sammaich's review
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
2.0
smiley7245's review
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
Giggling. Kicking my feet. I thoroughly enjoyed this. I normally hate secret keeping as a plot device, but this was so ridiculously convoluted that it worked. It was so fun and cute! The side characters were everything. I adored this.
Spoiler
Cordelia and Daniel are thrust into an arranged marriage by their fathers who will both benefit financially from this union. But they have never met. She discovers that his man, Warren Lewis, takes a walk every morning and decides to approach him to find out some info about her intended. She wants her companion, Sarah, to do it, but she's not very good at subterfuge so instead she pretends to be Sarah when she approaches him. Only Warren is sick and it's Daniel by himself out on the walk. She calls him Mr. Lewis and he plays along. Then he realizes that furthering this acquaintance will get him some info about his intended, and possibly get him out of this marriage. Only, he ends up falling for "Sarah" and she for "Warren" because they keep meeting. He can't take it and decides to come clean, and shows up at her house only for her to be gone and the real Sarah to be there. Poor Sarah is then left to explain to both Daniel and William, her love who just so happens to be Cordelia's brother, the entire thing. I was cackling! Daniel and Will decide the best thing is to let the charade continue and force her to end it. Only she doesn't. And this farce continues. So Daniel is trying to make her fall in love with him. He convinces his friend to have his mother throw a masquerade ball for charity so he can talk to her as himself and instead of coming clean he tells her that Warren is married with children, lots of children! Cue more cackling! Her parents throw a dinner for the two families to meet and they have to pretend like they didn't meet at the ball. And then all of everything comes out and it's messy and complicated and hysterical. They get married and it's the most tense wedding ever. More cackling. He has to return to American to deal with business issues and she says good riddance. But he's refusing to get on the boat and then she shows up and they are happy together.ulrikedg's review against another edition
3.0
This book is crazysauce! If you go in expecting pleasant silliness or any type of logical story line, you WILL be disappointed. If, however, you expect a Shakespearean comedy (without the fairies) and 3rd party interference, well, this book is there. The only truly "good" characters are the sisters & step-mother. Everyone else is dumb or evil or at least chaotic neutral. Turns out the only reason the MC really has to get married is because her aunt didn't and regretted it, which seems like a terrible reason to force someone into a marriage. I don't believe for one minute that the MC & love interest will actually have a HEA. If the plot had been less ridiculous, it would have been unreadable.
The tea party epilogue is even weirder than the story. You would have to be a hardcore Victoria Alexander fan to enjoy it. I was just lost and gave up less than halfway through.
Audiobook narrator Charlotte Parry really struggles. Her inflection is usually good, but she uses two voices for all the characters, which means the male love interest sounds the same as the female best friend, which is... offputting. I would rather she didn't do any voices at all.
The tea party epilogue is even weirder than the story. You would have to be a hardcore Victoria Alexander fan to enjoy it. I was just lost and gave up less than halfway through.
Audiobook narrator Charlotte Parry really struggles. Her inflection is usually good, but she uses two voices for all the characters, which means the male love interest sounds the same as the female best friend, which is... offputting. I would rather she didn't do any voices at all.
perfectlymisaligned's review against another edition
4.0
Considering that the plot was so over the top silly and ridiculous, I'm amazed that I ended up enjoying this book as much as I did. It truly is a testament to the talent of Alexander, who has single-handedly been the catalyst for my new-found love for the historical/Regency romance genre.
Alexander's trademark dash of humor, and the sheer likability of her characters saved this novel for me. Especially towards the end, when the absurdity of the H&H's situation began to spiral out of control and had me wishing she had wrapped things up a bit faster.
All in all, once again a highly enjoyable, if slightly wacky, romance.
Alexander's trademark dash of humor, and the sheer likability of her characters saved this novel for me. Especially towards the end, when the absurdity of the H&H's situation began to spiral out of control and had me wishing she had wrapped things up a bit faster.
All in all, once again a highly enjoyable, if slightly wacky, romance.
sadie_rae's review against another edition
4.0
In a series of unfortunate misunderstandings and hidden identities Cordelia and Daniel manage to fall in love, convenient seeing as there fathers have arraigned a unwanted marriage between the two of them. When Cordelia finds out that she is to marry Daniel she is appalled that she would be forced into an arranged marriage, in an attempt to judge her husband-to-be's character she approaches his friend in the guise of her companion. Unfortunately the vague description that she received of Daniel's partner matches that of Daniel, and it was Daniel who decided to not correct her on his mistaken identity. A decision that would come back to haunt both of them.
So, I don't read a whole lot of VA books but I know when I pick one up I'm sure to enjoy it, and enjoy this one I did. I found myself laughing at more than one point in this book and I loved how Daniels friend Warren remains the voice of reason through out the book. I will say that I disapproved of Cordelia's companion Sarah when she kept the fact that Daniel knew of her duplicity from her, and more when she she failed to tell her of Daniel's own duplicity. Sorry but the laws of sister hood demand that you at the very least give strong suggestions or drop several non-subtle hints, especially when you are best friends or each others confidant! Another character to love was Aunt Ursula, she was a hoot and a holler with all of her small comments and then her husbands. A very interesting lady.
Over all 4 stars. Now I just have to get to the first and fourth books!
So, I don't read a whole lot of VA books but I know when I pick one up I'm sure to enjoy it, and enjoy this one I did. I found myself laughing at more than one point in this book and I loved how Daniels friend Warren remains the voice of reason through out the book. I will say that I disapproved of Cordelia's companion Sarah when she kept the fact that Daniel knew of her duplicity from her, and more when she she failed to tell her of Daniel's own duplicity. Sorry but the laws of sister hood demand that you at the very least give strong suggestions or drop several non-subtle hints, especially when you are best friends or each others confidant! Another character to love was Aunt Ursula, she was a hoot and a holler with all of her small comments and then her husbands. A very interesting lady.
Over all 4 stars. Now I just have to get to the first and fourth books!
velvetsun's review against another edition
4.0
Considering that the plot was so over the top silly and ridiculous, I'm amazed that I ended up enjoying this book as much as I did. It truly is a testament to the talent of Alexander, who has single-handedly been the catalyst for my new-found love for the historical/Regency romance genre.
Alexander's trademark dash of humor, and the sheer likability of her characters saved this novel for me. Especially towards the end, when the absurdity of the H&H's situation began to spiral out of control and had me wishing she had wrapped things up a bit faster.
All in all, once again a highly enjoyable, if slightly wacky, romance.
Alexander's trademark dash of humor, and the sheer likability of her characters saved this novel for me. Especially towards the end, when the absurdity of the H&H's situation began to spiral out of control and had me wishing she had wrapped things up a bit faster.
All in all, once again a highly enjoyable, if slightly wacky, romance.
abbythompson's review
2.0
No wonder the very thin premise of this book (mistaken identities) lasted so long when every one was either muttering or speaking under their breath. I don't think a single character ever spoke a word out loud. The premise was silly and the writing felt rushed. As a result the characters came of as one-dimensional and I just couldn't bring myself to care at all about them or their situation.
Not my favorite Victoria Alexander, but others are near-to-classics. Check out "The Wedding Bargain" for two sparking characters, and a real-live hero :)
Not my favorite Victoria Alexander, but others are near-to-classics. Check out "The Wedding Bargain" for two sparking characters, and a real-live hero :)