3.5 stars

I read this as part of a read-along with a Tessa Dare Discord group. Well-written and a lot of funny material. Some problematic parts (a lot of reference to English colonialism in India but put much more pleasantly). Other readers that have read more Tessa Dare have noted her books are less problematic going forward. Looking forward to the next in the series and more from Tessa Dare. ( )

Well, I'd read 20 stories by Dare and hadn't rated any below a 3, but this one was a flop for me. The good news is that she's improved greatly since writing this. I'm a little nervous about the next two, but even if they're in a similar vein, I'm still a fan of the rest of her writing, and every author has to start somewhere. Very few hit the ground running with great books straight out of the gate.

From the first page or two I realized 'oh, they are not bright then' lol. The heroine is kinda missing a screw, and they both get in their own way for almost the entire book. On top of that the cast of characters seemed underdeveloped, and the events/reactions/etc. were unbelievable. Dare's later books are clever and humorous, and easy to appreciate, but I think I was amused maybe just twice in this book, and there were two other lines that I paused over for a moment because they were particularly clever. So slim pickings in this one, even without holding it up to her other work. It was pretty consistently a slog to get through. Fingers crossed for the rest of the series. ( )

Now this is just getting embarrassing. This is the second book that I've found on my TBR pile that I've already read. :( This was the second book I read by Tessa Dare. I really liked it. Enough so that she became part of my historical author autobuy list. (Doesn't everyone have one of those?) Anyway, I really enjoy the mixture of humor, adventure, and characterization she puts in every book. Not many authors are good at combining all three. If you're looking for a new historical romance author to check out, look no further. ( )

Oh dang it. I love Tessa Dare books. ( )

Want to know if the whole series is worth reading? Read my overall review of the whole series at seriesousbookreviews.com! Spoiler Free!

The concept of this novel was like a modern contemporary romance only it was set centuries ago!

This novel was just plain fun to read. I laughed, I cheered and I definitely swooned!

Perfect for Tessa Dare fans or those looking for a break from the usual regency fodder!

Check out more spoiler-free book and series reviews on my blog SERIESousBookReviews.com as well as read book series recaps!

Full Review: http://wp.me/p3txrs-IZ
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