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alucaflos's review against another edition
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
isitcake's review against another edition
medium-paced
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.75
Unfortunately this book was just very uninteresting to me. I didn't care for Beatrice or her wallflower misfit friends, nor the scoundrel & MMC Stamford Wright. We learn that she was marred while being removed from her mom's body at birth (??) so she has scars I guess and she's been told she's ugly her entire life - and I think she also has palsy so she doesn't have all her nerve endings?? So she's become a bookworm instead and when she inherits a London bookshop from her aunt she wants to turn it into a knitting hangout for her friends. Luckily she knows Mr. Wright since he was a carpenter working on her brother's estate at the beginning of the book. She pays him to help renovate the space.
But he has an ulterior motive. He's actually the grandson of a wealthy man or aristocrat or something - but his grandfather uninherited his mother for falling for his dad - another carpenter. His mother accepted hush money when he was young from his grandfather. The bookshop Beatrice inherits is owned by his grandfather or something? So he wants to help keep it out of his hands. But he falls for Beatrice. Then Beatrice's mother does the same thing and tries to bribe him with 20000 pounds to disappear out of Beatrice's life so that she'll marry a duke. He refuses and intends to break it off with Beatrice but everything comes out and its all kind of meh. There's a somewhat funny confrontation near the end where all the kooky women threaten the grandfather with knitting needles and whatnot, and then Stamford proposes to Beatrice.
This trope and plot has just been done too many times. That and they act a bit too modern. There's literally a line where the women are like oh hoh well what if women did this and this that had me rolling my eyes. But the whole cringeworthy awkward FMC with body issues being ravished by the dashingly handsome, rogue MMC... There's just a lot of books that have done it better and with higher stakes than a bookshop and family legitimacy issues.
But he has an ulterior motive. He's actually the grandson of a wealthy man or aristocrat or something - but his grandfather uninherited his mother for falling for his dad - another carpenter. His mother accepted hush money when he was young from his grandfather. The bookshop Beatrice inherits is owned by his grandfather or something? So he wants to help keep it out of his hands. But he falls for Beatrice. Then Beatrice's mother does the same thing and tries to bribe him with 20000 pounds to disappear out of Beatrice's life so that she'll marry a duke. He refuses and intends to break it off with Beatrice but everything comes out and its all kind of meh. There's a somewhat funny confrontation near the end where all the kooky women threaten the grandfather with knitting needles and whatnot, and then Stamford proposes to Beatrice.
This trope and plot has just been done too many times. That and they act a bit too modern. There's literally a line where the women are like oh hoh well what if women did this and this that had me rolling my eyes. But the whole cringeworthy awkward FMC with body issues being ravished by the dashingly handsome, rogue MMC... There's just a lot of books that have done it better and with higher stakes than a bookshop and family legitimacy issues.
merecot's review against another edition
3.0
Finally my first 5 star read of 2022 ! This was so good.
amberg8's review against another edition
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
maythavee's review against another edition
3.0
TOO. CHEESY. AND. QUIRKY.
this would’ve been a 2.5 stars if i didn’t find it as funny as i did (although the humor kinda dulled in the second half) also, after i’ve been exclusively binging historical romance for almost three months, i am TIRED of the “other aristocratic man who’s actually a piece of shit that is only there to make the hero looks like a better option” and the “awful society mama that thinks she’s only doing her child a favor” and this book has exactly these two things!!
this would’ve been a 2.5 stars if i didn’t find it as funny as i did (although the humor kinda dulled in the second half) also, after i’ve been exclusively binging historical romance for almost three months, i am TIRED of the “other aristocratic man who’s actually a piece of shit that is only there to make the hero looks like a better option” and the “awful society mama that thinks she’s only doing her child a favor” and this book has exactly these two things!!
enchantedtomeetcute's review
adventurous
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
readbooks_eatapples's review against another edition
2.0
The writing style mostly appeals to me, and there are glimpses of great storytelling and characters here and there. I loved the obsession with etymology and that the guy had a real trade. I'll try this author again, at least once more.
For the drawbacks, it was overall pretty boring. The hero could have been interesting, but he just went a little flat beyond his arrogance, which was considerable and obnoxious (in a good way). There are multiple plot points tied together very, very loosely, and the drama splatters a bit with the forced misunderstandings and miscommunication. It is very shallow at times, transparent even, particularly when setting up future stories. The nasty villains are purely nasty, with zero redeeming qualities unless it's convenient. This could have benefitted from a little more time and editing.
For the drawbacks, it was overall pretty boring. The hero could have been interesting, but he just went a little flat beyond his arrogance, which was considerable and obnoxious (in a good way). There are multiple plot points tied together very, very loosely, and the drama splatters a bit with the forced misunderstandings and miscommunication. It is very shallow at times, transparent even, particularly when setting up future stories. The nasty villains are purely nasty, with zero redeeming qualities unless it's convenient. This could have benefitted from a little more time and editing.
melbsreads's review against another edition
emotional
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Trigger warnings: shitty parenting, facial differences, war (in the past), PTSD, classism, mentions of miscarriage (in the past), bullying
I've been meaning to read Lenora Bell for a while, and this was recommended by a friend as a good starting point. And it was delightful. I loved the characters and the way that they both grow through spending time around each other - Beatrice becomes more confident and invested in life, Ford mellows and yet also grows more solid within his position and profession. I loved Beatrice's interactions with her friends, which added plenty of humour, and I also found myself desperately hoping that one of Bell's previous books features Beatrice's older brother and his (in this one) wife, because I was absolutely invested in the two of them.
Anyway, I don't know that Bell will have the same place on my all time favourite historical romances pedestal with Tessa Dare and Eva Leigh, but she's definitely up there!
I've been meaning to read Lenora Bell for a while, and this was recommended by a friend as a good starting point. And it was delightful. I loved the characters and the way that they both grow through spending time around each other - Beatrice becomes more confident and invested in life, Ford mellows and yet also grows more solid within his position and profession. I loved Beatrice's interactions with her friends, which added plenty of humour, and I also found myself desperately hoping that one of Bell's previous books features Beatrice's older brother and his (in this one) wife, because I was absolutely invested in the two of them.
Anyway, I don't know that Bell will have the same place on my all time favourite historical romances pedestal with Tessa Dare and Eva Leigh, but she's definitely up there!