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a_ab's review against another edition
fast-paced
3.0
This book is a mixture of very fluffy (and mostly enjoyable) with very dark and sinister (e.g.: trigger warning: sexual assault on page, followed by a lot of victim blaming in the aftermath).
The characters go through a lot of growth on page, but most of it is, arguably, too lust-motivated to stick long-term. There are hints that it's motivated by other reasons, too and that lust in this case might be masking much deeper feelings, but the power imbalance at the end of the book was still too strong for anything truly promising, and long lasting positive character change usually doesn't miraculously happen over a few months.
Cassandra as a character is not very developed in this book. She is young, still carries a lot of silliness from her upbringing and, although her heart is in the right place, she hasn't quite grown into a fully formed person. That contrasted so sharply with Tom's firmly set-in-his-ways jaded and cynical worldview and older-than-his-years vast experience in life, what the result for me was an icky feeling.
Tom's narrative starts out with him being such an unpleasant, unscrupulous and blatantly unethical person, that his development is both drastic enough to stretch credulity and at the same time — not enough of a change to inspire much hope. Especially since that change happens while he is actively pursuing a goal, and that for him is a modus operandi in which anything and everything can be done to achieve his purpose. But in the past, once his target was obtained, he had no problem reverting to his uncaring self and withdrawing his efforts, interest, and willingness to compromise.
And I wanted Cassandra to have a very decent, loving and caring partner in life for a very long time — much longer than the initial period of infatuation and passion. The author tried, but I am not sure I bought what she was selling.
I did thoroughly enjoy Cassandra's family and their circle of open intimate friendship.
The characters go through a lot of growth on page, but most of it is, arguably, too lust-motivated to stick long-term. There are hints that it's motivated by other reasons, too and that lust in this case might be masking much deeper feelings, but the power imbalance at the end of the book was still too strong for anything truly promising, and long lasting positive character change usually doesn't miraculously happen over a few months.
Cassandra as a character is not very developed in this book. She is young, still carries a lot of silliness from her upbringing and, although her heart is in the right place, she hasn't quite grown into a fully formed person. That contrasted so sharply with Tom's firmly set-in-his-ways jaded and cynical worldview and older-than-his-years vast experience in life, what the result for me was an icky feeling.
Tom's narrative starts out with him being such an unpleasant, unscrupulous and blatantly unethical person, that his development is both drastic enough to stretch credulity and at the same time — not enough of a change to inspire much hope. Especially since that change happens while he is actively pursuing a goal, and that for him is a modus operandi in which anything and everything can be done to achieve his purpose. But in the past, once his target was obtained, he had no problem reverting to his uncaring self and withdrawing his efforts, interest, and willingness to compromise.
And I wanted Cassandra to have a very decent, loving and caring partner in life for a very long time — much longer than the initial period of infatuation and passion. The author tried, but I am not sure I bought what she was selling.
I did thoroughly enjoy Cassandra's family and their circle of open intimate friendship.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual assault and Sexual content
Moderate: Emotional abuse and Fatphobia
Minor: Physical abuse
annick's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
I enjoyed this. And it feels nice to see how earlier books weave into this one.
I sense the author tries to reflect neurodivergent traits in the MMC.
Glad we didn’t have melodrama or bedridden patients. The brief episode of a fight and head injury was enjoy. It doesn’t really dwell on the underlying story of a man enslaving children to his profit.
I sense the author tries to reflect neurodivergent traits in the MMC.
Glad we didn’t have melodrama or bedridden patients. The brief episode of a fight and head injury was enjoy. It doesn’t really dwell on the underlying story of a man enslaving children to his profit.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Sexual assault, Violence, and Injury/Injury detail
rachelbooks's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
relaxing
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? Yes
3.75
A solid historical romance with a dark and morally grey male love interest.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Violence, Kidnapping, and Sexual harassment
Moderate: Body shaming, Fatphobia, Medical content, Abandonment, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
Minor: Child abuse, Eating disorder, Gun violence, Misogyny, Sexism, and Gaslighting
abby_can_read'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? Yes
5.0
March 2024-⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
📱
This was another enjoyable re-read. I loved every page of it. The characters were good and their relationships were good. The pacing was decent. The plot was engaging.
📱
This was another enjoyable re-read. I loved every page of it. The characters were good and their relationships were good. The pacing was decent. The plot was engaging.
