Take a photo of a barcode or cover
bandherbooks 's review for:
What a Wallflower Wants
by Maya Rodale
I picked this novel off of Sarah MacLean's "Read More Romance" list and never really read a synopsis of it, so I was pretty startled to see how well it fits the current climate of the #MeToo movement.
Lady Prudence was brutally raped by a peer of the realm on the night of her first ball, her first season. She never told anyone for many reasons. She didn't want to be forced to wed her awful attacker. She didn't want anyone to think differently of her. She didn't think anyone would even believe her.
Four years later, she is still traumatized from the event but needs to attend a reunion ball at her former finishing school. She will be the only unmarried attendee to ever attend, so decides to elope with man who she is sure will never make her consummate the marriage. But, when a highwayman disrupts their travels, she flees the scene and her intended never searches for her.
While stumbling through the countryside, a handsome man in a coach pulled by two white horses comes upon her, but Prudence knows heroes don't exist. She coldly refuses his invitation for a ride, but then is stuck in a country inn with the same man for days during an unrelenting rain.
John is entranced by the beautiful lady he tries to rescue. He fears she needs rescuing, but he also is highly respectful of Prudence's choices. Plus, John has a secret of his own.
After days spent in each others company, and John's very sweet and patient nature, Prudence finds herself falling for a man for the first time ever. Then The Beast shows up.
I loved the intention of this novel. I loved Rodale's deft handling of Prudence's character, her worries, her fears. John was almost too good to be true in many ways, but I didn't really care because Prudence deserved someone who worshiped her.
What kept me from giving this higher marks were a few things that just bothered me personally. Stop reading here if you don't want spoilers.
I thought the handling of Prudence's rape was well done (just seeing the aftereffects), until we got a flashback scene about a third of the way through that went through the rape extensively. Plus, having to go through many flashbacks in "The Beast's" POV was a bit too much for me. Gross, didn't want to be in his head. I also thought it was shitty of John to keep his secret, especially after Prudence finally revealed her's to him.
That said, a worthwhile read!
Lady Prudence was brutally raped by a peer of the realm on the night of her first ball, her first season. She never told anyone for many reasons. She didn't want to be forced to wed her awful attacker. She didn't want anyone to think differently of her. She didn't think anyone would even believe her.
Four years later, she is still traumatized from the event but needs to attend a reunion ball at her former finishing school. She will be the only unmarried attendee to ever attend, so decides to elope with man who she is sure will never make her consummate the marriage. But, when a highwayman disrupts their travels, she flees the scene and her intended never searches for her.
While stumbling through the countryside, a handsome man in a coach pulled by two white horses comes upon her, but Prudence knows heroes don't exist. She coldly refuses his invitation for a ride, but then is stuck in a country inn with the same man for days during an unrelenting rain.
John is entranced by the beautiful lady he tries to rescue. He fears she needs rescuing, but he also is highly respectful of Prudence's choices. Plus, John has a secret of his own.
After days spent in each others company, and John's very sweet and patient nature, Prudence finds herself falling for a man for the first time ever. Then The Beast shows up.
I loved the intention of this novel. I loved Rodale's deft handling of Prudence's character, her worries, her fears. John was almost too good to be true in many ways, but I didn't really care because Prudence deserved someone who worshiped her.
What kept me from giving this higher marks were a few things that just bothered me personally. Stop reading here if you don't want spoilers.
I thought the handling of Prudence's rape was well done (just seeing the aftereffects), until we got a flashback scene about a third of the way through that went through the rape extensively. Plus, having to go through many flashbacks in "The Beast's" POV was a bit too much for me. Gross, didn't want to be in his head. I also thought it was shitty of John to keep his secret, especially after Prudence finally revealed her's to him.
That said, a worthwhile read!