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kemikemi's review against another edition
emotional
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
I actually read Sophie Irwin’s sophomore book first, and after loving it so much, dove in to read this one. It was so fun but full of heart, and I felt so much for Kitty, who had the weight of her family’s worlds upon her shoulders and loves her sisters more than anything else. She and Radcliffe really connected so well as eldest sibling thrust into complete responsibility for their siblings much too early, and I was just waiting for Radcliffe to fucking bridge the class gap and understand the severity of Kitty’s plight and her commitment to her family!!! Irwin really has such a fun writing style and I got so sucked into the story and the setting; Eleanor Tomlinson also did such a great job as the audiobook narrator. I do wish we got a teeny bit more of the couple in the end after they got together (and with the rest of Kitty’s sisters!), but I had a fantastic time with this book and sped through it so fast because of how much I didn’t want to put it down; I’ll definitely be looking out for whatever Sophie Irwin puts out next!!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Sexism, Death of parent, Sexual harassment, and Classism
kerosenelit's review against another edition
adventurous
lighthearted
medium-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? Yes
4.0
Super cute, witty, and incredibly entertaining! Desperate to protect her sisters and their home from a mountain of debt, Kitty has just twelve weeks to find a wealthy suitor. Though Kitty's plans to obtain a fortune are certainly conniving and partially dishonest, her heavy burden and irresistibly lovable personality makes it impossible not to root for her. Seeing her cleverly infiltrate high society with her wit and charm was so much fun.
Kitty’s attempt to capture a suitor is complicated by Lord Radcliffe, the brother who quickly sees through her fortune-hunting scheme and is determined to spoil her plans. If you enjoy a torturous (maybe a little too torturous?) slow-burn romance filled with snark, this one is a delight! I loved the subtle development of their feelings, where their actions spoke louder than words, ultimately leading to the sweetest realization that they care for each other more deeply than they believed.
There's something really special about this author's writing; I've already jumped into book two!
(heat level: kissing only)
Kitty’s attempt to capture a suitor is complicated by Lord Radcliffe, the brother who quickly sees through her fortune-hunting scheme and is determined to spoil her plans. If you enjoy a torturous (maybe a little too torturous?) slow-burn romance filled with snark, this one is a delight! I loved the subtle development of their feelings, where their actions spoke louder than words, ultimately leading to the sweetest realization that they care for each other more deeply than they believed.
There's something really special about this author's writing; I've already jumped into book two!
(heat level: kissing only)
Content Warnings
Minor: Grief and Death of parent
wandering_seal's review against another edition
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
I really enjoyed this - fluffy romance goodness. I like a FMC who's in on the game and this really delivered that. If I had been expecting more from this book is have been disappointed at the fairly surface level it dealt with PTSD, but for what I wanted it was absolutely perfect. I listened to it on audiobook and would thoroughly recommend it.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death of parent and Alcohol
Minor: War
aqtbenz's review against another edition
emotional
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? Yes
4.5
Content Warnings
Minor: Addiction and Death of parent
nicolecurlsuptoread's review against another edition
funny
hopeful
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? Yes
4.0
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ • 🌶️
📌 You’ll dig this if you like
» Regency romance
» Pride and Prejudice retellings
» Clean, slow burns
» Opposites attract
» Enemies to lovers
It took me a minute to recognise this was a P&P retelling but as soon as I did, I was happy to see the similarities but also how the story departed from the original with some imaginative twists.
Kitty plays the part of Lizzy and Mrs. Bennet brilliantly. She is clever and witty like Lizzy, while employing the same laser focus as Mrs. Bennet toward securing a wealthy match. She’s more mindful than Mrs. Bennet, taking great pains to avoid missteps and faux pas.
Kitty’s parents died in quick succession, leaving her and her four younger sisters in significant debt, with nothing but their home as inheritance. Unfortunately, it won’t be enough and there’s no way out except through securing an advantageous marriage.
Radcliffe is an excellent Darcy, with a keen eye to recognise Kitty’s aim immediately. She gets under his skin, and they slowly become more to each other than either are ready to accept.
I thoroughly enjoyed listening to this and loved Eleanor Tomlinson’s narration. She voiced multiple characters well and it was easy to understand who was speaking.
Highly recommended for a lighthearted, feel-good read! ♡
📌 What stood out
» Kitty quickly reads what people want and need from her and adapts her behaviour and responses to suit. In some cases, with brilliant accuracy! There were several cases when I thought, “Well played, Kitty.” 👏
» I liked Kitty’s resourcefulness by roping Radcliffe into her scheme with as few f*cks given as possible to propriety.
📌 Moments
» Radcliffe doesn’t tell her anything most ardently, but his declaration is still totally Darcy-level swoon-worthy.
🚫 Contains mentions of war and death, death of parents by illness, gambling addiction. Please check warnings.
