julianaphilippa's review
4.0
4 stars
Somerset, England in 1821; summer country house party
Miss Gemma Reed (22), intelligent sister of a viscount w/ lots of random knowledge
Mr. Richard Jonas (33), 2nd son of a viscount and successful horse breeder
My Initial Notes When I Finished It. WTF?! Ugh. I mean yes, it was good, but it gets 4 stars because of the heart-palpitations-causing angstiness of it AND THAT IS NOT AN ENDING!!! We definitely deserved a little more than that. Ok, full review to come, but I had to get that out there. At least give us an epilogue if you're going to have it all drawn out until the end like that!!!! So wrong.
My Actual Review. I have only recently discovered Christi Caldwell, which is odd considering she's quite prolific and I've been reading romances for so long. Another oddity is that while most all of her books have stellar ratings, she hasn't been a great hit with me ... glad to say, this was one of the exceptions! And interestingly enough, one of the few things I've appreciated in all of her other books—the lack of too much of angst or not-saying-things, etc.—is what knocked off a star for me here! Well that and the fact that Gemma continued to be stuck on Westfield, despite the clear connection between her and Richard.
I love odd/unusual heroines, especially those awkward ones who know too much and are always saying the "wrong" thing at the wrong time—hence, I was very excited about Gemma! She definitely delivers on that score and Caldwell is very good in her depiction of her and keeping it consistent. It's also so lovely to see how she is able to feel so much freer to be herself with Richard, vs. most of the other people she encounters.
Their encounters are fantastic from the beginning, full of sizzle, humor, and lots of challenge (in a good way). Richard and Gemma are such a cute fit and I loved to see how their relationship developed from the initial misconceptions and judgments they'd made of each other to, of course, love! ::sigh:: Richard's heartbreak is very real and sweet, but don't let that bother you if you're one who doesn't like a main character to be hung up on someone else (I totally fit in that category). You feel for him so much, having had to watch the woman he (thought he) loved marry his brother, but when he realizes that it wasn't that real, life-altering romantic love, it also felt very realistic and not at all forced and just-for-the-book's-sake.
Gemma was a bit more of a challenge in that sense; she's a very bright, intelligent, young woman, and I don't see why she didn't clue in earlier on that what she felt for Westfield was hero worship and nothing really more. She was appreciative that he was kind to her, and overall he's a great guy, but her being so set on marrying him didn't make much sense to me. Especially when she is supposed to not think she's a great catch and can attract a guy like him ... but then is on the other hand convinced that she can make him notice and fall in love with her? Which is it?
Most annoyingly, I didn't like that this was drawn out for so long; even when each of them has realized their true feelings for the other, there's something stopping them, or some type of misunderstanding, etc. And I hate those type of plot ploys; one or two, fine, but so many? And in a novella, where we're already so short on space? Really annoying. I loved the sweetness of their feelings for one another and how they were these kind of two oddball characters that fit so well together, but we barely get to enjoy it at all, since it is cleared up literally at the very, very, very end and we're not even given an Epilogue!
Bottom Line. Regardless of the negatives I've written about, the positives far outweigh the negatives and Gemma and Richard are such fun and lovely characters—both as individuals, and together. Gemma is a real spitfire in her exchanges with him, and Richard shows a funny teasing side and then incredibly sweet side; all absolutely wonderful! Wish we had gotten more of them.
Excerpt.
Book 1 — The Rogue's Wager (4.5 stars)
Book 2 — [b:The Scoundrel's Honor|31844487|The Scoundrel's Honor (Sinful Brides, #2)|Christi Caldwell|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1478719346s/31844487.jpg|52512555] (4.5 stars)
Book 3 — The Lady's Guard (4-4.5 stars)
Book 4 — The Heiress's Deception (4 stars)
Caldwell's Wicked Wallflowers Series
Book 1 — [b:The Hellion|36118227|The Hellion (Wicked Wallflowers, #1)|Christi Caldwell|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1515256573s/36118227.jpg|57709434] (4 stars)
Book 2 — The Vixen (4.5 stars)
Book 3 — [b:The Governess|37976051|The Governess (Wicked Wallflowers, #3)|Christi Caldwell|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1522296108s/37976051.jpg|59698809] (TBR)
Book 4 — The Bluestocking (4.5 stars)
Book 5 — [b:The Spitfire|43683929|The Spitfire (Wicked Wallflowers, #5)|Christi Caldwell|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1552552537s/43683929.jpg|67964263] (TBR)
Other Caldwell Books I've Loved (and Enjoyed Out of Order)
The Lady Who Loved Him (The Brethren, #2) — 4.5 stars
Tempted by a Lady's Smile (Lords of Honor, #4) — 4 stars
[b:To Tempt a Scoundrel|36607124|To Tempt a Scoundrel (The Heart of a Duke, #15)|Christi Caldwell|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1510859323s/36607124.jpg|58361689] (The Heart of a Duke, #15) — 4 stars
As though feeling his gaze, Gemma turned and their gazes locked. “What is it?”Basics.
