The design and UX isn't done, Rob and Abbie, okkurrrr! 😌
serialbookstarter's review against another edition
4.0
4.5 stars This was almost a 5 star read but the last 20 % the h went on and on about how she wasn’t good enough for the H. It’s obvious The Duke was crazy in love with her from the very first page of the book. I’m not a big fan of mistress trope but this book was different and I loved how obsessed Justin was with Verity.
diaryofthebookdragon's review against another edition
3.0
*** 3 stars ***
Courtesan? CHECK.
Stuffy duke who always has to have his way? CHECK.
So what did go wrong? I thought this was a perfect formula for a historical romance book. I guess I was wrong.
Don't get me wrong, the book was not bad. I gave it 3 stars - it means I liked it. But that was it. The characters behavior was a little bit weird and inconsistent with big mood swings and radical decisions. I just did not buy some of it, it did not seem natural. But I see that this is a first book that [a:Anna Campbell|296477|Anna Campbell|http://photo.goodreads.com/authors/1268676831p2/296477.jpg] wrote, and I hope that the next ones will be better. I will give her at least one more chance...
Courtesan? CHECK.
Stuffy duke who always has to have his way? CHECK.
So what did go wrong? I thought this was a perfect formula for a historical romance book. I guess I was wrong.
Don't get me wrong, the book was not bad. I gave it 3 stars - it means I liked it. But that was it. The characters behavior was a little bit weird and inconsistent with big mood swings and radical decisions. I just did not buy some of it, it did not seem natural. But I see that this is a first book that [a:Anna Campbell|296477|Anna Campbell|http://photo.goodreads.com/authors/1268676831p2/296477.jpg] wrote, and I hope that the next ones will be better. I will give her at least one more chance...
msmattoon's review against another edition
1.0
He rapes her three times, I think it was three nights in a row. So disappointing. He "loves" her though, and apologizes, so I guess she's okay with it. He saves her life from the danger she gets in by trying to escape the raping and imprisonment. Yay, he's a hero.
eslismyjam's review against another edition
1.0
I'm coming to the conclusion that I don't like old school romance. The hero was a jerk. I didn't like him, at all. Supposedly there is some redemption by the end but most of the book is just Kylemore treating Verity like crap, kidnapping her and raping her. NOT OKAY. He's a bad, bad dude. I wasn't willing to stick around until the end to see if he somehow became a nice guy, because how do you come back from kidnapping and rape? I don't know that you can. Maybe with a lot of groveling, but he didn't seem the type to grovel and I just wanted to punch him in the face.
ellie_klemm's review against another edition
challenging
dark
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
lindacbugg's review against another edition
3.0
I loved the writing but the premise had a squick factor that I just couldn't overlook so it lost 1 1/2 stars.
ccgwalt's review against another edition
2.0
2.5*
I was undecided about how to rate this book and almost gave it three stars despite the rape scene, which usually means a DNF for me. Why did it sort of work for me? Honestly, I'm not entirely sure.
Claiming the Courtesan has a very gothic feel to it, but with slightly more sympathetic characters than in many gothic novels. I can see why the book is said to be a "new" old skool (70's- 80's style) bodice ripper romance. It fits much better with the few bodice rippers I've read than most "modern" historical romances.
While I still hate the whole rape/forced seduction thing, it plays out a little better here because of Kylemore's own emotional problems and his grief and sorrow over his actions later in the book. It doesn't make it all right, but it makes it more believable for the time period. What irritated me almost as much was Verity's determination to walk away from Kylemore without telling him the real reason.
One more thing I didn't care for in the book was how on the second and third times Kylemore decides to have his way with Verity, she gets caught up in the passion despite her supposed hatred of the man. I don't like when authors make "No" mean "Yes." I simply don't believe that a woman who hates a man or is scared of him will suddenly get passionate just because of "good chemistry." Blech!
But if the whole forced sex issue was off the table, I could enjoy this somewhat melodramatic and overwritten book for exactly what it was. Plus I wanted to know what happened, dang it!
I was undecided about how to rate this book and almost gave it three stars despite the rape scene, which usually means a DNF for me. Why did it sort of work for me? Honestly, I'm not entirely sure.
Claiming the Courtesan has a very gothic feel to it, but with slightly more sympathetic characters than in many gothic novels. I can see why the book is said to be a "new" old skool (70's- 80's style) bodice ripper romance. It fits much better with the few bodice rippers I've read than most "modern" historical romances.
While I still hate the whole rape/forced seduction thing, it plays out a little better here because of Kylemore's own emotional problems and his grief and sorrow over his actions later in the book. It doesn't make it all right, but it makes it more believable for the time period. What irritated me almost as much was Verity's determination to walk away from Kylemore without telling him the real reason.
One more thing I didn't care for in the book was how on the second and third times Kylemore decides to have his way with Verity, she gets caught up in the passion despite her supposed hatred of the man. I don't like when authors make "No" mean "Yes." I simply don't believe that a woman who hates a man or is scared of him will suddenly get passionate just because of "good chemistry." Blech!
But if the whole forced sex issue was off the table, I could enjoy this somewhat melodramatic and overwritten book for exactly what it was. Plus I wanted to know what happened, dang it!
the_reader_reads_stuff's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
funny
tense
fast-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
4.5
Content Warnings
Moderate: Rape
akoala's review against another edition
The male main character sucks and is boring as hellÂ