Steamy, a little trope-y but ultimately thin on problematic-ness which is welcome after reading It Ends With Us last month! Also the side characters wSteamy, a little trope-y but ultimately thin on problematic-ness which is welcome after reading It Ends With Us last month! Also the side characters were interesting enough that I might check out the subsequent books....more
a well-written spicy regency romance with the usual tropes but better flirting in the front end than most
the byline is stupid cause I read it and didna well-written spicy regency romance with the usual tropes but better flirting in the front end than most
the byline is stupid cause I read it and didn't realize I had already read the book till I picked it up... it should be: husband-hunting gal runs into the most eligible bachelor in town, feels a spark but realizes he's got her pegged and writes him off ---- which intrigues him of course because in this story men definitely want what they can't have. Man is emotionally unavailable because his parents didn't love him (and had a terrible marriage) so it's game of seduction vs the "I'll drop my panties only for a profitable marriage" lady....more
Half of the book dealt with the Mc’s insecurities and events of the previous decade (including a lot of catch up on yhe previous three Bridgeryon bookHalf of the book dealt with the Mc’s insecurities and events of the previous decade (including a lot of catch up on yhe previous three Bridgeryon books). By this I mean there wasn’t a whiff of romance till at least the halfway mark which makes this quite dull for the genre. I read in anticipation of the Netflix series but I should have just waited for the Shondaland glow-up. ...more
A cute rom-com that was trying to check too many boxes in the Practical Magic-but-with-sex genre(s), in that the 'chaos-ensued' portion was set up to A cute rom-com that was trying to check too many boxes in the Practical Magic-but-with-sex genre(s), in that the 'chaos-ensued' portion was set up to be hijinks but tried to be scary and ended up feeling low-stakes anyways and the author told us the sex scenes were intense rather than them actually feeling passionate. That being said, the female family at the heart of things was pretty great and the sexual relationship was very equal and chock full of consent. ...more
I need to go read the bylines again but I thought this was going to follow something like The Rosie Project but with an Asian female neurodiverse MC iI need to go read the bylines again but I thought this was going to follow something like The Rosie Project but with an Asian female neurodiverse MC instead of white male neurodiverse MC. Instead it's Danielle Steele romance with all the Regency romance tropes included (boy thinks he's 'bad' by blood with some mysterious backstory, girl thinks she's unattractive and all past sexual issues are her own when she's super hot and has only dated crap men, only the two of them can heal each other, lotsa sexy-times scenes) That's fine, but not at all what I was expecting so I'll leave it at 3-stars cause the marketing was off and I honestly don't know how I would evaluate it if it matched my expectations. ...more
Nicholas Sparks in reverse: first comes grief, then comes (healing?) love. Hits all the emotional cues along the way and written well enough that the Nicholas Sparks in reverse: first comes grief, then comes (healing?) love. Hits all the emotional cues along the way and written well enough that the suspension of disbelief for the central premise wasn't too awkward. Some good commentary on grief but it never made me cry (and my sentimental heartstrings are fairly easy to pull). The best part of the book is neither Lydia, nor her love story, but the coworkers and family that help keep her together through these events.
Grief is an odd thing. It’s mine, and no one can do it for me, but there’s been this whole supporting cast of silent actors around me in the wings.
a promising start; a literary modern courtesan in Washington D.C. during the 2008 election of President Obama... this took a turn mid-way when the auta promising start; a literary modern courtesan in Washington D.C. during the 2008 election of President Obama... this took a turn mid-way when the author decided she was writing about 'art' and the central character as a messy metaphor for good writing to be appreciated by a small elite crowd. The mass-market, publishing house supported books then are akin to prostitutes while gems that truly raise the art-form and bring joy to the consumer are actually a creative force that deserve patronage to keep alive and properly valued. ugh. I'm especially insulted because the book oft-mentioned as the example for cheaply stealing all the publishing dollars is Harry Potter, even naming that as the sole book in a house that reads no books. REALLY? have you read Harry Potter? Have your read your own beach reads Miss Brodsky? because Harry Potter was written by a single mother on the dole who had to shop it around extensively before gaining publication and it rejuvenated the publishing industry... all boats rose with that wave. Also, it's GREAT. The themes are well drawn, the character development top-notch and the plot lines much better than the muddied mess this book quickly devolves into. No amount of political-science theory or French philosophy quotes can save this mess... in fact they only add to the 'ugh' factor.
Add to this some serious throwback statements such as
"Men are not allowed to be men anymore. They must do the washing up, they must do school drop-offs and casseroles with cilantro garnishes, they must pretend women are just as good at playing golf and just as fun to play with, that we would never dream of having anything to ourselves. We are not allowed to tell a woman she looks sexy, or to make a pass. We have to pretend we are puritans. God forbid a man comes home drunk on a school night! Or feels like having sex in the morning. There is not the time and he must deal with it. Well, where does all this maleness go, I ask?" "To me?" "Yes. To you. That is exactly right. But you do not take advantage. You take it to another plane. You create beauty. Art."
God forbid this becomes the guide by which anyone crafts their freedom. So much for liberated women. So much for the sisterhood. And how this fits the writing metaphor I cannot fathom. ...more
I tried to read this after two glowing five-star reviews from people I follow but I finally stopped halfway through once I realized I dreaded picking I tried to read this after two glowing five-star reviews from people I follow but I finally stopped halfway through once I realized I dreaded picking it up again (even after the big "what did they do?" Is revealed). It's not even that it's a book full of antihero/heroines; I can take morally ambiguous and flawed characters but there is absolutely no one to trust in this read - everyone is crazy, manipulative, devious, selfish, self-destructive etc. and the problem is that you start to want to like and trust someone because there is romance to be had, and trauma to work through, and beautiful, beautiful language to read. But I just had a growing sense of dread and 'don't let the crazies in!' that made reading every scene painful. I don't watch horror movies for the same reason....more
Usual fare (which isn't a criticism but I had hopes for something more after seeing the reviews.) Actually isn't this a good title for 90%+ of this genUsual fare (which isn't a criticism but I had hopes for something more after seeing the reviews.) Actually isn't this a good title for 90%+ of this genre? ...more
while the protagonists in this historical romance are the expected tropes, the plot is unusual and a creative way to get the female lead into all sortwhile the protagonists in this historical romance are the expected tropes, the plot is unusual and a creative way to get the female lead into all sorts of lovely trouble. A very fun read....more
Received as part of BookRiot's "Explore New Reads" quarterly set which is why I'll admit I enjoyed it (that, and to count towards Book Riot's 2015 reaReceived as part of BookRiot's "Explore New Reads" quarterly set which is why I'll admit I enjoyed it (that, and to count towards Book Riot's 2015 reading challenge for "Romance Novel"). :) If I'm being honest, I didn't like it as much as I've previously enjoyed Sarah Maclean'sNine Rules to Break When Romancing a Rake. The plot is typical, the male unsurprisingly virile and scandalous (and jaded and distrusting), the female unsurprisingly virginal, curious and able to break down her man's barriers... but the plotting moves along and just because the outcome is practically foretold, doesn't mean it isn't satisfying to the reader. (one of the reasons listed in the quarterly's "10 Reasons to Read Romance" insert)....more