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The Regency Romp Trilogy #3
The Alabaster Hip
The long-anticipated—and hilarious—final installment in The Regency Romp Trilogy…
After the Viscount Marlowe’s latest misadventure gets Miss Minerva Jones sacked from her teaching post, he hires her as a governess for his twins. Marlowe finds himself falling for the feisty bookworm—an alarming development for a man who was nearly broken by his disastrous marriage. Can he risk his heart without falling apart again?
Minerva would rather be employed by anyone other than the walking disaster that is the Viscount Marlowe, but she finds a home in Lord Marlowe’s eccentric household, and loses her heart to not only the twins but also their impossible father. Will she take a chance on the viscount?
Just when their happy ending is in sight, however, Minerva discovers Marlowe’s most closely guarded secret, with disastrous results. Can she ever forgive him for his deception?
(Also includes an evil duke, meddlesome friends, a randy Greek God, and a pack of rabid Misstophers.)
After the Viscount Marlowe’s latest misadventure gets Miss Minerva Jones sacked from her teaching post, he hires her as a governess for his twins. Marlowe finds himself falling for the feisty bookworm—an alarming development for a man who was nearly broken by his disastrous marriage. Can he risk his heart without falling apart again?
Minerva would rather be employed by anyone other than the walking disaster that is the Viscount Marlowe, but she finds a home in Lord Marlowe’s eccentric household, and loses her heart to not only the twins but also their impossible father. Will she take a chance on the viscount?
Just when their happy ending is in sight, however, Minerva discovers Marlowe’s most closely guarded secret, with disastrous results. Can she ever forgive him for his deception?
(Also includes an evil duke, meddlesome friends, a randy Greek God, and a pack of rabid Misstophers.)
394 pages, Kindle Edition
First published June 6, 2017
534 people are currently reading
885 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 146 reviews
November 24, 2019
A fun and over-the-top humorous final addition to The Regency Romp Trilogy
Viscount Marlowe knew his banyans and sandals days were soon to be at an end the moment Miss Minerva Jones had stepped into his home, and since the prim and proper governess seems to be the only one capable of inspiring a long due passion in him, romancing the lady may seem the best of plans. But with an unruly household, rambunctious children, raging poetry, meddling friends, kidnappings and outraged society matrons in the way to happiness, things soon tend to get a little bit more complicated than he first anticipated...
A witty comedy with some farcical touches as much as a quirky love story, The Alabaster Hip had all the trademarks I’ve come to expect by this series, from the flamboyant plot to the lively writing and sparkling dialogues. The heroine could be tiring with her self-righteousness and her way to jump to conclusions, but Marlowe was such a dear, dear man that he made the romance worthwhile all the same and, as with the previous two books, the strongest feature are the leads as well as all the cast of characters’ antics taking you on a wild, totally enjoyable ride.
Viscount Marlowe knew his banyans and sandals days were soon to be at an end the moment Miss Minerva Jones had stepped into his home, and since the prim and proper governess seems to be the only one capable of inspiring a long due passion in him, romancing the lady may seem the best of plans. But with an unruly household, rambunctious children, raging poetry, meddling friends, kidnappings and outraged society matrons in the way to happiness, things soon tend to get a little bit more complicated than he first anticipated...
A witty comedy with some farcical touches as much as a quirky love story, The Alabaster Hip had all the trademarks I’ve come to expect by this series, from the flamboyant plot to the lively writing and sparkling dialogues. The heroine could be tiring with her self-righteousness and her way to jump to conclusions, but Marlowe was such a dear, dear man that he made the romance worthwhile all the same and, as with the previous two books, the strongest feature are the leads as well as all the cast of characters’ antics taking you on a wild, totally enjoyable ride.
June 8, 2017
*I received a copy from the publisher via NetGellay in exchange for an honest review*
This is very difficult for me to rate. Taking into consideration that the writing was excellent and very enjoyable, I have decided on a 3 star rating even though I didn't finish this book. Please note that my decision to abandon this book does not mean I hated it, the heroine just rubbed me the wrong way. I know I'm weird that way. If you don't mind drama, heroines who spend a good time spitting mad at the hero, and grand gestures, please, do give this book a try! It's only my personal pet peeves that stopped me from enjoying the second of this book. If it weren't for the heroine's actions in the second half, I would've given this all the stars in the world for this dear, adorable hero.
That being said, I absolutely LOVED the first half of this book. It was hilarious, enjoyable, and I loved the hero so much, his sad backstory brought tears to my eyes more than once. I adored his crazy antics so much, I just wanted to hug this man. He was precious!
But after 60% in my honest opinion the story lost focus a bit. Hero and heroine spent a lot of time apart during which a lot of other stuff happens that has little to do with their getting together. Add to that that I absolutely loathed the heroine, and I just didn't care anymore. The Big Misunderstanding made absolutely no sense to me, and could have easily been resolved with one lousy conversation. It kind of ruined the story for me, because it felt a bit contrived to me. The hero had so many issues due to his troubled past, his overcoming those would've been enough to stand in the way of his happiness in my opinion. .
I will definitely read more by this author, and please, do give this book a try if you're looking for a fun read!
This is very difficult for me to rate. Taking into consideration that the writing was excellent and very enjoyable, I have decided on a 3 star rating even though I didn't finish this book. Please note that my decision to abandon this book does not mean I hated it, the heroine just rubbed me the wrong way. I know I'm weird that way. If you don't mind drama, heroines who spend a good time spitting mad at the hero, and grand gestures, please, do give this book a try! It's only my personal pet peeves that stopped me from enjoying the second of this book. If it weren't for the heroine's actions in the second half, I would've given this all the stars in the world for this dear, adorable hero.
That being said, I absolutely LOVED the first half of this book. It was hilarious, enjoyable, and I loved the hero so much, his sad backstory brought tears to my eyes more than once. I adored his crazy antics so much, I just wanted to hug this man. He was precious!
But after 60% in my honest opinion the story lost focus a bit. Hero and heroine spent a lot of time apart during which a lot of other stuff happens that has little to do with their getting together. Add to that that I absolutely loathed the heroine, and I just didn't care anymore. The Big Misunderstanding made absolutely no sense to me, and could have easily been resolved with one lousy conversation. It kind of ruined the story for me, because it felt a bit contrived to me. The hero had so many issues due to his troubled past, his overcoming those would've been enough to stand in the way of his happiness in my opinion. .
I will definitely read more by this author, and please, do give this book a try if you're looking for a fun read!
May 22, 2017
On a mission to rescue his daughters from a fate worse than death — the West Barming School for Recalcitrant Young Ladies — Viscount Marlowe stumbles into the room of Minerva Jones and is discovered there on top of her with his hands in places his hands have no right to be.
His next encounter with her is when his carriage sends her flying into a muddy ditch as he and his daughters are making haste to return home to London.
