Flawless indeed! This was everything I needed and wanted. Hilarious, smart, witty, sweet, emotional, sexy, yummy,As the book title itself says: [image]
Flawless indeed! This was everything I needed and wanted. Hilarious, smart, witty, sweet, emotional, sexy, yummy, angsty, steamy, fluffy good times. I can't even label this as light fluff. The hero is a professional bull rider. Need I say more? This is my first Elsie Silver book and it won't be my last. Her writing and characters are stunning. So much heart and depth. If grumpy alpha heroes with soft vulnerable underbellies and filthy mouths and filthier imaginations are your thing, give this a go. Rhett and Summer were insanely sweet and the sex scenes were fucking hot as hell. ❤️...more
I wonder if I had read this before Hook Line & Sinker would my feelings be a little different. I knew this might be a mistake to read so close after fI wonder if I had read this before Hook Line & Sinker would my feelings be a little different. I knew this might be a mistake to read so close after finishing Bailey's newest release considering the very similar tropes used but since I was on the waitlist for this for 3 months from my library I couldn't pass it up when my hold came up. I ended up enjoying this but some things I didn't necessarily love. The heroine's childhood crush/hero worship for the hero for one. I usually don't mind unrequited love between friends but the baby sister factor bugged me considering how young and naive Georgie acted and adamant she's been in love with him since she was 13. I kept wishing there wasn't an established history between Georgie and Travis while reading this. I don't know why but I didn't like it. I felt Georgie was too stuck in her adolescent past with how she viewed Travis, how she dressed, how she viewed the world, etc. She's definitely quirky and cute but at times it felt childishly awkward and clueless rather than charming. The other issue I had was Georgie's profession of a clown took some getting used to. She's a professional Clown for kids at birthday parties. Maybe it's an untapped phobia of mine I wasn't aware of but clowns are not cute, funny or sexy to me. No Ma'am. Especially when the hero is flirting with her and wanting to kiss her while she's in her Bozo get up, wig, nose and makeup and all. The visual in my head wasn't cute and the second hand embarrassment was real. If that makes me a Clown snob so bet it. But I did love how she loved kids and so comfortable around them. I also wished Georgie worked up the courage herself to stand up to her family who never take her seriously. What kind of family talks to a 23 year old like she's still 12? I hated her brother and the whole "let the grownups talk" bullshit from her father. The fact that the moment to set them straight was given to Travis so it justified Georgie's hero worship spoke volumes. I wasn't a fan of her family at all but Georgie seemed to enable the behavior from them and the whole town treating her like a child and I found it frustrating and so passive. Also, you dress like you are still stuck in high school and are a clown for a living and wonder why nobody takes you seriously?
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Honestly the clown thing was weird for me because it stemmed from "laugh at my own expense since nobody treats me like an adult". She couldn't seem to give herself enough credit for anything she does.
Ironically this book gave me everything I wanted in the steam department that I was hoping to get in HL&S but the couple and emotional beats were stronger in HLS than this one. Bailey really knows how to make your eyes go cross with the dirty talk and this was definitely 5 out of 5 in the steam department. But even so, some of the things Travis would say came off a little lopsided for me. “Punching that V card” and “introduce you to G-d” made me wince. It just gave me dated 90’s CR macho hero vibes. Travis gave Susan Elizabeth Phillips' macho alphas a run for their money. And good lord the man has a filthy mouth. Yeah it was a bit much at times but I loved it as well. :P But the great thing about it was he was a total macho alpha but he wasn't mean. I was expecting to hate Travis but I didn't since he was so obsessed and smitten by Georgie and not wanting to let her go. So I was kinda pleasantly surprised the conflict at the end wasn't him fucking up intentionally to push her away but a simple misunderstanding. Cause there's nothing I love more than a panicked hero having to be physically held back when he thinks he lost the heroine. Ugh YES. Which is why I couldn't bring myself to rate this lower. While I didn't love this couple, it was still very enjoyable. It was sweet and the sex was steamy hot. ...more
“Say something to me, Philly,” he whispered into her hair. “Anything. Even if it’s only to tell me that I must let you go.”
