a_ab's review against another edition
1.0
I read it to try out the new author. While the writing was good, giving me hope that I might potentially enjoy this author's other books, this story was aggravating and trite.
The hero was a self-serving irredeemable bastard, using whatever means available to get what he wants. It would take several decades of brutal life lessons to turn him into even a half-decent human being. The heroine deserved so much better, it was sad and disturbing to have her end up with him. Not to mention that the only thing that drives her to him is her repressed sexual attraction, which is the worst foundation for marriage imaginable.
It's also my personal pet peeve when it comes to writing female characters in literature: apparently women are even worse than men when to comes to letting their sex organs do the thinking for them. It's especially aggravating, when the authors set up heroines as smart and logical and then negate it all by making them spineless and brainless when confronted with a handsome face. Aside from it conflicting with my personal experience with any and all women in my acquaintance, it's also a very demeaning and misogynistic portrayal of women - one that our society and culture should be striving to do away with.
TL;DR: Writing is good, story was crap.
The hero was a self-serving irredeemable bastard, using whatever means available to get what he wants. It would take several decades of brutal life lessons to turn him into even a half-decent human being. The heroine deserved so much better, it was sad and disturbing to have her end up with him. Not to mention that the only thing that drives her to him is her repressed sexual attraction, which is the worst foundation for marriage imaginable.
It's also my personal pet peeve when it comes to writing female characters in literature: apparently women are even worse than men when to comes to letting their sex organs do the thinking for them. It's especially aggravating, when the authors set up heroines as smart and logical and then negate it all by making them spineless and brainless when confronted with a handsome face. Aside from it conflicting with my personal experience with any and all women in my acquaintance, it's also a very demeaning and misogynistic portrayal of women - one that our society and culture should be striving to do away with.
TL;DR: Writing is good, story was crap.
ashkay1001's review
4.0
I had a very pleasant time reading this story. I was put off by the hero's attitude at first, but the heroin made me stayed. It was a fun and easy read :)
wannabe_bibliothecary's review against another edition
5.0
This is a fun novella with interesting characters and depth. I'm excited to read the rest of the books in this series!
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