Reviews

Tempting Bella by Diana Quincy

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fdarlene491's review against another edition

2.0

I voluntarily read and reviewed a copy of this book provided by the publisher and NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Tempting Bella by Diana Quincy is book two of the Accidental Peers series. Having read a few of Ms Quincy's current books I was "tempted" to check out her earlier work. This story was originally published in September 2013. Historical romances tend to age well if the writer has a pleasing style and doesn't use words in the mode of Shakespeare. Ms Quincy's work has aged just fine.

I mentioned Shakespeare because this plot has a strong sense of The Taming of the Shrew. Sebastian "the saint" Stanhope was, at the ripe old age of 19, married to a 13 year old girl. Her father owed his a huge gambling debt. Sebastian is written as a truly honorable man, faithful, and trying to do the right thing. He left his child bride after the ceremony so she would have a chance to grow up. Alas, the road to hell is paved with good intentions. Six years later he's at the opera and is poleaxed by a gorgeous young woman. Turns out she's his wife! Oh dear, this mild mannered guy is in for a fight.

Mirabella "Bella" Wentworth was married and deserted on her very wedding day. The lout hasn't contacted her since. Bella's father gave her away without another thought and that's a rotten childhood. When she meets her "husband" again she's still pissed and resentful. I found Bella to be brittle and stuck in the emotions of a teenager. Sebastian tries throughout the book to prove himself and Bella continues to pitch toddler-like temper tantrums. I do understand how this could have stunted Bella's emotional growth but it still grew a bit old. I enjoyed the story but was just a tad aggravated throughout. On to book 3. Happy reading.

#DianaQuincy #Netgalley #TemptingBella #AccidentalPeers #EntangledPublishing

hannahleebibliophile's review against another edition

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adventurous emotional funny hopeful inspiring 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

5.0

Content Warnings

_sama's review against another edition

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emotional hopeful lighthearted fast-paced

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

5.0

cooliuscaesar451's review against another edition

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emotional funny medium-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

3.0

snellreader100's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging emotional hopeful lighthearted medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

cluelessbookshelves's review against another edition

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4.25

🎧 John Hartley's compo of voice and accent is pure bliss for my ears.

🎧 Oh. Mr. Hartley is talking in English with a French accent. I'm melting.

🎧 I devoured this book. Seb is indeed a Saint. Of the kind where you clearly say you are not real. Damn. Courting, and cravats, and proper English, and libraries, and gowns. This was much better than the first book of the series and now I am afraid the rest have a lot to stand up to.

🎧 The performance of Mr. Hartley was amazing. One of a few times I didn't mind of a solo narration. He was so good in every role he performed. Icing on the cake the Spanish accent at the end.