“You are a remarkable young woman,” he said quietly.
And how had he failed to realize the lady’s beauty at their first meeting? Except, he’d noted, and lying beside her, with her wide, brown eyes trained on his face, he had a staggering fear that now that he had noticed, he’d never stop.
Somerset, England in 1821; summer country house party
Miss Gemma Reed (22), intelligent sister of a viscount w/ lots of random knowledge
Mr. Richard Jonas (33), 2nd son of a viscount and successful horse breeder
My Initial Notes When I Finished It. WTF?! Ugh. I mean yes, it was good, but it gets 4 stars because of the heart-palpitations-causing angstiness of it AND THAT IS NOT AN ENDING!!! We definitely deserved a little more than that. Ok, full review to come, but I had to get that out there. At least give us an epilogue if you're going to have it all drawn out until the end like that!!!! So wrong.
My Actual Review. I have only recently discovered Christi Caldwell, which is odd considering she's quite prolific and I've been reading romances for so long. Another oddity is that while most all of her books have stellar ratings, she hasn't been a great hit with me ... glad to say, this was one of the exceptions! And interestingly enough, one of the few things I've appreciated in all of her other books—the lack of too much of angst or not-saying-things, etc.—is what knocked off a star for me here! Well that and the fact that Gemma continued to be stuck on Westfield, despite the clear connection between her and Richard.
I love odd/unusual heroines, especially those awkward ones who know too much and are always saying the "wrong" thing at the wrong time—hence, I was very excited about Gemma! She definitely delivers on that score and Caldwell is very good in her depiction of her and keeping it consistent. It's also so lovely to see how she is able to feel so much freer to be herself with Richard, vs. most of the other people she encounters.
Their encounters are fantastic from the beginning, full of sizzle, humor, and lots of challenge (in a good way). Richard and Gemma are such a cute fit and I loved to see how their relationship developed from the initial misconceptions and judgments they'd made of each other to, of course, love! ::sigh:: Richard's heartbreak is very real and sweet, but don't let that bother you if you're one who doesn't like a main character to be hung up on someone else (I totally fit in that category). You feel for him so much, having had to watch the woman he (thought he) loved marry his brother, but when he realizes that it wasn't that real, life-altering romantic love, it also felt very realistic and not at all forced and just-for-the-book's-sake.
Gemma was a bit more of a challenge in that sense; she's a very bright, intelligent, young woman, and I don't see why she didn't clue in earlier on that what she felt for Westfield was hero worship and nothing really more. She was appreciative that he was kind to her, and overall he's a great guy, but her being so set on marrying him didn't make much sense to me. Especially when she is supposed to not think she's a great catch and can attract a guy like him ... but then is on the other hand convinced that she can make him notice and fall in love with her? Which is it?
Most annoyingly, I didn't like that this was drawn out for so long; even when each of them has realized their true feelings for the other, there's something stopping them, or some type of misunderstanding, etc. And I hate those type of plot ploys; one or two, fine, but so many? And in a novella, where we're already so short on space? Really annoying. I loved the sweetness of their feelings for one another and how they were these kind of two oddball characters that fit so well together, but we barely get to enjoy it at all, since it is cleared up literally at the very, very, very end and we're not even given an Epilogue!
Bottom Line. Regardless of the negatives I've written about, the positives far outweigh the negatives and Gemma and Richard are such fun and lovely characters—both as individuals, and together. Gemma is a real spitfire in her exchanges with him, and Richard shows a funny teasing side and then incredibly sweet side; all absolutely wonderful! Wish we had gotten more of them.
Excerpt.
A fiery glimmer lit her brown eyes and they sparkled with such spirit, words momentarily left him. She narrowed her gaze. “Why are you staring at me like that?”Caldwell's Sinful Brides Series
And because he really didn’t care to examine why he’d been staring at her and just what she made of that look, Richard touched a hand to his chest. “Richard,” he corrected her.
“I beg your pardon?” Four little creases lined her brow.
“My name is Richard.” It defied propriety, and the cool dislike that had existed since their first meeting, but he wished to hear his name on her lips. He desperately wished to hear her wrap those two syllables in her lilting tone. I’m going utterly mad. There is no else accounting for it.
[...]
An urge grew to take that lock between his fingers and test whether the tresses that shimmered in the sunlight streaming through the dancing leaves overhead were as satiny soft as it appeared. She shoved it behind her ear, stealing that opportunity from him. Gemma advanced. “First, you kissed me.”
Which he’d greatly enjoyed. He retreated a step.
