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katelynnelawson's review against another edition
emotional
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? It's complicated
2.0
Bold of Lorraine to give the hero in Book 1 of a series a foot fetish…
Picked this one up because I heard Book 2 is 🔥 & still intend to read it but did not enjoy. I love the premise of a masked liaison leading to more, and I liked that Ashe is a Real Rake - problematic and fun. However, he’s more than that - he’s kind of a dick, lol. Like, I’m okay with a third act breakup, and I’m okay with a rakish hero threatening the heroine with blackmail, but not in said third act. I need character development and I don’t need it to happen in the last 10 pages only.
Also hated that the author assumes you’ve read her other bodies of work. I have read some but not all. This is Book 1 in a series, so why do I find out like, halfway through the book that the character has written a feminist treatise and everyone knows it and seemingly I should have as well?
Ashe’s obsession with photographing “perfect” legs and feet to deal with PTSD was so weird to me too. I mean, everyone deals with trauma and grief differently, but I felt like it made no sense given he wasn’t even at the scene of the accident that led to this trauma. I know therapy wasn’t around in the 1800s but damn, this is some real Mommy/Daddy Issues shit and I didn’t find it sexy or romantic at all!
This was written about a decade ago and the progressivism of the characters reads like that too. It was cringey.
Picked this one up because I heard Book 2 is 🔥 & still intend to read it but did not enjoy. I love the premise of a masked liaison leading to more, and I liked that Ashe is a Real Rake - problematic and fun. However, he’s more than that - he’s kind of a dick, lol. Like, I’m okay with a third act breakup, and I’m okay with a rakish hero threatening the heroine with blackmail, but not in said third act. I need character development and I don’t need it to happen in the last 10 pages only.
Also hated that the author assumes you’ve read her other bodies of work. I have read some but not all. This is Book 1 in a series, so why do I find out like, halfway through the book that the character has written a feminist treatise and everyone knows it and seemingly I should have as well?
Ashe’s obsession with photographing “perfect” legs and feet to deal with PTSD was so weird to me too. I mean, everyone deals with trauma and grief differently, but I felt like it made no sense given he wasn’t even at the scene of the accident that led to this trauma. I know therapy wasn’t around in the 1800s but damn, this is some real Mommy/Daddy Issues shit and I didn’t find it sexy or romantic at all!
This was written about a decade ago and the progressivism of the characters reads like that too. It was cringey.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death, Miscarriage, Misogyny, Grief, Death of parent, and Fire/Fire injury
Minor: Child abuse
blissofalife's review against another edition
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
A fun listen, I've enjoyed reading the series out of order (2, 1, 3) and feeling like I could understand some characters better for it. I liked Minerva, but her insecurity was a little grating by the end. Also not generally a fan of the "she doesn't know she's beautiful until a man can show her she actually is" plot, but it's to be expected from the genre I suppose. The writing style does get kind of redundant what with the "but he/she would never accept them because of their HORRIBLE SECRET" every other line and then the secret is like...my nose is too big behind this mask.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Misogyny, Sexism, Sexual content, Death of parent, and Fire/Fire injury
Moderate: Alcohol