His daughters rather like Miss Jones and are unimpressed with Marlowe. Minerva who was dismissed from her employment after the Viscount fell on her isn't all that impressed either.
Killing two birds with one stone, Marlowe employs Minerva as the governess for his two girls. As the months go by she finds herself more and more attracted to Marlowe but the daughter of a sailor has no place in the life of a Viscount.
The Alabaster Hip is a complete hoot. I can't think of a single bad thing to say about this book. It's one of those books you just can't put down. Maggie Fenton writes women you wish you knew.
His next encounter with her is when his carriage sends her flying into a muddy ditch as he and his daughters are making haste to return home to London.
His daughters rather like Miss Jones and are unimpressed with Marlowe. Minerva who was dismissed from her employment after the Viscount fell on her isn't all that impressed either.
Killing two birds with one stone, Marlowe employs Minerva as the governess for his two girls. As the months go by she finds herself more and more attracted to Marlowe but the daughter of a sailor has no place in the life of a Viscount.
The Alabaster Hip is a complete hoot. I can't think of a single bad thing to say about this book. It's one of those books you just can't put down. Maggie Fenton writes women you wish you knew.
June 8, 2017
I was among the first readers of Miss Fenton when her first book of this series came out. It was the most delightful writing in historical romance I had ever come across. An OCD duke falling in love with a heroine with heterochromia iridum was so ironically comical I never forgot those characters even thousands of reads later. Her second book in this series was pretty forgettable. This book redeems the series quite a bit.....I was laughing out loud with her witty prose and comical juxtaposition of characters and situations....the hilarious antics of the twins were inspired and made me wish for a childhood like theirs. My first problem with this book was the "misunderstanding" between Marlowe and Minerva. From the moment I read the foreshadowing of the upcoming drama I was a bit disappointed with Ms Fenton's lack of imagination in coming up with something that could qualify as a real conflict. Minerva's reaction when it came fell flat to me despite the efforts in trying to sell it as convincing. It just was out of proportion and made no sense...and the crux of it was that Fenton didn't even need this writing device to move the plot along because it was moving along quite beautifully. There several attempts to bring the book back on track but that just made things worse. After 60% the book lost its steam and could no longer qualify as a page turner if it did in the beginning. The writing got really awkward at this point with pages upon pages of description of irrelevant things and characters that completely derailed the book. I still finished the book because amidst the awkward writing there was still great glimpses of what Fenton is capable of writing. This book could've been a five star with the work of a good editor....as it is is maybe worth 3 stars but I gave 4 for the potential and the fact that Fenton didn't give up on it despite her writers block.
January 8, 2024
In which the author continues (as in book 2 of this series) to tell the reader the story instead of letting the characters’ words and actions do it.
In which a spoken sentence of dialogue is followed by five pages of thoughts and explanations so that when another character responds, the reader has lost track of what was initially said.
In which a character is bed-ridden on the verge of death for 4+ months and emerges with tremendous abs and wide, muscular shoulders.
In which the ABSOLUTE WORST, MOST UNFORGIVABLE THING A MAN CAN DO is not tell a woman he publishes poetry under a pen name. HOW DARE HE??!! Head for the hills.
In which over-the-top farce cannot disguise lack of emotional depth.
Moving on…
In which a spoken sentence of dialogue is followed by five pages of thoughts and explanations so that when another character responds, the reader has lost track of what was initially said.
In which a character is bed-ridden on the verge of death for 4+ months and emerges with tremendous abs and wide, muscular shoulders.
In which the ABSOLUTE WORST, MOST UNFORGIVABLE THING A MAN CAN DO is not tell a woman he publishes poetry under a pen name. HOW DARE HE??!! Head for the hills.
In which over-the-top farce cannot disguise lack of emotional depth.
Moving on…
November 7, 2017
This was another marvellous book by Maggie Fenton. It had all of the elements I love and was rich with interesting and amusing secondary characters. Not to mention the amazing hero and terrific heroine. (It is interesting to note that several reviewers loved him but disliked her. I actually understood her motivation and why she behaved as she did, and was cool with it. Sometimes we get so wrapped up in the hero- and he is a fascinating, complex character- we cut the heroine no slack at all.)
We first meet our hero, Marlowe, in The Duke's Holiday. He is a very slovenly, paunchy drunkard with ghastly speech (public school accent affecting working class cant) and no manners. He is no better in the second book, Virtuous Scoundrel, although we realise he is a staunch and loyal friend. He has twin daughters with whom he spends little time so comes across as a bad parent, too. (He is a widower.) Yikes! How was that ever going to be HERO material? Even the author called him a "hot mess"!
Well, MF manages to do it beautifully. I don't want to say too much because it would spoil the story, and there are a couple of Big Reveals. Suffice to say: Marlowe is the most loving, passionate and adorable rough diamond, complete with heart of gold and poetic soul. I want me one of those!
Our heroine, Minerva, is a 27 year-old spinster teacher at a school for Recalcitrant Girls (did those sort of schools really exist?). She is a lover of poetry and literature, particularly the Romantic poets- although she is not a fan of Byron- and has remained unmarried because her fiancé perished in the Napoleonic Wars. Prior to her teaching appointment, she was a Companion to a ghastly, obese dowager in London. Of course, she ends up teaching Marlowe's twins, who are absolute terrors, and while she cannot tame them, she manages to build a relatively positive relationship with them.
Eventually, she winds up in London as the governess for the twins (Marlowe quickly realises she is the only person who has ever had any kind of success with them) and the romance kicks up a few gears.
There is so much humour, so much charm, but also an element of darkness, in the story. At times, I was laughing, at other times I was quietly moved. What was so wonderful was Marlowe's poem, which the author actually wrote herself in the style of a Keats Ode. It was REALLY good. (I know she is has a Masters in English Literature, but writing poetry? That is a big ask. And it is a great poem!) I think that is when I fell in love with Marlowe :) And the title of the book is also the title of the poem. But you will have to read the book to actually understand why it is such a weird title.
I feel really sad that I am at the end of this trilogy. So great to read a new HR author who writes outside the box and is not afraid to have a go at something a bit different.
Maggie Fenton: this was my Ode to your books. Please keep them coming!
image:
How I see Marlowe.
With this man's voice, the poetry would be epic!
We first meet our hero, Marlowe, in The Duke's Holiday. He is a very slovenly, paunchy drunkard with ghastly speech (public school accent affecting working class cant) and no manners. He is no better in the second book, Virtuous Scoundrel, although we realise he is a staunch and loyal friend. He has twin daughters with whom he spends little time so comes across as a bad parent, too. (He is a widower.) Yikes! How was that ever going to be HERO material? Even the author called him a "hot mess"!
Well, MF manages to do it beautifully. I don't want to say too much because it would spoil the story, and there are a couple of Big Reveals. Suffice to say: Marlowe is the most loving, passionate and adorable rough diamond, complete with heart of gold and poetic soul. I want me one of those!