This was an utt
“Say something to me, Philly,” he whispered into her hair. “Anything. Even if it’s only to tell me that I must let you go.”
This was an utter delight. A closed door romance that actually worked for me. Yay! Finally a winner. This is very much a kissing book and I loved every second of it. A kissing book that made me blush, kick my feet and all gooey inside. This gave me butterflies in it's simplicity yet beautiful connection between hero and heroine. The writing is beautiful. Arthur and Philly were adorable in their tender sincerity. The yearning. My gawd THE YEARNING. Two introverts who hate London city life and much prefer the quiet country. Captain Arthur Heywood once a formidable Captain in the army and sharp shooter is now a shell of the man he once was, with PTSD and his crippling war injuries have left him depressed and closed off to the whole world. Everyone labels him cold, uptight and rude. Yet somehow sweet natured wallflower Phyllida Satterthwaite sees through all that. From the moment these two meet they are drawn to each other.
“You’re so perfect that, when I look at you, I can scarcely believe you’re mine.”
The heroine Philly has Heterochromia, one blue eye and one amber brown eye which has marked her as unique and given her the moniker "the work of art" by the ton. She hates the title and all the attention. She's been forced to move to the city by her uncle after her grandparents who raised her passed. Used to living in her country home Fox Cross with its quaint village and surrounded by nature, the city life is uncomfortable and overwhelming for Philly. Her menagerie of 4 rescue dogs reminded me a bit of Beatrix Hathaway. She has a soft heart and is even kind to people who don't deserve it IMO. What starts off as a marriage of convenience to save her from a marriage to a crazy cruel Duke that her uncle is forcing her into, quickly forms into something stronger and so sweet over time. Seeing both of them shine and grow in their marriage and help each other was very satisfying to see. I want my own brooding Captain who is a bear to everyone but sweet with me to snuggle up to in a country house. ...more
This was adorable. I honestly was worried a bit because the first 30% didn't look promising but in Elisa Braden fashion she spun her magic and [image]
This was adorable. I honestly was worried a bit because the first 30% didn't look promising but in Elisa Braden fashion she spun her magic and suddenly the story and characters became so dear. Worth the hype and so happy I have another Elisa Braden book to add to my favorites. While Jane and Harrison are still my top favorite, these two certainly were a delight as well. You would think such extreme opposites like Benedict and Charlotte would never work on paper but yet Braden really knows how to make opposites connect, attract and fit in ways that makes you never question it. Both become so needed and integral to each other, it was really sweet to see that slow unfurling. The hesitant friendship, the trust, the vulnerability, the yearning. My Achilles heel is lonely characters finding their home in someone. When two lonely souls find their person and comfort in each other it's so satisfying to see. That cerebral connection of I see you, I understand you is probably the most gratifying part and what this author is so so good at.
Charlotte Lancaster, the transplanted tall American heiress with gangly arms and interest in business wanting to just fit in somewhere and be loved and accepted was so sweet and heartbreaking. I loved her intelligence, her wit, her kindness, her openness and honesty. She suffers no fools and has a blunt tongue which made for some hilarious moments. She's had no luck for 5 years on the marriage market in England and been ostracized for her towering height, ginger coloring and blunt American ways and she's prone to clumsy mishaps that gave her an embarrassing nickname among the snobby ton (I actually found her clumsiness charming). Benedict Chatham for his part is every bit the roguish playboy rake who has done many questionable not nice things and coping by self-medicating with alcohol for years. Someone correct me on this but I believe he was also involved in that ugly prank against the heroine Jane in Book 2 The Truth About Cads and Dukes no? So his reputation is very sullied. His childhood was heartbreakingly awful and that mother of his is a real piece of work. As much as I hate the much abused "no one ever loved me" character hang up, here I really felt and understood the hero's loneliness and yearning for the heroine to love him and not leave him. His fear of rejection carried weight and hangs over him like a cloud. To see a cynical rake just want his wife to love him and actively try to make her happy was really sweet and endearing. Braden did a great job showing this anti-hero come into his own and transform from a destructive, emaciated, alcoholic rogue to a healthy man of the land learning new things about himself along the way. I loved that we got the hero and heroine working side by side in restoring his family's country estate which is in near ruins. It tickled me how Charlotte tackled it with gusto and excited about learning new farming techniques and repairs and wanting to share her knowledge with the hero. These two were very much a pleasant surprise for me.
