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A Lady's Code of Misconduct by Meredith Duran
2.0
I want to begin by saying I totally think I see why some people really like this book. The writing itself is really wonderful, the dialogue is occasionally really honest and romantic, and there is a really prominent plot outside the main couple. Very unfortunately, I just did not like this book.
I tried to like this book so hard. I really was engaged at the beginning of the novel, more on this later, but as the story progressed, I just added more and more things to my list of dislikes, and by chapter 15, I fully freed myself from hoping my mind was going to be changed. But I genuinely was trying to love the book up until that point.
I will start off with Jane. I was so invested in her at the beginning of the story. She had a plan, she made beautiful artwork as a way to get back at her abusive family, and she seemed really smart. But this book was really not her story; it was very much Crispin's story, which is fine. I just really think that Jane needed more to actually do in this plot aside from being angelic near Crispin. I get so frustrated while reading historical romance that it seems like so many heroines are allowed to do one 'bad' action. Jane got to make one 'selfish' choice (that she was literally backed into a corner before making) and then just had to be an absolute angel for the rest of the plot.
I hated that she had to be backed into a corner before she was able to make the choice to 'marry' Crispin. I would have devoured the story of her spying on her Uncle for Crispin, passing along the information he wanted for her, pulling off the fake marriage under his nose, and then having found another piece of information her wants (or even blackmailing him) and using that as a way to make him agree to stay married. This was all my desires in retrospect. I really did try to love the book I was given before I concocted this version in my head. But I absolutely assert this is what a fantasy novel would have given me, and the assertion that historical romance is basically the same as fantasy doesn't hold quite as much water as we like to pretend it does.
Now on to amnesia. I had decided that I was going to accept the premise that amnesia is a real thing. That is fine. I can accept something bananas that is needed to tell an amazing story. But once I started to truly dislike this book, I got very annoyed with the amnesia things that happened in the last few chapters. Suddenly just remembering everything drove me bonkers.
My real problem with the amnesia plot was that I wanted Crispin to actually have to face his own wrongs. I wanted to watch his morality (or lack of) crumble around him. I wanted sparring between him and Jane to be what convinced him to change. Amnesia really lets this guy off the hook for his past actions. And he never really has to confront the full scope of who he became. It is also just absolutely bananas to me that he was able to change so drastically in such a short period of time. We are meant to accept that he went from incredibly milquetoast (good Crispin is very boring for no good reason) to an interesting and driven and evil political mastermind in five years.
I just do not think there was enough of Crispin actually confronting his forgotten years. The trope seemed like a way to write an evil man, then have the audience have to forgive him without him doing any real work, in the hope that that work would come later in the book. When he actually regained his old memories, I was so annoyed. It was like two pages (on my phone) of rumination, and then he fully seemed to square evil Crispin with good Crispin. I really dislike that his 'bad' personality is just set aside as a weird aberration, and both the audience and Crispin are meant to just see his new/old good self is who he truly is.
I just needed more exploration of space between good and bad Crispin. I was nowhere near ready to accept that the 'real' Crispin was more valid than who he had been before his amnesia. I understand that amnesia is a plot device that lets authors talk about identity in an interesting way that obviously cannot happen in real life. I think I'll read some more books that use amnesia because I genuinely did think I was going to like reading an amnesia book. Maybe I finally found a trope I just flat-out dislike, but I am going to keep my mind open.
I just love it when characters have to genuinely atone for their actions. My favorite part of most romances is the apology. Amnesia, at least in this iteration, kind of just obliterated the need for personal restitution in the way I desired. I don't need punishment, but I do want something more than I got in this book.
Now on to the other thing I really did not like about this book: the politics. I was so excited about this political plot line. This is something else that has been a broader problem with the historical romances I have been reading; this book is absolutely politically toothless. And when I read books that aren't very conservative in this genre, the author almost treats their progressive characters as funny and quaint. But this book didn't do that. What it does is get kind of close to making a statement about the carceral state and never actually do it. Maybe because the author doesn't have anything substantive to say about it. But the story treats the conclusion of this plot as almost revolutionary.
