Review: Absolutely Loved It
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 09 24, 2013
Last night I curled up with my Kindle for the first time in months (I've been reading my e-books on Mr. Turning the Pages' iPad) and this was the one I ended up reading. I've been reading quite a bit of romance lately in particular the historical romance genre and I wanted something quick, fun, and new to read so this totally fit the bill.I had never heard of the author before so I think To All the Rakes I've Loved Before was an excellent introduction to Anne  Barton's writing style and I've got to say that as someone who is not a fan of novella's I really enjoyed this one.Amelia and Stephen were a great couple and I absolutely adored their pairing. The chemistry between the two was immediately apparent even though they both kind of didn't expect it there were at least some feelings there already. I loved the friendly banter between the two and wouldn't hesitate to call them one of the cutest couples I've read about this year. I really liked how the relationship between them developed even though there was a major case of insta-love in this one it didn't bring the story crashing down like it tends to. Instead I felt that their feelings were genuine and the passion that Stephen had for Amelia was admirable, she totally had him wrapped around her little finger.I liked that Amelia wasn't your typical historical romance heroine. Yes she was a little naive, but she was also a little more cynical than most of the heroines in the genre after she got jilted and Stephen was the typical rake but I actually found that I liked him right away especially the way he was willing to work to change Amelia's mind about him and the prospect of marriage. I thought he was really charming and sweet.Overall, I think that To All The Rakes I've Loved Before was a good little novella to read while I was in between books. I liked the way Anne Barton set their romance up and she really surprised me since I don't really enjoy novellas. For once the insta-love in a story didn't bother me and I think she handled it really well. There was plenty of laughs in this sweet little novella but there were a couple really steamy parts mixed in as well to counter the sweetness. I am definitely looking forward to reading the first book in this series as soon as I can get my hands on a copy.I would recommend this novella to fans of Anne Barton and those who haven't read her yet. This novella is the perfect thing to pick up in between books if you're a historical romance fan who likes some giggles with her love stories. The novella can be read as a standalone and you'll have no problem following the story if you haven't read the first book in the Honeycote series.*I received a free copy of this book in exchange for my free and honest review. All thoughts and opinions expressed herein are 100% my own.