July 2022-⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
📱
This was a cute read. I loved the relationship between Cassandra and Tom.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual assault, Sexual content, and Sexual harassment
Moderate: Body shaming, Child abuse, and Fatphobia
amy_in_the_city's review against another edition
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
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body shaming, Fatphobia, Sexual assault, and Sexual content
Moderate: Child abuse, Misogyny, Sexism, Violence, Medical content, Kidnapping, and Sexual harassment
Minor: Pedophilia, Pregnancy, Abandonment, and Injury/Injury detail
smuttymcbookface's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
I found, in the past, I've been uncomfortable with the way Lisa Kleypas writes men as being beyond reason when placed close to a woman they desire. Very much the epitome of "boys will be boys".
So, you can imagine how overjoyed I am to have Kleypas' intelligent and witty writing, a grouchy MMC, and a FMC who does most of the initiating.
I enjoyed reading about Tom, with his neurodivergent personality, and his black and white view of the world. I think Kleypas did a brilliant job of showing who he is, and why it wasn't callousness or cruelty that led his past actions. It's always enjoyable to read about critical and thought-out main characters suddenly losing their ability to reason, and I found this book no different.
Cassandra was sweet, but a little too Mary Sue for my liking. She was willing to be patient for Tom, overlooked so much cruelty in the other characters, and dealt with Tom's rejection in her stride.
I liked how they resolved their differences through the marital contract, and how it showed both characters understanding the trust required from a marriage by knowing it wasn't enforceable. I thought it was a brilliant way to voice Tom's understanding of what was expected, balancing his lack of understanding of his emotional state with his hope for Cassandra and himself.
Overall, I really did enjoy this book, and didn't find their time to be tedious or drawn out.
So, you can imagine how overjoyed I am to have Kleypas' intelligent and witty writing, a grouchy MMC, and a FMC who does most of the initiating.
I enjoyed reading about Tom, with his neurodivergent personality, and his black and white view of the world. I think Kleypas did a brilliant job of showing who he is, and why it wasn't callousness or cruelty that led his past actions. It's always enjoyable to read about critical and thought-out main characters suddenly losing their ability to reason, and I found this book no different.
Cassandra was sweet, but a little too Mary Sue for my liking. She was willing to be patient for Tom, overlooked so much cruelty in the other characters, and dealt with Tom's rejection in her stride.
Overall, I really did enjoy this book, and didn't find their time to be tedious or drawn out.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Fatphobia, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual harassment, and Classism
annabelle's review against another edition
funny
lighthearted
relaxing
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
3.5
The was so cute and fun!! I was giggling and kicking my feet fr. This is a generally low angst romance and very sweet with no third act breakup (thank god)
Cassandra was easy to love and a classic romance heroine. Tom is besotted immediately and I loved seeing him open up. We love to see a man absolutely down bad for his lady (even if he doesn’t realize it lmao). He definitely made me laugh with his antics about his 5 feelings and how literally he took things. Bazzle was an absolute cutie and I adored him.
Just an overall good time!!
Cassandra was easy to love and a classic romance heroine. Tom is besotted immediately and I loved seeing him open up. We love to see a man absolutely down bad for his lady (even if he doesn’t realize it lmao). He definitely made me laugh with his antics about his 5 feelings and how literally he took things. Bazzle was an absolute cutie and I adored him.
Just an overall good time!!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content and Sexual harassment
Moderate: Body shaming, Fatphobia, and Sexism
livruther's review
lighthearted
medium-paced
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Fatphobia, Sexual assault, and Sexual content
Moderate: Child abuse and Abandonment
sydapel'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
3.25
For the finale to the Ravenels, a series which has involved literal explosions and near death events, I'm surprised and somewhat disappointed with how take this was?? There's not really any conflict either in the plot or within Tom and Cassandra's relationship, making this installment kinda forgettable? As a couple, they play off each other really well, but don't have a dynamic arc apart from negotiating their relationship.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual assault and Sexual content
Moderate: Child abuse and Abandonment
smithrachaelynn's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
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
5.0
I fell in love with this right away! Learning more about Tom was amazing. He and Cassandra are so great together. I loved that Tom expressed his love through protecting her. So cute!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Sexual harassment and Classism
Minor: Abandonment