Our heroine, Minerva, is a 27 year-old spinster teacher at a school for Recalcitrant Girls (did those sort of schools really exist?). She is a lover of poetry and literature, particularly the Romantic poets- although she is not a fan of Byron- and has remained unmarried because her fiancé perished in the Napoleonic Wars. Prior to her teaching appointment, she was a Companion to a ghastly, obese dowager in London. Of course, she ends up teaching Marlowe's twins, who are absolute terrors, and while she cannot tame them, she manages to build a relatively positive relationship with them.
Eventually, she winds up in London as the governess for the twins (Marlowe quickly realises she is the only person who has ever had any kind of success with them) and the romance kicks up a few gears.
There is so much humour, so much charm, but also an element of darkness, in the story. At times, I was laughing, at other times I was quietly moved. What was so wonderful was Marlowe's poem, which the author actually wrote herself in the style of a Keats Ode. It was REALLY good. (I know she is has a Masters in English Literature, but writing poetry? That is a big ask. And it is a great poem!) I think that is when I fell in love with Marlowe :) And the title of the book is also the title of the poem. But you will have to read the book to actually understand why it is such a weird title.
I feel really sad that I am at the end of this trilogy. So great to read a new HR author who writes outside the box and is not afraid to have a go at something a bit different.
Maggie Fenton: this was my Ode to your books. Please keep them coming!
image:
How I see Marlowe.
With this man's voice, the poetry would be epic!
June 16, 2019
This third book in the trilogy unfortunately finished on a low for me. The author peaked early with the brilliant and hilarious Book 1 and the only way to go afterwards is down. I held off reading this book for a while because the hero, Viscount Marlowe, was not portrayed in the most flattering light in the first 2 books - a bloated, banyan-wearing, irresponsible drunkard with a perchance for trouble. This book starts with Marlowe recovering from a near-death illness which has conveniently slimmed him down significantly. He has also sworn off alcohol (or at least intoxication) after his excesses lead to his prolonged infirmity, during which his unruly 9 year old twin girls were, unbeknownst to him, packed off to a boarding school for misbehaving young ladies. While on an ill-thought out mission to rescue his babies (or really the school and its staff from the his twin terrors), he manages to spectacularly compromise their teacher, the small-of-stature but large-of-temperament Minerva Jones. They all get kicked out of the school premises and the opportunistic Marlowe persuades the now homeless and jobless Minerva to accept the challenging role of becoming the girls' governess. All frolicking fun up to this point, but unfortunately the plot deteriorated after this.
It's not a major spoiler to reveal that the sloppy, banyan-wearing, bawdy-humoured Marlowe has been hiding a secret identity all these years. His alias, Christopher Essex, is a renown poet in the class of Byron and Shelley and he has garnered a huge young female following, the Misstophers. Of course, Minerva turns out to be one and uncomfortably, so is his 16 year old sister who has been writing very racy short stories detailing Essex's fictional amorous adventures.
I thought my main issue with this book would be Marlowe not being of heroic enough material. He was fine, flawed but likeable and he did try so hard, even when he didn't quite come up to scratch. And he was surprisingly noble towards Minerva and also not afraid to express his affection for his girls. He had experienced crushing heartbreak in the past, and I totally understand his conduct.
Minerva's reason for running off on him was irrational. Why the hell did she expect him to confide his secret to her prior to their first intimate scene when they really only had professional interactions up till that point??? I just didn't get why she held onto her rage for so long. I also felt that once they got to Marlowe's house, apart from the statue scene, the author really didn't show much interactions /dialogues between the protagonists and hence we were informed but not shown how their feelings evolved. I like the spirited little girls but otherwise the supporting cast did not wow me as much as in her previous books. The humour got a bit too slapstick towards the end.
It's not a major spoiler to reveal that the sloppy, banyan-wearing, bawdy-humoured Marlowe has been hiding a secret identity all these years. His alias, Christopher Essex, is a renown poet in the class of Byron and Shelley and he has garnered a huge young female following, the Misstophers. Of course, Minerva turns out to be one and uncomfortably, so is his 16 year old sister who has been writing very racy short stories detailing Essex's fictional amorous adventures.
I thought my main issue with this book would be Marlowe not being of heroic enough material. He was fine, flawed but likeable and he did try so hard, even when he didn't quite come up to scratch. And he was surprisingly noble towards Minerva and also not afraid to express his affection for his girls. He had experienced crushing heartbreak in the past, and I totally understand his conduct.
Minerva's reason for running off on him was irrational. Why the hell did she expect him to confide his secret to her prior to their first intimate scene when they really only had professional interactions up till that point??? I just didn't get why she held onto her rage for so long. I also felt that once they got to Marlowe's house, apart from the statue scene, the author really didn't show much interactions /dialogues between the protagonists and hence we were informed but not shown how their feelings evolved. I like the spirited little girls but otherwise the supporting cast did not wow me as much as in her previous books. The humour got a bit too slapstick towards the end.
July 31, 2020
I loved this book. I loved all three books in this series. The characters are great. I loved a strong independent woman character in a historical novel. I also love when they’re filled with humor as well as romance.
I listened to the audiobook and stared out not loving the narrator. She actually did an excellent job. It was just that her voice sounded a little old for Miss Jones. However, by the end she grew on me.
I listened to the audiobook and stared out not loving the narrator. She actually did an excellent job. It was just that her voice sounded a little old for Miss Jones. However, by the end she grew on me.
Want to read
November 14, 2020Thank you for the gift, A Naughty West Coast Elf!!
Read
May 26, 2016I can not Wait for the unveiling of Marlowe's love story !
I want it now !!!!
I want it now !!!!
November 21, 2017
Although I enjoyed this book, it was probably my least fav out of the trilogy. I was looking forward to it as I liked the H, Marlowe, when we met him in previous books. But somehow this story didn't fully gel for me.
Marlowe had been previously depicted as a sot, a slob, a dissolute drunkard, but still with a kind of rumpled, sexy charm about him. His little paunch/ flabby belly had been mentioned several times, but funnily enough that never worried me. I did wonder how the author was going to deal with his less than perfect figure when he had his own book, and I kinda wouldn't have minded actually, if she'd left him as he was, in all of his charming imperfection. But, her solution was to Oh well. I didn't really mind that either.
I quite liked the h, Miss Minerva Jones, the feisty and diminutive governess. She is a passionate woman who is prepared to stand up for herself, and I liked the way she was able to form a positive relationship with Marlowe's twin daughters. Overall the H and h were a good match.
But somewhere around the middle of this book it started to get a little tedious for me. It's hard to pin down why, exactly. Perhaps it peaked too soon? But the plot machinations seemed to be a little tiring, and sadly, at a couple of points I was skimming. The charm of the previous two books somehow didn't seem to be there as much. I didn't smile and laugh as much when I read this one either.
