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vireogirl's review against another edition
adventurous
lighthearted
mysterious
tense
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
3.0
I was expecting a very gentle romance like Rosalind Thorne but no, this was a full of sex scenes. More obsession with bodies and passion than the story.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Toxic relationship, Blood, Infidelity, Classism, Death, Abandonment, Mental illness, Violence, Addiction, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Pregnancy
bookloverchelle's review against another edition
4.0
New to me author Darcie Wilde delivers a very sexy historical read. Harry is broken hearted when his proposal is turned down. So much so that he is quite surprised when he ends up the passenger in a runaway carriage. Except the carriage is not a runaway, it's being expertly driven by Leannah as she rushes to save her sister from an elopement. On the journey to Gretna, Harry and Leannah are forced to deal with poor weather and are surprised around every corner. And what starts as an impulse to save her sister's reputation, Leannah is all in when it comes to a chance at happiness. Even after everyone questions their judgement Harry and Leannah stick together and fight for a romance neither expected. Fun, sexy read!
scribe391's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
mysterious
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
3.0
Twenty-eight year old Harold(Harry) Rayburn still has an engagement ring inside his pocket, when he is accidentally abducted by twenty-five year old widow Leannah Wadefield.
shannon_cocktailsandbooks's review against another edition
3.0
Leannah Wakefield and Harold Rayburn are the main characters in this story. The author did very little to develop these characters. Leannah was the self-sacrificing older sister that gave up her life to make sure her siblings could have a better life. Harry is the son of a merchantman and on the cusps of London society. He seemed to have a lot of anxiety and low self-esteem. I wouldn’t say that they were a match made in heaven. Neither of them was very interesting or compelling.
The storyline was incredibly weak. I think calling what happened an accidental abduction is a gross overstatement of what was portrayed in the book. There didn’t seem to be any chemistry or magic between Leannah and Harry. There were a few scenes where the temperature rose and genuine passion erupted between the two. Unfortunately as soon as it was over I went back to feeling like they were ships in the night. I just didn’t get the feeling that they clicked. The author brought in various family members and other characters that opposed their marriage. Most of this didn’t make sense because she didn’t flesh out exactly how they were going to break up the marriage or cause problems. It was hinted at but nothing ever came out of the dialogue so I kept wondering why she included it in the book. The last portion of the book made me roll my eyes. It was so trite and neat that I didn’t know whether to be glad it was over or upset because it was an insult to my intelligence.
I will say that I don’t like overly dramatic women and weak men. Both of these are found in this book. Even when Harry was trying to be strong he was listening to gossip and remembering an incident that really supposedly shaped him into the steady, boring man he was then. I didn’t like seeing modern words in a historical romance. The author even used the f-bomb and other terminology that wasn’t in keeping with the historical period of the novel. That was disconcerting because you went back and forth between historical and contemporary. I also felt like the conflict of Leannah and Harry’s dark secret was really exaggerated. I didn’t hate the book, but I definitely won’t be buying any of this author’s work.
Reviewed by Michelle for Cocktails and Books
The storyline was incredibly weak. I think calling what happened an accidental abduction is a gross overstatement of what was portrayed in the book. There didn’t seem to be any chemistry or magic between Leannah and Harry. There were a few scenes where the temperature rose and genuine passion erupted between the two. Unfortunately as soon as it was over I went back to feeling like they were ships in the night. I just didn’t get the feeling that they clicked. The author brought in various family members and other characters that opposed their marriage. Most of this didn’t make sense because she didn’t flesh out exactly how they were going to break up the marriage or cause problems. It was hinted at but nothing ever came out of the dialogue so I kept wondering why she included it in the book. The last portion of the book made me roll my eyes. It was so trite and neat that I didn’t know whether to be glad it was over or upset because it was an insult to my intelligence.
I will say that I don’t like overly dramatic women and weak men. Both of these are found in this book. Even when Harry was trying to be strong he was listening to gossip and remembering an incident that really supposedly shaped him into the steady, boring man he was then. I didn’t like seeing modern words in a historical romance. The author even used the f-bomb and other terminology that wasn’t in keeping with the historical period of the novel. That was disconcerting because you went back and forth between historical and contemporary. I also felt like the conflict of Leannah and Harry’s dark secret was really exaggerated. I didn’t hate the book, but I definitely won’t be buying any of this author’s work.
