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samnreader's review
hopeful
lighthearted
3.75
Thus concludes my 5 year tour of this little area with Lerner. I love her books, I love how she writes sex with no shame (but doubts about that too) I love how her characters are by all accounts very normal people. This was no different, although I could've done with a few more pages to develop the couple and resolutions more, but that's novella life for you.
cinabq's review
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
waclements7's review against another edition
4.0
A fun novella about the Honey Moon, the confectioners shop in Lively St. Lemeston, and Robert, the owner, and his assistant, Betsy. I loved how horrible Mrs. Lovejoy was and the assembly scene was a delight. For me, this was so much about the tentativeness of new relationships that have been a long time coming, but are still tender buds who aren’t so sure of each other (or themselves). A wonderful addition to the series. One of my favorite series—I highly recommend all of the books.
chirson's review against another edition
4.0
I pre-ordered this novella like I pre-order everything from the author. I didn't expect terribly much from a smutty short, truth be told: while I like Lerner's sex scenes (as I've repeatedly stated here) for how they push the envelope and show intimacy that can be both sexy and ungratuitous, and original in how non male-gaze-y they are, I like my romance heavier on the plot side, and the description seemed to promise a book a little lighter on that. I gave it a try and stopped reading after a chapter because the language was too distracting for me; I am a non-native speaker and thus taught to pay lots of attention to the grammar (I do it for a living, after all) and the non-standard use of certain forms, though probably true to epoch, threw me. It was hard to turn off the grammarian and stop looking at should hads and the like. It took me months (and ) to come back to the novella, at which point I devoured it in two sittings, no longer distracted.
The truth is, yes, it's a little lighter on plot than usual. And there is a whole lot of sex: well-written and occasionally amusing and cute and moving and even mildly kinky (and it was good, though not quite what I wanted - still, kudos for writing pining while having relations). But if I'd expected that this would be it, I should have known better. Lerner excels at writing a relatable emotional character arc, and she does it here again. The characters' journey may take place over a short amount of time (not my fave) but it still packs the punch. And the social issues are rendered with nuance and a light touch. I found the villain to be vividly believable, the ending satisfying. A 3.5 star read, and a way to tide me over until the next proper full-length novel, I hope.
Spoiler
promise of on-page peggingThe truth is, yes, it's a little lighter on plot than usual. And there is a whole lot of sex: well-written and occasionally amusing and cute and moving and even mildly kinky (and it was good, though not quite what I wanted - still, kudos for writing pining while having relations). But if I'd expected that this would be it, I should have known better. Lerner excels at writing a relatable emotional character arc, and she does it here again. The characters' journey may take place over a short amount of time (not my fave) but it still packs the punch. And the social issues are rendered with nuance and a light touch. I found the villain to be vividly believable, the ending satisfying. A 3.5 star read, and a way to tide me over until the next proper full-length novel, I hope.
roseybot's review against another edition
4.0
I cannot decide how I feel about this novella. I starred it automatically when I finished it, thinking 'Rose Lerner, of course it's gotta be 5 stars!", but in thinking about it, I actually found this novella to be a little... shallow.
Rose Lerner is one of my FAVORITE romance authors, and I really wanted to love this. I love all her other books, and especially this world she's built. So this four star, and kind of negative review, really isn't about her, but about me.
I think it's also that I didn't really like Robert. He was set up in Sweet Disorder as timid and fretful. He was sweet, but I couldn't buy into him as a lead as a result. I just felt like there was something missing.
Based on all the things that I read from Rose Lerner's twitter feed, I kind of already knew I wasn't going to enjoy this one as much as the others. I wanted to be proved wrong, but wasn't. I guess food and sex don't do anything for me, and I mostly just found it... odd. Not something you want from a book described as 'steamy'.
Rose Lerner is one of my FAVORITE romance authors, and I really wanted to love this. I love all her other books, and especially this world she's built. So this four star, and kind of negative review, really isn't about her, but about me.
I think it's also that I didn't really like Robert. He was set up in Sweet Disorder as timid and fretful. He was sweet, but I couldn't buy into him as a lead as a result. I just felt like there was something missing.
Based on all the things that I read from Rose Lerner's twitter feed, I kind of already knew I wasn't going to enjoy this one as much as the others. I wanted to be proved wrong, but wasn't. I guess food and sex don't do anything for me, and I mostly just found it... odd. Not something you want from a book described as 'steamy'.
theresrachel's review
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
janina_augustine's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
marsali's review
emotional
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
see_sadie_read's review
4.0
3.5
This was wonderful and sweet. I liked how food tied into it so intricately and that it was the woman who took the initiative. I also loved that the two were so open to exploring and trying new things. However, I thought it was a stretch to go from I-couldn't-possibly-kiss-you to pegging in less than a week. Despite that, the message of openness and willingness for those you love was one I appreciated. Not to mention Lerner just goes places that a lot of such authors don't. All in all, a successful read for me.
This was wonderful and sweet. I liked how food tied into it so intricately and that it was the woman who took the initiative. I also loved that the two were so open to exploring and trying new things. However, I thought it was a stretch to go from I-couldn't-possibly-kiss-you to pegging in less than a week. Despite that, the message of openness and willingness for those you love was one I appreciated. Not to mention Lerner just goes places that a lot of such authors don't. All in all, a successful read for me.