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A sort of The Scarlet Pimpernel set up that surprised me with its unexpected nuance and depth, and how suited these characters really do seem to each other. Both Vere and Elissande are always acting: he as an "idiot"--think Bertie Wooster without the charm--so he can do vague spy-y stuff, and she to appease her evil uncle who is essentially keeping her and her aunt captive. She entraps him into marriage to escape, there are a few dub-con-y sex bits that I didn't like, and then they slowly start
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Ellisande is desperate to escape her abusive uncle. Lord Vere is committed to maintaining his facade of a clumsy idiot in order to continue working for the Crown. They meet at a house party while Lord Vere is investigating a crime ring, and Ellisande immediately realizes he might be her chance of escape. She manipulates them into a speedy marriage. She's devastated to realize her husband is an idiot, just as Lord Vere feels betrayed at the depths of Ellisande's ability to lie. I enjoyed all the
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Much better than book 2. Just skip book 2. Hero still a bit of an ass, but at least he knows it and figures it out before the end.
Roger Ebert has written frequently about the problem with a five star rating system, and this is the kind of book that really touches on it. Can I compare this with other books I've given four stars, like Howard's End or The Year of Magical Thinking?
Not really. But it's one of the most enjoyable straight-up romances I've read--I liked the characters, the problems keeping the characters apart fit in with the plot and their characters, and things kept moving and changing, so it wasn't just the sa ...more
Not really. But it's one of the most enjoyable straight-up romances I've read--I liked the characters, the problems keeping the characters apart fit in with the plot and their characters, and things kept moving and changing, so it wasn't just the sa ...more
This was more fun than the other two books—not as angsty, though not without its own amount of sadness, and I was really happy to read about Freddie!
A very The Scarlet Pimpernel-esque romance novel that had me laughing out loud in parts. All of Sherry Thomas' books have been 5-star for me so far, but this is the one I might recommend to a new Sherry Thomas reader — or even a romance-novel reader.
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Jun 09, 2012
Nadine in NY Jones
marked it as to-read
Jul 10, 2013
Destiny
marked it as to-read
