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a_serv's review
dark
funny
hopeful
slow-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? Yes
3.0
It's fine. The plot is very convoluted and far fetched but the kids are really well written. There is very little romance in this book which would be fine if it wasn't marketed as a romance. The main romance in the book had so much potential but there was no focus on it.
The part of the plot where they acquired the children felt so gross to me. I couldn't help but think it felt wrong.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Infertility
Minor: Child abuse, Death of parent, and Abandonment
rebecca_arielle's review
adventurous
emotional
funny
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
4.25
Content Warnings
Moderate: Infertility
jbird_reads's review
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
3.75
Content Warnings
Moderate: Infertility, Death of parent, and Abandonment
fivecatsinacoat's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
2.5
A little boring and pretty absurd. Closed-door.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Emotional abuse, Infertility, Death of parent, and Abandonment
Moderate: Bullying
Minor: Child abuse and Deportation
henrismum's review against another edition
funny
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
3.0
First by author - Suzanne Enoch
Audiobook (All of my entries on The Story Graph are audiobooks.)
Why I added this book to my TBR pile: This book had some romance, but when I put it in my pile, I thought it was a romance-romance. I guess the writer has authored many novels which are strickely of the romance genre.
Will I read more by the author?Probably Not Maybe Highly Likely
I'd like to see what else Ms. Enoch has written, but I'm unsure how many are unavailable in audiobook form.
The narrator was Sarah Nichols. I love her work with the Sparks & Bainbridge series. Ms. Nichols sounded uniquely different in this book.
Audiobook (All of my entries on The Story Graph are audiobooks.)
Why I added this book to my TBR pile: This book had some romance, but when I put it in my pile, I thought it was a romance-romance. I guess the writer has authored many novels which are strickely of the romance genre.
Will I read more by the author?
I'd like to see what else Ms. Enoch has written, but I'm unsure how many are unavailable in audiobook form.
The narrator was Sarah Nichols. I love her work with the Sparks & Bainbridge series. Ms. Nichols sounded uniquely different in this book.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Classism
Minor: Infertility and Death of parent
caitlin_bookchats's review against another edition
hopeful
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.0
To be fair, I went into this book extremely wary of the premise. Using children just long enough to keep an inheritance? Even if the point was that the couple would grow and see them as actually human beings, it's still starting your book by having your couple dig themselves a hole.
But I also thought it might be an opportunity for a relatively rare couple dynamic. A marriage of convenience where the man is secretly in love and the woman thinks it's just a business arrangement. The book is just too jam packed with things happening to really properly show any of that growth though.
The realization that our couple do maybe actually want to be parents was perhaps the best developed but it still contained a lot of have wavey "they're rapscallions but of course they can't trust us and they bring us joy."
The way working as a team to parent (kind of) the kids helps Will and Emmeline to see each other in a new light is so underdeveloped the I almost missed when they actually admitted they were interested in each other as more than business partners.
I don't think the book had to be open door or more explicit, but the emotional development was just not there?
And the threat of the dastardly brother, thrown in for conflict and an outside threat, really distracted from what I wanted which was the development of this family and their life towards each other.
I will say that perhaps the best thing for readers might be that even when they resolve they're relationship, at least at the end of the book there is no magical pregnancy planted by the power of love. Wherever fertility struggles Emmeline had do seen to persist even after she and Will become adoptive parents. (Even this! Underdeveloped! What are Emmeline's and Will's feelings around their struggles to have children???)
Anyway, ymmv but I was frustrated.
But I also thought it might be an opportunity for a relatively rare couple dynamic. A marriage of convenience where the man is secretly in love and the woman thinks it's just a business arrangement. The book is just too jam packed with things happening to really properly show any of that growth though.
The realization that our couple do maybe actually want to be parents was perhaps the best developed but it still contained a lot of have wavey "they're rapscallions but of course they can't trust us and they bring us joy."
The way working as a team to parent (kind of) the kids helps Will and Emmeline to see each other in a new light is so underdeveloped the I almost missed when they actually admitted they were interested in each other as more than business partners.
I don't think the book had to be open door or more explicit, but the emotional development was just not there?
And the threat of the dastardly brother, thrown in for conflict and an outside threat, really distracted from what I wanted which was the development of this family and their life towards each other.
I will say that perhaps the best thing for readers might be that even when they resolve they're relationship, at least at the end of the book there is no magical pregnancy planted by the power of love. Wherever fertility struggles Emmeline had do seen to persist even after she and Will become adoptive parents. (Even this! Underdeveloped! What are Emmeline's and Will's feelings around their struggles to have children???)
Anyway, ymmv but I was frustrated.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Bullying, Death of parent, Abandonment, and Classism
Minor: Infertility
lizbeth12's review
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.75
CW- assumed infertility, glossing over adoption issues
Fmc has invented 2 children to keep the home she lives due to a convoluted inheritance contract her family has. Mmc is in love with his wife, knows both about fictional children, because he has let her friend zone him in their marriage.
Hugely problematic issues with how they deal with the emotions and stability of the fake kids they ‘borrow’ to keep their lie alive.
I’m glad I finished it because it helped me remember that when all these issues started the mcs were very sheltered 20 yos. That said, I honestly would have felt better if they had to deal with more personal consequences. The fallout affecting the staff and the kids is used as a reason to not let this happen.
I didn’t finish the book liking the mcs, but that’s ok. I did feel like they grew some.
Fmc has invented 2 children to keep the home she lives due to a convoluted inheritance contract her family has. Mmc is in love with his wife, knows both about fictional children, because he has let her friend zone him in their marriage.
Hugely problematic issues with how they deal with the emotions and stability of the fake kids they ‘borrow’ to keep their lie alive.
I’m glad I finished it because it helped me remember that when all these issues started the mcs were very sheltered 20 yos. That said, I honestly would have felt better if they had to deal with more personal consequences. The fallout affecting the staff and the kids is used as a reason to not let this happen.
I didn’t finish the book liking the mcs, but that’s ok. I did feel like they grew some.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Infertility, and Classism
eamily's review
adventurous
emotional
funny
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
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cursing and Abandonment
Minor: Bullying, Chronic illness, Infertility, Physical abuse, Forced institutionalization, Death of parent, and Classism
katiemack's review
emotional
inspiring
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
4.0
I received an eARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
This is less a romance than light historical fiction, but I really enjoyed it! Suzanne Enoch's ability to incorporate so many characters into her stories is admirable; I felt like I got to know not only Emmeline, Will, Rose, and George, but also their staff and the other side characters. It was also refreshing to read about family dynamics evolving in a non-traditional way.
If you're looking for steam, this is not the book for you. If you're looking for a historical with a twist, try this.
This is less a romance than light historical fiction, but I really enjoyed it! Suzanne Enoch's ability to incorporate so many characters into her stories is admirable; I felt like I got to know not only Emmeline, Will, Rose, and George, but also their staff and the other side characters. It was also refreshing to read about family dynamics evolving in a non-traditional way.
If you're looking for steam, this is not the book for you. If you're looking for a historical with a twist, try this.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Infertility
Minor: Sexual content
kaileyhuber's review
funny
lighthearted
medium-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
4.0
Content Warnings
Minor: Infertility and Death of parent