The prison reform bill Crispin was involved with was going to set England back; they accomplished not doing that. Accomplishing keeping the status quo is not progressive or revolutionary. It is better than the alternative. But I was just so baffled at the nothing that was in this book politically and that I think I was meant to feel like something huge happened. Nothing huge happened; we kept England the same.
Also, by this point in the book, I was just generally annoyed, so keep that in mind. The book asserts that thieves shouldn't be treated nearly as badly as murderers but is also totally fine with Crispin literally murdering. My eyes rolled so hard at this part. Though I do completely understand that he did not agree with the speech he gave.
I didn't like this book. I hope if you read it you like it. I might give both the author and amnesia another shot. But I am going to wait a little while.
I tried to like this book so hard. I really was engaged at the beginning of the novel, more on this later, but as the story progressed, I just added more and more things to my list of dislikes, and by chapter 15, I fully freed myself from hoping my mind was going to be changed. But I genuinely was trying to love the book up until that point.
I will start off with Jane. I was so invested in her at the beginning of the story. She had a plan, she made beautiful artwork as a way to get back at her abusive family, and she seemed really smart. But this book was really not her story; it was very much Crispin's story, which is fine. I just really think that Jane needed more to actually do in this plot aside from being angelic near Crispin. I get so frustrated while reading historical romance that it seems like so many heroines are allowed to do one 'bad' action. Jane got to make one 'selfish' choice (that she was literally backed into a corner before making) and then just had to be an absolute angel for the rest of the plot.
I hated that she had to be backed into a corner before she was able to make the choice to 'marry' Crispin. I would have devoured the story of her spying on her Uncle for Crispin, passing along the information he wanted for her, pulling off the fake marriage under his nose, and then having found another piece of information her wants (or even blackmailing him) and using that as a way to make him agree to stay married. This was all my desires in retrospect. I really did try to love the book I was given before I concocted this version in my head. But I absolutely assert this is what a fantasy novel would have given me, and the assertion that historical romance is basically the same as fantasy doesn't hold quite as much water as we like to pretend it does.
Now on to amnesia. I had decided that I was going to accept the premise that amnesia is a real thing. That is fine. I can accept something bananas that is needed to tell an amazing story. But once I started to truly dislike this book, I got very annoyed with the amnesia things that happened in the last few chapters. Suddenly just remembering everything drove me bonkers.
My real problem with the amnesia plot was that I wanted Crispin to actually have to face his own wrongs. I wanted to watch his morality (or lack of) crumble around him. I wanted sparring between him and Jane to be what convinced him to change. Amnesia really lets this guy off the hook for his past actions. And he never really has to confront the full scope of who he became. It is also just absolutely bananas to me that he was able to change so drastically in such a short period of time. We are meant to accept that he went from incredibly milquetoast (good Crispin is very boring for no good reason) to an interesting and driven and evil political mastermind in five years.
I just do not think there was enough of Crispin actually confronting his forgotten years. The trope seemed like a way to write an evil man, then have the audience have to forgive him without him doing any real work, in the hope that that work would come later in the book. When he actually regained his old memories, I was so annoyed. It was like two pages (on my phone) of rumination, and then he fully seemed to square evil Crispin with good Crispin. I really dislike that his 'bad' personality is just set aside as a weird aberration, and both the audience and Crispin are meant to just see his new/old good self is who he truly is.
I just needed more exploration of space between good and bad Crispin. I was nowhere near ready to accept that the 'real' Crispin was more valid than who he had been before his amnesia. I understand that amnesia is a plot device that lets authors talk about identity in an interesting way that obviously cannot happen in real life. I think I'll read some more books that use amnesia because I genuinely did think I was going to like reading an amnesia book. Maybe I finally found a trope I just flat-out dislike, but I am going to keep my mind open.