I have to admit that I was a little uncomfortable with the whole Misstophers thing, with the (very young) teenage girls (as well as more mature women) seeming to be a little obsessed with reading and writing pornographic fan fiction. In fact the character of Betsy seemed quite age-inappropriate in her knowledge and behaviours to me. A sixteen-year-old upper-class girl doing all that at this time period? It seemed a stretch, especially as it was supposed to have started when she was even younger. Hmmmm.
I quite enjoyed the poetry side of the story, and yes I understand there were rabid fans of the poets of the day (e.g. Byron), a bit like the Misstophers. The writer had a fair stab at writing a bit of her own poetry, and it wasn't too execrable. The title of the book didn't really work for me, though. On one level of course it's very appropriate (no spoilers), but it just seems like a stupid book title, even after I've read the book. (Sorry - this is my opinion only and I don't wish to offend anyone).
However, in spite of all, I did finish the book and overall I liked the romance of Marlowe and his Minerva. But for me, it just didn't quite live up to the two previous books.
Marlowe had been previously depicted as a sot, a slob, a dissolute drunkard, but still with a kind of rumpled, sexy charm about him. His little paunch/ flabby belly had been mentioned several times, but funnily enough that never worried me. I did wonder how the author was going to deal with his less than perfect figure when he had his own book, and I kinda wouldn't have minded actually, if she'd left him as he was, in all of his charming imperfection. But, her solution was to Oh well. I didn't really mind that either.
I quite liked the h, Miss Minerva Jones, the feisty and diminutive governess. She is a passionate woman who is prepared to stand up for herself, and I liked the way she was able to form a positive relationship with Marlowe's twin daughters. Overall the H and h were a good match.
But somewhere around the middle of this book it started to get a little tedious for me. It's hard to pin down why, exactly. Perhaps it peaked too soon? But the plot machinations seemed to be a little tiring, and sadly, at a couple of points I was skimming. The charm of the previous two books somehow didn't seem to be there as much. I didn't smile and laugh as much when I read this one either.
I have to admit that I was a little uncomfortable with the whole Misstophers thing, with the (very young) teenage girls (as well as more mature women) seeming to be a little obsessed with reading and writing pornographic fan fiction. In fact the character of Betsy seemed quite age-inappropriate in her knowledge and behaviours to me. A sixteen-year-old upper-class girl doing all that at this time period? It seemed a stretch, especially as it was supposed to have started when she was even younger. Hmmmm.
I quite enjoyed the poetry side of the story, and yes I understand there were rabid fans of the poets of the day (e.g. Byron), a bit like the Misstophers. The writer had a fair stab at writing a bit of her own poetry, and it wasn't too execrable. The title of the book didn't really work for me, though. On one level of course it's very appropriate (no spoilers), but it just seems like a stupid book title, even after I've read the book. (Sorry - this is my opinion only and I don't wish to offend anyone).
However, in spite of all, I did finish the book and overall I liked the romance of Marlowe and his Minerva. But for me, it just didn't quite live up to the two previous books.
June 4, 2017
Book Review For: The Alabaster Hip by Maggie Fenton The Alabaster Hip by Maggie Fenton My rating: 5 of 5 stars 'The Alabaster Hip' by Maggie Fenton is book Three in The Regency Romp Trilogy. This is the story of Miss Minerva Jones and Evelyn Leighton, Viscount Marlowe. I have read the other books in this series (and loved them!) but feel this is easily a standalone series. Minerva has had a run of bad luck for a while. When the man she hopes to marries goes off to war but doesn't come back she settles into the mind set that she won't marry. Although his brother also lost his wife to be he talks to her about marrying him. But Minerva sticks to her mind set of not marrying. Now Minerva is working at a school as a teacher where there are these two little sisters who keep doing pranks and getting into trouble. Although some of them Minerva finds funny she knows to be strong around the girls. Their father who is Viscount Marlowe is also a character. Minerva had a run in with him at a ball where Marlowe and another man got into a fight which caused a women to faint on Minerva. So, along with some other questionable things with Marlowe has done, Minerva knows he is trouble. But one night after the girls pull another stunt she starts thinking about him and his past issues...he appears at her window. At first she doesn't recognize him and she starts to defend herself. Which starts a comic struggle between the two which in turns gets them caught by the schools staff. It appears that Marlowe was trying to sneak into the school to take back his daughters when he choose the wrong window. Now he has gotten Minerva fired from her teach position but later offers her a job in his house hold teach his girls. Minerva accepts due to no real choice...which open her up to more of his and his daughter's behavior. Once Minerva felt board at the school but that about to change entering into his household. This was another great book by Ms. Fenton. Ms. Fenton books offer some light and funny scenes with allot of love in those pages too. Hope to see more book soon by Ms. Fenton.The Regency Romp Trilogy:The Duke's Holiday, Book 1Virtuous Scoundrel, Book 2The Alabaster Hip, Book 3"My honest review is for a special copy I voluntarily read."https://www.amazon.com/gp/profile/A2H...... http://sissymaereads.blogspot.com/ http://booklikes.com/bloghttps://roma...... https://www.tumblr.com/blog/romancebo... View all my reviews
June 17, 2017
I tapped out at 90%. I normally don't rate books I don't finish, but this is close enough that I'm going to mark it as read. I grabbed this on Kindle Unlimited. I had read the first two in the series and they were fine; a few memorable elements, but nothing spectacular.
This book started off so strong. The first few chapters and the meet cute between and hero and heroine were excellent. I thought we were headed towards five stars. Then it went completely off the rails.
So many other plot elements were added it was ridiculous. It took away from the main couple and added little in. I really don't care what Lady Whatshername is doing.
And the misunderstanding between the hero and heroine was so stupid. What was her freaking problem? She started off as such a great character and then devolved into nothingness.
The other huge problem with this book is the fat shaming. In previous books, Marlowe was portrayed as chubby and slovenly. In this book he's slimmed down because he was stabbed, dumped in the Thames and then deathly ill. THIS IS NOT A HEALTHY WAY OF LOSING WEIGHT. And certainly doesn't mean that now that he's thin, he's healthy. The uncle as also portrayed as morbidly obese, mysogynistic and morally corrupt. It literally goes on for two chapters about how fat and disgusting he is. The villian lady is also fat, judgemental and prudish. So basically in this story, if you're fat, it means you're a terrible human being. Fuck. That. Noise.
This book started off so strong. The first few chapters and the meet cute between and hero and heroine were excellent. I thought we were headed towards five stars. Then it went completely off the rails.
So many other plot elements were added it was ridiculous. It took away from the main couple and added little in. I really don't care what Lady Whatshername is doing.
And the misunderstanding between the hero and heroine was so stupid. What was her freaking problem? She started off as such a great character and then devolved into nothingness.
