was just wondering why the hell he didn’t just walk away.
I've given this a B at AAR, 4.5 stars
If you’re looking for an historical romance with a complex plot, serious characters and a bucket-load of angst, then move right along, because Alexis Hall’s Something Fabulous isn’t it. If, however, you’re up for a frivolous romp through Regency England bubbling with wit and brilliant comic timing that, for all its ridiculous trope-y-ness, contains an achingly tender story of self-discovery, then dive right in.
The book opens with a delightfully – although somewhat more barbed – Heyer-esque proposal-gone-wrong in which Valentine Layton, Duke of Malvern, has decided it’s time to honour his late father’s wishes and become formally betrothed to Miss Arabella Tarleton, who has been intended for him since birth. Miss Tarleton, however, has no intention of accepting Valentine’s proposal and makes that clear in no uncertain terms:
Valentine is both astonished and affronted. A refusal is something he had never remotely considered – after all, what impoverished young woman wouldn’t want to secure her future and that of her family by marrying a wealthy, young and handsome duke?
Later that night – or rather, in the early hours of the morning – Valentine (having made liberal use of the brandy bottle) is awoken by Arabella’s twin brother, Bonaventure – Bonny for short – who informs him that Arabella has run away and that they should go after her so Valentine can save her from ruin and propose again. And that he’d better make a good job of it this time. Valentine is not keen; it’s not that he doesn’t want to retrieve his wayward intended, he just doesn’t want to go without due thought or preparation. Or his valet. Bonny, however, is something of a force of nature, and won’t take no for an answer, so before long, Valentine is being hurried along and into a curricle wearing a coat borrowed from the assistant gardener and a hastily tied – courtesy of Bonny – cravat.
That’s the set up for the fluffiest, silliest and most outrageously charming road-trip / grumpy-sunshine romance I’ve read in quite some time. (Or ever.) It doesn’t take itself seriously – even though it does have some serious points to make – and focuses entirely on the relationship between Valentine and Bonny, and on Valentine’s journey towards reaching a deeper self-awareness, understanding how attraction works for him and that being seen and loved for who he is as a person is not impossible.
The writing is deft and insightful with plenty of clever nods to the genre, the dialogue sparkles and the two leads are superbly characterised. Valentine, the repressed, dutiful duke has no idea of his own privilege but is somehow endearing in his cluelessness; he’s deeply lonely but doesn’t realise it, and he has very little experience of sexual attraction until Bonny, and the sudden wealth of feelings that assail him when Bonny is around completely blindside him. Watching Valentine slowly learn that he is allowed to have feelings, that he can feel attraction and affection – and the way Bonny accepts him exactly as he is and without question – is simply lovely. As for Bonny, well, he’s just adorable; free-spirited, vibrant, charming and kind, he’s not ashamed of who he is and what he wants, and isn’t willing to settle for anything less than to be loved in the way he loves – with his whole heart and soul.
There’s a small, but well-drawn secondary cast. I particularly liked Peggy, Arabella’s best friend and some-time lover who is a welcome voice of reason in contrast to Arabella’s frequent and overblown histrionics, and Sir Horley, the rakish older gentleman with an eye on Bonny and a heart of gold. As one would expect from an Alexis Hall book, the queer rep is varied and excellent; Peggy is genderfluid, Sir Horley is gay, I got the impression Arabella is aromantic, and there are two delightful ladies who are married in all but name.
Sadly, the book’s biggest flaw is Arabella. I understood her frustration and where she was coming from – no legal rights, no right to an opinion, no rights over her own body, even – but rather than making the attempt to explain herself or just talk to Valentine, she screams and throws tantrums and melodramatic fits, she makes ridiculous and unfounded accusations and generally behaves like a spoilt brat. If she’d been the heroine of a book, it would have hit the wall before the end of the first chapter! It’s rare for me to have such a visceral reaction to a character in a book, but I honestly couldn’t stand her and felt sorry for Bonny having to put up with her all his life. And this leads to my other issue with the story, which is that the catch-up-with-her/she’s-run-away-again is a bit repetitive – although I fully accept this may be because I so disliked Arabella that I just wanted her to run away and stay gone!
Other than that, however, Something Fabulous certainly lives up to its name. It’s funny, sexy, daft and just a bit over the top, but it’s all done with obvious love and affection and I thoroughly enjoyed it.
If you’re looking for an historical romance with a complex plot, serious characters and a bucket-load of angst, then move right along, because Alexis Hall’s Something Fabulous isn’t it. If, however, you’re up for a frivolous romp through Regency England bubbling with wit and brilliant comic timing that, for all its ridiculous trope-y-ness, contains an achingly tender story of self-discovery, then dive right in.
