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ria_mhrj's review
3.0
The first half was delightful. Meg's unrequited love for Hart, his obvious AND oblivious attraction to her, Lucy's scheming, it all seemed to be brewing to great fun. And it's the classic setup of the rogue who drinks too much, beds lots of other women, and just generally seems like he is ill-suited for marriage and committing, but true love will always win out and the rake will reform. Right?
Except, I didn't fully buy it this time. There is a nastiness to Hart that made me flinch. I can understand his hesitation and fears that are driven by his own horrid parents, but there's something unnecessarily cruel about his treatment of Meg after being caught in a scandal. The way he declares that because family and love is the one thing she has dreamed of, it is something he will ensure she will never have... it's a nastiness that just made me super uncomfortable. I wanted Meg to react a lot more strongly than she did, and when she's recounting the tale to Lucy, she seems to gloss over the specifics of the cruelty, just saying he is withholding marital relations.
I sort of managed to forgive, but not quite forget, by the time of the finale, but I was hoping for a slightly more euphoric realisation that true love had been found. I still enjoy this series, but I hope the next book in the series takes us back to the highs of Sarah and Christian.
Except, I didn't fully buy it this time. There is a nastiness to Hart that made me flinch. I can understand his hesitation and fears that are driven by his own horrid parents, but there's something unnecessarily cruel about his treatment of Meg after being caught in a scandal. The way he declares that because family and love is the one thing she has dreamed of, it is something he will ensure she will never have... it's a nastiness that just made me super uncomfortable. I wanted Meg to react a lot more strongly than she did, and when she's recounting the tale to Lucy, she seems to gloss over the specifics of the cruelty, just saying he is withholding marital relations.
I sort of managed to forgive, but not quite forget, by the time of the finale, but I was hoping for a slightly more euphoric realisation that true love had been found. I still enjoy this series, but I hope the next book in the series takes us back to the highs of Sarah and Christian.
witandsin's review
3.0
2.5 stars - My review cross-posted from Wit and Sin
Meg Timmons has been in love with Viscount Hart Highgate since she was a teenager, but she knows she’ll have to take drastic measures to get his attention. Not only are their families feuding, but Meg is a penniless wallflower and not the well-connected heiress Hart’s father wants him to wed. When she hears that Hart is determined to find a bride, Meg takes the plunge and asks infamous plotter Lucy Hunt to help her capture Hart’s heart. But even the best-laid plans have a tendency to go awry…
The Right Kind of Rogue is part Romeo and Juliet, part Cinderella, but manages to feel like its own story instead of a retelling of either. I adore Valerie Bowman’s Playful Brides series and I’ve been highly anticipating Meg and Hart’s book, as heroines who are in love with their best friend’s brother is a favorite romance trope of mine. Yet while I liked this book – mostly due to Ms. Bowman’s writing style, which I enjoy – I didn’t love it like I wanted to.
Meg is a likeable heroine whose rather horrid family makes her a sympathetic heroine. She’s been infatuated with Hart for years, but though she explains why she falls in love with him, I’m not sure why she stays that way. Hart is a good man with some good qualities, but you have to get past the drinking and self-centeredness to find a hero worth rooting for. While I have no problem with a protagonist who starts out unlikeable (it gives them room to grow), Hart took way too long to finally stop being selfish and to appreciate Meg. Most frustrating of all, Hart never took an active part in his own story. Meg bends over backwards for him, and even though she makes mistakes, she tries – something Hart never does. I find stories where the hero and heroine would never have gotten together without tons of pushing from their friends to be frustrating. Which brings me to the third main character of The Right Kind of Rogue: Lucy Hunt. The Duchess of Claringdon (and the first Playful Brides heroine) feels like she has nearly as much page time as Meg and Hart. Lucy starts out as a fairy godmother type, but she turns into a veritable tornado, uncaring of the damage she causes so long as the end result is what she planned. While I like seeing past heroes and heroines pop up in a series (Sarah and Christian of The Legendary Lord were charming in this story), Lucy steals the spotlight in this book and that’s not a good thing.