I just love it when characters have to genuinely atone for their actions. My favorite part of most romances is the apology. Amnesia, at least in this iteration, kind of just obliterated the need for personal restitution in the way I desired. I don't need punishment, but I do want something more than I got in this book.
Now on to the other thing I really did not like about this book: the politics. I was so excited about this political plot line. This is something else that has been a broader problem with the historical romances I have been reading; this book is absolutely politically toothless. And when I read books that aren't very conservative in this genre, the author almost treats their progressive characters as funny and quaint. But this book didn't do that. What it does is get kind of close to making a statement about the carceral state and never actually do it. Maybe because the author doesn't have anything substantive to say about it. But the story treats the conclusion of this plot as almost revolutionary.
The prison reform bill Crispin was involved with was going to set England back; they accomplished not doing that. Accomplishing keeping the status quo is not progressive or revolutionary. It is better than the alternative. But I was just so baffled at the nothing that was in this book politically and that I think I was meant to feel like something huge happened. Nothing huge happened; we kept England the same.
Also, by this point in the book, I was just generally annoyed, so keep that in mind. The book asserts that thieves shouldn't be treated nearly as badly as murderers but is also totally fine with Crispin literally murdering. My eyes rolled so hard at this part. Though I do completely understand that he did not agree with the speech he gave.
I didn't like this book. I hope if you read it you like it. I might give both the author and amnesia another shot. But I am going to wait a little while.
Ice Planet Barbarians by Ruby Dixon
4.0
I am a bit abashed to have read this book. I recently decided to do a KU trial and do a little KU reading experiment. And obviously, this book is bananas popular so I knew I needed to include this.
First off, I was surprised by how well-written this book is. Which was rude of me. But it is such an easy read, nothing is clunky or confusing. I flew through this book.
I don't really have a ton to say about the reading experience. This book is absolutely bananas. Humans are kidnapped by some green aliens, a mishap occurs, and they crash onto an ice-covered planet. Georgie, our enterprising and legitimately brave heroine goes off to find food and water to help her fellow humans. She instead finds a giant blueish alien who she proceeds to fall in love with. The author uses the dual POV very well, her worldbuilding is understandable but bonkers, and the plot is very fast paced.
I do have negatives though. There is a character named Dominique who is raped by some of the orange aliens who work with the green aliens (it is also implied this happened to another girl). Then she is basically too traumatized to talk again. Then she is eventually found dead because she ran from the spaceship crash and no one could stop her from letting herself die of exposure. She's probably on less than ten pages of this whole book but I really thought Dixon did not need to include her being raped, I accepted that the kidnapping aliens were bad before that, and if she had to keep it I really think it is terrible to then kill her.
I also think that the whole "mates are for babies" thing in general is pretty homophobic and weirdly Christian. There are so many ways where this book weirdly does not lean into some of the weirdly conservative stuff a lot of other romance does, but in this way it absolutely leans into it hard. I am not inherently opposed to the people having babies, that's some peoples jam (and this world apparently has a bit of a population crisis) but making the rule you cannot love someone who is not biologically able to procreate with you (at least theoretically) is def not cool.
Both of my issues with the story are things that don't really come up for most of the book, but they are significant things I needed to mention. But overall this book was kind of addictive, really easy to read, and just overall a really weird but fun romance.
First off, I was surprised by how well-written this book is. Which was rude of me. But it is such an easy read, nothing is clunky or confusing. I flew through this book.
I don't really have a ton to say about the reading experience. This book is absolutely bananas. Humans are kidnapped by some green aliens, a mishap occurs, and they crash onto an ice-covered planet. Georgie, our enterprising and legitimately brave heroine goes off to find food and water to help her fellow humans. She instead finds a giant blueish alien who she proceeds to fall in love with. The author uses the dual POV very well, her worldbuilding is understandable but bonkers, and the plot is very fast paced.