📌 You’ll dig this if you like
» Regency romance
» Pride and Prejudice retellings
» Clean, slow burns
» Opposites attract
» Enemies to lovers
It took me a minute to recognise this was a P&P retelling but as soon as I did, I was happy to see the similarities but also how the story departed from the original with some imaginative twists.
Kitty plays the part of Lizzy and Mrs. Bennet brilliantly. She is clever and witty like Lizzy, while employing the same laser focus as Mrs. Bennet toward securing a wealthy match. She’s more mindful than Mrs. Bennet, taking great pains to avoid missteps and faux pas.
Kitty’s parents died in quick succession, leaving her and her four younger sisters in significant debt, with nothing but their home as inheritance. Unfortunately, it won’t be enough and there’s no way out except through securing an advantageous marriage.
Radcliffe is an excellent Darcy, with a keen eye to recognise Kitty’s aim immediately. She gets under his skin, and they slowly become more to each other than either are ready to accept.
I thoroughly enjoyed listening to this and loved Eleanor Tomlinson’s narration. She voiced multiple characters well and it was easy to understand who was speaking.
Highly recommended for a lighthearted, feel-good read! ♡
📌 What stood out
» Kitty quickly reads what people want and need from her and adapts her behaviour and responses to suit. In some cases, with brilliant accuracy! There were several cases when I thought, “Well played, Kitty.” 👏
» I liked Kitty’s resourcefulness by roping Radcliffe into her scheme with as few f*cks given as possible to propriety.
📌 Moments
» Radcliffe doesn’t tell her anything most ardently, but his declaration is still totally Darcy-level swoon-worthy.
🚫 Contains mentions of war and death, death of parents by illness, gambling addiction. Please check warnings.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death, Death of parent, and War
atamano's review against another edition
emotional
funny
lighthearted
slow-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? Yes
2.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Classism
Moderate: Sexism, Death of parent, and War
Minor: Death
amy_in_the_city's review against another edition
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
The plot for this was interesting and there were so many funny lines throughout. Unfortunately, I thought the character and relationship development fell short. There were some interesting aspects of the characters that the book never go to really explore. The main plot, where the FMC has to spend a lot of time with various other suitors to try to secure a proposal, took up so much time that it didn't allow much room for the actual romance to be developed. I found the abrupt changes in POV, sometimes in mid-paragraph, to be quite jarring and strange. The characters in this book are in their mid-20s but for some reason, they read as late teens or early 20s to me. I still enjoyed the book overall, but I wish I could have felt more strongly about the main relationship.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Misogyny, Sexism, Grief, Death of parent, and Classism
Moderate: Drug use, Panic attacks/disorders, Alcohol, and War
Minor: Sexual assault
sh543's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
reflective
slow-paced
- 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
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Deadnaming, Forced institutionalization, and Death of parent
elliefardell's review against another edition
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
4.5
Content Warnings
Moderate: Grief and Death of parent
cassiealexandra's review against another edition
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
4.5
“What?” you’re saying in surprise. So am I. If you know me or have followed my reading in the last couple of years, you know that modern regency romance is not my genre of choice. I admit I haven’t given it much of a chance, feeling protective over my love of Jane Austen and the like. (But I enjoy period dramas on television, so why my hesitation about historical romance?)
In any case, this is my second regency romance written in the modern age. The first didn’t hit for me, but instead of giving up, I asked for recommendations. This one delivered!
The bottom line: This was a lighthearted romance full of humor and hi-jinks, restrained desire, and a look at social status.
Here’s what I enjoyed: the interactions between Kitty and Radcliffe/James were humorous and made me smile and chuckle. They could see right through each other and somehow felt seen because of it. The painful backstories of K and J fleshed out their characters but were not presented with extreme heaviness. This stands at the airy end of my fluffy to dense scale, but that’s exactly what I need sometimes. I’m not sure if “matchmaker/dating coach” is a trope, but if it is, I’m in. This had a Pygmalion/My Fair Lady aspect where James helps (even if he’s blackmailed and coerced into doing so) Kitty pass in society as above her class. I loved that it was only with each other that they could drop the mask. Both of them are changed in the process.
The restrained desire was PERFECT when it came to stolen glances, gazes across ballrooms, that scene when Kitty is so flustered she can’t get her gloves off and James slowly unbuttons them for her! (equivalent of the 2005 P&P Darcy hand flex imho), and the final waltz.
My frustration, and it’s a tiny one, is that this same restraint applied also to the characters’ third-person thoughts. Kitty and James wouldn’t trifle with the idea of catching feelings, so I was left wanting more admission and less denial on page. Because so little was expressed, not to each other but to themselves, about their developing feelings, the ending felt a little abrupt to me.
When my main complaint has to do with wanting more from the ending/epilogue, I know it was a book I overall enjoyed.
— NOTES —
Genres: regency/historical romance
POV: third-person
Content: past war; past death of parents
Romance: kissing
— MY RATING CONSIDERATIONS —
(all out of 5)
Pace: 4
Enjoyment: 5
Craft: 4
My Gut Feeling: 5
Total Stars: 4.5
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death of parent and War