A review by storytimed
A Lady of Persuasion by Tessa Dare

2.0

I like the hook of the novel (dissolute aristocrat is inspired to get political!) and Isabel's neuroses felt pretty real, but... god, the execution. I feel like the political world and the romantic one didn't necessarily mesh: you never really felt the weight of issues like the exploitation chimney sweeps or the fact that Isabel grew up AROUND SLAVES, and the narrative kind of brushes it all off as "it's because of trauma from your mom! go eat some sugar!"

Also can we just not have entire romantic plots built off of the dude protagonist lying to the woman and hoping she won't notice? That's... bad.