Helpful Score: 2
I've read the whole series. This was a painful, frustrating, insulting, and mostly boring repetition of other scenes we've seen over and over (and over) in the other books. Something new Claudia Dain, please. This formula is DONE. Two stars.
The main characters, the Duke of Edenham and Jane Elliot were unlikeable and annoying. Claudia Dain chose AGAIN to have the entire story take place in a single day, at a single event. There is no action. Two people meet and fall in love and become engaged in eight hours. Riiight. In fact, he falls in love at first sight. Why does he love her? Because she's beautiful. And despite her (and others) telling him repeatedly that that isn't a good reason to marry someone - in fact the whole plot seems to revolve around her trying to get him to want her for any other reason - in the end, that is still the only reason he loves her. This book is unbearable. The hero is 20 years older than the heroine, he's buried 3 wives and has two kids. Wow what a catch. I kept hoping that it would all turn out to be a trick and that the heroine would fall in love with someone...not icky. Sadly, no.
There is absolutely nothing to recommend this book based on the main characters. What does recommend it is the very very important revelations about Sophia. There is actually depth in the scenes between her and Ruan. Emotion even. Something that we see very little of in any of these books.
Seems like Dain is building up to continue the series, probably moving it to America. I can't read anymore of these books. This was just torture. And yet...I still want to know what happens to Sophia. I still feel curious about the Elliot brothers. I hate these books but still feel curious. Torture.
The main characters, the Duke of Edenham and Jane Elliot were unlikeable and annoying. Claudia Dain chose AGAIN to have the entire story take place in a single day, at a single event. There is no action. Two people meet and fall in love and become engaged in eight hours. Riiight. In fact, he falls in love at first sight. Why does he love her? Because she's beautiful. And despite her (and others) telling him repeatedly that that isn't a good reason to marry someone - in fact the whole plot seems to revolve around her trying to get him to want her for any other reason - in the end, that is still the only reason he loves her. This book is unbearable. The hero is 20 years older than the heroine, he's buried 3 wives and has two kids. Wow what a catch. I kept hoping that it would all turn out to be a trick and that the heroine would fall in love with someone...not icky. Sadly, no.
There is absolutely nothing to recommend this book based on the main characters. What does recommend it is the very very important revelations about Sophia. There is actually depth in the scenes between her and Ruan. Emotion even. Something that we see very little of in any of these books.
Seems like Dain is building up to continue the series, probably moving it to America. I can't read anymore of these books. This was just torture. And yet...I still want to know what happens to Sophia. I still feel curious about the Elliot brothers. I hate these books but still feel curious. Torture.
Claudia Dain has put together a wonderful series and this book will not disappoint.