While I did have some issues with The Right Kind of Rogue, I don’t want to make it sound like a bad book. Ms. Bowman’s light, effervescent style still shines and I was drawn into the story even when I wanted to shake Hart. The romance also has some sweet moments and there is definite chemistry between Meg and Hart. So while Meg and Hart’s romance wasn’t all I’d hoped it would be, I still adore Ms. Bowman’s writing and I cannot wait to read the next Playful Brides book.
FTC Disclosure: I received this book for free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
Meg Timmons has been in love with Viscount Hart Highgate since she was a teenager, but she knows she’ll have to take drastic measures to get his attention. Not only are their families feuding, but Meg is a penniless wallflower and not the well-connected heiress Hart’s father wants him to wed. When she hears that Hart is determined to find a bride, Meg takes the plunge and asks infamous plotter Lucy Hunt to help her capture Hart’s heart. But even the best-laid plans have a tendency to go awry…
The Right Kind of Rogue is part Romeo and Juliet, part Cinderella, but manages to feel like its own story instead of a retelling of either. I adore Valerie Bowman’s Playful Brides series and I’ve been highly anticipating Meg and Hart’s book, as heroines who are in love with their best friend’s brother is a favorite romance trope of mine. Yet while I liked this book – mostly due to Ms. Bowman’s writing style, which I enjoy – I didn’t love it like I wanted to.
Meg is a likeable heroine whose rather horrid family makes her a sympathetic heroine. She’s been infatuated with Hart for years, but though she explains why she falls in love with him, I’m not sure why she stays that way. Hart is a good man with some good qualities, but you have to get past the drinking and self-centeredness to find a hero worth rooting for. While I have no problem with a protagonist who starts out unlikeable (it gives them room to grow), Hart took way too long to finally stop being selfish and to appreciate Meg. Most frustrating of all, Hart never took an active part in his own story. Meg bends over backwards for him, and even though she makes mistakes, she tries – something Hart never does. I find stories where the hero and heroine would never have gotten together without tons of pushing from their friends to be frustrating. Which brings me to the third main character of The Right Kind of Rogue: Lucy Hunt. The Duchess of Claringdon (and the first Playful Brides heroine) feels like she has nearly as much page time as Meg and Hart. Lucy starts out as a fairy godmother type, but she turns into a veritable tornado, uncaring of the damage she causes so long as the end result is what she planned. While I like seeing past heroes and heroines pop up in a series (Sarah and Christian of The Legendary Lord were charming in this story), Lucy steals the spotlight in this book and that’s not a good thing.
While I did have some issues with The Right Kind of Rogue, I don’t want to make it sound like a bad book. Ms. Bowman’s light, effervescent style still shines and I was drawn into the story even when I wanted to shake Hart. The romance also has some sweet moments and there is definite chemistry between Meg and Hart. So while Meg and Hart’s romance wasn’t all I’d hoped it would be, I still adore Ms. Bowman’s writing and I cannot wait to read the next Playful Brides book.
FTC Disclosure: I received this book for free from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
fringebookreviews's review
4.0
✨Huzzah for hiccups✨
This one was a hell of a ride. I thought I was going to get a slightly angsty but overall light best-friend’s-brother read. Instead, I got a book filled with schemes and plots and questionable characters.
This is a little more than a three star read because I was hooked by the end and needed to see how it all played out. I do wonder why the whole family feud was such a secret like all of those parents are terrible people and it’s not hard to suss that out. I also really liked the hiccup scene and Hart’s quick thinking. I did kinda balk at their relationship because he really did only notice her when she had nice things. I know they kissed before but I dunno he didn’t care enough to even ~deign~ marrying her because she was so lowly. The whole dowry thing was also odd. Like the father really doesn’t have a say does he? He’s not going to disown his heir and they’re rich enough. I guess I just really wanted the love to feel more natural and deep-seated.
