Scan barcode
balletbookworm's review against another edition
4.0
A darker book than the previous Wallflower and Writing Girls series' installments. Between Prue and John they make for a much different heroine/hero pairing than expected. I quite enjoyed this one.
tessanne's review against another edition
3.0
I’d read the first two books in this series awhile back and didn’t like them enough to read the third. Recently, I heard this book recommended in multiple different places so figured I’d give it a shot, not even realizing that it was That Series I Never Finished until I recognized some of the names a bit into this book.
There were some odd flashbacks—at the end of only a few chapters—on John’s part that did not seem to add anything to the story and were, quite frankly, extremely confusing. There were also some extremely odd word choices throughout and I’m still trying to figure out if they were intentional or just the wrong word was chosen. That was distracting.
I didn’t find the characters compelling at all, though the subject matter was handled quite well. Certain things did happen a bit quickly, but then it kind of had to in a book of this length, so I was okay with that. I appreciated John’s sensitivity toward Prue, but found his falling in love with her completely unbelievable, when it happened.
I was very amused at the scene at Lady Penelope’s ball. Not something that seemed safe or sane, but thinking of the people’s faces in such a situation was immensely satisfying.
I’m not sure this author is for me.
3 stars for deft handling of trauma.
There were some odd flashbacks—at the end of only a few chapters—on John’s part that did not seem to add anything to the story and were, quite frankly, extremely confusing. There were also some extremely odd word choices throughout and I’m still trying to figure out if they were intentional or just the wrong word was chosen. That was distracting.
I didn’t find the characters compelling at all, though the subject matter was handled quite well. Certain things did happen a bit quickly, but then it kind of had to in a book of this length, so I was okay with that. I appreciated John’s sensitivity toward Prue, but found his falling in love with her completely unbelievable, when it happened.
I was very amused at the scene at Lady Penelope’s ball. Not something that seemed safe or sane, but thinking of the people’s faces in such a situation was immensely satisfying.
I’m not sure this author is for me.
3 stars for deft handling of trauma.
magdaprzybylska's review against another edition
5.0
My favourite book in the series. TW for sexual assault, although I think it was well handled, very respectfully. John is such a great character and so is Prudence! I really believed they loved each other very much, and in the romance - it's all that matters.
language_loving_amateur's review against another edition
3.5
Good but dark. The characters were complex, and I really rooted for them. I think that the way Prudence's trauma was shown is more realistic than is usually found in romance novels. Her recovery is not instantaneous, and John is very careful about getting consent. There are some flash-forwards that at the end of some chapters that are not clear when they occur which were an interruption and only added confusion
Content Warnings
Graphic: Rape
caterina_1212's review against another edition
hopeful
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
A guy gets kneed in the groin at a Regency ball? I'm here for it! The flashbacks were hard to follow and it didn't make me laugh out loud like a Kleypas romance but I enjoyed it.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Rape
Moderate: Sexism, Violence, and Sexual harassment
msmattoon's review against another edition
3.0
I did not see the unmasking of the hero as a fraud coming, although I should have.
dterise's review against another edition
3.0
Trigger warning: the book shares explicit scenes of the h being raped.
ulrikedg's review
1.0
Such potential, so poorly executed. First, obvious CW: sexual assault.
I enjoyed the first two books in this series, but this one just did not stand up. The time jumps were hard to follow, but, worse, the plot did not make sense. Let's assume for a minute that the hidden identity wasn't even an issue. How did they think the fake marriage was going to play out? If they told everyone at the party that they were married, what happens tomorrow or next week when everyone finds out they're NOT? Prudence's reputation is totally ruined. The school record is still broken, and the lie makes the school/mistress look bad. It's unlikely that Prudence's friends' husbands are going to want to go into business with a man who would lie about something like that. It all falls apart as soon as the party ends, and things are worse than if they hadn't lied!
Audiobook narrator Carolyn Morris does a perfectly respectable job and does not deserve to be associated with this total mess of a book.
DNF @ 41%.
I enjoyed the first two books in this series, but this one just did not stand up. The time jumps were hard to follow, but, worse, the plot did not make sense. Let's assume for a minute that the hidden identity wasn't even an issue. How did they think the fake marriage was going to play out? If they told everyone at the party that they were married, what happens tomorrow or next week when everyone finds out they're NOT? Prudence's reputation is totally ruined. The school record is still broken, and the lie makes the school/mistress look bad. It's unlikely that Prudence's friends' husbands are going to want to go into business with a man who would lie about something like that. It all falls apart as soon as the party ends, and things are worse than if they hadn't lied!
Audiobook narrator Carolyn Morris does a perfectly respectable job and does not deserve to be associated with this total mess of a book.
DNF @ 41%.
mischlama's review against another edition
4.0
Das Ende war etwas schnell, dafür das davor die Geschichte sich langsam entwickelt hat.
belle18244's review against another edition
4.0
A great conclusion to the series with a topic not usually explored in romance novels.
ARC obtained through Edelweiss.
ARC obtained through Edelweiss.