Helpful Score: 2
Sweet romantic Cinderella type story - a little too syrupy for me at times.
Helpful Score: 1
~ THE FIRST HALF WAS WONDERFUL, BUT LOST SOME OF ITS SPARKLE AFTER THAT (3.5 stars) ~
I was really looking forward to reading this book, as I love heroines who are plain, serious, on the shelf, and all that good stuff, lol. Susannah definitely delivers on that end, but she's also *much* more: she's strong, generous, intelligent, and all-around lovely. She is essentially the head of her household, taking care of her three younger sisters and her absentminded father, who is a reverend. Susannah has held this caretaker role since she was 14 and her mother died. While she is at times content, she is never truly happy, and has given up on the idea that she might have a family and home of her own someday.
Her pairing with Ian Connelly (also the Marquis of Derne, though she doesn't know it) was absolutely perfect. He was a "bad boy" in his previous life (read: rake/rogue) and is truly considered one now, having been (wrongly) convicted of attempted murder and sent to America to serve a term of indentured servitude. While this book was written awhile ago, Ian is not an 80s-throwback hero, of which I was very relieved. He's an alpha male-type definitely, but I liked that he *does* work the farm and wants to learn how to help the family. He's a marquis, has no experience with physical labor, and was pretty much a wenching wastrel before all of this happened, yet he doesn't act spoiled or condescending.
The exchanges between Ian and Susannah were very sweet; I so enjoyed watching him tease her and seeing Susannah lighten up a little and allow herself to enjoy things. They are very much opposites, but fit together perfectly. The first half of the book was great, because we get to see their relationship develop through this odd-prism of Susannah thinking Ian is an indentured servant she bought (and ex-servant) and a man she's falling in love with, and Ian beginning to realize that Susannah is so much more than she shows the world and that all the other beautiful (but spiteful and greedy) women he's known pale in comparison to her.
CRITICISMS:
The second half is where things decidedly went downhill for me. I don't want to give anything away regarding the plot, so I will just say the following:
-- What could have been an emotional and lovely reunion was not.
-- Susannah has a decidedly shrewish period, one that is somewhat understandably, but a little over the top.
-- The entire subplot of how Ian was betrayed and forced into indentured servitude is resolved completely "off-screen" (off-page?) and is unbelievably anti-climactic - twice-over.
-- Parts of the subplot seem to come out of nowhere and involve people we've never met before or even been told about.
-- For most of the second half, the romantic relationship between Susannah and Ian is very different from what it was before - and not in a good way. It felt very seedy and far more superficial - and mostly physical - than it had before. Also, their personalities seem very changed, though I'm not sure whether that was what contributed to the seediness-feeling or vice versa.
-- The ending was a little anti-climactic and I feel that more should have been resolved between them, both emotionally and practically/logistically.
I also did not like the fact that almost all of the book was told from Susannah's POV. It made me feel very blind as to what was going on emotionally and internally with Ian, and I would have liked more insight into his feelings and thoughts.
Two other minor complaints: Whatever happened with Jed, the wife-beater? And Susannah's sister Mandy was very, very annoying.
BOTTOM LINE:
While this book could have easily been turned into a 4.5 or maybe even 5 star read for me, several things in the second half of the book decidedly lowered my opinion. I'm glad that I read the book and would recommend it, however I'm also happy that I got it from the library and did not buy my own copy.
RECOMMENDATIONS:
In many ways, this book reminded me of Lorraine Heath's series Rogues in Texas, which revolves around three English "gentlemen" who are all sent by their families to America "for their own good." They are best friends: one is a duke's bastard, another an aimless and direction-less second son, and the third a gambling addict.
Book 1 - A Rogue in Texas (4 stars)
Book 2 - Never Love a Cowboy (4 stars)
Book 3 - Never Marry a Cowboy (unread)
I was really looking forward to reading this book, as I love heroines who are plain, serious, on the shelf, and all that good stuff, lol. Susannah definitely delivers on that end, but she's also *much* more: she's strong, generous, intelligent, and all-around lovely. She is essentially the head of her household, taking care of her three younger sisters and her absentminded father, who is a reverend. Susannah has held this caretaker role since she was 14 and her mother died. While she is at times content, she is never truly happy, and has given up on the idea that she might have a family and home of her own someday.
