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A review by perilous1
An Unlikely Alliance by Rachel Van Dyken
4.0
I'd put this novella somewhere between three and four stars—but ultimately I liked it just enough to round up.
The plot in short: A highly privileged man-whore meets the unconventional woman-of-his-dreams and has an introspective life change—almost immediately rendering him a new man.
In most cases, it takes a heck of a lot to get me to buy this sort of premise in the hero's story arc. But throw in the fact that the hero's mother appears to be secretly courting the heroine's father, and things got interesting enough to string me along for the ride. While it took a while for Royce to develop any convincing appeal, he did get there eventually. And in the meantime, I was treated to Evelyn's ill-mannered feistiness and skewering commentary.
The author's style presents a quirky hybrid, blending an array of contemporary terms with the elegance that makes so many historicals compelling. I suspect if one is a stickler for uncorrupted historical accuracy on all fronts, this isn't the author for you. But while this reviewer admittedly isn't an avid fan of meticulously researched historical romance, I am a fan of good pacing and a redemptive plotline—both of which, this story possesses.
From an editing standpoint I'll point out, as fair warning, that there was an abundance of exclamation points and a little bit of word repetition. However, clipped pacing, pithy dialogue, and clever bites of humor keep the reader well engaged.
I'll agree with those who felt the story was a bit rushed and the peripheral characters not as fleshed out as they could have been. Unfortunately, there simply wasn't room for embellishments. I think we all would have been better satisfied if this novella had instead been a full-length novel. But I will happily credit it with being an entertaining read, and one that introduced me to the charmingly unique voice of Ms. Van Dyken.
Note: I received this novella free via an epress promotion. There are several chapter teasers to be found at the back of the book, and as a direct result, I was intrigued enough to purchase one of Rachel Van Dyken's other books: The Seduction Of Sebastian St. James.
Well played, Astraea Press. Well played.
The plot in short: A highly privileged man-whore meets the unconventional woman-of-his-dreams and has an introspective life change—almost immediately rendering him a new man.
In most cases, it takes a heck of a lot to get me to buy this sort of premise in the hero's story arc. But throw in the fact that the hero's mother appears to be secretly courting the heroine's father, and things got interesting enough to string me along for the ride. While it took a while for Royce to develop any convincing appeal, he did get there eventually. And in the meantime, I was treated to Evelyn's ill-mannered feistiness and skewering commentary.
The author's style presents a quirky hybrid, blending an array of contemporary terms with the elegance that makes so many historicals compelling. I suspect if one is a stickler for uncorrupted historical accuracy on all fronts, this isn't the author for you. But while this reviewer admittedly isn't an avid fan of meticulously researched historical romance, I am a fan of good pacing and a redemptive plotline—both of which, this story possesses.
From an editing standpoint I'll point out, as fair warning, that there was an abundance of exclamation points and a little bit of word repetition. However, clipped pacing, pithy dialogue, and clever bites of humor keep the reader well engaged.
I'll agree with those who felt the story was a bit rushed and the peripheral characters not as fleshed out as they could have been. Unfortunately, there simply wasn't room for embellishments. I think we all would have been better satisfied if this novella had instead been a full-length novel. But I will happily credit it with being an entertaining read, and one that introduced me to the charmingly unique voice of Ms. Van Dyken.
Note: I received this novella free via an epress promotion. There are several chapter teasers to be found at the back of the book, and as a direct result, I was intrigued enough to purchase one of Rachel Van Dyken's other books: The Seduction Of Sebastian St. James.
Well played, Astraea Press. Well played.