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virgo_reader's review against another edition
1.0
This book had a lot of potential, but that's where it ended — potential.
I liked the trope of a shy girl with a rake. I liked that they knew of each other due to their mutual married friends and he seemed to find her blunt honesty charming. I liked that she was a bit of an outcast and a wallflower who was interested in sex and bought books (worth one month of pin money) on just that topic. I even liked that she was caught in a mortifying situation of accidentally hiding in the library, where he walked in to have a tryst.
There was, again, so much potential. Her "experimentations" and scientific nature reminded me of Pippa from the far superior One Good Earl Deserves a Lover by Sarah MacLean.
Unfortunately, a lot of things didn't add up for me. The writing, the pacing, the dialogue — these are three things that count heavily to me, maybe more than character or plot development, because those three things will alter how much I enjoy the reading experience.
There were so many random bits thrown in that you thought may be important later but never came up again. Emily's bookish father or her flighty mother, who Marcus says is basically a harlot and who tried to come onto him. His whole "mystery" past with a woman who claimed to have been pregnant with his child. His relationship with his family — and his family's relationship with Emily, who they immediately looked down on.
I liked the trope of a shy girl with a rake. I liked that they knew of each other due to their mutual married friends and he seemed to find her blunt honesty charming. I liked that she was a bit of an outcast and a wallflower who was interested in sex and bought books (worth one month of pin money) on just that topic. I even liked that she was caught in a mortifying situation of accidentally hiding in the library, where he walked in to have a tryst.
There was, again, so much potential. Her "experimentations" and scientific nature reminded me of Pippa from the far superior One Good Earl Deserves a Lover by Sarah MacLean.
Unfortunately, a lot of things didn't add up for me. The writing, the pacing, the dialogue — these are three things that count heavily to me, maybe more than character or plot development, because those three things will alter how much I enjoy the reading experience.
There were so many random bits thrown in that you thought may be important later but never came up again. Emily's bookish father or her flighty mother, who Marcus says is basically a harlot and who tried to come onto him. His whole "mystery" past with a woman who claimed to have been pregnant with his child. His relationship with his family — and his family's relationship with Emily, who they immediately looked down on.
Spoiler
Her kidnapping attempt??rani_reeds's review
emotional
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.25
kaycuozzo's review against another edition
4.0
My favorite in this series. I love the banter and interactions of Emily and Marcus. My favorite characters so far. Everything about this book made you keep reading. Well done.
teaandbooklover's review
3.0
This gets a solid three stars from me because I liked the H & H but did not love them. There were a lot of people in this book to keep track of and several times I wanted to quit reading. Not just because of that but because the main characters were just likable to me. I thought there was too much meddling and manipulation in this book for me to really love it.
susanabra's review
5.0
The heroine of this book is the best recommendation for reading it. She's such an intriguing mix of naivety, knowledge and a wisdom that seems to be innate, that she was completely fascinating to me.
virgo_reader's review
1.0
This book had a lot of potential, but that's where it ended — potential.
I liked the trope of a shy girl with a rake. I liked that they knew of each other due to their mutual married friends and he seemed to find her blunt honesty charming. I liked that she was a bit of an outcast and a wallflower who was interested in sex and bought books (worth one month of pin money) on just that topic. I even liked that she was caught in a mortifying situation of accidentally hiding in the library, where he walked in to have a tryst.
There was, again, so much potential. Her "experimentations" and scientific nature reminded me of Pippa from the far superior One Good Earl Deserves a Lover by Sarah MacLean.
Unfortunately, a lot of things didn't add up for me. The writing, the pacing, the dialogue — these are three things that count heavily to me, maybe more than character or plot development, because those three things will alter how much I enjoy the reading experience.
There were so many random bits thrown in that you thought may be important later but never came up again. Emily's bookish father or her flighty mother, who Marcus says is basically a harlot and who tried to come onto him. His whole "mystery" past with a woman who claimed to have been pregnant with his child. His relationship with his family — and his family's relationship with Emily, who they immediately looked down on.Her kidnapping attempt??
I liked the trope of a shy girl with a rake. I liked that they knew of each other due to their mutual married friends and he seemed to find her blunt honesty charming. I liked that she was a bit of an outcast and a wallflower who was interested in sex and bought books (worth one month of pin money) on just that topic. I even liked that she was caught in a mortifying situation of accidentally hiding in the library, where he walked in to have a tryst.
There was, again, so much potential. Her "experimentations" and scientific nature reminded me of Pippa from the far superior One Good Earl Deserves a Lover by Sarah MacLean.
Unfortunately, a lot of things didn't add up for me. The writing, the pacing, the dialogue — these are three things that count heavily to me, maybe more than character or plot development, because those three things will alter how much I enjoy the reading experience.
There were so many random bits thrown in that you thought may be important later but never came up again. Emily's bookish father or her flighty mother, who Marcus says is basically a harlot and who tried to come onto him. His whole "mystery" past with a woman who claimed to have been pregnant with his child. His relationship with his family — and his family's relationship with Emily, who they immediately looked down on.
jenreadsromance's review against another edition
3.0
Emily Goodnight is a wallflower who is secretly in love with Marcus, the Earl of Blakely. He's friendly and nice to her. She's nosy and comes up with a plan to help him gain revenge on his father, the Duke. But nothing goes to plan.
