Reviews

3.5 Stars

I was promised a fun read. And I got one, for the most part. The synopsis definitely sounds like loads of fun.

The novel is set in the early 1800s and follows a 27-year-old Calpurnia who, despite years who doing everything that was required of her, still remains unmarried. She is now tired of being the reputable one who never gets to have any fun, so she makes a list of adventures that she wishes to have. And who better to help her accomplish some of them than Gabriel St. John, the Marquess of Ralston, and also an infamous rake.

Now like I said, from both the synopsis and the reviews, I was promised a very fun read. That's the only reason I picked it up because usually, me and historical fiction novels are a huge 'NO'. And it's a shame really, because I love the way people in those books talk. It's just that I find history to be spectacularly boring most of the time. Thankfully, this book didn't try to give me any history lessons (unlike Outlander, which I believe is one of the most pointless, plotless, and dull books ever written).

I was still bothered by the way people thought and the way society worked (as if marriage is the only thing a woman is made for) but it's hardly something I could change so I tried to let it go.

Anyway, got off point again, back to the topic of fun. I had a lot of fun. Callie's list of adventures were quite scandalous for a woman of that time. Things like kissing someone passionately, gambling in a gentlemen's club, firing a pistol, awesome things. And I never anticipated that I would enjoy reading about her adventures as much as I did. She was always so excited yet nervous about everything. And Gabriel often showed up and his reactions were pure gold. He could never seem to figure out whether to strangle her for risking her reputation, kiss her for being so brilliant, or just watch how adorable she was.

The romance between Callie and Gabriel was very entertaining. The had a lot of chemistry and their interaction usually ended in either a huge argument or a make out session. Sometimes both, in no specific order.

Things in the book were going good, I liked Callie and even though Gabriel was initially a major ass, he slowly redeemed himself. I came to really like him as the story went on. Then came a big problem. It wasn't a sudden thing, just a buildup that reached it's boiling point.

You see, Callie is very self-conscious. She's always putting herself down, and it's understandable given her situation. But there is a point at which it becomes too much. You can only listen to so many pages of whining about a girl who thinks she's fat, plain, dull, undesirable, and not good enough for a handsome rake. Especially since said rake has been giving all sorts of signals, and telling her, that he really likes her. At that point, self-consciousness became idiocy. I swear to God, I almost stopped reading because of how frustrating Callie was.

Not only was she constantly misunderstanding situation and putting herself down, she wouldn't fucking listen to anyone! She herself wouldn't talk to Gabriel and when he tried to talk, she wouldn't listen! It was beyond infuriating. I wanted to shake her, and maybe even slap her.

Thankfully, that troublesome thing was about a twenty percent section of the novel (around 70-90%) that I was somehow able to get through. The ending was quite satisfying and I'm eager to read more of the series. That doesn' change the fact that I was very annoyed and that I hate plots driven by misunderstandings and miscommunication. They, quite frankly, make me want to stab the book and it's characters. I really hope we won't get the same thing in the sequel/spin-offs.

Overall, this was a fun (I've used this word too many times) but it can get frustrating. If you're not good with overly self-conscious protagonists, I wouldn't recommend it for you. But you've got no problem with 'em, go for it.

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