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3.63 AVERAGE
3.63 AVERAGE
Loretta Chase is the reigning queen of historical romance. Her books are witty, fun, and sexy. This isn't my favorite book in the series, but it was still excellent.
This is a disappointing end to a truly fantastic series.
Lady Clara, who featured so prominently in the previous books, is dull as dishwater here. Perhaps it's not her fault- the Noirot sisters are such incredible characters that it's almost impossible for her to live up to them. The bigger failing is probably Raven, the hero, who is so much less than the other heroes in the series that I felt pangs of guilt over Marcelline stealing Clevedon from Clara all the way back in book one. I found myself thinking that Clara should have fought harder for him and that she'd have been happier if she had. I'm assuming that's not what the author was going for.
The other books are great fun and have wit, charm, and romance for days. This was mostly boring. I expected more and I wish the author had left this a trilogy. This installment bordered on being a complete waste of time.
Lady Clara, who featured so prominently in the previous books, is dull as dishwater here. Perhaps it's not her fault- the Noirot sisters are such incredible characters that it's almost impossible for her to live up to them. The bigger failing is probably Raven, the hero, who is so much less than the other heroes in the series that I felt pangs of guilt over Marcelline stealing Clevedon from Clara all the way back in book one. I found myself thinking that Clara should have fought harder for him and that she'd have been happier if she had. I'm assuming that's not what the author was going for.
The other books are great fun and have wit, charm, and romance for days. This was mostly boring. I expected more and I wish the author had left this a trilogy. This installment bordered on being a complete waste of time.
funny
lighthearted
slow-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:
Yes
emotional
funny
hopeful
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
emotional
lighthearted
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:
Complicated
A condescending and misogynistic hero who insults the heroine at least 3-5 times per page and that is portrayed as a romantic foreplay.
Clara is a Regency It Girl who truly has it all, and like many Loretta Chase heroines, she's very smart and not afraid to tell you about it. Raven is also very smart and pretty bad with social cues, but he's made it his thing and he's a lawyer, so it's fine.
Raven (I can't with this nickname, but I can't remember his last name and he's simply not an Oliver) is the not-so-distant heir to a dukedom, which he obviously inherits after a convenient death in child bed from the current Duke's wife (baby dies too but don't be hysterical, it's just for plot reasons) and a Robert Baratheon situation with the Duke himself (the fatphobia is pretty severe unfortunately). Clara was born for this, but she likes Raven a lot, so she's fine with being a barrister's wife.
There is some light intrigue with the seedy underbelly of London that works perfectly well as set dressing and an excuse for Raven to nurse Clara back from an infectious disease, which I am a sucker for.
These two have really good banter, and I liked them. They also have good parents, which is refreshing! Even Clara's mom gets a little throwaway like where Raven is like "your mom is right about the facts even if you don't like them, you know," and I did love that for her.
Raven (I can't with this nickname, but I can't remember his last name and he's simply not an Oliver) is the not-so-distant heir to a dukedom, which he obviously inherits after a convenient death in child bed from the current Duke's wife (baby dies too but don't be hysterical, it's just for plot reasons) and a Robert Baratheon situation with the Duke himself (the fatphobia is pretty severe unfortunately). Clara was born for this, but she likes Raven a lot, so she's fine with being a barrister's wife.
There is some light intrigue with the seedy underbelly of London that works perfectly well as set dressing and an excuse for Raven to nurse Clara back from an infectious disease, which I am a sucker for.
These two have really good banter, and I liked them. They also have good parents, which is refreshing! Even Clara's mom gets a little throwaway like where Raven is like "your mom is right about the facts even if you don't like them, you know," and I did love that for her.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Fatphobia
Minor: Child death, Death of parent
3.5 Stars
So far, this is the only Loretta Chase novel I would recommend to a friend. After being disappointed by highly praised [b:Lord of Scoundrels|425377|Lord of Scoundrels (Scoundrels, #3)|Loretta Chase|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1381766823l/425377._SY75_.jpg|414437] and (to a lesser extent) [b:Silk Is for Seduction|9466068|Silk Is for Seduction (The Dressmakers, #1)|Loretta Chase|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1297794157l/9466068._SY75_.jpg|14351097] I wasn't expecting to like this one all that much, but I was willing to give it a chance on account of Lady Clara being the protagonist (who I rather liked in Silk is for Seduction). The romance was sweet and sexy (you can't argue that Chase doesn't write sexy well) and both Clara and Raven were interesting characters in their own right. This booking doesn't get a higher rating because 1. I felt myself losing interest in some of the crime side-plot and 2. Raven is kind of jerk sometimes? Not nearly as bad as some other heroes you find in historical romances but he still said some things that threw me off. I know almost all of it was meant in a teasing way but it just doesn't do it for me. This is going to be my last Loretta Chase book for a while, I'm off to find a historical romance with a nice hero who doesn't insult the heroine, jokingly or not....
So far, this is the only Loretta Chase novel I would recommend to a friend. After being disappointed by highly praised [b:Lord of Scoundrels|425377|Lord of Scoundrels (Scoundrels, #3)|Loretta Chase|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1381766823l/425377._SY75_.jpg|414437] and (to a lesser extent) [b:Silk Is for Seduction|9466068|Silk Is for Seduction (The Dressmakers, #1)|Loretta Chase|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1297794157l/9466068._SY75_.jpg|14351097] I wasn't expecting to like this one all that much, but I was willing to give it a chance on account of Lady Clara being the protagonist (who I rather liked in Silk is for Seduction). The romance was sweet and sexy (you can't argue that Chase doesn't write sexy well) and both Clara and Raven were interesting characters in their own right. This booking doesn't get a higher rating because 1. I felt myself losing interest in some of the crime side-plot and 2. Raven is kind of jerk sometimes? Not nearly as bad as some other heroes you find in historical romances but he still said some things that threw me off. I know almost all of it was meant in a teasing way but it just doesn't do it for me. This is going to be my last Loretta Chase book for a while, I'm off to find a historical romance with a nice hero who doesn't insult the heroine, jokingly or not....
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
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:
No
lighthearted
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix