"'I like plants because they change. I transform them.
'I like stars because they're constant. I transform nothing."
Dear reader, it's thanks to this book that I personally know my historical romance limit-- 2 a week is enough for me, 3 is really pushing it. I'll definitely be reviewing different genres in the coming days, but I wanted to finish reading this and get a review out before it publishes tomorrow!
'I like stars because they're constant. I transform nothing."
Dear reader, it's thanks to this book that I personally know my historical romance limit-- 2 a week is enough for me, 3 is really pushing it. I'll definitely be reviewing different genres in the coming days, but I wanted to finish reading this and get a review out before it publishes tomorrow!
This novel follows Necessity, the best gardener in London, and Oliver, an Earl whose fraught childhood and horrible father have left him with all kinds of scars.
These two had explosive chemistry from their first meeting. The tension between them was palpable and I couldn't wait for the fireworks between them to finally go off. Watching them both slowly bring their walls down was a delight, and I loved how multi-faceted they both were-- I was never sure what exactly one of them might say or do next.
Sumner has a deft hand with detail and description. We know that Necessity smells of rain and earth, and that Oliver's eyes are moonlight striking stone. She also gives each chapter a diverting title-- sometimes I wanted to skip ahead just to see what the next one would be. My personal favorite was 'Where an Intrepid Gardner Seethes and an Arrogant Earl Persists."
Necessity is a very strong main character, the exact kind of female I love to read about in this time period. She is independent and would rather remain so than settle; she's interested in exploring in the bedroom and not ashamed of that, and she has many interests outside of Oliver to keep her busy and happy-- though of course, she just might come to decided that she's happier with him.
These two had explosive chemistry from their first meeting. The tension between them was palpable and I couldn't wait for the fireworks between them to finally go off. Watching them both slowly bring their walls down was a delight, and I loved how multi-faceted they both were-- I was never sure what exactly one of them might say or do next.
Sumner has a deft hand with detail and description. We know that Necessity smells of rain and earth, and that Oliver's eyes are moonlight striking stone. She also gives each chapter a diverting title-- sometimes I wanted to skip ahead just to see what the next one would be. My personal favorite was 'Where an Intrepid Gardner Seethes and an Arrogant Earl Persists."
Necessity is a very strong main character, the exact kind of female I love to read about in this time period. She is independent and would rather remain so than settle; she's interested in exploring in the bedroom and not ashamed of that, and she has many interests outside of Oliver to keep her busy and happy-- though of course, she just might come to decided that she's happier with him.
Despite this, there were a few things that prevented me from giving this a 5-star rating. One is superficially petty--I could not fully get over the heroine's name. I understand the concept of virtue names, but this one is so uncommon as to be confusing. Often paragraphs would begin with her name and I'd initially not fully grasp that they meant a person-- I'd be thinking what necessity? Where? The cutesy nickname of 'Nessie' bestowed on her by Oliver didn't make the name any better for me, but at least eliminated my confusion.
My other complaint concerns the wider story beyond the romance. I feel that it's incredibly important for books in historical romance series to be able to stand alone. If you following a series and are able to gain additional enjoyment from seeing the characters you fell in love with in prior books again, that's amazing, but it shouldn't be necessary to the book you are currently reading. When it is, I think it's a huge barrier to new readers and even to old ones who may not vividly remember characters from prior books. There were several moments when it was difficult for me to follow the dynamics and relationships between Oliver, his friends, and their wives. I found myself first trying desperately and fruitlessly to understand what was going on with these characters backstories, and then just skimming past them to focus on the romance and the relationship between Oliver and his brother. I wish the author had done the same.
I would recommend this to fans of Historical Romance, but if you haven't read the other books in the Duchess Society series I think you have to brace for not always fully understanding who's who and what's going on with the wider cast of characters.
I would recommend this to fans of Historical Romance, but if you haven't read the other books in the Duchess Society series I think you have to brace for not always fully understanding who's who and what's going on with the wider cast of characters.
I received a copy from NetGalley and BookBuzz.net in exchange for an honest review.
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