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fyredragyn's review
emotional
3.75
Content Warnings
Moderate: Pregnancy
Minor: Abandonment and Classism
mothgirlie's review against another edition
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.25
jackiehorne's review
3.0
The first Balogh book to feature a female sprite/nature loving unconventional female protagonist. Balogh matches her with the kindly William Mainwaring, the gentleman who doesn't get the girl in her 2nd novel, A Chance Encounter. Readers familiar with that earlier book are likely to have more sympathy for William and his treatment of quiet wood nymph dream girl "Nell" (whom he believes is a mere country girl, not Lady Helen Wade).
taisie22's review
4.0
We first met William Mainwaring in the previous book. Unfortunately, for the first part of this book, he's kind of a jerk. When he meets eccentric Lady Helen Wade, he mistakes her for a servant or village lass and excuses his subsequent actions because of her supposed status. Helen (or Nell) is more fey than eccentric, a young lady who prefers the woods and countryside to society, and she's intrigued by William.
By the time they meet again in London, Nell has revised her opinion and she hates him. William is appalled to find his fey nymph is really a lady and sets out to woo her. What really saved this story for me and made it memorable is that William grew up in an isolated household and is a naive virgin. Knowing this made his behavior with Nell more forgivable, especially as she was willing. It ends up a lovely story about two somewhat different people who are perfect for each other.
By the time they meet again in London, Nell has revised her opinion and she hates him. William is appalled to find his fey nymph is really a lady and sets out to woo her. What really saved this story for me and made it memorable is that William grew up in an isolated household and is a naive virgin. Knowing this made his behavior with Nell more forgivable, especially as she was willing. It ends up a lovely story about two somewhat different people who are perfect for each other.
thenia's review
2.0
The story of Lady Helen Wade, the youngest of a country Earl's daughters, and William Mainwaring, their rich new neighbor.
Helen is a naive girl, used to living in her own little world, daydreaming and being generally unconventional. She enjoys spending time in the woods, where she has a favorite spot, and has avoided meeting the visiting Mr. Mainwaring by escaping there.
As luck would have it, William is a pretty introverted individual himself, and values some alone time. In one of his walks in the woods, he unexpectedly meets Helen, who pretends to be a servant girl and strikes up a conversation with him that they both enjoy.
While not terribly exciting so far, the story had its good points, with a couple that is seemingly perfect for one another, if one could ignore the "misunderstanding" regarding Helen's identity. Then all goes sideways, when.
Obviously their actions have consequences, but when they meet again, do they do the logical thing and sit and talk like intelligent adults? Oh no. Helen decides to do a perfect impression of a spoiled brat, brooding and behaving abominably to everyone around her, and even though.
I came really close to not finishing the book, so out of patience with both of them, but I finally managed to get through it, not caring in the least for either of them by the end of the book.
Ugh...
Helen is a naive girl, used to living in her own little world, daydreaming and being generally unconventional. She enjoys spending time in the woods, where she has a favorite spot, and has avoided meeting the visiting Mr. Mainwaring by escaping there.
As luck would have it, William is a pretty introverted individual himself, and values some alone time. In one of his walks in the woods, he unexpectedly meets Helen, who pretends to be a servant girl and strikes up a conversation with him that they both enjoy.
While not terribly exciting so far, the story had its good points, with a couple that is seemingly perfect for one another, if one could ignore the "misunderstanding" regarding Helen's identity. Then all goes sideways, when
Spoiler
the two succumb to the attraction between them, but Helen still does not reveal her identity and William, who had been feeling sorry for himself for losing the woman he thought he loved, decides that being with the "wood nymph" with his heart engaged elsewhere would not be fair to her, and ups and leaves without a wordObviously their actions have consequences, but when they meet again, do they do the logical thing and sit and talk like intelligent adults? Oh no. Helen decides to do a perfect impression of a spoiled brat, brooding and behaving abominably to everyone around her, and even though
Spoiler
she is pregnant, she refuses his offers of marriage, first because she despises him and how dare he and he only did it for propriety's sake, and then because she can't trust him and how could she marry him?I came really close to not finishing the book, so out of patience with both of them, but I finally managed to get through it, not caring in the least for either of them by the end of the book.