The other huge problem with this book is the fat shaming. In previous books, Marlowe was portrayed as chubby and slovenly. In this book he's slimmed down because he was stabbed, dumped in the Thames and then deathly ill. THIS IS NOT A HEALTHY WAY OF LOSING WEIGHT. And certainly doesn't mean that now that he's thin, he's healthy. The uncle as also portrayed as morbidly obese, mysogynistic and morally corrupt. It literally goes on for two chapters about how fat and disgusting he is. The villian lady is also fat, judgemental and prudish. So basically in this story, if you're fat, it means you're a terrible human being. Fuck. That. Noise.
June 11, 2017
I was thrilled when I saw this gem was out!!! Maggie Fenton isn't the fastest writer on the block, but that is more than ok. I would rather have quality versus quantity (my eyes are turned to you Miranda Davis!!) but boy was I jonesing for some MF style of historical, slightly hysterical romance and boy did she deliver with TAH. You will have to read the story to get the title reference. You don't have to read the other books to totally fall in love with Marlowe, but trust me you should because our hero has gone through some physical changes as well as mental changes since last we saw him. I loved Marlowe and Minerva as a couple, but as usual it is the side characters that keep trying to run away with the story and steal the limelight. Soames the Bowstreet runner was hilarious! Never mine the LaLLLL group...LMAO!!! I laughed through the entire bonfire scene. We of course get some current doings with our past couples and Astrid continues to be one of my favorite heroines. Maggie please keep up the great work and I will use the time to recover from my hurt stomach muscles from laughing at the antics of your characters. Please say that you are hard at work on Betsy and Whisker's romance!
February 4, 2018
2.5 stars.
Engagingly told, I finished this in a day, partly because I wanted to finish the trilogy and partly because of the humour. There definitely were parts that made me smile and the author did a great job at making a story that could have easily been melancholy into something a bit more lighthearted.
However, I never really believed the MCs' chemistry. Sure, the banter was fun, but as the reader, I only saw snippets of the slow burn romance between the two of them. Unlike the previous book of this series where you could feel the unrequited love the marquess had for the marchioness, the regard that the viscount felt for the governess read more like amusement tinged with lust. I didn't appreciate the mention of the H's mistresses since, I also didn't like how easily the h succumbed to passion without any thought of the consequences, and I really didn't like how long the secret was dragged out.
All in all, I am glad I finished this series. Even though it has been quite a while since I read the first of the trilogy, I was able to remember who all the main players were and that's saying a lot for the writer's ability to weave a memorable tale. I enjoyed the appearances of the MCs from the previous books, the East London accent of Soames and Jem, the funny chapter titles, the multiple povs and the lighthearted tone of the book in its entirety. If you like romps (HR chick lit), give this series a try.
Engagingly told, I finished this in a day, partly because I wanted to finish the trilogy and partly because of the humour. There definitely were parts that made me smile and the author did a great job at making a story that could have easily been melancholy into something a bit more lighthearted.
However, I never really believed the MCs' chemistry. Sure, the banter was fun, but as the reader, I only saw snippets of the slow burn romance between the two of them. Unlike the previous book of this series where you could feel the unrequited love the marquess had for the marchioness, the regard that the viscount felt for the governess read more like amusement tinged with lust. I didn't appreciate the mention of the H's mistresses since, I also didn't like how easily the h succumbed to passion without any thought of the consequences, and I really didn't like how long the secret was dragged out.
All in all, I am glad I finished this series. Even though it has been quite a while since I read the first of the trilogy, I was able to remember who all the main players were and that's saying a lot for the writer's ability to weave a memorable tale. I enjoyed the appearances of the MCs from the previous books, the East London accent of Soames and Jem, the funny chapter titles, the multiple povs and the lighthearted tone of the book in its entirety. If you like romps (HR chick lit), give this series a try.
May 14, 2017
*I am voluntarily leaving a review for an eARC provided to me by NetGalley and the publisher*
4.5 stars
What a great wrap up to this trilogy! Evelyn Leighton, Viscount Marlowe was a prominent figure in first two books and yet, other than the fact he had children and was a slob - I really knew nothing about him.
This book opens about 2 years after the Sebastian's book and we find Viscount Marlowe attempting to rescue his daughters from the boarding school his father sent them to in West Barming. He is still weak and feverish after a near death experience and breaks into the school at night, after being turned away earlier in the day. This is when he meets Minerva Jones, he crawls through her window and she attacks him - they end up on the floor with his hands on her, ummm, person and they are discovered by another teacher at the school.
Minerva has not had an easy life, her father was a naval officer and he left Minerva with various relatives, but he did teach her to shoot, fight and swear like a sailor. When both her father and her betrothed die, Minerva took employment as a companion, she lost that job when her employer sacked her for her choice of reading materials. Minerva is a Misstopher - a devotee of the poet Christopher Essex. Her collection of his works are her most prized possessions and have now cost her yet another job. And to add insult to injury - that collection is now in a ditch because some crazy Viscount's coach just ran her off the road!
As Marlowe is fleeing with his daughters, they may have accidently nudged her off the road into a ditch. Marlowe's twin daughters insist that he stop and rescue her. Marlowe is immediately enchanted by the tiny woman swearing a blue streak and attacking a wayward gown, while retrieving her precious Essex collection. He immediately offers her a job as governess to his girls and teases her about being a Misstopher.
They return to London and Marlowe slowly recovers from his fever. Not long after, another Leighton uses a window to gain entry to the house. Marlowe's youngest sister, Lady Elizabeth has run away from home and begs Marlowe to let her stay. Their father the Earl has betrothed Elizabeth to a despicable man, three times her age. Marlowe agrees to let her stay and promises to help her escape the marriage. He also learns that his sister is a Misstopher and that she writes fan fiction as tribute to Christopher Essex - she has a plan of her own to escape marriage - she is going to marry Essex!
Here's the problem - Marlowe is Essex - but it is a closely guarded secret, known only to a handful of people. Marlowe has had his share of pain and suffering, his father hates him, he suffers from hellish war memories, his wife was in love with his twin brother and ran away with him shortly after giving birth to the twins (who were fathered by his brother) and dies. Marlowe channeled all that pain into his writing - but over the years, he has come to terms with his losses and without the pain - he has lost his muse. He hasn't written anything in almost three years. But all that changes when Minerva inspires him. He writes as ode titled the Alabaster Hip - which he never intends to publish.
Unfortunately, his publisher finds it, steals it and publishes it- and then his sister discovers his alter ego, which is extremely hilarious and awkward when he finds out HER alter ego - Lady Hedonist.
His sister tells him he has to come clean with Minerva and he agrees to tell her - but he gets sidetracked by kisses and puts off his confession. Unfortunately, before he can tell her - Minerva learns the truth and is LIVID and hurt and LIVID. She leaves and seeks out Astrid, Duchess of Montford.