I found Hart’s anger pretty righteous and I was pumping my fist right along with him at times. Lucy was seriously misguided and made me very mad. I really didn’t appreciate that whole plot line. I suppose I didn’t mind the whole marriage-in-crisis because it was fun and interesting but I still didn’t like the intentional trap. I think Meg was more guilty than the characters finally believed. However, when we saw Hart with M.T. I saw red. Men really suck don’t they.
It ended well though and I loved the grand-gesture moment!! I always want scenes of that scale and truths of that volume to happen and they rarely do. Giant “fuck yous” like that to one’s enemies make me feel all warm and fluffy inside. Little red hearts surround my smiling face as I type.
⭐️⭐️⭐️.5/5
This one was a hell of a ride. I thought I was going to get a slightly angsty but overall light best-friend’s-brother read. Instead, I got a book filled with schemes and plots and questionable characters.
This is a little more than a three star read because I was hooked by the end and needed to see how it all played out. I do wonder why the whole family feud was such a secret like all of those parents are terrible people and it’s not hard to suss that out. I also really liked the hiccup scene and Hart’s quick thinking. I did kinda balk at their relationship because he really did only notice her when she had nice things. I know they kissed before but I dunno he didn’t care enough to even ~deign~ marrying her because she was so lowly. The whole dowry thing was also odd. Like the father really doesn’t have a say does he? He’s not going to disown his heir and they’re rich enough. I guess I just really wanted the love to feel more natural and deep-seated.
I found Hart’s anger pretty righteous and I was pumping my fist right along with him at times. Lucy was seriously misguided and made me very mad. I really didn’t appreciate that whole plot line. I suppose I didn’t mind the whole marriage-in-crisis because it was fun and interesting but I still didn’t like the intentional trap. I think Meg was more guilty than the characters finally believed. However, when we saw Hart with M.T. I saw red. Men really suck don’t they.
It ended well though and I loved the grand-gesture moment!! I always want scenes of that scale and truths of that volume to happen and they rarely do. Giant “fuck yous” like that to one’s enemies make me feel all warm and fluffy inside. Little red hearts surround my smiling face as I type.
⭐️⭐️⭐️.5/5
loverofromance's review
4.0
This review was originally posted on Addicted To Romance
The Right Kind Of Rogue is the most recent addition in the Playful Bride series by Valerie Bowman. I confess I have only read the first book of the series, but boy I really need to read the other books in the series since I just had a jolly good time with this one even if it was a bit dramatic at times. But this wonderful author has brought has a stunning Romeo and Juliet romance without the suicides and a happy ending.
The Right Kind Of Rogue is a story that begins with our heroine Meg Timmons. Meg has been in love with Viscount Hart Highgate ever since she was a teenager. But it would be near impossible for them to ever be together because their parents hate each other and hve a terrible feud. But when she learns that Hart has declared himself ready for marriage and is on the lookout for a wife, time is running out. So she goes to get help from an infamous matchmaker, Lucy. But as she takes on Lucy's advice, and acts more bolder than she has ever been, she and Hart discover a passion but will it be ruined by lack of trust and scandal?
What a story and boy I had a really fun time with this one. And I just breezed right through it, I was pretty surprised that it only took a couple hours to read this story but then from what I have read from Bowman...that is typical. I always become sucked into the story. I really liked the set up of the story, seeing this more reserved wallflower, go after the man she loves. What I was impressed with was the heroine. Especially in how she treats the hero. She wants to win his heart in a very honest and true ways. But her new found friend Lucy is unconventional and tricky, which as a matchmaker makes sense. Now I did like Lucy (she is the heroine in book one) so it was nice seeing her character again, but I grew to admire Meg in how she stands up to Lucy in how she wants to win over Hart so that there is no deceit. She wants Hart to want her and marry her for the right reasons and not because of trickery.