Her pairing with Ian Connelly (also the Marquis of Derne, though she doesn't know it) was absolutely perfect. He was a "bad boy" in his previous life (read: rake/rogue) and is truly considered one now, having been (wrongly) convicted of attempted murder and sent to America to serve a term of indentured servitude. While this book was written awhile ago, Ian is not an 80s-throwback hero, of which I was very relieved. He's an alpha male-type definitely, but I liked that he *does* work the farm and wants to learn how to help the family. He's a marquis, has no experience with physical labor, and was pretty much a wenching wastrel before all of this happened, yet he doesn't act spoiled or condescending.
The exchanges between Ian and Susannah were very sweet; I so enjoyed watching him tease her and seeing Susannah lighten up a little and allow herself to enjoy things. They are very much opposites, but fit together perfectly. The first half of the book was great, because we get to see their relationship develop through this odd-prism of Susannah thinking Ian is an indentured servant she bought (and ex-servant) and a man she's falling in love with, and Ian beginning to realize that Susannah is so much more than she shows the world and that all the other beautiful (but spiteful and greedy) women he's known pale in comparison to her.
CRITICISMS:
The second half is where things decidedly went downhill for me. I don't want to give anything away regarding the plot, so I will just say the following:
-- What could have been an emotional and lovely reunion was not.
-- Susannah has a decidedly shrewish period, one that is somewhat understandably, but a little over the top.
-- The entire subplot of how Ian was betrayed and forced into indentured servitude is resolved completely "off-screen" (off-page?) and is unbelievably anti-climactic - twice-over.
-- Parts of the subplot seem to come out of nowhere and involve people we've never met before or even been told about.
-- For most of the second half, the romantic relationship between Susannah and Ian is very different from what it was before - and not in a good way. It felt very seedy and far more superficial - and mostly physical - than it had before. Also, their personalities seem very changed, though I'm not sure whether that was what contributed to the seediness-feeling or vice versa.
-- The ending was a little anti-climactic and I feel that more should have been resolved between them, both emotionally and practically/logistically.
I also did not like the fact that almost all of the book was told from Susannah's POV. It made me feel very blind as to what was going on emotionally and internally with Ian, and I would have liked more insight into his feelings and thoughts.
Two other minor complaints: Whatever happened with Jed, the wife-beater? And Susannah's sister Mandy was very, very annoying.
BOTTOM LINE:
While this book could have easily been turned into a 4.5 or maybe even 5 star read for me, several things in the second half of the book decidedly lowered my opinion. I'm glad that I read the book and would recommend it, however I'm also happy that I got it from the library and did not buy my own copy.
RECOMMENDATIONS:
In many ways, this book reminded me of Lorraine Heath's series Rogues in Texas, which revolves around three English "gentlemen" who are all sent by their families to America "for their own good." They are best friends: one is a duke's bastard, another an aimless and direction-less second son, and the third a gambling addict.
Book 1 - A Rogue in Texas (4 stars)
Book 2 - Never Love a Cowboy (4 stars)
Book 3 - Never Marry a Cowboy (unread)
Helpful Score: 1
I read this book while I was on vacation at the beach, and it was a perfect book to read while on vacation. I thought it was great and a sweet love story without being too sappy. Both h/h were strong willed people used to being in control so it was fun to see the dynamics between them as they fought for domination in their relationship. I liked the fact that it was more than beauty that drew the hero to to the heroine. She was considered to be "dowdy" by everyone, including him, in the beginning, and she relied on something other than her looks to gain the respect and attention of those around her. She transformed into a beauty at some point, but much of that seemed to be in the eyes of the hero, which was nice. I really liked the book and would highly recommend it.
