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mikaylaslibrary's review
2.0
Long story short, I did not like this book.
Long story long, this is why:
I think that this was not a good premise for a book, especially one that it set during the regency(ish) era. The writing style feels very modern, and this relays a modern feel to the setting, characters, and overall historical feel of the novel. I’m not saying that I have a problem with modern authors writing historical romances, there just seems to be a crowd that does it in a way that I prefer.
I know that this is a common enough story that it is plausible to write it in a book, but that is what makes it boring to me. Give me a romantic, impossible story. I know that people prefer the more real-life type of story, but I did not enjoy it as much as I thought I would.
The characters are fine. That's it. They’re your average regency era characters. Devilish rake who spent time on the Continent, and is now back in town to find a wife. Young lady who had always loved this man, and has put her own life on hold to wait for it. Bonus points because they were childhood friends. Negative points because he’s a spy?? I understand that this was an interesting time in espionage, and everyday people were becoming a part of this secret service, if you will. But I have such an issue because it was so out of pocket, and unnecessary.
The male love interest (I don’t remember his name, which I am very glad to report), was so funny. He was the most male character I have ever seen. Why does he like to hit people? Why does he just constantly think about taking her and then like, beating himself up for it? Why does he have 16 million names for the female nether regions that are horrible and gross and entirely not period accurate. He’s just so male. And I can’t get over it.
I think that this is a fine book. I think that someone will love it. I think that I will not be reading anything else by this author for a while.
Thank you to NetGalley, Aria & Aries Publishing, and the author for allowing me to read an advanced copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
xandrarama's review
Probably a 2.75 for me. In some ways, this ticked a lot of my boxes. The pacing was good, the spy element was well plotted, and the premise of the romance was excellent (childhood friends who’d promised themselves to one another before the hero left for a post in the diplomatic service and then abandoned her). Lydia was a sympathetic character and her anxiety in reflecting upon the uncertain future of unmarried gentlewomen in Victorian times was conveyed very effectively.
However, I never quite bought into the protagonists’ feelings for one another. Maybe I needed to see more of them together before his departure to understand this unswerving love they had for one another; as it is, the text told me their love has never faltered over ten years of separation, but I couldn’t feel it.
The writing veered erratically from evocative to cliched. Gabriel was undeniably tortured but there was no need to describe him as having ice around his heart on almost every single page (and occasionally, multiple times per page). I lost count of the number of times I rolled my eyes at him; I think the overwrought tone backfired in this instance.
Overall, this didn’t live up to its promise for me.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.
However, I never quite bought into the protagonists’ feelings for one another. Maybe I needed to see more of them together before his departure to understand this unswerving love they had for one another; as it is, the text told me their love has never faltered over ten years of separation, but I couldn’t feel it.
The writing veered erratically from evocative to cliched. Gabriel was undeniably tortured but there was no need to describe him as having ice around his heart on almost every single page (and occasionally, multiple times per page). I lost count of the number of times I rolled my eyes at him; I think the overwrought tone backfired in this instance.
Overall, this didn’t live up to its promise for me.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.
erinarkin20's review
4.0
I actually read this series a while ago and was excited to hear that they were getting a bit of a makeover! A Bride by Morning is book 3 in the Private Arrangements series by Katrina Kendrick and while my recommendation would be to pick up books 1 and 2 in this series as well, if you can't I don't think you will have any trouble diving into this one and getting into the story.
Gabriel St. Clair, the Earl of Montgomery, was the third son and never supposed to inherit. When he goes off to be a diplomat, he asks Lydia (our fmc) to wait for him. Little did he know that he would quickly become a British spy and his enemies would be everywhere. Due to his transition to Earl, Gabriel comes back to London and that's where the story picks up.
I couldn't help feeling all the feelings for Lydia. She's not had things easy and after committing herself to waiting for Gabriel, she's become a companion to her elderly aunt as she wasn't willing to give up on him. When Gabriel returns, she does whatever she can to reconnect with him but he pushes her away based on his ridiculous thoughts of protecting her from him and his enemies but that only serves to put them both in a position where neither are really happy.
When Lydia witnesses Gabriel and his spy skills, she is not only surprised but she starts to understand. Gabriel, having put her in danger, is now determined to marry her to provide protection...and nothing else.
As I mentioned, Lydia is one of those characters I couldn't help feeling for. She loved / loves Gabriel and he does everything he possibly can to push her away instead of talking to her. In the end, they find their way back to each other and need to find a way to live. There are definite ups and downs in their marriage. She's looking for answers and he's unwilling to talk about things which doesn't really work well but they do eventually figure it all out.
Kendrick has written a page turning story with great characters and I definitely recommend picking this one up when you can. I'll definitely be looking for more books from this author in the future.
Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for the copy in exchange for an honest review.
Gabriel St. Clair, the Earl of Montgomery, was the third son and never supposed to inherit. When he goes off to be a diplomat, he asks Lydia (our fmc) to wait for him. Little did he know that he would quickly become a British spy and his enemies would be everywhere. Due to his transition to Earl, Gabriel comes back to London and that's where the story picks up.
I couldn't help feeling all the feelings for Lydia. She's not had things easy and after committing herself to waiting for Gabriel, she's become a companion to her elderly aunt as she wasn't willing to give up on him. When Gabriel returns, she does whatever she can to reconnect with him but he pushes her away based on his ridiculous thoughts of protecting her from him and his enemies but that only serves to put them both in a position where neither are really happy.
When Lydia witnesses Gabriel and his spy skills, she is not only surprised but she starts to understand. Gabriel, having put her in danger, is now determined to marry her to provide protection...and nothing else.
As I mentioned, Lydia is one of those characters I couldn't help feeling for. She loved / loves Gabriel and he does everything he possibly can to push her away instead of talking to her. In the end, they find their way back to each other and need to find a way to live. There are definite ups and downs in their marriage. She's looking for answers and he's unwilling to talk about things which doesn't really work well but they do eventually figure it all out.
Kendrick has written a page turning story with great characters and I definitely recommend picking this one up when you can. I'll definitely be looking for more books from this author in the future.
Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for the copy in exchange for an honest review.
virginiahassel's review
emotional
hopeful
sad
tense
fast-paced
5.0
I absolutely loved this book. This is the kind of book where I want to cancel plans to keep reading it. The heat between the main characters and the dual POVs were perfect.
This is the first book I've read by this author and I want to read more of her work ASAP.
This is the first book I've read by this author and I want to read more of her work ASAP.
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