ensara's review against another edition
some moments of great discomfort, but overall i couldn’t put it down and have been going through this series fairly quickly so maybe 3.5? 4? not sure but i will be reading the rest of the series
mandurpandur's review against another edition
dark
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
3.25
Content Warnings
Moderate: Suicide attempt, Child abuse, and Physical abuse
Minor: Sexual content
casseld's review against another edition
2.0
Sir Phillip was literally and figuratively a wanker. And I think I'm done with this series...
jennieamber's review against another edition
5.0
This was my third favorite book in the series, lol. It reminded me of email or online dating in their day. It was a very fun read, I LOVED the different dynamic of this book, it was completely fresh and new and I was obsessed with it.
sofigremlin's review against another edition
emotional
lighthearted
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
fluersbookisbooked's review against another edition
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
lauraa_dobrin's review against another edition
3.0
3.5 ⭐️ I felt there was something lacking in this story.
alexbooksandmore's review against another edition
adventurous
hopeful
lighthearted
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
4.0
I think I enjoyed this the best.
I like to see see more of Eloise's personality. She is such an outspoken woman for that time.
With Philip... i am not sure, like yeah he has this romantic side of him, but he seems aggressive and I feel like he will leave as soon as things start shaking.
I was really heartbreak for Marina... I wish I could hear her side of the story and see what she was going through. Maybe we will at some point? Because she is definitely not Marina from the tv series.
I like to see see more of Eloise's personality. She is such an outspoken woman for that time.
With Philip... i am not sure, like yeah he has this romantic side of him, but he seems aggressive and I feel like he will leave as soon as things start shaking.
I was really heartbreak for Marina... I wish I could hear her side of the story and see what she was going through. Maybe we will at some point? Because she is definitely not Marina from the tv series.
irinak's review against another edition
5.0
People tend to... have mixed feelings about this one, and up to a certain extent, I can see why, since the tone is somewhat a lot more serious than the previous ones. That being said, I think that what Julia Quinn was attempting to do in TDAI (namely, a romance between two flawed people where the MC has baggage due to his past) was a lot better done here. Childhood trauma and dealing with depression will sometimes lead to lashing out, self-loathing, doubt, having trouble communicating properly... Julia Quinn did manage to balance it out by showing that for all his shortcomings, Philip does want to change and he's a good-hearted man, and what allowed him to pursue that change was Eloise's support.
I have a few issues with how Marina's depression was dealt with - I wouldn't say the perspective given to her struggles was lacking in compassion, but there was some misunderstanding as to how her mental health problems might have come about, which admittedly the show tried to rectify, although I can't really say it's all that uncommon for Regency people to have that perspective (with the theory about the 4 humors still being in use and all).
All in all, this is still one of my favorite in the series. ❤
I have a few issues with how Marina's depression was dealt with - I wouldn't say the perspective given to her struggles was lacking in compassion, but there was some misunderstanding as to how her mental health problems might have come about, which admittedly the show tried to rectify, although I can't really say it's all that uncommon for Regency people to have that perspective (with the theory about the 4 humors still being in use and all).
All in all, this is still one of my favorite in the series. ❤