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lotties_booked's review
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
Last year I read The Runaway Heiress and I loved it, so when I was feeling bereft after finishing season 3 of Bridgerton (and exhausted after reading Babel) I knew this book was just what I needed!
I wouldn’t describe myself as a romance girlie but I do thoroughly enjoy a regency romance every once in a while and this was a bit different to some of the others I read. For one, the couple actually ended up together a lot faster than I expected, and spent more time married than not.
The romance is obviously central to the plot, but there’s more to the story than that. The Silverwood’s have had a run of deaths in the family, the causes of which are unknown at the start of the book and that we begin to discover as our couple get closer. They also make up the more dramatic portion of the plot, coming to quite the crescendo in the final 100 pages!
Kate, our protagonist, is a very compelling character and a heck of a lot more forgiving than I would be in her situation! Benedict, her love interest, I took a little longer to warm to but I was still rooting for them to get their happy ever after.
Looking for something to fill the Bridgerton shaped hole in your life? Look no further than Emma Orchard!
I wouldn’t describe myself as a romance girlie but I do thoroughly enjoy a regency romance every once in a while and this was a bit different to some of the others I read. For one, the couple actually ended up together a lot faster than I expected, and spent more time married than not.
The romance is obviously central to the plot, but there’s more to the story than that. The Silverwood’s have had a run of deaths in the family, the causes of which are unknown at the start of the book and that we begin to discover as our couple get closer. They also make up the more dramatic portion of the plot, coming to quite the crescendo in the final 100 pages!
Kate, our protagonist, is a very compelling character and a heck of a lot more forgiving than I would be in her situation! Benedict, her love interest, I took a little longer to warm to but I was still rooting for them to get their happy ever after.
Looking for something to fill the Bridgerton shaped hole in your life? Look no further than Emma Orchard!
tinyfeltbirds's review
Honestly it read like a smut with little to no plot. Main characters were very, very bland. The main “trait” of the female lead is basically voluptuous passionate woman. Her main “quirk” was that she loved this man. The main “trait” of the male lead is muscular passionate man. I was excited to read it since it was compared to Heyer but Heyer it most CERTAINLY was not. The prose and dialogues kept drawing me OUT of the period the story was meant to be set in. Read if you like smut but there are PLENTY of that online. Save yourself some time and money and read Heyer or Sophie Irwin instead. So glad I borrowed this book instead of buying it.
Honestly the first 0.5/5 book of 2024. Disappointing.
Honestly the first 0.5/5 book of 2024. Disappointing.
pemberley_7's review
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
4.0
yazzyreads's review
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
taisie22's review
fast-paced
4.0
Kate and Benedict meet and dance during her first season. She falls in love with him, but he almost immediately falls for and marries another beautiful woman. Years later, they meet again when he hires Kate to tutor his young daughter in Italian. He's a widower now and doesn't remember Kate, but she is still hopelessly in love with him. With a push from his mother, Benedict ends up wooing Kate, but there's a conflict they need to deal with that takes up the last part of the story.
Like other reviewers, I thought there was too much sex in the book and insufficient story. Benedict is a bit of a jerk but overall a good guy, while Kate is intelligent and perfect for him. The daughter is fine, but I mostly liked Benedict's mother, who had some character and more of a backstory that I wanted to learn more about. Still, a good first novel.
Like other reviewers, I thought there was too much sex in the book and insufficient story. Benedict is a bit of a jerk but overall a good guy, while Kate is intelligent and perfect for him. The daughter is fine, but I mostly liked Benedict's mother, who had some character and more of a backstory that I wanted to learn more about. Still, a good first novel.
roll6d20's review
3.0
I'd like to thank Allison & Busby, the author & NetGalley for the copy of this eARC I received in exchange for a review.
I'll be honest: despite of the events being very accelerated - a sudden marriage, secrets revealed, etc- some parts of this book had me skimming through pages (full erotica chapters, long winded inner dialogue, among others) to get to the plot. I'd say the book is half story and half smut, and actual conflict happens around 70% in. Character growth is scarce (except for Sir Benedict Silverwood, to be fair) & we don't learn tons about them - Kate is smart, beautiful and in love. Benedict is brave, kind and handsome. Lucy is like an overexcited terrier. Some characters, like the Dowager, did have an interesting story to tell but had no place to do so. The antagonist and the threat were fine but it did feel like like the conflict arose and was solved a bit too quickly.
Overall I got the feeling that I'm not the target audience for this book, so maybe it's a me problem. I did like the writing and I think it's a great debut - it has a beautiful prose, a good enough pace and the characters are believable.
