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cekisha's review against another edition
2.0
The only thing I liked about this book is the heroine's wish to become more independent and respected. Unfortunately, her husband Savage (illegaly married at age of four), does everything to prevent her from fulfilling her dreams on the stage. And of course, he forces himself into her life, takes her virginity etc. Only at the end he realizes that he mustn't destroy her hopes of having a career and married life at the same time, which was impossible for that period. The character who I'm looking forward to is certainly Logan Scott, I can't wait for his part!
sarahnreads's review against another edition
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
lexicon5's review against another edition
2.75
Meh. I didn’t like how domineering the main guy and the conflict over acting was weird
helenkadetroika's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
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
2.0
Not one of my favorites.
fdarlene491's review against another edition
2.0
Not very good. Julia/Jessica is a pain. I get she wants to act but come on, her drama queen antics was annoying. Damon is not my idea of a romantic hero. His mistress being in the middle of the relationship is a bit strange. She's a widow but apparently a whore who has protectors? I get the gifts but a line of credit at stores? That's a mistress not a respectable, kinda, widow. She's annoying too. The arranged marriage was the most believable part of the story. Kids being engaged or even married by their parents happened so I wasn't shocked. I will admit to skipping sections of the story just because it was a boring rehash of their drama. The next book was much better, Logan Scott was more interesting.
dayoldtea's review against another edition
The hero, Damon, has several red flags for being physically and emotionally abusive as a partner. There's little chemistry between the leads beyond insta-love and sexual tension. Almost every sex scene comes off as coercive, including a scene Spoilerafter the hero literally kidnaps Julia, the heroine; she tells him to stop multiple times, and he still molests her to the point of pain while she's tied up. At another point, the "hero" Spoilercorners her, naked, in a public bathhouse and refuses to leave despite being asked multiple times, forcing her into a compromising position. Upon receiving bad news, Damon Spoilerthrows a glass of alcohol at his brother, the messenger; Damon's violence against other parties (e.g. Spoiler the two lords who attempt to rape Julia) is written about in a way that alarms and repulses the heroine for good reason. The conclusion of the work feels rushed and disjointed because it's completely out of character for an abusive man to compromise to allow for a HEA that fulfills both the hero and heroine's needs. In real life, Damon might play nice and fake compromise, but as soon as Julia was married to him and legally his property, she'd be locked up on his estate and her acting career would be over. He'd be beating her within a year.
The hero's actions are justified with the old romance novel trope that the heroine ultimately enjoyed it, which retroactively justifies the boundary violations and violent, abusive behavior. The hero quite literally pulls stunts that I've seen villains doing in other books, and it's not a good look. I'm not even going to get into the plot line involving the hero's mistress who he dumps shortly after becoming involved with the heroine (the way "hero" speaks about "paying for access to her body," that access being "overpriced," and him "owing her nothing more" -- yikes yikes yikes yikes yikes!!!).
This was a very disappointing read since I've very much enjoyed recent releases from Lisa Kleypas, but it seems like her books from the '90s and early 2000s are just.... incredibly steeped in rape culture and male leads that exhibit classic warning signs for abusers. This one was extreme enough that I felt the need to review and save someone else's time.
Stick to Kleypas' Ravenel series (first book: [b:Cold-Hearted Rake|24431358|Cold-Hearted Rake (The Ravenels, #1)|Lisa Kleypas|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1431563998l/24431358._SY75_.jpg|43110668]).
For more information, read Lundy Bancroft's [b:Why Does He Do That?: Inside the Minds of Angry and Controlling Men|224552|Why Does He Do That? Inside the Minds of Angry and Controlling Men|Lundy Bancroft|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1479651155l/224552._SX50_.jpg|217475].
Content warnings (other than the above flags for a trash relationship between the leads): Spoilerattempted rape of heroine, aggressive unwanted sexual attention/sexual assault of the hero's brother, misogynistic discussions of women's bodies and paying for sex, abusive parents (one of the blowhard can-never-be-wrong types with an enabling wife, and one who's a compulsive gambler), parental alienation, typical alcohol use, pregnancy ending
The hero's actions are justified with the old romance novel trope that the heroine ultimately enjoyed it, which retroactively justifies the boundary violations and violent, abusive behavior. The hero quite literally pulls stunts that I've seen villains doing in other books, and it's not a good look. I'm not even going to get into the plot line involving the hero's mistress who he dumps shortly after becoming involved with the heroine (the way "hero" speaks about "paying for access to her body," that access being "overpriced," and him "owing her nothing more" -- yikes yikes yikes yikes yikes!!!).
This was a very disappointing read since I've very much enjoyed recent releases from Lisa Kleypas, but it seems like her books from the '90s and early 2000s are just.... incredibly steeped in rape culture and male leads that exhibit classic warning signs for abusers. This one was extreme enough that I felt the need to review and save someone else's time.
Stick to Kleypas' Ravenel series (first book: [b:Cold-Hearted Rake|24431358|Cold-Hearted Rake (The Ravenels, #1)|Lisa Kleypas|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1431563998l/24431358._SY75_.jpg|43110668]).
For more information, read Lundy Bancroft's [b:Why Does He Do That?: Inside the Minds of Angry and Controlling Men|224552|Why Does He Do That? Inside the Minds of Angry and Controlling Men|Lundy Bancroft|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1479651155l/224552._SX50_.jpg|217475].
Content warnings (other than the above flags for a trash relationship between the leads): Spoilerattempted rape of heroine, aggressive unwanted sexual attention/sexual assault of the hero's brother, misogynistic discussions of women's bodies and paying for sex, abusive parents (one of the blowhard can-never-be-wrong types with an enabling wife, and one who's a compulsive gambler), parental alienation, typical alcohol use, pregnancy ending
afoolsingenuity's review against another edition
medium-paced
2.5
I could see glimpses of the writing I love from Lisa Kleypas but it was also obvious it was an older book as some of the events just wouldn’t work in a more modern read. Lots of a woman being rescued from rape and being almost blamed for the events happening. A kidnapping by the man we are meant to believe love her and no consequences. It just didn’t flow quite as well as some of her other books and I didn’t get quite as caught up in the romance.
coley28's review against another edition
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
sharknato's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
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
3.75