61 of 66 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Not as satisfying as her other books, June 1, 2010
This is not one of Julia Quinn's best works. Her trademarks - the subtle humor and likable protagnonists - are still there, which made this book a pleasant read. But readers are unlikely to remember this book a couple of weeks after they've read it nor will they be likely talk about it years after it has been published like they do the Bridgerton series.
At the start of the book, Annabel Winslow is in a pickle. Having newly arrived in London for her first season and being in possession of a voluptuous figure, is being openly courted the the Earl of Newbury, who is at least 75 and a nasty brute to boot. Annabel does not want to marry him, of course, but feels that she has no choice since her father has recently died and left the whole family, includeing Annabel's mother her 7 siblings, almost destitute. Then, while attending a party in the countryside, Annabel met Sebastien Grey, the Earl of Newbury's nephew. And suddenly she found herself not only courted by the lecherous uncle, but also the charming young nephew. Should she follow her heart so that she can be with the one she loves, or should she marry the loathsome earl just so she can put food on the table for her family and make sure that her brothers get to stay in school?
Once again, as with all of Julia Quinn's books, the book's strength lies in its protagonists. Both Annabel and Sebastien are very likable people, with a lively sense of humor. Annabel, in particular, manages to retain her sense of humor and not to become a martyr or doormat even when faced with the prospect of marrying a man she absolutely loathed. Sebastien, on the other hand, is the kind of beta-hero Juali Quinn has become a master at creating - charming, carefree, but not afraid to get his hands dirty when somone he loves becomes threatened. Annabela and Sebastien made a wonderful pair and the chemistry between them is palpable.
Despite the likable protagonists, my quibble with this book is the same ones I have with the previous book in the series, What Happens in London. Julia Quinn's books have always been light-hearted. But with the best of her previous books, even at its most light-hearted there is poignancy to her stories that made the happy ending all the more emotionally satisfying. This has been conspicuously absent from her last 2 books. Even a lot of the humor seem to fall flat and felt forced. There's also a lot of backstory that was left unexplored that could have made a book a little meatier, instead of the fluff that it is. For example, it is mentioned a couple of times in the book the Sebastien suffers from insomnia due to his war time experience, but that was mostly left unexplored. So what was the point of including it in the first place?
So while this book was a pleasant way to while a way a couple of hours, it's not one of her best. And if you have never read Julia Quinn before, I wouldn't recommend that you start here.
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62 of 71 people found the following review helpful:
2.0 out of 5 stars
10 things to dislike about this book, June 15, 2010
1. The cutesy title should have told me that the
2. the nauseatingly overlong, obnoxious lists coupled with
3. the lack of a gripping plot and
4. characters that are 'nice', but not memorable would have served to forewarn me about
5. the failure of the author to measure up to her previous body of work, especially the early Bridgertons.
Then I would have realized that
7. the book would be a waste of time
8. and that I would forget it quickly, which explains why
9. this is such a difficult review to write as I
10.can't remember much about it!!
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36 of 43 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Return of Julia, May 26, 2010
I actually have to say that even though I loved her books, her newer ones were not my favorites. This book has captured everything Julia Quinn--her humor, wittiness, charming heroes, and likable, strong heroines. She brought back cameo's of some of her characters from other books which gave the feeling of a nice high school reunion. LOVE the book, and I can't wait for her next book to come out.
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