There is also a family feud here to deal with as well. Now Meg is best friends with Hart's younger sister. So Harts parents have always accepted Meg but they are very against a match between Hart and Meg. There is a terrible secret that Hart and Meg's parents are hiding, a scandal erupts and we see how Meg and Hart have to overcome matters of mistrust and trickery not of their own making. Even though I wasn't a fan in the dramatics toward the end, I did love the way this romance builds between Hart and Meg. They definitely have some great chemistry of course, but there is way more to their relationship. I love see two people who have known each other since they were children and try to find a way to reach their HEA despite the other factors surrounding them that make it near impossible for them to be together.
I have always been a fan of Romeo and Juliet retellings and I felt that Valerie Bowman handled it really well. Especially when we see these two find their HEA, and we solve the mystery revolving around the two families and I liked the drama and fun times that Lucy and the other ladies bring to the story and her "interference" is pretty entertaining.
Overall I found The Right Kind Of Rogue to be a sexy, lively, full of laughs and a romance to leave you with a smile, a highly engaging romance that entertains and delights!
[foogallery id="46073"]
The Right Kind Of Rogue is the most recent addition in the Playful Bride series by Valerie Bowman. I confess I have only read the first book of the series, but boy I really need to read the other books in the series since I just had a jolly good time with this one even if it was a bit dramatic at times. But this wonderful author has brought has a stunning Romeo and Juliet romance without the suicides and a happy ending.
The Right Kind Of Rogue is a story that begins with our heroine Meg Timmons. Meg has been in love with Viscount Hart Highgate ever since she was a teenager. But it would be near impossible for them to ever be together because their parents hate each other and hve a terrible feud. But when she learns that Hart has declared himself ready for marriage and is on the lookout for a wife, time is running out. So she goes to get help from an infamous matchmaker, Lucy. But as she takes on Lucy's advice, and acts more bolder than she has ever been, she and Hart discover a passion but will it be ruined by lack of trust and scandal?
What a story and boy I had a really fun time with this one. And I just breezed right through it, I was pretty surprised that it only took a couple hours to read this story but then from what I have read from Bowman...that is typical. I always become sucked into the story. I really liked the set up of the story, seeing this more reserved wallflower, go after the man she loves. What I was impressed with was the heroine. Especially in how she treats the hero. She wants to win his heart in a very honest and true ways. But her new found friend Lucy is unconventional and tricky, which as a matchmaker makes sense. Now I did like Lucy (she is the heroine in book one) so it was nice seeing her character again, but I grew to admire Meg in how she stands up to Lucy in how she wants to win over Hart so that there is no deceit. She wants Hart to want her and marry her for the right reasons and not because of trickery.
There is also a family feud here to deal with as well. Now Meg is best friends with Hart's younger sister. So Harts parents have always accepted Meg but they are very against a match between Hart and Meg. There is a terrible secret that Hart and Meg's parents are hiding, a scandal erupts and we see how Meg and Hart have to overcome matters of mistrust and trickery not of their own making. Even though I wasn't a fan in the dramatics toward the end, I did love the way this romance builds between Hart and Meg. They definitely have some great chemistry of course, but there is way more to their relationship. I love see two people who have known each other since they were children and try to find a way to reach their HEA despite the other factors surrounding them that make it near impossible for them to be together.
I have always been a fan of Romeo and Juliet retellings and I felt that Valerie Bowman handled it really well. Especially when we see these two find their HEA, and we solve the mystery revolving around the two families and I liked the drama and fun times that Lucy and the other ladies bring to the story and her "interference" is pretty entertaining.
Overall I found The Right Kind Of Rogue to be a sexy, lively, full of laughs and a romance to leave you with a smile, a highly engaging romance that entertains and delights!
[foogallery id="46073"]
whiskeyinthejar's review
2.0
I received this book for free in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
With her family riddled with debt and on her third season, Meg knows it's her last chance to find a husband. When she hears that her long time crush has decided to finally search for a wife, she knows it's time to make her move.
With Hart's sister and friends all getting leg shackled, he knows it's time to do the same. His wife must be beautiful, from a good family, and rich. This makes his sudden attraction to his little sister’s best-friend highly inconvenient.