Marlowe will not have an easy time winning back his love. There will be ruined wardrobes, a book burning, grand gestures, abductions, concussions, an unfortunate case of mistaken identity and yet another grand gesture with another window entrance before these two get their HEA.
This book perfectly ties up the series, but it could be read as a stand alone title. The writing is great, it is amusing but it also touches on serious issues, the heat level is low until the very end of the book and even then it is only a bit warmer than warm, all the characters from the previous books make appearances and after torturing her poor characters, Ms. Fenton relents and gives Marlowe and Minerva a much deserved and hard won HEA.
I would highly recommend the entire series - they are all laugh out loud funny and extremely well written books.
4.5 stars
What a great wrap up to this trilogy! Evelyn Leighton, Viscount Marlowe was a prominent figure in first two books and yet, other than the fact he had children and was a slob - I really knew nothing about him.
This book opens about 2 years after the Sebastian's book and we find Viscount Marlowe attempting to rescue his daughters from the boarding school his father sent them to in West Barming. He is still weak and feverish after a near death experience and breaks into the school at night, after being turned away earlier in the day. This is when he meets Minerva Jones, he crawls through her window and she attacks him - they end up on the floor with his hands on her, ummm, person and they are discovered by another teacher at the school.
Minerva has not had an easy life, her father was a naval officer and he left Minerva with various relatives, but he did teach her to shoot, fight and swear like a sailor. When both her father and her betrothed die, Minerva took employment as a companion, she lost that job when her employer sacked her for her choice of reading materials. Minerva is a Misstopher - a devotee of the poet Christopher Essex. Her collection of his works are her most prized possessions and have now cost her yet another job. And to add insult to injury - that collection is now in a ditch because some crazy Viscount's coach just ran her off the road!
As Marlowe is fleeing with his daughters, they may have accidently nudged her off the road into a ditch. Marlowe's twin daughters insist that he stop and rescue her. Marlowe is immediately enchanted by the tiny woman swearing a blue streak and attacking a wayward gown, while retrieving her precious Essex collection. He immediately offers her a job as governess to his girls and teases her about being a Misstopher.
They return to London and Marlowe slowly recovers from his fever. Not long after, another Leighton uses a window to gain entry to the house. Marlowe's youngest sister, Lady Elizabeth has run away from home and begs Marlowe to let her stay. Their father the Earl has betrothed Elizabeth to a despicable man, three times her age. Marlowe agrees to let her stay and promises to help her escape the marriage. He also learns that his sister is a Misstopher and that she writes fan fiction as tribute to Christopher Essex - she has a plan of her own to escape marriage - she is going to marry Essex!
Here's the problem - Marlowe is Essex - but it is a closely guarded secret, known only to a handful of people. Marlowe has had his share of pain and suffering, his father hates him, he suffers from hellish war memories, his wife was in love with his twin brother and ran away with him shortly after giving birth to the twins (who were fathered by his brother) and dies. Marlowe channeled all that pain into his writing - but over the years, he has come to terms with his losses and without the pain - he has lost his muse. He hasn't written anything in almost three years. But all that changes when Minerva inspires him. He writes as ode titled the Alabaster Hip - which he never intends to publish.
Unfortunately, his publisher finds it, steals it and publishes it- and then his sister discovers his alter ego, which is extremely hilarious and awkward when he finds out HER alter ego - Lady Hedonist.
His sister tells him he has to come clean with Minerva and he agrees to tell her - but he gets sidetracked by kisses and puts off his confession. Unfortunately, before he can tell her - Minerva learns the truth and is LIVID and hurt and LIVID. She leaves and seeks out Astrid, Duchess of Montford.
Marlowe will not have an easy time winning back his love. There will be ruined wardrobes, a book burning, grand gestures, abductions, concussions, an unfortunate case of mistaken identity and yet another grand gesture with another window entrance before these two get their HEA.
This book perfectly ties up the series, but it could be read as a stand alone title. The writing is great, it is amusing but it also touches on serious issues, the heat level is low until the very end of the book and even then it is only a bit warmer than warm, all the characters from the previous books make appearances and after torturing her poor characters, Ms. Fenton relents and gives Marlowe and Minerva a much deserved and hard won HEA.
I would highly recommend the entire series - they are all laugh out loud funny and extremely well written books.
June 1, 2017
Well at long last one of the most entertaining historical romance series has an ending. We waited almost 2 years and many of us thought it had been abandoned but it has finally seen the light of day and I loved it.
I was concerned that she may have made a character whose story would never be told because to be quite honest she had written him in the previous books as a wee bit distasteful character but she solved most of this within the first few chapters.
The rest of the book surprisingly does not follow the direction of swooning maidens and alpha males to the extreme. It is a well told story but the premise later in the book of why she was so upset with him was a bit weak (so the 4 Stars instead of 5) but it is fine entertainment and highly recommended. You get to laugh and you get some questions answered BUT the thing I wonder about is if we might get 1 more book since she seemed to be setting something up but the ages might make that impossible but this is Regency England and the age of marriage age young women was quite a bit less than today's acceptable morals. We shall see if she revisits these characters again.
4 Stars and very highly recommend the whole series.
I was concerned that she may have made a character whose story would never be told because to be quite honest she had written him in the previous books as a wee bit distasteful character but she solved most of this within the first few chapters.
The rest of the book surprisingly does not follow the direction of swooning maidens and alpha males to the extreme. It is a well told story but the premise later in the book of why she was so upset with him was a bit weak (so the 4 Stars instead of 5) but it is fine entertainment and highly recommended. You get to laugh and you get some questions answered BUT the thing I wonder about is if we might get 1 more book since she seemed to be setting something up but the ages might make that impossible but this is Regency England and the age of marriage age young women was quite a bit less than today's acceptable morals. We shall see if she revisits these characters again.
4 Stars and very highly recommend the whole series.
February 7, 2018
The Alabaster Hip is the last book in the series of the Regency Romp Trilogy.
Minerva is a spinster who loves romantic poetry and has been unmarried due to the fact that the love of her life was killed in the war. She finds herself ending up at Viscount Marlowe’s home and teaching his twin daughters, who have terrorized everyone in their wake. Although she is not able to manage to tame the two girls, she does develop a relationship with them to some extent. Viscount Marlowe realizes that she, for some odd reason, has some sort of control or understanding of the girls and his romantic notions begins to take flight with Minerva. I caught myself several times laughing at the whit that was throughout the story. It is humorous and a delight to read.
This was truly an enjoyable, witty and laughable book by Maggie Fenton and did not disappoint.
