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A review by alannaj
An Unlikely Alliance by Rachel Van Dyken
3.0
An Unlikely Alliance is the story of Royce McArthur and Evelyn DeJarlias. Royce McArthur is a rich man whose father has recently died. He has sought comfort in the arms of random women, hoping that the responsibilities left to him will feel less pressured. When his mother demands that he marries before the end of the summer, Royce panics, as he has no wish to settle down and he doesn’t think anyone within his circles is worth settling down with; until he meets Evelyn DeJarlias at a ball. Evelyn comes from a working-class background, with her father only recently coming into money. She is unrefined and still learning the ways of the upper class, which Royce finds charming and refreshing, but she is clever enough to know that she can’t compromise herself in any way – which is why she refuses the attempted courtship of Royce from the very beginning. However, when Royce’s mother and Evelyn’s father start spending time together, the two must come together to keep an eye on their parents and end up finding common ground. The problem is that Royce’s past isn’t what Evelyn had hoped for, and she must decide whether or not she can trust Royce, or whether his past is just too much for her to deal with.
I found Evelyn’s character particularly endearing; her unrefined charm poured out of the pages and at times provided some humour. She was easily likeable, and I instantly wanted her to succeed. Her internal fight between wanting to protect her father and wanting to protect herself from Royce was amusing to read and also fairly relatable. Royce wasn’t the character I was expecting, in that he was almost instantly shown to be vulnerable (having not properly dealt with the death of his father) and portrayed as the more romantic of the two protagonists. He’s not the typical rugged, macho male hero, but I’ve found that Rachel van Dyken is very good at writing sensitive male leads; something that I really love reading.
Compared to some of her other novels, the story was a lot shorter and, in some ways, less developed. The ending, though very enjoyable, felt a little abrupt, as I was expecting more of a struggle before the two characters reached their conclusion. The sub-plot between the protagonists parents also felt a little rushed towards the end, and slightly out of place in the last few pages. Despite that, it was a sweet story, and great for a bit of easy reading – I’m looking forward to the next Rachel van Dyken read.
I found Evelyn’s character particularly endearing; her unrefined charm poured out of the pages and at times provided some humour. She was easily likeable, and I instantly wanted her to succeed. Her internal fight between wanting to protect her father and wanting to protect herself from Royce was amusing to read and also fairly relatable. Royce wasn’t the character I was expecting, in that he was almost instantly shown to be vulnerable (having not properly dealt with the death of his father) and portrayed as the more romantic of the two protagonists. He’s not the typical rugged, macho male hero, but I’ve found that Rachel van Dyken is very good at writing sensitive male leads; something that I really love reading.
Compared to some of her other novels, the story was a lot shorter and, in some ways, less developed. The ending, though very enjoyable, felt a little abrupt, as I was expecting more of a struggle before the two characters reached their conclusion. The sub-plot between the protagonists parents also felt a little rushed towards the end, and slightly out of place in the last few pages. Despite that, it was a sweet story, and great for a bit of easy reading – I’m looking forward to the next Rachel van Dyken read.