chirson's review against another edition
2.0
At times laugh-out-loud funny, adorably romantic and silly, with two really adorable protagonists. Alas, I did have some problems with Arabella, and the amount of time the narrative tortures the POV character, Valentine.
If Bonny had had to admit that he'd had his own part in making a mess of things - in not speaking to his sister in a way that would make things clearer to her, in encouraging Valentine's pursuit when it was heightening tension and scaring Arabella, in pushing Valentine too far and too fast - the relationship would have felt more balanced to me. Sure, Valentine has the material advantage, but Bonny seems to have the upper hand in all other ways, and yet all the responsibility for their miscommunications, misunderstandings and conflicts seems to be laid at Valentine's inexperienced, demiromantic feet. Ehh.
Spoiler
That's largely the screwball comedy aspect at play, of course, and he does have his faults, too (albeit I'd argue his faults don't quite rise to the same level as, well, attempted murder) but I just do not like it when one of the romantic partners has to do all the changing and the other one is basically fine the way he is - and the fact that Valentine's biases seem to tie into his aspec identity makes it all the more unpleasant. It's unfair to have Bonny have none of his age's biases. He's given too much of a narrative advantage.If Bonny had had to admit that he'd had his own part in making a mess of things - in not speaking to his sister in a way that would make things clearer to her, in encouraging Valentine's pursuit when it was heightening tension and scaring Arabella, in pushing Valentine too far and too fast - the relationship would have felt more balanced to me. Sure, Valentine has the material advantage, but Bonny seems to have the upper hand in all other ways, and yet all the responsibility for their miscommunications, misunderstandings and conflicts seems to be laid at Valentine's inexperienced, demiromantic feet. Ehh.
daffodill37's review against another edition
(Audio)
I'm having a hard time coming up with a star rating on this one. On one hand Hall's trademark witty banter and humor was on point in the beginning of the book and I enjoyed seeing our characters fall for eachother. I enjoyed it enough that I finished it in one day.
On the other hand, the humor juxtaposed with the emotional parts and the sex scenes were... out of place? I read plenty of smut, I'm not bothered by that in the least, it just didn't fit.
I absolutely hated Belle. She is unhinged and unlikable. However, Peggy sounds lovely and like a lot of fun. I'm looking forward to seeing her in the next installment.
Soo... I dunno...?? 3 stars??
I'm having a hard time coming up with a star rating on this one. On one hand Hall's trademark witty banter and humor was on point in the beginning of the book and I enjoyed seeing our characters fall for eachother. I enjoyed it enough that I finished it in one day.
On the other hand, the humor juxtaposed with the emotional parts and the sex scenes were... out of place? I read plenty of smut, I'm not bothered by that in the least, it just didn't fit.
I absolutely hated Belle. She is unhinged and unlikable. However, Peggy sounds lovely and like a lot of fun. I'm looking forward to seeing her in the next installment.
Soo... I dunno...?? 3 stars??
caitlin829's review against another edition
DNF @ 40%
Valentine deserves better. The tale starts off amusing and with some fun banter, but the twins treat Valentine like a prop instead of a person, to the point of abusing him emotionally and physically.
Valentine deserves better. The tale starts off amusing and with some fun banter, but the twins treat Valentine like a prop instead of a person, to the point of abusing him emotionally and physically.
megbert581's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
ampersandcats's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
swordjaw's review against another edition
Found out it was not the time for a regency romance for me! Would love to come back to this one.
ghostmomxoxo's review against another edition
3.0
I will read just about anything that Alexis Hall writes, and this one is no exception. But MY GOD every character in this book was so awful to Valentine. It actually brought down my rating from 4 to 3 because I felt he was treated so poorly at every turn in the story. I was SOOOOO upset when Arabella shot him; I actually had to put the book down and walk away from it for a bit.
The good parts were good, though! I loved seeing Valentine grow as a person, and his journey exploring his sexuality and opening up to others was really sweet. I also thought the relationship between him and Bonny was beautiful. And the smut (as usual, this is an Alexis Hall classic we’re talking about) was 100000/10.
The good parts were good, though! I loved seeing Valentine grow as a person, and his journey exploring his sexuality and opening up to others was really sweet. I also thought the relationship between him and Bonny was beautiful. And the smut (as usual, this is an Alexis Hall classic we’re talking about) was 100000/10.
rory11's review against another edition
2.0
This was...disappointing. I've loved other books by Alexis Hall, and I will continue to read them. But this book just fell flat. The main characters didn't seem to have much chemistry and other characters we just so over the top that it was not believable at all. I did enjoy getting glimpses of Peggy and I'm hoping they feature heavily in the next book. Peggy--and the entirety of the supporting cast, all of whom are queer, is why this book is rated 2 stars rather than 1.
scarroll178's review against another edition
emotional
lighthearted
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? Yes
2.5
This book somehow manages to be as boring as it is ridiculous. Truly a feat of literary idiocy. The entire plot could have been avoided if the characters had used common sense. Bonny’s sister is a caricature of a young woman from this time period. The only enjoyable parts were the smut.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gun violence