I do have negatives though. There is a character named Dominique who is raped by some of the orange aliens who work with the green aliens (it is also implied this happened to another girl). Then she is basically too traumatized to talk again. Then she is eventually found dead because she ran from the spaceship crash and no one could stop her from letting herself die of exposure. She's probably on less than ten pages of this whole book but I really thought Dixon did not need to include her being raped, I accepted that the kidnapping aliens were bad before that, and if she had to keep it I really think it is terrible to then kill her.
I also think that the whole "mates are for babies" thing in general is pretty homophobic and weirdly Christian. There are so many ways where this book weirdly does not lean into some of the weirdly conservative stuff a lot of other romance does, but in this way it absolutely leans into it hard. I am not inherently opposed to the people having babies, that's some peoples jam (and this world apparently has a bit of a population crisis) but making the rule you cannot love someone who is not biologically able to procreate with you (at least theoretically) is def not cool.
Both of my issues with the story are things that don't really come up for most of the book, but they are significant things I needed to mention. But overall this book was kind of addictive, really easy to read, and just overall a really weird but fun romance.
A Matter of Disagreement by E.E. Ottoman
3.0
A Matter of Disagreement is a steampunk (I think, certainly SSF of some flavor) historical romance that follows Lord Ashcroft, who goes by Andrea, the academic second son of a cruel social climber, as he meets Marquis de la Marche (Gregory). The pair have an immediate spark but that is put aside when they find out they are academic rivals.
I had been meaning to read this novella since listening to E.E. Ottoman's episode of the podcast Fated Mates, but ended up picking it up when I saw a negative review of this book that just did not match with my idea of this author. The reviewer was upset by the sexism mentioned in this novella, which having read this is now kind of bonkers.
I think the critique that this book is sexist is kind of ridiculous. This is a very short book, but in the text there are mentions of sexism and transphobia and maybe implied homophobia. The sexism in this story is addressed three times, all three times the narrator is sympathetic to women and in the end, the woman in question is absolutely empowered to make her own decisions. And legitimately seems to be living the most interesting life of the bunch.
Now on to my other thoughts about this book!
I really found this world interesting but it did take quite some time for me to get there. I think I needed more character interaction before I could really care about their academic dispute. So for about a third of the book, I was a bit bored by the world-building elements. After I got to like the characters more, I did start to care about the world. And by the end of the book I did really like this world and will probably be reading the next book in this series.
This book has one of my very favorite things, which is when a character has the sudden realization that someone else has very obviously been wooing them. I adore "oh my! I think they like me!" it brings me endless joy and works particularly well in a novella.
I look forward to reading other E.E. Ottoman books in the future. I would recommend this to people who like fantasy and romance, but I do think the world-building issues I had would be a little more intense for people who just really care about romance.
I had been meaning to read this novella since listening to E.E. Ottoman's episode of the podcast Fated Mates, but ended up picking it up when I saw a negative review of this book that just did not match with my idea of this author. The reviewer was upset by the sexism mentioned in this novella, which having read this is now kind of bonkers.
I think the critique that this book is sexist is kind of ridiculous. This is a very short book, but in the text there are mentions of sexism and transphobia and maybe implied homophobia. The sexism in this story is addressed three times, all three times the narrator is sympathetic to women and in the end, the woman in question is absolutely empowered to make her own decisions. And legitimately seems to be living the most interesting life of the bunch.
Now on to my other thoughts about this book!
I really found this world interesting but it did take quite some time for me to get there. I think I needed more character interaction before I could really care about their academic dispute. So for about a third of the book, I was a bit bored by the world-building elements. After I got to like the characters more, I did start to care about the world. And by the end of the book I did really like this world and will probably be reading the next book in this series.
This book has one of my very favorite things, which is when a character has the sudden realization that someone else has very obviously been wooing them. I adore "oh my! I think they like me!" it brings me endless joy and works particularly well in a novella.