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This is a Rake vs Wallflower trope but also so much more. The special moments sprinkled throughout and discovery of feelings along the way is why Braden's writing is so addictive and magical. I've never loved the meaning behind a silver flask more and it's just those kind of special details I look for and devour in my reads. It reminded me of Lisa Kleypas's hand with the sentimental meaning behind objects that plays a role in the romance. The way those moments build up to be revealed near the end? It's just *chef's kiss*....more
I'm mad because this easily would have been a 5 star read if it hadn't been for the last 25%ish of the story. Didn't care for the "he can't l4.5 stars
I'm mad because this easily would have been a 5 star read if it hadn't been for the last 25%ish of the story. Didn't care for the "he can't love me so I'm leaving him" misunderstanding annoying plot device used near the end. I usually love misunderstandings about feelings used as angst but here it was a bit redundant, extra and unneeded. If it hadn't gone on for so long I would have ignored it but it pulled me out of the story a little so yeah. Made the otherwise smart heroine come across stupid & dense. Other than that, this was a breath of fresh air in what has been a terrible whole year of endless disappointing reads for me. The lothario rakish Anthony Black having to finally work for something was great to see and Gabby was his perfect match.
Although I will say I found Gabriella's easy transformation into a Duchess a little bit hard to swallow considering she was a bastard daughter of an earl and stage actress who lived her whole life on the fringes of society, dirt poor. Granted it didn't happen overnight but I would have liked a little more gradual and realistic fumbling considering the huge change in lifestyle (who taught her to read and write?!) but since this book covered nearly a year, I’m looking the other way on that. Yes that’s right, a year. You hear that Romance authors? Months. Not 2 days, not 1 week, a whole year. And no time jumps either. This is why I love TAW and old school HR. Nothing is rushed like everything is now with insta-lust and instant ILYs by Chapter 5. Slow burn romance and gradual build up is what I find the most gratifying in my reads and something TAW is such a natural at. Her character development is amazing and just draws you in. She takes her time with her stories but doesn't drag her feet either. And of course her signature insatiable naughty jerk older heroes are always fun to read. This felt bittersweet since it’s my last backlist read from her. I really wish she would write more. I miss her work. :( And can I say seeing that little cameo of Violet from The Husband Trap was so exciting and made me feel nostalgic. I wish I had known the Trap trilogy was a spin-off from this trilogy, cause just that little tease alone with Violet & Raeborne got me eager to pick up her book again. Which is still one of my all time favorite HR books. ❤️...more
I really loved this book. The execution was very impressive and just made the entire story pretty amazing. Loved this author's style of writing. I hadI really loved this book. The execution was very impressive and just made the entire story pretty amazing. Loved this author's style of writing. I had randomly picked this up on a whim because the cover intrigued me and the back cover description caught my interest and when I started reading it, it really surprised me. A very pleasant wonderful surprise for me. I was expecting to get the predictable plot seen in romance books but this book really grabbed me and kept surprising me. I couldn't put it down until I finished it. I loved both the hero and heroine who both have difficult dark backgrounds but come together and can't let go. A very heartbreaking forlorn couple who have lots of ups and downs. Very angsty emotionally-heavy story. But so very good.
The only negative I would say is the story does get dragged out a bit too long until the conclusion but the author makes up for it with the character interaction, great dialogue and wonderful ending. When I say I couldn't put this down I really mean it. I was completely sucked in and actually sad when the story ended. It's not the typical fluff light-hearted stuff you get in other romance period books which is one of the reasons why I liked it so much, it's darker, more realistic and has so much more depth. The characters in this are 3 dimensional, fully fleshed out, believable and just enthralling to read about. I almost didn't want to finish it because it was so good. If you want a real love story, with angst, heartbreak, passion and lots of drama then this is it. It had everything with a few surprises here and there. The characters in this will always stay with me, they were very unique, very real and just heartbreaking. Great book!!! ...more
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