dayahhreads's review against another edition
emotional
funny
inspiring
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
pinofomoh's review against another edition
emotional
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
walking_cheese's review against another edition
lighthearted
medium-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
4.0
iamliterate's review against another edition
4.0
Beatrix is and always will be my favorite Hathaway. This one was funny and had good character development for the rest of the family.
zxr's review against another edition
5.0
This book was about Poppy and Harry and my god are they a combustible match. Its made quite clear from the start that Harry is a man who is used to getting what he wants and what he wants is Poppy. The way he gets her is just like his character, ruthless, carefully planned and executed. But what he doesn't actually count on is falling for Poppy who is anything but a woman who will take things on the chin. Harry definitely meets his match in Poppy and Poppy has no problems taming the ruthless hotelier. It has everything, steamy romance, comedy, family, drama, and a lot of romance! A definite must read- this book had me laughing and crying within pages. Will definitely re read in the future when I need another dose of Lisa Kleypas's books!
aliyahs_library's review against another edition
emotional
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
wildwolverine's review against another edition
3.0
I keep waffling on what to rate this book. Somewhere between 2 and 3 stars for sure. What did I like? I loved Poppy Hathaway. She's intelligent and rambling, and she knows a lot about the most random stuff. Seriously, who knows how to decipher an astrolabe let alone build one? Not only that, but she's finally separated out from her rambunctious family beyond being the "normal" one.
I particularly enjoyed her constant rejection of the hero, even after they were married. His manipulation was reprehensible, regardless of his background, and he deserved her ire. The only thing that annoyed me was that she forgave him too easily. I could've bought an eventual redemption, but it happened in a matter of weeks. Something as devious as ruining her other marriage prospects and then practically forcing her to marry him to save her reputation should take months if not years to recover from.
Overall, the hero annoyed me. There were so many unanswered questions about him! Why does he have enemies if he just runs a hotel? Why does his hotel have secret passages? What terrible errands does his assistant perform? All I know is that Harry Rutledge builds machines, runs a hotel, was unloved as a child (but so are all of Kleypas's heroes), and is a rake (again, so is every romance hero). There's very little that's interesting about him and definitely nothing unique.
In general, Kleypas is a decent writer, but she struggles with pacing. Several of her books end 60 pages sooner than they do. The last 20 pages are always some dramatic climax that's out of place with the rest of the book and rarely adds to the romance. This isn't a spoiler if you've read any of her books because it's literally in every one. I would recommend this book if you don't like surprises and enjoy eating popcorn for dinner.
I particularly enjoyed her constant rejection of the hero, even after they were married. His manipulation was reprehensible, regardless of his background, and he deserved her ire. The only thing that annoyed me was that she forgave him too easily. I could've bought an eventual redemption, but it happened in a matter of weeks. Something as devious as ruining her other marriage prospects and then practically forcing her to marry him to save her reputation should take months if not years to recover from.
Overall, the hero annoyed me. There were so many unanswered questions about him! Why does he have enemies if he just runs a hotel? Why does his hotel have secret passages? What terrible errands does his assistant perform? All I know is that Harry Rutledge builds machines, runs a hotel, was unloved as a child (but so are all of Kleypas's heroes), and is a rake (again, so is every romance hero). There's very little that's interesting about him and definitely nothing unique.
In general, Kleypas is a decent writer, but she struggles with pacing. Several of her books end 60 pages sooner than they do. The last 20 pages are always some dramatic climax that's out of place with the rest of the book and rarely adds to the romance. This isn't a spoiler if you've read any of her books because it's literally in every one. I would recommend this book if you don't like surprises and enjoy eating popcorn for dinner.
_peri_'s review against another edition
I read a bunch of lisa kleypas books in attempt to escape thinking and I don’t remember anything about the plot or what I was even escaping so they definitely served their purpose