I look forward to reading other E.E. Ottoman books in the future. I would recommend this to people who like fantasy and romance, but I do think the world-building issues I had would be a little more intense for people who just really care about romance.
Hefty by Jessa Kane
3.0
I am doing a KU romance experiment so I am reading outside my normal zone. Which explains Jessa Kane. Blame Fated Mates and tiktok.
This has some weird protective stuff that isn't my jam, has some Twilight-esque stuff that I found confusing (the car crash). But I did like that the author wrote a fat hero and had him explicitly be very attractive to the heroine.
This was quick to read, and is a lot of sex with a touch of plot.
This has some weird protective stuff that isn't my jam, has some Twilight-esque stuff that I found confusing (the car crash). But I did like that the author wrote a fat hero and had him explicitly be very attractive to the heroine.
This was quick to read, and is a lot of sex with a touch of plot.
The Boss's Runaway by Jessa Kane
2.0
I am doing a KU experiment. Hense Jessa Kane. This book was bananas. I totally get that some people are into this vibe, but in general, most of this is very no from me. Also, the religion stuff was a little odd. Jessa Kane seems so conservative in a way that is so interesting to me. Because her books are very not following some of the values haha.
The Rogue Not Taken by Sarah MacLean
5.0
I think the first 3/4 of this book are perfect and the end is a touch rushed. But overall I just really love King and Sophie.
I in no way think the end of the book was bad, I just think it needed a bit of room to breathe. The reader (or at least this reader) needed a little bit more time to wallow in the sadness of everyone being mad at each other before everything was concluded. This book was so high action that I just wanted some time at the end to really marinate in the angst before happiness arrived.
But I did truly have the most fabulous time reading this book. I cried a touch, which is always great. But I spent a huge amount of time reading this book laughing. The banter in The Rogue Not Taken is absolutely riveting.
I genuinely like it when characters' motivations lean into "I am punishing you because that will hurt me and I do not deserve happiness" I am not sure what this tendency says about me but this is King and I loved it. I also happen to love a heroine who both lacks confidence and is reckless. I just think this combination works weirdly well. Also, Sophie can shame spiral with the best of them and that is incredibly relatable and heartbreaking.
Throughout this book, MacLean writes many apologies and that is my very favorite thing to read. There are little ones in the beginning, and as the fights and occasional misunderstandings (and purposeful misunderstanding due to wishes to punish one's self) get bigger then apologies follow suit. There is also a two-page argument that I loved reading.
I was a tad unsure what to rate this book, but ratings are for computers/algorithms and I think I laid out my feelings well enough here. I am fine with the computer having an unambiguous five, even if I wanted a touch more from the end.
I am so excited to continue this series and MacLean's books in general. I am excited about the seemingly fat hero in the next book, and I am excited to have my heart raked over the coals in Seraphina's book.
I in no way think the end of the book was bad, I just think it needed a bit of room to breathe. The reader (or at least this reader) needed a little bit more time to wallow in the sadness of everyone being mad at each other before everything was concluded. This book was so high action that I just wanted some time at the end to really marinate in the angst before happiness arrived.
But I did truly have the most fabulous time reading this book. I cried a touch, which is always great. But I spent a huge amount of time reading this book laughing. The banter in The Rogue Not Taken is absolutely riveting.
I genuinely like it when characters' motivations lean into "I am punishing you because that will hurt me and I do not deserve happiness" I am not sure what this tendency says about me but this is King and I loved it. I also happen to love a heroine who both lacks confidence and is reckless. I just think this combination works weirdly well. Also, Sophie can shame spiral with the best of them and that is incredibly relatable and heartbreaking.
Throughout this book, MacLean writes many apologies and that is my very favorite thing to read. There are little ones in the beginning, and as the fights and occasional misunderstandings (and purposeful misunderstanding due to wishes to punish one's self) get bigger then apologies follow suit. There is also a two-page argument that I loved reading.