Ugh...
reader_fictions's review
2.0
This is the first Mary Balogh novel I've read that I can't say I liked. That said, I didn't hate it. As with the rest, I was entertained from start to finish. There's something about her writing and style that I find really delightful, and that did not fail me here.
However, the tropes in this one were absolutely not my thing at alllll. It's unfortunate because I so want to be here for this romance between two awkward introverts who bond over nature and poetry and seeing the world in a way others don't, but omg it happens in pretty much the least Christina way possible.
Rather than focusing on all the things they have in common with banter and bonding, they have this intense physical connection immediately, which does not work for me in a circumstance like this, especially with a guy like William, who has never been hugely romance-focused. The only other time he fell in love (with the heroine of the prior book in the series), he fell in love with her personality and mind first before he considered her body. It seems to me that he would do the same thing here, so it felt a bit off to me, and it's just less romantic that way.
Something that was interesting but spoilery: William Mainwaring was a virgin at 31, despite being an attractive, wealthy guy. It's believable, as is the first time they have sex where it's very not good Bob. (Balogh has already done this in two of her older books, and honestly I'm amazed and kind of impressed. It sort of bugs me how romance novel sex is ALWAYS perfect with everyone orgasming 85 times. Like, I get it, but also it's refreshing for them to sometimes have to work up to it a bit?)
After their initial meet ups which go from zero to sixty and consist of Lady Helen lying about who she is for somewhat mysterious reasons, they fall apart catastrophically, and it's all miscommunication and abstaining entirely from communication. It's super frustrating, especially partnered with the fact that from the beginning you just know that Helen's pregnant because they had sex with no protection or pulling out or anything so I mean OBVIOUSLY it's fictional law basically.
Plus, there's less adorable secondary character action here, because Helen's family is very shallow and uninteresting. Towards the end, Elizabeth and Robert Denning join in, and they're pretty cute, but it's not really enough to save the torturous plot.
Honestly, reading over this, I'm impressed that I still had a decent time reading it because omg so not my kind of romance. I just wish it had been the book I wanted for the second love interest of the prior novel who was totally respectful of the woman he loved who loved his best friend and who stayed besties with them both, but alas it was not to be.
However, the tropes in this one were absolutely not my thing at alllll. It's unfortunate because I so want to be here for this romance between two awkward introverts who bond over nature and poetry and seeing the world in a way others don't, but omg it happens in pretty much the least Christina way possible.
Rather than focusing on all the things they have in common with banter and bonding, they have this intense physical connection immediately, which does not work for me in a circumstance like this, especially with a guy like William, who has never been hugely romance-focused. The only other time he fell in love (with the heroine of the prior book in the series), he fell in love with her personality and mind first before he considered her body. It seems to me that he would do the same thing here, so it felt a bit off to me, and it's just less romantic that way.
Something that was interesting but spoilery:
After their initial meet ups which go from zero to sixty and consist of Lady Helen lying about who she is for somewhat mysterious reasons, they fall apart catastrophically, and it's all miscommunication and abstaining entirely from communication. It's super frustrating, especially partnered with the fact that from the beginning you just know that Helen's pregnant because they had sex with no protection or pulling out or anything so I mean OBVIOUSLY it's fictional law basically.
Plus, there's less adorable secondary character action here, because Helen's family is very shallow and uninteresting. Towards the end, Elizabeth and Robert Denning join in, and they're pretty cute, but it's not really enough to save the torturous plot.
Honestly, reading over this, I'm impressed that I still had a decent time reading it because omg so not my kind of romance. I just wish it had been the book I wanted for the second love interest of the prior novel who was totally respectful of the woman he loved who loved his best friend and who stayed besties with them both, but alas it was not to be.
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