This was a bit of a disappointment. I hate negative reviews, but here I am.
Is this supposed to be a farce or satire? Is it supposed to be like The Importance of Being Earnest? It’s been like 10 years since I read or watched that, but maybe that was the attempt. If this was supposed to poke fun at the historical romance genre it failed.
The big issue was how unlikable almost every character was. Belle is an awful person and if she gets a book I will actively avoid it. Bonny wasn’t as bad as his sister, but a lot of the stuff he said to Valentine rubbed me the wrong way. Valentine was the only one I ever liked or cared about.
I never connected to the romance. I think a huge part of that was because I didn’t think Bonny deserved Valentine. But I never really felt the chemistry or attracted to them. Valentine, please run and find someone worthy of you.
The hijinx were just ridiculous and I’m actually a fan of a ridiculous or campy story. Belle was obnoxious, immature, and endangered so many lives. Bonny just made excuses for her. Peggy eventually stood up to her. I could be a Peggy supporter if she got her own book.
Valentine was interesting and I would’ve liked more. Is she asexual? Neurodivergent? Something else? I think something really could’ve been done with him. That’s another disappointment.
I’m going to call this one a fluke. I plan to read more books by Alexis Hall, but not in this series.
Thanks for reading!
Holly