Review: Wylde's unique humor shines again
Rating: 3 out of 5
Date: 08 24, 2013
Anya Wylde has the most unique voice I have ever come across in an author. Her writing is often clever, lighthearted, slightly irreverent, very silly, and comedic in a tongue-in-cheek kind of way. This style is noticeably present in Seeking Philbert Woodbeard, ranging from numerous assassination attempts because of a recipe to a ridiculously irrational - and very pregnant - former heroine (Penelope). Our current heroine ends up being a personable and largely sensible young lady with a rather unlikely first love - a poet who is both very fat and very bad at poetry. The heroine uses an unexpected trip to London as an opportunity to find her estranged love. The hero, a flippant and impossibly charming playboy, ends up assisting the heroine in an attempt to alleviate his boredom. On the plus side, I really enjoyed the protagonists' frequent give and take -a substantial amount of time is devoted to their silly (and fun) conversations, resulting in a romance that feels authentic. I also liked that the characters were given some depth and stayed true to their personalities. On the negative side, I wasn't that crazy about the particulars of the romance storyline. It felt uncomfortable for the heroine to be growing close to the hero at the same time she is searching for another man. And the hero - despite his relationship with the heroine - had no problem lusting after anything in skirts. It seemed that while the romance was genuine, a great deal of sweetness and plausibility was sacrificed in order to make the story more of a farce.  Overall, Seeking Philbert Woodbeard was by no means my favorite novel by Wylde...  but her trademark writing style makes it worth a read nonetheless.*I received a free ARC of this novel.