With family drama, debts, and schemes, Hart and Meg will have quite the journey to get to their happily ever after.
With a gorgeous cover (and a cover dress that appears in the story) The Right Kind of Rogue is the eighth installment in the Playful Brides series. I started off here and had no problems, except for the occasional interest in obvious previous characters that filtered through and curious about their personal stories.
Sarah's older brother, Hart, the heir to the earldom, a viscount in his own right, was clever, handsome, witty, and extremely eligible. He was also entirely off limits to Meg.
She had loved him for years.
Our heroine Meg is the wallflower by circumstance who pines for her best-friend's older brother that never fails to capture my attention. She has no dowry because her father gambled it all away and a mother who unloads her disappoint in life onto her. Hart stuck up for her against her mother when they were younger and that cemented her love of him. I understood the hero worship from this moment but it ended up being the only instance provided for Meg and me as a reader to hold onto. Throughout the story Hart remains a man who drinks fairly heavily and doesn't do a whole heck of a lot to demonstrate any maturity; he honestly seemed a bit vacuous to me.
Most of the story is Meg, with help from a friend named Lucy, trying to set-up schemes to get Hart to notice her enough to marry her and later to sleep with her. Surprisingly, with this desire, they don’t spend a lot of time together in the first half which didn't help me understand what Meg saw in this adult version of Hart. Even towards the end when Hart has a chance to shine and go after Meg, he instead stays home and drinks. It made their romance/relationship seem very childish from Meg's stand point and very weak from Harts'.
This was written in a very easy reading style and if you've read the rest in the series, you'd probably enjoy reentering this world with previous characters making appearances. The friend Lucy helping Meg out was a bit annoying at times with her rude obtuse "My way is always right" but the emphasis on female relationships was enjoyable.
With a lack of mature emotional connection and solid reasoning for why Meg and Hart were in love and Hart not stepping up to the plate enough, I ultimately ended up be disappointed in the romance.
With her family riddled with debt and on her third season, Meg knows it's her last chance to find a husband. When she hears that her long time crush has decided to finally search for a wife, she knows it's time to make her move.
With Hart's sister and friends all getting leg shackled, he knows it's time to do the same. His wife must be beautiful, from a good family, and rich. This makes his sudden attraction to his little sister’s best-friend highly inconvenient.
With family drama, debts, and schemes, Hart and Meg will have quite the journey to get to their happily ever after.
With a gorgeous cover (and a cover dress that appears in the story) The Right Kind of Rogue is the eighth installment in the Playful Brides series. I started off here and had no problems, except for the occasional interest in obvious previous characters that filtered through and curious about their personal stories.
Sarah's older brother, Hart, the heir to the earldom, a viscount in his own right, was clever, handsome, witty, and extremely eligible. He was also entirely off limits to Meg.
She had loved him for years.
Our heroine Meg is the wallflower by circumstance who pines for her best-friend's older brother that never fails to capture my attention. She has no dowry because her father gambled it all away and a mother who unloads her disappoint in life onto her. Hart stuck up for her against her mother when they were younger and that cemented her love of him. I understood the hero worship from this moment but it ended up being the only instance provided for Meg and me as a reader to hold onto. Throughout the story Hart remains a man who drinks fairly heavily and doesn't do a whole heck of a lot to demonstrate any maturity; he honestly seemed a bit vacuous to me.
Most of the story is Meg, with help from a friend named Lucy, trying to set-up schemes to get Hart to notice her enough to marry her and later to sleep with her. Surprisingly, with this desire, they don’t spend a lot of time together in the first half which didn't help me understand what Meg saw in this adult version of Hart. Even towards the end when Hart has a chance to shine and go after Meg, he instead stays home and drinks. It made their romance/relationship seem very childish from Meg's stand point and very weak from Harts'.
This was written in a very easy reading style and if you've read the rest in the series, you'd probably enjoy reentering this world with previous characters making appearances. The friend Lucy helping Meg out was a bit annoying at times with her rude obtuse "My way is always right" but the emphasis on female relationships was enjoyable.