I was a tad unsure what to rate this book, but ratings are for computers/algorithms and I think I laid out my feelings well enough here. I am fine with the computer having an unambiguous five, even if I wanted a touch more from the end.
I am so excited to continue this series and MacLean's books in general. I am excited about the seemingly fat hero in the next book, and I am excited to have my heart raked over the coals in Seraphina's book.
Never Judge a Lady by Her Cover by Sarah MacLean
4.0
Never Judge a Lady by Her Cover is the last book in this historical romance series. I thought this was a really good conclusion to the overall series. I can in no way recommend reading this review if you have not read the previous three novels.
I really loved the characters of this book. Georgiana is an excellent heroine, I really like the way her character explored the power women could have in this time period and how that power could only rally exist when the men in these women's lives allowed it. She is also dealing with being socially ostracized for having a child before she is married. Her relationship with her daughter is really sweet and I think the amount of page time the kid has is very appropriate for the romance to be to focal point while not treating this girl as unimportant. The hero is my favorite of this series. He is MacLean's first foray out of the aristocracy, though he is a powerful rich person.
We begin this book knowing Georgiana's secret but Duncan does not know. I do think that the book took too long before Duncan figured out the secret which made the middle drag a little bit. It seemed unrealistic that it would take this man this long to put these pieces together, but also it did effect to emotional arc of this story. I though the beginning and the end were great but the middle was a little flat. But truly, I was obsessed with this ending.
Reading this having read Bombshell already I can see a lot of similarities between these two books. MacLean handled similar character dynamics in both books.
I really loved the characters of this book. Georgiana is an excellent heroine, I really like the way her character explored the power women could have in this time period and how that power could only rally exist when the men in these women's lives allowed it. She is also dealing with being socially ostracized for having a child before she is married. Her relationship with her daughter is really sweet and I think the amount of page time the kid has is very appropriate for the romance to be to focal point while not treating this girl as unimportant. The hero is my favorite of this series. He is MacLean's first foray out of the aristocracy, though he is a powerful rich person.
We begin this book knowing Georgiana's secret but Duncan does not know. I do think that the book took too long before Duncan figured out the secret which made the middle drag a little bit. It seemed unrealistic that it would take this man this long to put these pieces together, but also it did effect to emotional arc of this story. I though the beginning and the end were great but the middle was a little flat. But truly, I was obsessed with this ending.
Reading this having read Bombshell already I can see a lot of similarities between these two books. MacLean handled similar character dynamics in both books.
No Good Duke Goes Unpunished by Sarah MacLean
4.0
I've taken too much time to write this review, I typically like to write much closer to when I actually finished the book.
This is the third installment in MacLean's Rules of Scoundrels series. We are following Temple, the Killer Duke, who got that moniker when he unknowingly went home with his father's bride-to-be (who was several years Temple's junior) and woke up next to a pool of her blood with no memory of the evening. That girl, Mara, has spent the last ten years using an assumed name and now is living and working in London. She suddenly has need for money that requires her to reveal herself to Temple. Temple is equal parts relieved to finally know he didn't commit murder, and furious to have been set up (as well as being furious with Mara's current actions).
I really liked a lot about this book. I think Mara, and heroines like her, get a lot of really unfair criticism. In this very series, one of the male leads literally kidnaps his romantic interest, on like page 50, and people seem to mostly like him just fine. But a woman does one thing that is bad (admittedly it is quite bad) but does not have ill intent, is shown to have been backed into a legitimately terrifying corner, and clearly has remorse and is largely hated (if GoodReads reviews are indicative of sentiment). It is so frustrating that so many romance readers require the women in their books to behave perfectly at all times. It genuinely makes books worse if only men can behave poorly. Romance needs interpersonal conflict, that will sometimes need to come from a woman's actions. I wish people who didn't want 'unlikable heroines' would examine their internalized misogyny and that the threshold for unlikable wasn't so incredibly low.
