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A review by heathermollauthor
The Lord Pretender by Sawyer North
3.0
Emma Watt’s father completely ruins his family’s finances and reputation through gambling before dying. Now, Emma is determined to get revenge on the Prometheans, the gambling club that she feels caused all of her problems. Simon Pike, Earl of Blackburn, is a prominent Promethean who volunteers to find out who is the woman digging up dirt on club members, and ruin her.
They two have a few sparks before they realize who the other is, and then the story becomes a body swap caused by a lightning strike.
Good characterization of the MCs, but some of the writing was amateurish, descriptions were a little cliche (I.e. impossible jawline) or explaining where people sat around a table when it was irrelevant, or the heavy handed ways the dialogue explained regency norms.
“She was wearing black.”
“Are you saying…”
“Yes. She was clearly in mourning.”
It took me out of the story. Like using Upper Ten Thousand to describe regency London when it was coined decades later to refer to NYC high society. Or only wearing a corset for a ball; and it being laced too tight. Or men wearing pants. Sigh.
I didn’t connect with Emma’s new Red Lion Square friends, all of whom sounded exactly the same. Simon’s mother was the worst and I really enjoyed Emma’s standing up to her.
This was a bonkers premise that entertained, but it had a slow start and their character growth never captured my interest. I feel like they needed deeper conversations and reflections. I liked their chemistry, but for me misunderstanding one another’s gender wasn’t their biggest problem so I struggled to see the necessity of the Freaky Friday concept.
3.5 stars I received an arc from NetGalley
They two have a few sparks before they realize who the other is, and then the story becomes a body swap caused by a lightning strike.
Good characterization of the MCs, but some of the writing was amateurish, descriptions were a little cliche (I.e. impossible jawline) or explaining where people sat around a table when it was irrelevant, or the heavy handed ways the dialogue explained regency norms.
“She was wearing black.”
“Are you saying…”
“Yes. She was clearly in mourning.”
It took me out of the story. Like using Upper Ten Thousand to describe regency London when it was coined decades later to refer to NYC high society. Or only wearing a corset for a ball; and it being laced too tight. Or men wearing pants. Sigh.
I didn’t connect with Emma’s new Red Lion Square friends, all of whom sounded exactly the same. Simon’s mother was the worst and I really enjoyed Emma’s standing up to her.
This was a bonkers premise that entertained, but it had a slow start and their character growth never captured my interest. I feel like they needed deeper conversations and reflections. I liked their chemistry, but for me misunderstanding one another’s gender wasn’t their biggest problem so I struggled to see the necessity of the Freaky Friday concept.
3.5 stars I received an arc from NetGalley