With a lack of mature emotional connection and solid reasoning for why Meg and Hart were in love and Hart not stepping up to the plate enough, I ultimately ended up be disappointed in the romance.
showmethemonet's review
3.0
Not a strong addition to the Playful Brides series - Lucy's involvement on this one is downright crazytown...
emslovestoread's review
3.0
Classic case of misunderstandings galore, but done right. Valerie Bowman definitely has a way with words!
shawnas_booktime's review
4.0
I do love a book about unrequited love finally getting the love they wanted. I loved Meg's shyness and how Hart brought out her sarcasm. Only issue I had was I seen where things were headed half way though, but still played out very well.
chelseaj91's review
3.0
Can two star-crossed lovers come together―until death do they part?Viscount Hart Highgate has decided to put his rakish ways behind him and finally get married. He may adore a good brandy or a high-speed carriage race, but he takes his duties as heir to the earldom seriously. Now all he has to do is find the right kind of woman to be his bride―ideally, one who’s also well-connected and well-funded. . .
Meg Timmons has loved Hart, the brother of her best friend, ever since she was an awkward, blushing schoolgirl. If only she had a large dowry―or anything to her name at all. Instead, she’s from a family that’s been locked in a bitter feud with Hart’s for years. And now she’s approaching her third London season, Meg’s chances with him are slim to none. Unless a surprise encounter on a deep, dark night could be enough to spark a rebellious romance. . .for all time?
2.5 Stars!
So I have to say that as much as I enjoy this series, this book kind of disappointed me TBH.
Hart and Meg honestly just pissed me off. Yes, there were points of entertainment and where I found myself kind of rooting for them, but mostly they just pissed me off.
Hart was a stubborn ass. He'd spent so much time doing everything he could in order to do the exact opposite of his father's opinion, which is fine and everything but all it really ended up boiling down to was that he was a drunken rogue. I mean, the man had a valet who he admitted was usually drunker than he was! Why would that be smart? Loyalty or no, what the hell!? And then there was the whole thing with Meg. First, I will acknowledge that he's not entirely to blame for how those things came about, but he is to blame for his attitude afterwards. Yes, he did technically "do the honorable thing" but then when he'd start considering that things might not have been as they'd seemed, he'd turn around and do something monumentally asshole-y and then storm off and get drunk and gamble away a fortune. I will admit that he had a kinder heart than he usually showed to people (he did stand up for Meg many times, helped out her family, etc) but that alone can't make up for everything. And then there was
Spoiler
the fact that he compared Meg to whores he'd taken in the past! WHAT?! Why was that ok? At least he only thought the comparisons and didn't actually say them, but still.Meg was just...well, I have to say she was kind of a idiot. Yes, she was this wallflower who'd been in love with Hart since forever, courtesy of the heart he never lets anyone see. But at the same time, she'd always known (or thought she'd known) that they'd never end up together. So she'd rather deal with her mother's horrible comments (I wanted to slap her mother silly honestly, my personal feelings for Meg aside, her mother was just a bitch). And at least my personal feelings were just because she was too much of a wimp. Yes, she'd decided she wanted to see if she had even the remotest chance with Hart, but then she turned around and started wishing she were the invisible wallflower purely because she apparently couldn't stomach trying to get Hart's attention.
Speaking of attention, I enjoy Lucy, really I do, but her schemes seem to have gotten not only more convoluted, but more risky. And she's decided to bring Delilah under her wing (thank God she didn't run around spouting j'adore every 5 seconds). Which on the one hand, is fine since Delilah seems to have somehow gained Lucy's scheming brain, but on the other, she's only what, 14? She doesn't have a full understanding of that world just yet, and look how spectacularly she ruined absolutely everything. Granted, that was at Lucy's urging, but still. Side note:
Spoiler
WHY would Lucy think it was a good idea to manipulate a man (a man who'd specifically stated hating being manipulated, with the personal experience to justify(ish) that attitude, might I add) into a marriage? Honestly! Use your bleeding head, woman!!Anyway, ok entry in the series and I will definitely be reading more, but I can't be certain if I'll ever re-read this one.
ctorretta's review
5.0
Ok, full disclosure. I'm pretty sure I had no idea this was book EIGHT in the series when I requested it on Netgalley. Sometimes I'll go for it anyway, but that far into the series would probably make me think twice.
