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A review by courtney_saba
Portrait of a Scotsman by Evie Dunmore
4.0
So, from what I remember, I really loved the first book in this series. Loved bits and pieces and hated the inbetween of the 2nd book, and then this one came around. Yes, I enjoyed it. However, is it 5 star worthy? I'm on the fence, so I'm safely rating this a 4.
Why? Honestly, I can't really put my finger on why I wasn't so in love with this one when I clearly enjoyed it. I liked our two main characters, the setting was great, the relationship dynamics were more prevalent in this one than the other 2, which I really liked, but something was missing. That damn tip of the tongue missing thing.
Tbh, tho, Hattie was a little annoying. I really liked her as a side character in the previous books, but I think I expected someone more mature, more rambunctious. And yes, I got that a little, and yes, I understand that her position in society basically made her that way and it was only realistic to write her like a woman in her station would be, but... I liked our 2 heroines in the first books better.
Lucian. He had his moments. I love a brooding bad boy with an accent just as much as any other girl in this day and age (and let's be honest here, in the past, as well), but he wasn't as fleshed out as I wanted him to be? Also, I imagined him as someone completely different from the 2nd book. Or at least, with different traits than he had in this one. So I wasn't as pleased.
Maybe I couldn't love this entirely because my expectations for the 2 characters weren't met? That doesn't mean it wasn't written well and it wasn't a good story, but I was expecting something different, which in the end, bit me in the butt.
Plus, the first 2 books were so heavily involved in the women's rights movement/revolution/suffrage movement, that this book was a bit of a whiplash because it barely mentioned those things. Don't get me wrong, after 2 huge books on those subjects, it would have been tedious to write more, especially with characters that weren't so involved in the first place, but again, it wasn't what I was expecting.
I didn't expect a slightly milder version of classic bodice rippers, and I definitely wasn't prepared for that ending. It was abrupt, privileged, and dare I say it, selfish on Hattie's behalf.
Loved Scotland. Loved the miners and village Hattie and Lucian were in for more than half the book. Loved the relationship and angst dynamics. I do love me some devotion and hungry lust. But it wasn't enough to give it a 5 star.
After reading this, it makes me wanna go back and read the first 2 books, tho. This is a wonderful series and I can't wait for the 4th book! Catriona is a mysterious character, so I'm looking forward to learning her secrets.
I may re-read the smutty parts, but for the most part, I'd probably skip everything else. The antagonist(s) weren't very antagonistic at all, to the point where it seemed like they were just tacked on for the sake of adding a "villain" figure.
I'd still recommend it if you loved the first 2.
Happy reading, Goodreads fiends.
Why? Honestly, I can't really put my finger on why I wasn't so in love with this one when I clearly enjoyed it. I liked our two main characters, the setting was great, the relationship dynamics were more prevalent in this one than the other 2, which I really liked, but something was missing. That damn tip of the tongue missing thing.
Tbh, tho, Hattie was a little annoying. I really liked her as a side character in the previous books, but I think I expected someone more mature, more rambunctious. And yes, I got that a little, and yes, I understand that her position in society basically made her that way and it was only realistic to write her like a woman in her station would be, but... I liked our 2 heroines in the first books better.
Lucian. He had his moments. I love a brooding bad boy with an accent just as much as any other girl in this day and age (and let's be honest here, in the past, as well), but he wasn't as fleshed out as I wanted him to be? Also, I imagined him as someone completely different from the 2nd book. Or at least, with different traits than he had in this one. So I wasn't as pleased.
Maybe I couldn't love this entirely because my expectations for the 2 characters weren't met? That doesn't mean it wasn't written well and it wasn't a good story, but I was expecting something different, which in the end, bit me in the butt.
Plus, the first 2 books were so heavily involved in the women's rights movement/revolution/suffrage movement, that this book was a bit of a whiplash because it barely mentioned those things. Don't get me wrong, after 2 huge books on those subjects, it would have been tedious to write more, especially with characters that weren't so involved in the first place, but again, it wasn't what I was expecting.
I didn't expect a slightly milder version of classic bodice rippers, and I definitely wasn't prepared for that ending. It was abrupt, privileged, and dare I say it, selfish on Hattie's behalf.
Loved Scotland. Loved the miners and village Hattie and Lucian were in for more than half the book. Loved the relationship and angst dynamics. I do love me some devotion and hungry lust. But it wasn't enough to give it a 5 star.
After reading this, it makes me wanna go back and read the first 2 books, tho. This is a wonderful series and I can't wait for the 4th book! Catriona is a mysterious character, so I'm looking forward to learning her secrets.
I may re-read the smutty parts, but for the most part, I'd probably skip everything else. The antagonist(s) weren't very antagonistic at all, to the point where it seemed like they were just tacked on for the sake of adding a "villain" figure.
I'd still recommend it if you loved the first 2.
Happy reading, Goodreads fiends.