4.5 Stars
Minerva is a spinster who loves romantic poetry and has been unmarried due to the fact that the love of her life was killed in the war. She finds herself ending up at Viscount Marlowe’s home and teaching his twin daughters, who have terrorized everyone in their wake. Although she is not able to manage to tame the two girls, she does develop a relationship with them to some extent. Viscount Marlowe realizes that she, for some odd reason, has some sort of control or understanding of the girls and his romantic notions begins to take flight with Minerva. I caught myself several times laughing at the whit that was throughout the story. It is humorous and a delight to read.
This was truly an enjoyable, witty and laughable book by Maggie Fenton and did not disappoint.
4.5 Stars
April 1, 2023
Not bad. Even though the heroine and the twin girls got on my nerves the majority of the time.
April 25, 2022
I’m changing my ideal type to “Luciferian.” It’s a marvel to take a detestable, repulsive character from the previous two novels and have a reader fall in love. The author did a great job showing backstory for the characters prior ill acts and redeemed him for the future.
January 6, 2019
This was pretty disappointing. I think the book failed me in two parts. It had a rough start. I had the sense that the book wanted to be clever but it wasn't really. One line that stood out to me was Minerva saying, "I don't even know what to say to that.", which comes across as a cop out line when no cleverer dialogue can be written in. I feel like the book failed to establish itself in the beginning. I had the sense that it wanted to put its stake in as a clever banter type of story but it didn't have the clever banter in.
The second way the book failed was the fight. Minerva found out Marlowe was the poet she had been fangirling over. She is incensed and betrayed. I viewed this as a contrived conflict that I have to hold my breath until it is over. I thought it would be short conflict that I could have done without. Little did I know that not only did this flimsy thing hold up for the next few chapters, it went all the way to the end. Are you kidding me? This was such a non issue that I was flabbergasted and how stretched the conflict was. Sure enough, the justifications came in, Minerva felt betrayed, she should have told him. However, it's a contrived conflict no matter what the words say. I hated it. It was stupid and it really brought down the book. I felt like Minerva and Marlowe already don't spend enough scenes together to establish their relationship, what romance is there in this book? It really hit me when Marlowe quoted Byron to profess his romantic feelings for Minerva. Minerva was angry at him because she wanted his words not Byron's. She was surprised that he didn't know this basic thing about her. It hit me that that yes, that is the problem. They don't know each other. They haven't really spent time together. There is no falling in love scenes outside of the characters declaring themselves in love. The romance wasn't there.
On another note, who the hell is Minerva? Outside of being a daughter of a captain, I never really got the sense of her character. She is small and quick to anger. The twins apparently like her but I never really know her. I don't think her character was established well.
I also thought the Misstophers were forced. It came across as forced humour. I feel like there was a lot of work for little payoff.
The lady hedonist storyline was gag-inducing.
The story revolves around Marlowe and Minerva. Marlowe compromised her when he broke the twins out of the school. Marlowe's father sent the twins away while Marlowe was sick. He climbed into a window and ended up in Minerva's room. They were found tangled up in each other and she was promptly fired. He met her on the road and offered her a job as the governess.
There was also a storyline about Marlowe's sister being married to an old man with pox. Marlowe sheltered his sister and defied his father, who needed the old man's money.
Marlowe and Minerva fooled around. Minerva discovered he was the poet and left him because she felt betrayed he didn't tell her.
Marlowe and Minerva were abducted. Lightfoot showed up again. Marlowe was mistaken for Montford because he borrowed Montford's jacket. Marlowe and Minerva managed to break their bonds before they were killed.
Marlowe and Minerva straighten out their misunderstanding. They end up together.
The second way the book failed was the fight. Minerva found out Marlowe was the poet she had been fangirling over. She is incensed and betrayed. I viewed this as a contrived conflict that I have to hold my breath until it is over. I thought it would be short conflict that I could have done without. Little did I know that not only did this flimsy thing hold up for the next few chapters, it went all the way to the end. Are you kidding me? This was such a non issue that I was flabbergasted and how stretched the conflict was. Sure enough, the justifications came in, Minerva felt betrayed, she should have told him. However, it's a contrived conflict no matter what the words say. I hated it. It was stupid and it really brought down the book. I felt like Minerva and Marlowe already don't spend enough scenes together to establish their relationship, what romance is there in this book? It really hit me when Marlowe quoted Byron to profess his romantic feelings for Minerva. Minerva was angry at him because she wanted his words not Byron's. She was surprised that he didn't know this basic thing about her. It hit me that that yes, that is the problem. They don't know each other. They haven't really spent time together. There is no falling in love scenes outside of the characters declaring themselves in love. The romance wasn't there.
On another note, who the hell is Minerva? Outside of being a daughter of a captain, I never really got the sense of her character. She is small and quick to anger. The twins apparently like her but I never really know her. I don't think her character was established well.
I also thought the Misstophers were forced. It came across as forced humour. I feel like there was a lot of work for little payoff.
The lady hedonist storyline was gag-inducing.
The story revolves around Marlowe and Minerva. Marlowe compromised her when he broke the twins out of the school. Marlowe's father sent the twins away while Marlowe was sick. He climbed into a window and ended up in Minerva's room. They were found tangled up in each other and she was promptly fired. He met her on the road and offered her a job as the governess.
There was also a storyline about Marlowe's sister being married to an old man with pox. Marlowe sheltered his sister and defied his father, who needed the old man's money.
Marlowe and Minerva fooled around. Minerva discovered he was the poet and left him because she felt betrayed he didn't tell her.
Marlowe and Minerva were abducted. Lightfoot showed up again. Marlowe was mistaken for Montford because he borrowed Montford's jacket. Marlowe and Minerva managed to break their bonds before they were killed.
Marlowe and Minerva straighten out their misunderstanding. They end up together.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 10, 2020
Well, I _would_ have liked this book more than the second one, since it has a less flimsy plot, but then came the fat phobia. HOO BOY is there a lot of fat phobia in this book. There are two secondary characters whose job it is basically to be awful and fat and fall on top of the main (female) character, which is great. But worse is the main male character. As soon as I realized the 2nd and 3rd books were gonna be about Montford's friends, I KNEW that Marlowe was gonna lose weight in his before he found love. Marlowe is described as overweight and paunchy in the previous 2 books (he has a beer belly I guess & it's commented on a lot), but ofc, overweight people can't find love! No, he had to get some unnamed random sickness that knocked him down for 2 months and magically made him skinny and well-built and hot, duh!
Ugh. Actually just typing this out has made me revise it from 3 stars to 2, I'm still so annoyed. Fat people can have romance! Men with chubby bellies can find soul mates and be all passionate with them! Fat people aren't grotesque!
Okay I'm done, ugh.
Ugh. Actually just typing this out has made me revise it from 3 stars to 2, I'm still so annoyed. Fat people can have romance! Men with chubby bellies can find soul mates and be all passionate with them! Fat people aren't grotesque!
Okay I'm done, ugh.
