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kearstenkeepsreading's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
This was definitely insta-love and I didn’t really feel a big connection between the two love interests, mostly just a night of hot sex and moving on with our lives. Then you find out that Elliot or Hunt is the intended husband for, Leela or Lady Devon’s stepdaughter, Tori.
The entire book it’s a will they won’t they plot where the characters love each other and tell each other so but they can’t be married for one reason or another. I felt that there was too much going on between the step daughter, the stepson being a creep, the book, Hunt’s brother, Leela’s “infertility”, Leela’s family and travels and everyone’s refusal to have an adult conversation.
First it’s Leela who refuses to acknowledge Hunt and his feelings and then gets mad when he won’t talk to her. It’s back and forth the entire book of will they or won’t they. And it got boring. Seriously the only one who acts like a damn adult is Tori and she’s seventeen!
And then there is the “infertility” plot, where we are told MANY times that she is barren or infertile and most likely can’t have kids and it’s a big reason why she won’t marry Hunt. Then it’s like jk, she’s not barren/infertile here’s their baby girl and now we are making more!
There were some great parts I loved Tori’s storyline and was more interested in her than Leela or Hunt. I also loved the look into life as a widow and how that differs from a debutant. I do want to read the rest of the series this one just wasn’t for me.
The entire book it’s a will they won’t they plot where the characters love each other and tell each other so but they can’t be married for one reason or another. I felt that there was too much going on between the step daughter, the stepson being a creep, the book, Hunt’s brother, Leela’s “infertility”, Leela’s family and travels and everyone’s refusal to have an adult conversation.
First it’s Leela who refuses to acknowledge Hunt and his feelings and then gets mad when he won’t talk to her. It’s back and forth the entire book of will they or won’t they. And it got boring. Seriously the only one who acts like a damn adult is Tori and she’s seventeen!
And then there is the “infertility” plot, where we are told MANY times that she is barren or infertile and most likely can’t have kids and it’s a big reason why she won’t marry Hunt. Then it’s like jk, she’s not barren/infertile here’s their baby girl and now we are making more!
There were some great parts I loved Tori’s storyline and was more interested in her than Leela or Hunt. I also loved the look into life as a widow and how that differs from a debutant. I do want to read the rest of the series this one just wasn’t for me.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Infertility and Gaslighting
bedtimesandbooks's review against another edition
hopeful
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? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Infertility, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexism, Sexual content, Sexual harassment, and Classism
ego21's review against another edition
emotional
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Nice read. Bit slow to get into. But a HEA.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Sexual content
kyeruhh's review against another edition
emotional
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Minor: Racism
carbs666's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.25
I really wanted to love this book because the premise was absolutely hot fire flames. Alpha Duke gets his life turned upside down by a one night stand with a mysterious woman he meets in a inn? Tale as old as time! Unfortunately, I didn't love the tone and style of the writing in this book - it felt a bit stilted in sections and in particular the sex was explicit but not sexy. The book has a lot going on and it does deploy romance tropes well, and there are some truly laugh out loud moments. But overall, I feel like I didn't get to know the MCs very well, which to me is the entire point of a romance. We heard about events in their pasts that influence their present, but we didn't have any kind of deeper exploration of their emotions around those events. I feel like this book had a lot of potential but just didn't fully deliver.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
allisonwonderlandreads's review against another edition
emotional
lighthearted
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.0
In this regency romance, instant chemistry and some dagger-waving (literally) lead to a one-night stand that's going to become inconvenient fast. Hunt is shocked when he shows up at the house of the girl he intends to court and discovers the mysterious woman from last night is Tori's stepmother, Leela. The forbidden/off-limits nature of Hunt and Leela's attraction could have resulted in a slow burn, but it was all-out pining with no sparks of escalation to keep the game afoot. I found their instalove perplexing (as usual) since the only basis is their mutual attraction and one night together. Not much conversation or shared experiences pass between them. It's mostly fights where they push each other away for various reasons.
Leela as a person? Love her. Leela desperately trying to convince Hunt and her stepdaughter, Tori, to be together? Annoying as hell. Leela's a travelogue writer, using her relative freedom as a widow to see the world and get to know her mother's Levantine homeland better. As someone with both Arab and English parents, she feels pulled in different directions and wants to connect with the roots her mother kept from her when she was alive. I ALWAYS get excited to see Arabic on the page, and I learned some excellent curse words that I shall endeavor to remember always. I should have taken notes. The book calls out racist, xenophobic, and sexist experiences Leela has, and she dares to carve out the space she wants in the world despite them. The frustrating part was her role in the romance. She's so deep in her self-inflicted suffering in pushing Hunt and Tori together that she doesn't notice her stepdaughter's affections engaged elsewhere. Leela's weirdly confident that Hunt would make Tori happy as if it's a universal skill he possesses. And while he has basic human decency, he doesn't have any characteristic so transcendent that I would buy into that level of hype about him.
As soon as the (dubious) social obstacles are removed re:Tori's engagement elsewhere, Leela and Hunt alternate who is angry and who is attempting to reconcile to keep the drama alive. May I suggest conversation rather than throwing a golf ball at someone's head? There are many scenes where someone storms off to pine in solitude.
So basically, I like Leela as a person. Hunt's meh but fundamentally ok. I was just so completely bewildered and/or frustrated by their romance almost from the start that this wasn't a good read for me. I know some people like this style of back and forth romantic temper, and I think they will appreciate the drama.
Leela as a person? Love her. Leela desperately trying to convince Hunt and her stepdaughter, Tori, to be together? Annoying as hell. Leela's a travelogue writer, using her relative freedom as a widow to see the world and get to know her mother's Levantine homeland better. As someone with both Arab and English parents, she feels pulled in different directions and wants to connect with the roots her mother kept from her when she was alive. I ALWAYS get excited to see Arabic on the page, and I learned some excellent curse words that I shall endeavor to remember always. I should have taken notes. The book calls out racist, xenophobic, and sexist experiences Leela has, and she dares to carve out the space she wants in the world despite them. The frustrating part was her role in the romance. She's so deep in her self-inflicted suffering in pushing Hunt and Tori together that she doesn't notice her stepdaughter's affections engaged elsewhere. Leela's weirdly confident that Hunt would make Tori happy as if it's a universal skill he possesses. And while he has basic human decency, he doesn't have any characteristic so transcendent that I would buy into that level of hype about him.
As soon as the (dubious) social obstacles are removed re:Tori's engagement elsewhere, Leela and Hunt alternate who is angry and who is attempting to reconcile to keep the drama alive. May I suggest conversation rather than throwing a golf ball at someone's head? There are many scenes where someone storms off to pine in solitude.
So basically, I like Leela as a person. Hunt's meh but fundamentally ok. I was just so completely bewildered and/or frustrated by their romance almost from the start that this wasn't a good read for me. I know some people like this style of back and forth romantic temper, and I think they will appreciate the drama.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Animal cruelty, Infertility, Racism, Sexism, Sexual assault, and Xenophobia
Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Racial slurs, Death of parent, and Murder
eicart_reads's review against another edition
emotional
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Attempted sexual coercion as is common in historical romances. The drunken fool gets nowhere with his threats, but it could be triggering.booksonhermind's review against another edition
A little too hot and heavy for me. I need romance to start with too.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content