powersthatbe's review against another edition
4.0
More like 4.5 stars! The only reason I didn't give this 5 stars is because it does get a little shaky near the end when things start to unfold. But otherwise I loved this book. I loved the slow burn romance and I loved the main character. I slowed down reading it near the end because I didn't want it to end!
marci7's review against another edition
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
lenalovesbooks's review against another edition
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
kendre's review against another edition
funny
lighthearted
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
I absolutely loved the cleverness and sweetness of the characters while they found themselves in such a tense situation of espionage and secrets! I found the leads to be very charming and for the setting to be appealing. Most of the book had me entirely invested, until the final 30 some pages where Julianna was kidnapped; it felt very ridiculous and unnecessary to me after most of the book had no outlandish drama of the such — Spencer Northam already deeply expressed his interest in Julianna, their bond was amazingly deepened through the entire story, and Mr. Pyebald was already depicted as one hell of an asshole. So in my mind, it didn’t add anything to the story and it even totally mismatch the tone of everything that preceded it and it definitely lowered the enjoyment of a rather good book for me. It could had been a 4.5 without the kidnapping, but with it, I can only allow myself to rate it a 4, since the rest of it was especially lovely.
gracelyntamayo's review
adventurous
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
nancy_k5's review against another edition
4.0
This book is a fun and quick read. I love historical romance and this was a sweet, light and toned down version of the Adult romance novels. There are no sex scenes (not that I am opposed) and the love story between Juliana Telford and Spencer Northam is adorable. I loved Juliana’s strong personality and the way she does things her way whether society agrees or not (my kinda girl!). Spencer is charming, a good man and definitely Juliana’s knight in shining armor. I appreciated that it was a stand-alone book and leaves you with a satisfied ending.
I was hoping for a bit more suspense and mystery given the title and that is partly why I dropped it a star. Also, it takes a bit long for the story to get to the part about Spencer’s investigation and him being a spy is secondary to the story as a whole.
Overall, a fun summer read!
I was hoping for a bit more suspense and mystery given the title and that is partly why I dropped it a star. Also, it takes a bit long for the story to get to the part about Spencer’s investigation and him being a spy is secondary to the story as a whole.
Overall, a fun summer read!
sandsing7's review
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.5
milkteajeon's review against another edition
4.0
4.5; that was rather fun and cute ^^ pleasantly surprised heh, with some action as well but to be totally honest i didn't know what was going on sometimes :')
iggyebab's review against another edition
4.0
Sometimes I just want to read something fun and light with a little intrigue mixed in. This book had the feel of "The Importance of Being Earnest" in that there were some people at cross purposes pretending to be someone they are not.
I love a nineteenth century young woman who is smart and self possessed even when everyone around her is not. She is witty and charming without trying. Batting your eyelashes incessantly only gets you so far. I loved the main characters and the fact that Juliana is fascinated by insects.
It's historical fiction done right.
I love a nineteenth century young woman who is smart and self possessed even when everyone around her is not. She is witty and charming without trying. Batting your eyelashes incessantly only gets you so far. I loved the main characters and the fact that Juliana is fascinated by insects.
It's historical fiction done right.