The book opens with a delightfully – although somewhat more barbed – Heyer-esque proposal-gone-wrong in which Valentine Layton, Duke of Malvern, has decided it’s time to honour his late father’s wishes and become formally betrothed to Miss Arabella Tarleton, who has been intended for him since birth. Miss Tarleton, however, has no intention of accepting Valentine’s proposal and makes that clear in no uncertain terms:
“There is no fashion, Your Grace, in which you could propose that would render it anything other than profoundly repugnant to me.”
Valentine is both astonished and affronted. A refusal is something he had never remotely considered – after all, what impoverished young woman wouldn’t want to secure her future and that of her family by marrying a wealthy, young and handsome duke?
Later that night – or rather, in the early hours of the morning – Valentine (having made liberal use of the brandy bottle) is awoken by Arabella’s twin brother, Bonaventure – Bonny for short – who informs him that Arabella has run away and that they should go after her so Valentine can save her from ruin and propose again. And that he’d better make a good job of it this time. Valentine is not keen; it’s not that he doesn’t want to retrieve his wayward intended, he just doesn’t want to go without due thought or preparation. Or his valet. Bonny, however, is something of a force of nature, and won’t take no for an answer, so before long, Valentine is being hurried along and into a curricle wearing a coat borrowed from the assistant gardener and a hastily tied – courtesy of Bonny – cravat.
That’s the set up for the fluffiest, silliest and most outrageously charming road-trip / grumpy-sunshine romance I’ve read in quite some time. (Or ever.) It doesn’t take itself seriously – even though it does have some serious points to make – and focuses entirely on the relationship between Valentine and Bonny, and on Valentine’s journey towards reaching a deeper self-awareness, understanding how attraction works for him and that being seen and loved for who he is as a person is not impossible.
The writing is deft and insightful with plenty of clever nods to the genre, the dialogue sparkles and the two leads are superbly characterised. Valentine, the repressed, dutiful duke has no idea of his own privilege but is somehow endearing in his cluelessness; he’s deeply lonely but doesn’t realise it, and he has very little experience of sexual attraction until Bonny, and the sudden wealth of feelings that assail him when Bonny is around completely blindside him. Watching Valentine slowly learn that he is allowed to have feelings, that he can feel attraction and affection – and the way Bonny accepts him exactly as he is and without question – is simply lovely. As for Bonny, well, he’s just adorable; free-spirited, vibrant, charming and kind, he’s not ashamed of who he is and what he wants, and isn’t willing to settle for anything less than to be loved in the way he loves – with his whole heart and soul.
There’s a small, but well-drawn secondary cast. I particularly liked Peggy, Arabella’s best friend and some-time lover who is a welcome voice of reason in contrast to Arabella’s frequent and overblown histrionics, and Sir Horley, the rakish older gentleman with an eye on Bonny and a heart of gold. As one would expect from an Alexis Hall book, the queer rep is varied and excellent; Peggy is genderfluid, Sir Horley is gay, I got the impression Arabella is aromantic, and there are two delightful ladies who are married in all but name.
Sadly, the book’s biggest flaw is Arabella. I understood her frustration and where she was coming from – no legal rights, no right to an opinion, no rights over her own body, even – but rather than making the attempt to explain herself or just talk to Valentine, she screams and throws tantrums and melodramatic fits, she makes ridiculous and unfounded accusations and generally behaves like a spoilt brat. If she’d been the heroine of a book, it would have hit the wall before the end of the first chapter! It’s rare for me to have such a visceral reaction to a character in a book, but I honestly couldn’t stand her and felt sorry for Bonny having to put up with her all his life. And this leads to my other issue with the story, which is that the catch-up-with-her/she’s-run-away-again is a bit repetitive – although I fully accept this may be because I so disliked Arabella that I just wanted her to run away and stay gone!
Other than that, however, Something Fabulous certainly lives up to its name. It’s funny, sexy, daft and just a bit over the top, but it’s all done with obvious love and affection and I thoroughly enjoyed it.
emotional
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
Rating: 4 stars
Steam Level: 3.5
I read my first book from Alexis Hall last year, A Lady for A Duke (4 stars), and really enjoyed my reading experience. When I saw this book available on KU with the read and listen feature, I added it to my January Edition of What’s in My Kindle Unlimited Library.
In need of an audiobook for my day, I started this one and had a hard time pausing it.
Steam Level: 3.5
I read my first book from Alexis Hall last year, A Lady for A Duke (4 stars), and really enjoyed my reading experience. When I saw this book available on KU with the read and listen feature, I added it to my January Edition of What’s in My Kindle Unlimited Library.
In need of an audiobook for my day, I started this one and had a hard time pausing it.