Scan barcode
ruthlessreads's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.0
Bella running away from him repeatedly and refusing to even have a conversation so that they could work all this out was the thing that cinched this up (for me) as just a bad book. It's a shitty plot device and made the book last 200 pages longer than it needed to.
Finally, I've read a lot of queer romance but the flowery asshole talk was absolutely horrible and entirely too much. The only reason I would consider reading the second book is because it's about Peggy (my favorite character of the book, followed by the valet--so that should tell you something about the quality of the main characters) and I believe that Bella will get her comeuppance by the end of it.
Graphic: Gun violence, Sexual content, Medical content, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Sexism and Classism
Minor: Death of parent
anniereads221's review against another edition
4.5
Graphic: Homophobia, Sexism, Sexual content, and Violence
breadbees's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Graphic: Gun violence, Sexual content, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Bullying, Cursing, Homophobia, Misogyny, Sexism, Violence, Medical content, Medical trauma, and Classism
Minor: Panic attacks/disorders, Blood, Kidnapping, Grief, Outing, Toxic friendship, Abandonment, and Alcohol
pey333's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Death, Gun violence, Violence, Blood, Grief, and Death of parent
Minor: Sexism and Injury/Injury detail
purplepenning's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
3.5
The grumpy/sunshine combo is gold. I disagree with reviewers who felt Bonny Mr. Sunshine was overly mean to His Grace Valentine Grumpy Pants, but he was certainly in an unenviable position between his best friend and sister, His Grace, and his own, you know, precarious existence. And while a zero to 100 relationship for a demisexual main character doesn't quite work for me, I also disagree that His Grace was "just fine the way he was, oh em gee, just leave him alone already." He was not quietly content — he was miserably unaware and misguided and headed for further misery. Most of the side characters are great, though the satirized gothic heroine sister is just grating. And the plot is, well, a careening mess that's somewhat too driven by the bullying sexism of the day, anachronistic overcorrections, and aro understandings clashing with gothic dramatics, but mostly it's just a vehicle for fun shenanigans in the countryside. It's all undeniably over the top, British, queer, chaotic, funny, annoying, graphic, and sometimes genuinely touching and lovely.
Graphic: Gun violence and Sexual content
Moderate: Bullying, Confinement, Cursing, Sexism, Blood, Kidnapping, Death of parent, and Acephobia/Arophobia
Minor: Animal death, Body shaming, Fatphobia, Homophobia, Alcohol, and Classism
There are also a couple of key scenes (very sweet) that feature bees, and some brief talk/imaginings of spidersreadingelli's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Gun violence, Sexism, Death of parent, and Injury/Injury detail