I'm so glad I didn't!
Hart and Meg. Ohhh Hart and Meg. What can I say about these two? Other than, I'm so glad there are other books in this series because this is one series where I am going to want every book. I already cannot wait to re-read THIS one.
The synopsis is pretty straight forward. Meg has always had some kind of puppy love crush on Hart. She is entering her third season and just found out that Hart may also be looking for a bride. She enrolls her friend Lucy to help her figure out some way of winning him over before it's too late.
I was surprised when I glanced through Goodreads to find so many two star reviews. I understand some of the issues the other reviewers have, but for me, this was a lovely, well written book. It captured me from beginning to end! My normal go to reads are not romance, and this one caught my eye from page one and held it throughout.
The characters may have needed a little work, but I think their problems with each other are talked about in the book. I'm sure if I had read the previous books, I would understand even more about the other characters that surround the main two. But, honestly, it wasn't needed. I just WANT to know more, but did not have to know the ins and outs of the other characters to thoroughly love this.
The plot does go a bit sideways around the character arc. I was curious what was going to happen and how these two, IF these two were going to get together. Obviously we all read romance to get swept off our feet, figuratively, along with the female! So, I think this is where some had some issues. I don't want to go fully into it, but I will say, take this portion with a grain of salt. Both characters have to learn and they have to come out of their shells IF they want the relationship to blossom.
And that's why I love character arcs. The characters have to show that they have changed, even if it's only a little. And Valerie Bowman actually has these two really having to work! I love the fact that everything was given to them.
By the end, I was also swooning for Meg and Hart, and for Valerie's writing. I am sure many will enjoy this, even with some of the character hiccups. They're not plot hiccups, but interesting times for the characters, that's for sure!
In short: Very interesting read that makes me want to go spend all my money on Valerie's other works. Fabulous.
I'm so glad I didn't!
Hart and Meg. Ohhh Hart and Meg. What can I say about these two? Other than, I'm so glad there are other books in this series because this is one series where I am going to want every book. I already cannot wait to re-read THIS one.
The synopsis is pretty straight forward. Meg has always had some kind of puppy love crush on Hart. She is entering her third season and just found out that Hart may also be looking for a bride. She enrolls her friend Lucy to help her figure out some way of winning him over before it's too late.
I was surprised when I glanced through Goodreads to find so many two star reviews. I understand some of the issues the other reviewers have, but for me, this was a lovely, well written book. It captured me from beginning to end! My normal go to reads are not romance, and this one caught my eye from page one and held it throughout.
The characters may have needed a little work, but I think their problems with each other are talked about in the book. I'm sure if I had read the previous books, I would understand even more about the other characters that surround the main two. But, honestly, it wasn't needed. I just WANT to know more, but did not have to know the ins and outs of the other characters to thoroughly love this.
The plot does go a bit sideways around the character arc. I was curious what was going to happen and how these two, IF these two were going to get together. Obviously we all read romance to get swept off our feet, figuratively, along with the female! So, I think this is where some had some issues. I don't want to go fully into it, but I will say, take this portion with a grain of salt. Both characters have to learn and they have to come out of their shells IF they want the relationship to blossom.
And that's why I love character arcs. The characters have to show that they have changed, even if it's only a little. And Valerie Bowman actually has these two really having to work! I love the fact that everything was given to them.
By the end, I was also swooning for Meg and Hart, and for Valerie's writing. I am sure many will enjoy this, even with some of the character hiccups. They're not plot hiccups, but interesting times for the characters, that's for sure!
In short: Very interesting read that makes me want to go spend all my money on Valerie's other works. Fabulous.