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teresab78's review
3.0
While I didn’t like the cover for this book, the contents were better. I really liked the uncommon setting though some of the descriptions were vague. Vali is quite naive in the beginning of this story but does grow over the course of it. I found the pacing a little off - some spots rushed while others lingered too long. On the whole I think it would have been better if fleshed out a little more. The one sex scene bothered me as it felt like Vali was taking advantage somehow.
On the whole I liked the story despite the issues.
On the whole I liked the story despite the issues.
weweresotired's review
3.0
Here are some thoughts on this book!
- I loved the time period and the setting! I don't think I've read anything else set in Romania, so this was an interesting introduction to a new time/place that you don't see very often in books. You get a fairly good picture of the setting, the politics of the region, the way that the the outlying villages relate to the larger kingdom, etc. Beecroft writes excellent descriptions of the setting, as well as things like clothing, so you really get a good picture of what's going on.
- The character development of Vali is fantastic. Even though this story takes place over a fairly short amount of time, he makes a very believable transformation from an impulsive son of privilege to someone who really wants to make a difference in the lives of the people under his father's rule. He gets a whole bunch of rude awakenings in very quick succession that help him change his tune. I have a lot of hope that Vali will continue to grow and become an awesome ruler in his own right.
- The scenes between Vali and Mihai are hot! There's an instant attraction between them, and the build up to them first getting together will have you turning pages. While the sex scenes are great, there's still plenty of plot and character development and relationship building between the two.
- I do wish that the story were a bit longer -- some of the "Vali and Mihai get closer" scenes are kind of handwaved, and I would have loved to read more about Vali's upbringing, to really help connect me with his past and his family -- but it is short and sweet, and leaves you wanting more.
- I loved the time period and the setting! I don't think I've read anything else set in Romania, so this was an interesting introduction to a new time/place that you don't see very often in books. You get a fairly good picture of the setting, the politics of the region, the way that the the outlying villages relate to the larger kingdom, etc. Beecroft writes excellent descriptions of the setting, as well as things like clothing, so you really get a good picture of what's going on.
- The character development of Vali is fantastic. Even though this story takes place over a fairly short amount of time, he makes a very believable transformation from an impulsive son of privilege to someone who really wants to make a difference in the lives of the people under his father's rule. He gets a whole bunch of rude awakenings in very quick succession that help him change his tune. I have a lot of hope that Vali will continue to grow and become an awesome ruler in his own right.
- The scenes between Vali and Mihai are hot! There's an instant attraction between them, and the build up to them first getting together will have you turning pages. While the sex scenes are great, there's still plenty of plot and character development and relationship building between the two.
- I do wish that the story were a bit longer -- some of the "Vali and Mihai get closer" scenes are kind of handwaved, and I would have loved to read more about Vali's upbringing, to really help connect me with his past and his family -- but it is short and sweet, and leaves you wanting more.
alisonalisonalison's review
3.0
A historical romance set in 18th century rural Romania involving a spoiled noble and an outlaw keen on revenge--how cool is that? It's a great idea and I liked this, but it felt perhaps a little underdeveloped. It's a big story in a small package and it was maybe a little too short to tell the story fully and could have been fleshed out quite a lot. It started very strongly, but then lost a bit of steam as it progressed and the ending felt a little rushed. The romance is pretty sappy and somewhat insta-lovey in flavour. I had some other niggles, but there's a lot to like here. Vali's an interesting character and his growth as a person is great. I really enjoyed the unconventional geographical location and the historical setting is vivid and different. I enjoy Alex Beecroft's writing and I appreciate the originality, but I wanted more from this story.
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