Author: Lorraine Heath
Genre: Historical Romance
Series: London's Greatest Lovers #2
Rating: 2 out of 5 stars
I am having so much trouble rating this book, so let me start with the good stuff.
I LOVED Stephen. I cannot even say this enough. Before I picked up this book, I was getting tired of the reformed rake plot, so it stands to reason I wouldn’t be too fond of Stephen. This guy was the biggest player ever and was in no hurry to repent for it. But unlike a lot of the reformed rake plots that have been starting to grate on me, Stephen didn’t just drop his womanizing ways because he found The One. His traumatic experiences in the Crimean War, and his guilt for being unable to remember them, spurred him to be a better person. It made his reformation believable. And in the end, he was a really great guy! He was so serious about doing the right thing and marrying the mother of his child, stepped up to the plate to become a father of a child he didn’t know he had, and was really determined to make sure Mercy was pleasured. Really, who wouldn’t want to meet a guy like that? Stephen alone gets 5 stars.
Mercy on the other hand… I couldn’t stand her! Don’t get me wrong, I could totally see where she was coming from. She truly did love Stephen and his son John who she had saved, and the trauma she endured as a nurse during the war did explain a lot of her actions. At a lot of points I did consider her brave and admirable. But her frantic drive to keep Stephen and John in her life, including sabotaging her husband’s attempts to gain his memory, left a bad taste in my mouth. I just ended up skipping everything between the wedding and when Stephen finds out the truth. I don’t think the lying bothered me as much as her disregard for other people and the consequences of her actions. I think a lot of people would feel differently, but it was enough to almost make this a DNF for me.
On a third level, I really enjoyed Lorraine Heath’s writing style. That was a plus for this book. I’ve enjoyed her before, so I think I might go through her back list and pick up some titles.
How do I sum all this up? The ending was wonderful, but I can’t ignore the fact that I had to skip over almost fifty pages to get to it. Take this review as you will. Overall, I can only give this book 2 stars.
Sometimes certain books, plots, characters just don't work. Or one small thing that happens can ruin an entire story. Happens. That's the thing with reading. Your reviews are great, though, because you're so honest and to the point with how the book made you feel.
ReplyDeleteI have this book. LOL, I kinda dig the reformed rake plot. Love them bad boys. I have read two of Heath's books, both of which I enjoyed. I'll definitely be reading this one. I'll let you know if there was any skimming going on with me. Although, I am notorious for it ;)
Wonderful review. As always.
Thanks for the great compliments!
ReplyDeleteIf you're into bad boy/reformed rakes you'll love Stephen. He really tops some of them!
I've read this book and I have to say, the heroine got on my nerves too. And yes, I liked Stephen although I didn't think I would based on his actions from his brother's book.
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