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A review by anniejakes
Kit and Elizabeth: A Regency Romance by Karen Tuft
4.0
I once attended a writing class where the lecturer told us, “You must keep your promises to your readers.” And while that can mean something different for every reader, the promises made when writing regency romance are often pretty straightforward. In Kit and Elizabeth, Karen Tuft has most definitely kept her promises to us.
The promise of a good villain. I’ve read my share of abusive uncles, greedy cousins, and wicked aunts, each with their own selfish motives and hurtful ways. But few compare to the absolute waste of space that we meet in the first chapter who are none other than Elizabeth’s parents. Rarely have I been so completely enraged by the behavior of an otherwise respected character as I was reading about Elizabeth’s father and his treatment of her. And her mother wasn't far behind. Tuft does a marvelous job of quickly demonstrating the extent of the mistreatment our heroine has endured for years. And we are immediately captured in the story in the hope of seeing Elizabeth receive her just dues.
The promise of a loveable, yet relatable hero. Kit is both extremely likeable and utterly flawed. He struggles to share his thoughts yet his actions show all. He pushes Elizabeth while respecting her and seeing her needs. He allows her her independence but never leaves her side. And while he himself has his own ghosts to deal with, his growth throughout the novel is exactly what we as readers hope to see.
The promise of a scene that stays with you. Each well written regency romance tends to have that one scene that stands out from the rest; that scene that changes the whole book in the best of ways. In Kit and Elizabeth, there is a scene that I stopped to read twice before moving on with the story. In this scene, both characters are forced to face their past, and their honesty and acceptance for one another allows them both to come out the other side as different, but stronger individuals. Tuft wrote the scene beautifully, and I was brought to tears.
Karen Tuft’s Kit and Elizabeth is well-written and a lovely read. The characters are charming and the plot never ceases to entertain.
3.5 stars
The promise of a good villain. I’ve read my share of abusive uncles, greedy cousins, and wicked aunts, each with their own selfish motives and hurtful ways. But few compare to the absolute waste of space that we meet in the first chapter who are none other than Elizabeth’s parents. Rarely have I been so completely enraged by the behavior of an otherwise respected character as I was reading about Elizabeth’s father and his treatment of her. And her mother wasn't far behind. Tuft does a marvelous job of quickly demonstrating the extent of the mistreatment our heroine has endured for years. And we are immediately captured in the story in the hope of seeing Elizabeth receive her just dues.
The promise of a loveable, yet relatable hero. Kit is both extremely likeable and utterly flawed. He struggles to share his thoughts yet his actions show all. He pushes Elizabeth while respecting her and seeing her needs. He allows her her independence but never leaves her side. And while he himself has his own ghosts to deal with, his growth throughout the novel is exactly what we as readers hope to see.
The promise of a scene that stays with you. Each well written regency romance tends to have that one scene that stands out from the rest; that scene that changes the whole book in the best of ways. In Kit and Elizabeth, there is a scene that I stopped to read twice before moving on with the story. In this scene, both characters are forced to face their past, and their honesty and acceptance for one another allows them both to come out the other side as different, but stronger individuals. Tuft wrote the scene beautifully, and I was brought to tears.
Karen Tuft’s Kit and Elizabeth is well-written and a lovely read. The characters are charming and the plot never ceases to entertain.
3.5 stars