Pluses: This has a pleasant pace & some nice banter. Emily may be a wallflower, but she's an interesting heroine. I liked her and I liked Marcus.
I SHIT YOU NOT, this has the most astounding scene I have ever read in a historical romance of this nature (straightforward regency). At the beginning, Emily is hiding in the library (as wallflowers often do) and Marcus comes in with a paramour. He fucks this other woman RIGHT IN FRONT OF THE FUTURE HEROINE, which she secretly watches bc she's absolutely curious and she'll never have this chance again! Lol. I liked it, but I am sure some people will not. I say learn where you can, Emily.
WISHES: This book is a series of plot machinations and obstacles on the way to the HEA. Lots of things HAPPEN, but it felt strangely devoid of heart. I don't know how else to describe it.
One very interesting thing in this book, and I think it's part of why it didn't quite work for me, Emily is determined to find a husband at this country house party, and she basically engineers a situation where she can trap this one dude. Now, she is very matter-of-fact about this. She has no choice, men have choices, and if she wants a family and a future, this is just what has to be done. When she describes her reasoning to Marcus, it's full of feminist fury. But, when there is a big reveal about a bad woman from Marcus' past that basically tries to do the same thing, she's vilified. Because that woman did it for MONEY (which is crass to all these aristocrats), where Emily doing it for FREEDOM is justified. I don't think that our author meant to set up this dichotomy; It's an example of how romance fails to show class differences with any kind of nuance.
Verdict: A whole lot of plot to chew on if that's your thing, but I didn't emotionally connect with it. Forgettable.
I would like to revise my previous statement. Demonizing poor characters is more than a romance problem. It's definitely an capitalism problem that is bigger than romance. But I noticed it here and wish we were better.
Copied & Pasted from Twitter as part of a project where I'm reading all the 2019 RITA finalists
Pluses: This has a pleasant pace & some nice banter. Emily may be a wallflower, but she's an interesting heroine. I liked her and I liked Marcus.
I SHIT YOU NOT, this has the most astounding scene I have ever read in a historical romance of this nature (straightforward regency). At the beginning, Emily is hiding in the library (as wallflowers often do) and Marcus comes in with a paramour. He fucks this other woman RIGHT IN FRONT OF THE FUTURE HEROINE, which she secretly watches bc she's absolutely curious and she'll never have this chance again! Lol. I liked it, but I am sure some people will not. I say learn where you can, Emily.
WISHES: This book is a series of plot machinations and obstacles on the way to the HEA. Lots of things HAPPEN, but it felt strangely devoid of heart. I don't know how else to describe it.
One very interesting thing in this book, and I think it's part of why it didn't quite work for me, Emily is determined to find a husband at this country house party, and she basically engineers a situation where she can trap this one dude. Now, she is very matter-of-fact about this. She has no choice, men have choices, and if she wants a family and a future, this is just what has to be done. When she describes her reasoning to Marcus, it's full of feminist fury. But, when there is a big reveal about a bad woman from Marcus' past that basically tries to do the same thing, she's vilified. Because that woman did it for MONEY (which is crass to all these aristocrats), where Emily doing it for FREEDOM is justified. I don't think that our author meant to set up this dichotomy; It's an example of how romance fails to show class differences with any kind of nuance.
Verdict: A whole lot of plot to chew on if that's your thing, but I didn't emotionally connect with it. Forgettable.
I would like to revise my previous statement. Demonizing poor characters is more than a romance problem. It's definitely an capitalism problem that is bigger than romance. But I noticed it here and wish we were better.
Copied & Pasted from Twitter as part of a project where I'm reading all the 2019 RITA finalists
dianed's review against another edition
4.0
Annabelle Anders does another great job with this addition to her Devilish Debutantes Series. In this case a bluestocking, wallflower Emily Goodnight meets her match in the rake Marcus, Lord Blakley, heir to the Duke of Waters.
Both face family issues. She is being sent to Wales to live with an aunt unless she finds a husband ASAP. He has been separated from his family for over 10 years over women problems. Marcus believes his father separated him from the woman he loved and who was pregnant with is child, and he is refusing to marry the woman his father has betrothed him to.
Emily and Marcus had been friends for a year but when she plots to get him to marry her friend Rhoda, she is the one who accidentally finds herself in a coach with Marcus traveling to Gretna Green.
Of course you know they will finally find their Happily Ever After, there are some bumps along the road getting to it.
Both face family issues. She is being sent to Wales to live with an aunt unless she finds a husband ASAP. He has been separated from his family for over 10 years over women problems. Marcus believes his father separated him from the woman he loved and who was pregnant with is child, and he is refusing to marry the woman his father has betrothed him to.
Emily and Marcus had been friends for a year but when she plots to get him to marry her friend Rhoda, she is the one who accidentally finds herself in a coach with Marcus traveling to Gretna Green.
Of course you know they will finally find their Happily Ever After, there are some bumps along the road getting to it.
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