“Then,” she stretched out that single syllable. “Despite knowing I mistook you for another gentleman…” Which he did not like at all, for reasons that he also did not know or care to examine. Color flooded her cheeks. “You allowed me to bare my heart’s y—” This would assuredly be an inappropriate place to smile. He fixed on thoughts of their kisses and the satiny smoothness of her skin. Desirous musings that would kill all amusement. He swallowed a groan. Mayhap that was not the safest direction, after all.
Book 1 — The Rogue's Wager (4.5 stars)
Book 2 — [b:The Scoundrel's Honor|31844487|The Scoundrel's Honor (Sinful Brides, #2)|Christi Caldwell|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1478719346s/31844487.jpg|52512555] (4.5 stars)
Book 3 — The Lady's Guard (4-4.5 stars)
Book 4 — The Heiress's Deception (4 stars)
Caldwell's Wicked Wallflowers Series
Book 1 — [b:The Hellion|36118227|The Hellion (Wicked Wallflowers, #1)|Christi Caldwell|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1515256573s/36118227.jpg|57709434] (4 stars)
Book 2 — The Vixen (4.5 stars)
Book 3 — [b:The Governess|37976051|The Governess (Wicked Wallflowers, #3)|Christi Caldwell|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1522296108s/37976051.jpg|59698809] (TBR)
Book 4 — The Bluestocking (4.5 stars)
Book 5 — [b:The Spitfire|43683929|The Spitfire (Wicked Wallflowers, #5)|Christi Caldwell|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1552552537s/43683929.jpg|67964263] (TBR)
Other Caldwell Books I've Loved (and Enjoyed Out of Order)
The Lady Who Loved Him (The Brethren, #2) — 4.5 stars
Tempted by a Lady's Smile (Lords of Honor, #4) — 4 stars
[b:To Tempt a Scoundrel|36607124|To Tempt a Scoundrel (The Heart of a Duke, #15)|Christi Caldwell|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1510859323s/36607124.jpg|58361689] (The Heart of a Duke, #15) — 4 stars
frandeb's review
emotional
lighthearted
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? Yes
5.0
dianed's review
4.0
I love a book where the heroine is not the most beautiful or sought after girl in the room. This one is for the rest of us. For the smart, awkward girls; those bluestocking, wallflowers who are overlooked or even taunted by others. How could anyone like that ever hope to find love – never mind love with a soon to be Duke? What chance did Gemma Reed have?
Gemma’s one ace is the fact that her best friend, beautiful Beatrice is the sister to Lord Westfield. Gemma has “loved” him for all three of her unsuccessful seasons and this house party she was finally going to tell him how she feels. With her sister’s help, she finds out that Westfield is fishing and she makes her way down to talk to him. Unfortunately, she misses him but find his best friend Richard Jonas. The two don’t get along, yet when he kisses her they both feel something.
Even as Gemma is trying to make her feeling know to Westfield, those feeling are changing. She has finally met a man who sees her for who she is and likes her. Is there a chance for her, for them?
When two people are made for each other, they see what no one else can see. They understand each other like no one else can. Gemma and Richard have both stayed at the fringes of society but that’s where they found each other.
Once again, Christi Caldwell has created a wonderful story of learning to know yourself before you can really learn to love someone else. The characters are real – with flaws and problems. This is a quick read and well worth taking the time. Although this is the 4th book in the Lords of Honor Series, it stands alone and you do not need to read the other before this one (although if you liked this one you might want to go back and pick them up also.)
Gemma’s one ace is the fact that her best friend, beautiful Beatrice is the sister to Lord Westfield. Gemma has “loved” him for all three of her unsuccessful seasons and this house party she was finally going to tell him how she feels. With her sister’s help, she finds out that Westfield is fishing and she makes her way down to talk to him. Unfortunately, she misses him but find his best friend Richard Jonas. The two don’t get along, yet when he kisses her they both feel something.
Even as Gemma is trying to make her feeling know to Westfield, those feeling are changing. She has finally met a man who sees her for who she is and likes her. Is there a chance for her, for them?
When two people are made for each other, they see what no one else can see. They understand each other like no one else can. Gemma and Richard have both stayed at the fringes of society but that’s where they found each other.
Once again, Christi Caldwell has created a wonderful story of learning to know yourself before you can really learn to love someone else. The characters are real – with flaws and problems. This is a quick read and well worth taking the time. Although this is the 4th book in the Lords of Honor Series, it stands alone and you do not need to read the other before this one (although if you liked this one you might want to go back and pick them up also.)
harmony's review
2.0
Back to ballrooms and propriety and "not like other girls"! I've read other books by this author that were quite different but I guess my hopes for Not Like Other Regencies was in vain. Only real upside is that this was a novella so at least the instalove and comedy of manners wasn't also drawn out by too much artificially inflated drama. Why am I still reading this series? Well, because I bought it as a collected volume and apparently I'm on reading-decision-autopilot.
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