I don't think I'll be reading any other books by this author but I'll definitely keep this one in mind to recommend to readers who like this genre.
I'll be honest: despite of the events being very accelerated - a sudden marriage, secrets revealed, etc- some parts of this book had me skimming through pages (full erotica chapters, long winded inner dialogue, among others) to get to the plot. I'd say the book is half story and half smut, and actual conflict happens around 70% in. Character growth is scarce (except for Sir Benedict Silverwood, to be fair) & we don't learn tons about them - Kate is smart, beautiful and in love. Benedict is brave, kind and handsome. Lucy is like an overexcited terrier. Some characters, like the Dowager, did have an interesting story to tell but had no place to do so. The antagonist and the threat were fine but it did feel like like the conflict arose and was solved a bit too quickly.
Overall I got the feeling that I'm not the target audience for this book, so maybe it's a me problem. I did like the writing and I think it's a great debut - it has a beautiful prose, a good enough pace and the characters are believable.
I don't think I'll be reading any other books by this author but I'll definitely keep this one in mind to recommend to readers who like this genre.
annie_21's review
3.0
what went well: the style of writing being appropiate for the time period, the characters feeling dynamic and relaistic
even better if: we could see benedict like actually falling in love with kate because it felt just physical on his end while she was head over heels for him
even better if: we could see benedict like actually falling in love with kate because it felt just physical on his end while she was head over heels for him
kayo32's review
emotional
lighthearted
fast-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? No
3.5
mrs_hs_favourite_books's review
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
4.0
Thanks to Allison and Busby and Emma Orchard for sending me a copy of this book to review honestly.
I loved this Regency romp. Especially the last 250 pages when the plot really takes off. Kate is a brilliant, feisty and very forward-thinking Regency female character, who isn’t afraid to say what she wants. Ben is very loveable and his tragic past gives him a wonderful fragility. This book is really steamy - which I, of course, loved and I would liken it to a Bridgerton novel on the steam front. Overall, a really enjoyable read that I stormed through.
I loved this Regency romp. Especially the last 250 pages when the plot really takes off. Kate is a brilliant, feisty and very forward-thinking Regency female character, who isn’t afraid to say what she wants. Ben is very loveable and his tragic past gives him a wonderful fragility. This book is really steamy - which I, of course, loved and I would liken it to a Bridgerton novel on the steam front. Overall, a really enjoyable read that I stormed through.
bookphenomena_micky's review
inspiring
lighthearted
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
4.0
Headlines:
A relationship built on tragedy
All the longings
This debut was incredibly easy to get into, romp through and like. Kate was a humble characters with low expectations on life and she had an authenticity that brought you over to her team immediately. Her character went from lacking self-belief to a credible increasing confidence in wanting things for herself.
"What do you say...Are you brave enough, or do you mean to spend the rest of your life wondering what might have been?"
Benedict was closed off but on a mission to find a wife for lots of practical reasons. His character took longer to trust but he did show why he was worth hanging around for. Benedict's whole family were likeable, especially the Dowager and Lucy.
There was a really interesting and later developing plot line that really caught my attention. It brought focus onto some of the earlier trust and emotional issues that had arisen. The Second Lady Silverwood packed a lot of heat into the middle portion of the book and Kate was very open to whatever Benedict suggested. I'm not sure how realistic I felt this was but I tried to just roll with it. Nevertheless, I found myself here for the emotional connection and the promise of mutual affections. Overall, it was a rather pleasant read.
Thank you to Allison & Busby for the review copy.
A relationship built on tragedy
All the longings
This debut was incredibly easy to get into, romp through and like. Kate was a humble characters with low expectations on life and she had an authenticity that brought you over to her team immediately. Her character went from lacking self-belief to a credible increasing confidence in wanting things for herself.
"What do you say...Are you brave enough, or do you mean to spend the rest of your life wondering what might have been?"
Benedict was closed off but on a mission to find a wife for lots of practical reasons. His character took longer to trust but he did show why he was worth hanging around for. Benedict's whole family were likeable, especially the Dowager and Lucy.
There was a really interesting and later developing plot line that really caught my attention. It brought focus onto some of the earlier trust and emotional issues that had arisen. The Second Lady Silverwood packed a lot of heat into the middle portion of the book and Kate was very open to whatever Benedict suggested. I'm not sure how realistic I felt this was but I tried to just roll with it. Nevertheless, I found myself here for the emotional connection and the promise of mutual affections. Overall, it was a rather pleasant read.
Thank you to Allison & Busby for the review copy.