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sage_alexandra's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Graphic: Gun violence, Sexual content, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Kidnapping
withlivjones's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
The main couple’s romance was very sweet and while it isn’t exactly slow-burn, I’m glad that it still takes time for the conflict between them to be resolved after the initial getting together. Valentine is a very relatable protagonist in his struggle to balance his duty and his own preferences - I’m sure he’s somewhere on the aroace spectrum.
I did find Arabella somewhat infuriating but given that the story is told from Valentine’s point of view this is unsurprising. Peggy definitely deserves better, since she’s apparently the only character with more than one brain cell.
This is a book full of queer joy, and I had a lot of fun reading it.
Graphic: Gun violence
Moderate: Death of parent and Injury/Injury detail
hobbithopeful's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Favorite Moments: Jealous Valentine, Valentine being tied to a chair, Bonny
Least Favorite: Belle doesn't learn
Don't go into this expecting a serious book, I think the most apt word I would use is campy. It is clear this book was a delight for Alexis Hall to write, for it is just as whimsical as it is warm.
I recommend this book, though the characters might not be for everyone.
Graphic: Sexual content
Minor: Homophobia and Injury/Injury detail
analenegrace's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Looking forward to the sequel!
Graphic: Cursing, Gun violence, Sexual content, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
jjjreads's review
- 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
Graphic: Gun violence, Homophobia, Infidelity, Misogyny, Transphobia, Kidnapping, Death of parent, Acephobia/Arophobia, Lesbophobia, Abandonment, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
galleytrot's review
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
I’ll be honest, I’m more inclined to categorize this ‘historical fiction’ as a fantasy instead. Hall notes at the beginning of the book that linguistic liberties are taken, and just about everyone in the book is queer. This is not an exaggeration. Valentine leaves his comfortable world that operates precisely as one would expect a gray-and-drab-1800’s-England to operate, and he stumbles into this explosive, colorful, high-octane alternate reality that shakes the foundation of everything he thought he knew to be true.
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Confinement, Cursing, Gun violence, Homophobia, Infidelity, Violence, Blood, Kidnapping, Medical trauma, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Misogyny and Death of parent
ruthlessreads's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.0
Bella running away from him repeatedly and refusing to even have a conversation so that they could work all this out was the thing that cinched this up (for me) as just a bad book. It's a shitty plot device and made the book last 200 pages longer than it needed to.
Finally, I've read a lot of queer romance but the flowery asshole talk was absolutely horrible and entirely too much. The only reason I would consider reading the second book is because it's about Peggy (my favorite character of the book, followed by the valet--so that should tell you something about the quality of the main characters) and I believe that Bella will get her comeuppance by the end of it.
Graphic: Gun violence, Sexual content, Medical content, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Sexism and Classism
Minor: Death of parent
kaitlinnoodles's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Cursing and Sexual content
Moderate: Gun violence and Gaslighting
Minor: Confinement, Homophobia, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Transphobia, Violence, Blood, Death of parent, Acephobia/Arophobia, Lesbophobia, Abandonment, Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism
wilybooklover's review
3.0
Graphic: Confinement, Gun violence, and Sexual content
Moderate: Homophobia, Death of parent, Acephobia/Arophobia, and Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Animal death
kathleenmcg's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Graphic: Gun violence, Homophobia, and Classism
Moderate: Injury/Injury detail
Minor: Violence and Death of parent