Thank you to Forever/Grand Central Publishing and NetGalley for providing me with an egalley of this book to read and review. The opinions expressed here are my own.
I cannot get enough of Amalie Howard's regency error romances. I'm not huge on historical fiction, except if Howard is writing it! Her books are fun, quirky, hilarious, and sexy! I am never disappointed with her stories and her characters. They always draw me in. As with her others, I could not put this one down!
Evangeline "Effie" Raine is one of my most favorite characters Howard has written. I love that she is unapologetically herself. That while the world around her expects her to act a certain way, she blows caution to the wind and does things her own way. It makes her extremely loveable and totally relatable to the reader. Effie is an outside the box thinker; a feminist who choses to make herself happy rather than bow to the expectations of what will make others happy. In this way, she's a perfect fit for the ostracized Duke Gage Vale. He is also not afraid to be himself and doesn't care what the people of the ton think. He just wants to be free of the debt he's incurred because of his brother and then live his life happily in his Scottish manor. Neither Effie nor Gage are looking for someone to settle down with. Effie accepting that she will forever be a spinster and Gage accepting he will forever be known for the follies of his brother and father. But what makes them different for others ends up making them perfect for each other. They support each other and do not shy away from being well and truly themselves when they are together. They are strong willed and stubborn, but oh so good together!
Amalie's side characters are also a ton of fun. She revisits the ladies from her previous books but you certainly do not have to read those books to read this one (though I suggest reading them in order or some of the relationships will be spoiled!). Again Howard dives into the support these ladies have for one another. Their small group is never far away when needed and they always rally to help each other out. This book brings the addition of Effie's sister, Viola, who ends up fitting in well with all the other Hell Kitties!
The pacing of this book was perfect. Just the right amount of angst and longing to keep you wondering what will happen next and how. Of course there is a third act "break up" to contend with but the resolution of it is really quite appealing. Plus she infuses a lot of humor into this story which had me giggling many times while reading it. The banter between her characters (even those who are just supporting) is superb.
Did I get Bridgerton vibes from this one? You bet I did. This story was reminiscent of Anthony and Kate, though without the worry of the male love interest being wrapped up in the female love interest's sister. I've heard this one is loosely based on 10 Things I Hate About You but since I have not seen that movie, I could not tell anyone if that were true!
This one sure does seem to set up a new relationship for an upcoming book, which I hope will happen as I'll happily continue to read all the stories Howard intends to write in this world!
No comments:
Post a Comment