I needed that rant out of the way because my biggest issue with this book was I thought Mara was too kind. I really liked the exploration of guilt and shame that Mara went through. But I so wish that Mara had been living a life of adventure and not a life of service. She literally had been running an orphanage and living incredibly frugally and taking care of her younger brother's emotional wellbeing. She has largely been an ideal selfless woman. I wanted her to have been unabashedly selfish.
I felt like if the gender roles had been reversed the 'murdered' male character would have had a journey around selfishness in a way I would have found fascinating, and I really wanted that from Mara. But the more you actually learn about Mara the more selfless and traditionally feminine she becomes. Which is fine, I just get a little frustrated that this is so ubiquitous in the genre. Even when the plot would be perfect for a truly 'unlikeable' woman. A woman who I would love by the way. Truly this series has deeply explored men who have all made truly bad choices at some point in their lives, but they are redeemed through their pursuit of love and happiness and I really would have loved it if the same could have been true for the women of this story.
But aside from that point of frustration I really enjoyed my time reading this book. I lost some momentum reading because of this, but on the whole, I think the book was paced really well. I liked the speed at which Mara's inner life was revealed to both the reader and Temple. I liked the conflict between revenge and happiness, I tend to be a sucker for a conflict that pits the past against the future. I thought there were a good amount of cameos from our previous couples. I really liked the big reveal we got at the end, I am so bummed I accidentally spoiled myself for it (I read the back of book four not realizing that a HUGE spoiler would be present).
I shall continue on my Sarah MacLean journey quite happily!
This is the third installment in MacLean's Rules of Scoundrels series. We are following Temple, the Killer Duke, who got that moniker when he unknowingly went home with his father's bride-to-be (who was several years Temple's junior) and woke up next to a pool of her blood with no memory of the evening. That girl, Mara, has spent the last ten years using an assumed name and now is living and working in London. She suddenly has need for money that requires her to reveal herself to Temple. Temple is equal parts relieved to finally know he didn't commit murder, and furious to have been set up (as well as being furious with Mara's current actions).
I really liked a lot about this book. I think Mara, and heroines like her, get a lot of really unfair criticism. In this very series, one of the male leads literally kidnaps his romantic interest, on like page 50, and people seem to mostly like him just fine. But a woman does one thing that is bad (admittedly it is quite bad) but does not have ill intent, is shown to have been backed into a legitimately terrifying corner, and clearly has remorse and is largely hated (if GoodReads reviews are indicative of sentiment). It is so frustrating that so many romance readers require the women in their books to behave perfectly at all times. It genuinely makes books worse if only men can behave poorly. Romance needs interpersonal conflict, that will sometimes need to come from a woman's actions. I wish people who didn't want 'unlikable heroines' would examine their internalized misogyny and that the threshold for unlikable wasn't so incredibly low.
I needed that rant out of the way because my biggest issue with this book was I thought Mara was too kind. I really liked the exploration of guilt and shame that Mara went through. But I so wish that Mara had been living a life of adventure and not a life of service. She literally had been running an orphanage and living incredibly frugally and taking care of her younger brother's emotional wellbeing. She has largely been an ideal selfless woman. I wanted her to have been unabashedly selfish.
I felt like if the gender roles had been reversed the 'murdered' male character would have had a journey around selfishness in a way I would have found fascinating, and I really wanted that from Mara. But the more you actually learn about Mara the more selfless and traditionally feminine she becomes. Which is fine, I just get a little frustrated that this is so ubiquitous in the genre. Even when the plot would be perfect for a truly 'unlikeable' woman. A woman who I would love by the way. Truly this series has deeply explored men who have all made truly bad choices at some point in their lives, but they are redeemed through their pursuit of love and happiness and I really would have loved it if the same could have been true for the women of this story.