Reviewed by Michelle for Cocktails and Books
witandsin's review against another edition
3.0
My review cross-posted from Wit and Sin: http://witandsin.blogspot.com/2014/09/review-accidental-abduction-by-darcie.html
A runaway romance gives life and spirit to The Accidental Abduction. Author Darcie Wilde’s sophomore romance is a fast-paced, enjoyable read, though it has its ups and downs, for the characters and the readers.
Leannah and Harry meet by chance, marry in haste so that they can feed their attraction and tamp down on scandal, and then have to face villains, gossip, familial troubles, and the realization that they don’t truly know one another outside the bedroom. It’s easy to like Leannah and Harry – they’re both likeable, dependable people whose staid exteriors hide inner passion. What troubled me about their romance is that they truly didn’t try to get to know one another until the very end of the story, in a bit that was glossed over. Their unwillingness to simply talk and share their troubles with each other leaves them susceptible to the machinations of others. There are multiple villains who plot to ruin Harry and Leannah’s marriage, for reasons that would hold more weight had said villains been better developed. By halfway through The Accidental Abduction there are simply too many characters running about with motivations that aren’t explored as well as I would have liked. This made it harder to get into the story, even though I wanted to.
Though it’s a bit underdeveloped in some areas, The Accidental Abduction has promise. As it stands, it’s a likeable read and there are supporting characters I was intrigued by (namely Meredith and Nathaniel, friends of Leannah and Harry), enough so that I’ll definitely pick up their books, should Ms. Wilde write stories for them. I should note that while The Accidental Abduction is a standalone, characters from Ms. Wilde’s first novel, Lord of Rakes, do appear, which should please fans of that story. The Accidental Abduction was the first book by Ms. Wilde that I’ve read, and I’m looking forward to seeing what she comes up with in the future.
FTC Disclosure: I received this book for free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
A runaway romance gives life and spirit to The Accidental Abduction. Author Darcie Wilde’s sophomore romance is a fast-paced, enjoyable read, though it has its ups and downs, for the characters and the readers.
Leannah and Harry meet by chance, marry in haste so that they can feed their attraction and tamp down on scandal, and then have to face villains, gossip, familial troubles, and the realization that they don’t truly know one another outside the bedroom. It’s easy to like Leannah and Harry – they’re both likeable, dependable people whose staid exteriors hide inner passion. What troubled me about their romance is that they truly didn’t try to get to know one another until the very end of the story, in a bit that was glossed over. Their unwillingness to simply talk and share their troubles with each other leaves them susceptible to the machinations of others. There are multiple villains who plot to ruin Harry and Leannah’s marriage, for reasons that would hold more weight had said villains been better developed. By halfway through The Accidental Abduction there are simply too many characters running about with motivations that aren’t explored as well as I would have liked. This made it harder to get into the story, even though I wanted to.
Though it’s a bit underdeveloped in some areas, The Accidental Abduction has promise. As it stands, it’s a likeable read and there are supporting characters I was intrigued by (namely Meredith and Nathaniel, friends of Leannah and Harry), enough so that I’ll definitely pick up their books, should Ms. Wilde write stories for them. I should note that while The Accidental Abduction is a standalone, characters from Ms. Wilde’s first novel, Lord of Rakes, do appear, which should please fans of that story. The Accidental Abduction was the first book by Ms. Wilde that I’ve read, and I’m looking forward to seeing what she comes up with in the future.
FTC Disclosure: I received this book for free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
librarydanielle's review against another edition
2.0
Started out good, but went quickly downhill. And the ending. Wtf was with that?
lissielove's review
2.0
I was bamboozled by the first four chapters because it was the sample from Barnes & Noble. I thought it was interesting and I wanted to know what happened next.
*shakes fist at sky*
It's so melodramatic and overwrought and I have no bloody idea at the actual conflict or who the bad guys were. I'm sure others will love this. I'm gonna go wish to turn back time and not buy this book.
*shakes fist at sky*
It's so melodramatic and overwrought and I have no bloody idea at the actual conflict or who the bad guys were. I'm sure others will love this. I'm gonna go wish to turn back time and not buy this book.
julieputty's review
2.0
The aftermath of the hasty marriage is more realistic than some romances, but wow do things go downhill fast, with assumptions, accusations, and... stuff in the last few pages. Weird pacing indeed.
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