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lovely_aphrodite's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death and Sexual content
Moderate: Alcohol and Panic attacks/disorders
alexcabanechevarria's review against another edition
dark
emotional
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
3.25
Content Warnings
Minor: Injury/Injury detail, Sexual content, and Death of parent
boundbyemily's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
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
4.5
And then there was Kate Sheffield.
The bane of his existence.
And the object of his desires.
All at once.
I mean...Anthony is nothing if not a whore and I stand by that. This book had everything that the first book was lacking - the pining, the enemies-to-lovers, the tension, everything. If you've watched the show first, this book will provide you with a more in-depth view of the characters, their motivations and their traumas. The romance was everything and more.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent, Panic attacks/disorders, and Sexual content
bzliz's review against another edition
emotional
funny
lighthearted
fast-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
3.5
This is a vast improvement to Daphne and Simon’s story. Kate and Anthony are more likable in general and they both have personal arcs independent of the other- Kate’s phobia and trauma around storms & Anthony’s preoccupation with his mortality- and they support each other during that growth.
My main gripes come from the genre itself, plus the book was written 20 years ago and society has evolved since then. I find entirely virginal FMCs paired with very experienced MMCs to be boring. I know it’s “historical” for men to be “superior” but they just suck so hard sometimes. Women to this day are always the ones who pay the price for men’s inability to control themselves and it’s exhausting. Possessive statements like “you’re mine” and “I own you” will never feel okay to me. The underlying threat of sexual assault is not cute or romantic and it’s always hypocritical. These men treat their wives like this but are horrified at the thought of someone treating their sisters like that. Make it make sense!
Anthony’s logic about not falling in love doesn’t track for me. If you’re convinced you’re going to die young, wouldn’t you want to spend your life with someone who values you deeply? Why would you want to die forgettable? Other than that, I enjoyed most of the dynamic between Kate and Anthony. Kate charmed the hell out of me as an oldest sibling. The Pall Mall scene was a delight and made me wish for more interactions with side characters. I want to see them really embed themselves in the other’s life.
My main gripes come from the genre itself, plus the book was written 20 years ago and society has evolved since then. I find entirely virginal FMCs paired with very experienced MMCs to be boring. I know it’s “historical” for men to be “superior” but they just suck so hard sometimes. Women to this day are always the ones who pay the price for men’s inability to control themselves and it’s exhausting. Possessive statements like “you’re mine” and “I own you” will never feel okay to me. The underlying threat of sexual assault is not cute or romantic and it’s always hypocritical. These men treat their wives like this but are horrified at the thought of someone treating their sisters like that. Make it make sense!
Anthony’s logic about not falling in love doesn’t track for me. If you’re convinced you’re going to die young, wouldn’t you want to spend your life with someone who values you deeply? Why would you want to die forgettable? Other than that, I enjoyed most of the dynamic between Kate and Anthony. Kate charmed the hell out of me as an oldest sibling. The Pall Mall scene was a delight and made me wish for more interactions with side characters. I want to see them really embed themselves in the other’s life.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Panic attacks/disorders, Death of parent, Sexual content, and Grief
Moderate: Sexism
abby_can_read's review against another edition
funny
lighthearted
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
September 2023-⭐️⭐️⭐️
🎧
I read the books last year and I remember enjoying them. My favorite parts of the audiobooks was Rosalyn Landor.
In re-reading this book, I find that I like it less than I did a year ago. I think it's still a simple book and I enjoyed Landor's narration. The characters were alright, I liked Kate more than Anthony. Their relationship is alright. The plot was predictable.
February 2022-⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
📱
This was fun read. It was a simple book and an enjoyable read. It’s another typical Regency romance. This book is centered around Anthony and Kate. Anthony wanted a marriage of convience and he didn’t want to fall in love with his wife. I really liked the character of Kate, she’s straightforward and she wasn’t above telling Anthony off. I liked how protective Kate was of her sister. Beyond Kate, the book was decent. The plot was basic and the subplots were a little predictable.
🎧
I read the books last year and I remember enjoying them. My favorite parts of the audiobooks was Rosalyn Landor.
In re-reading this book, I find that I like it less than I did a year ago. I think it's still a simple book and I enjoyed Landor's narration. The characters were alright, I liked Kate more than Anthony. Their relationship is alright. The plot was predictable.
February 2022-⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
📱
This was fun read. It was a simple book and an enjoyable read. It’s another typical Regency romance. This book is centered around Anthony and Kate. Anthony wanted a marriage of convience and he didn’t want to fall in love with his wife. I really liked the character of Kate, she’s straightforward and she wasn’t above telling Anthony off. I liked how protective Kate was of her sister. Beyond Kate, the book was decent. The plot was basic and the subplots were a little predictable.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content and Panic attacks/disorders
Moderate: Grief and Death of parent
Minor: Sexism and Misogyny
maddysoup's review against another edition
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
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexual content, and Death of parent
dani1034's review against another edition
emotional
inspiring
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
mgcalder's review against another edition
emotional
funny
lighthearted
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
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Classism, Alcohol, and Sexual content
Moderate: Death of parent
k_l_smith's review against another edition
emotional
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
llorona's review against another edition
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.25
My perspective as a lesbian: as far as romance novels go, this is pretty okay! I enjoyed my time giggling and kicking my fit. A handful of misogynistic moments, as much as you might expect in a novel set in the 19th century with all British people. There was a few too many times where the male protagonist weird behaviors were excused or never addressed. Insulting words or gaslighting in the middle of arguments were never resolved and mostly never apologized for which was kind of annoying. I guess the inner monologue at the time was supposed to let us know he didn’t really mean them I guess? He also got angry so fast! He was kinda toxic not gonna lie and they tried to soften him up throughout the entire book. And he was wayyyyyyy too horny like all the time. And personally it teetered the line of “oh this isn’t right…” more than once.
I did enjoy both main characters backstories and the overarching theme of overcoming your demons and accepting that which you cannot control. Read it after watching the Netflix season and can’t say if one is a better story than the other but if I pieced bits from both I’d create something much better. Though, the diversity in the show made for a much richer story and they cut out a lot of the terrible bits of the main male lead.
I did enjoy both main characters backstories and the overarching theme of overcoming your demons and accepting that which you cannot control. Read it after watching the Netflix season and can’t say if one is a better story than the other but if I pieced bits from both I’d create something much better. Though, the diversity in the show made for a much richer story and they cut out a lot of the terrible bits of the main male lead.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gaslighting, Misogyny, Death of parent, Fatphobia, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, and Sexual content
Minor: Sexual assault
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