But aside from that point of frustration I really enjoyed my time reading this book. I lost some momentum reading because of this, but on the whole, I think the book was paced really well. I liked the speed at which Mara's inner life was revealed to both the reader and Temple. I liked the conflict between revenge and happiness, I tend to be a sucker for a conflict that pits the past against the future. I thought there were a good amount of cameos from our previous couples. I really liked the big reveal we got at the end, I am so bummed I accidentally spoiled myself for it (I read the back of book four not realizing that a HUGE spoiler would be present).
I shall continue on my Sarah MacLean journey quite happily!
One Good Earl Deserves a Lover by Sarah MacLean
4.0
I just like Sarah MacLean so much. This lady makes me happy, also she makes me cry.
This book follows Lady Philippa Marbry, Pippa, who is very worried about her upcoming marriage to a lovely man with who she has no connection. In her nervousness, she goes to Cross at his gaming hell and propositions him as a sort of tutor as she has realized other ladies she knows seemed ahead of her. Cross holds himself apart from London society because of his own failings in the past, Pippa shows up in his life and sets him on a path that entangles him in his past life.
It is now many months later and I am finally filling out this review properly. I took notes while reading but I am properly synthesizing this into a proper reaction to this book.
It is really interesting that so many historical romances include 'odd' characters in a way that is not nearly as common with books that are set in the current day. These characters are typically coded as autistic or ADHD or dealing with another neurodivergence and/or mental illness. Pippa in this book is clearly coded as autistic and maybe as having anxiety. I think that Pippa is handled really respectfully and is treated like a whole person. I really loved the way she was written.
I absolutely love a secret. This book does an excellent job with secrets. Past me didn't expand on this but I do remember being very into the way secrets were handled in this book.
The best part of a romance novel for me is how they handle tension. I thought the first 3/4 of this book was excellent with tension, but it fell off for me a tad in the end, but could be because I was really tired while reading it. I did think the emotional core of this story was really consistent and this book absolutely worked for me in that realm. I laughed, I cried, I swooned.
Something I particularly loved about this book, and really about many Sarah MacLean books, is the way MacLean writes other romantic options. The other potential man and other potential woman are great and kind and sympathetic. I really love that these two characters are portrayed positively, they are just not compatible with our main characters. I particularly love the man, I truly want him to have a happy wonderful life. I love him.
I continue to have a ball reading Sarah MacLean's backlog.
This book follows Lady Philippa Marbry, Pippa, who is very worried about her upcoming marriage to a lovely man with who she has no connection. In her nervousness, she goes to Cross at his gaming hell and propositions him as a sort of tutor as she has realized other ladies she knows seemed ahead of her. Cross holds himself apart from London society because of his own failings in the past, Pippa shows up in his life and sets him on a path that entangles him in his past life.
It is now many months later and I am finally filling out this review properly. I took notes while reading but I am properly synthesizing this into a proper reaction to this book.
It is really interesting that so many historical romances include 'odd' characters in a way that is not nearly as common with books that are set in the current day. These characters are typically coded as autistic or ADHD or dealing with another neurodivergence and/or mental illness. Pippa in this book is clearly coded as autistic and maybe as having anxiety. I think that Pippa is handled really respectfully and is treated like a whole person. I really loved the way she was written.
I absolutely love a secret. This book does an excellent job with secrets. Past me didn't expand on this but I do remember being very into the way secrets were handled in this book.
The best part of a romance novel for me is how they handle tension. I thought the first 3/4 of this book was excellent with tension, but it fell off for me a tad in the end, but could be because I was really tired while reading it. I did think the emotional core of this story was really consistent and this book absolutely worked for me in that realm. I laughed, I cried, I swooned.
Something I particularly loved about this book, and really about many Sarah MacLean books, is the way MacLean writes other romantic options. The other potential man and other potential woman are great and kind and sympathetic. I really love that these two characters are portrayed positively, they are just not compatible with our main characters. I particularly love the man, I truly want him to have a happy wonderful life. I love him.
I continue to have a ball reading Sarah MacLean's backlog.