January 9, 2019
Truly Inspirational <3
I love how all three stories coalesce and we get to see the same intriguing characters and learn their flaws, tragedies and uniqueness of the color palettes of their souls <3
I enjoy the comedic aspect and also love fan fiction as we all want to continue to stay in our fav worlds: would love to write about Betsy and Whiskers love affair after the attraction was insinuated.
Ms.Fenton is a favorite author as each work is truly her soul’s music and shines brighter than most! Specially if you love incredible prose, comedy and my favorite “words” my own love affair :))
I love how all three stories coalesce and we get to see the same intriguing characters and learn their flaws, tragedies and uniqueness of the color palettes of their souls <3
I enjoy the comedic aspect and also love fan fiction as we all want to continue to stay in our fav worlds: would love to write about Betsy and Whiskers love affair after the attraction was insinuated.
Ms.Fenton is a favorite author as each work is truly her soul’s music and shines brighter than most! Specially if you love incredible prose, comedy and my favorite “words” my own love affair :))
June 22, 2017
This was the best in all three books and I was really sad to close the last page in this series.. I felt a Spark between Betsy and Dr. Whiskers :b
I wish our dear auther would do something about it.
No need to say I feel like I lost my friend now that I finished the series.
Looking forward to your next Creation miss Fenton.
I wish our dear auther would do something about it.
No need to say I feel like I lost my friend now that I finished the series.
Looking forward to your next Creation miss Fenton.
June 12, 2017
Worth the wait.
Charming, and often laugh out loud funny, I loved Marlowe and Minerva's story. The writing is clever and nuanced. Simple things, like all of the Leighton siblings having names starting with E. The author never purposely points it out, it's just there.
Charming, and often laugh out loud funny, I loved Marlowe and Minerva's story. The writing is clever and nuanced. Simple things, like all of the Leighton siblings having names starting with E. The author never purposely points it out, it's just there.
December 17, 2019
The best of the trilogy due to the brilliant addition of the 'Misstophers', a regency version of 'Beliebers' or 'Swifties', in this case rabid fans of the fictional poet Christopher Essex. I laughed out loud throughout this book. I like to think Jane Austen would have enjoyed it too.
January 14, 2018
This was outrageously good fun. Yes, there were place where I had not much idea what was going on, but this was a good fun romp with wonderfully likeable characters. Not to everyone's taste I expect, but for a light-hearted and frothy bit of fluffy romance this hits the spot.
June 12, 2017
Ever since I read The Duke's Holiday by Maggie Fenton I have eagerly awaited her subsequent books. Although I did not love the Virtuous scoundrel as much (although in all fairness that's a tough act to follow, TDH is the perfect balance of hilariousness, chemistry, pacing, memorable secondary characters and atmosphere -- it remains a favorite re-read) I have been eagerly awaiting Marlowe's story!
This book had less of a focus on romance/chemistry than past books, and I would have loved to see more of Minerva and Marlowe's connection, and I didn't entirely feel the main conflict between the two characters was very necessary, actually somewhat frustrating, but the secondary characters really shine here and I loved them and their antics. Fenton's writing can just be so good, and her voice in the romance genre is very unique. It reminds me very much of Wodehouse, and her prose does not disappoint. Marlowe's evil twins paired with Astrid's sisters are laugh-out-loud hilarious, and I loved seeing the return of Aunts Anabel and Emily as well. All in all Marlowe's story is really emotional at times and I thought the author handled the changes in his character in a believable and touching way. Extra star for getting to see glimpses of Astrid and Montford's lives after TDH. (#astridandmonty4ever)
Now I really hope we get the story of Betsy and Whiskers!!!
This book had less of a focus on romance/chemistry than past books, and I would have loved to see more of Minerva and Marlowe's connection, and I didn't entirely feel the main conflict between the two characters was very necessary, actually somewhat frustrating, but the secondary characters really shine here and I loved them and their antics. Fenton's writing can just be so good, and her voice in the romance genre is very unique. It reminds me very much of Wodehouse, and her prose does not disappoint. Marlowe's evil twins paired with Astrid's sisters are laugh-out-loud hilarious, and I loved seeing the return of Aunts Anabel and Emily as well. All in all Marlowe's story is really emotional at times and I thought the author handled the changes in his character in a believable and touching way. Extra star for getting to see glimpses of Astrid and Montford's lives after TDH. (#astridandmonty4ever)
Now I really hope we get the story of Betsy and Whiskers!!!
June 10, 2017
Loved it!
I found myself laughing in several places with the ridiculous situations the characters found themselves in. I have read both of the previous stories in this series and had wondered how the author would be able to turn a bloated drunken slob (who ran around in what were essentially bathrobes) into a hero of a book. I now understand his reasons for his actions (with his truly hateful family and upbringing, one wonders how he remained even somewhat normal). I also enjoyed the glimpses of his friends and their families now that they have been married for some time.
I now wonder what the author has planned for his young sister Elizabeth, although her interest in the somewhat older doctor seems to be hinted at.
I found myself laughing in several places with the ridiculous situations the characters found themselves in. I have read both of the previous stories in this series and had wondered how the author would be able to turn a bloated drunken slob (who ran around in what were essentially bathrobes) into a hero of a book. I now understand his reasons for his actions (with his truly hateful family and upbringing, one wonders how he remained even somewhat normal). I also enjoyed the glimpses of his friends and their families now that they have been married for some time.
I now wonder what the author has planned for his young sister Elizabeth, although her interest in the somewhat older doctor seems to be hinted at.
June 12, 2017
A weak 3 stars
This one really had the potential to be a favorite but somewhere along the way it lost it's focus. We have a wonderful hero, Marlowe, and his leading lady, Minerva. We have a LOT of background for Marlowe and he's a likable guy. Not so much for Minerva. Secondary characters and strange side stories are introduce and you start to wonder when we're going to get back to the actual relationship of Marlowe and Minerva. (Spoilerish)A great lack of communication is the main crux of this story and it's just stupid. Sorry, but I HATE when author's use this as the only conflict to move the story forward. I struggled to finish this one after the 60% mark. I felt bad because I could see the cute and charming points of this story but it just mucked up by the end.
*** A received an ARC through NetGalley for an honest review ***
This one really had the potential to be a favorite but somewhere along the way it lost it's focus. We have a wonderful hero, Marlowe, and his leading lady, Minerva. We have a LOT of background for Marlowe and he's a likable guy. Not so much for Minerva. Secondary characters and strange side stories are introduce and you start to wonder when we're going to get back to the actual relationship of Marlowe and Minerva. (Spoilerish)A great lack of communication is the main crux of this story and it's just stupid. Sorry, but I HATE when author's use this as the only conflict to move the story forward. I struggled to finish this one after the 60% mark. I felt bad because I could see the cute and charming points of this story but it just mucked up by the end.
*** A received an ARC through NetGalley for an honest review ***
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