Review: This book just bugged me.
Rating: 2 out of 5
Date: 02 23, 2012
*Spoilers Throughout*Emma is homeless and staying at the home of one of her only friends, Caroline.  Since Caroline is throwing a house party and wants to get Emma out of the way because Emma isn't in the mood for a party Caroline decides to trick Emma to stay at the home of her cousin, Marcus, even though if anyone found out she would be socially ruined because he's a bachelor.Boy was this book a disappointment!  I know I am going to sound very harsh but the whole thing just seems so lazy on the part of the author.  Not only does this book not read very well as a stand alone, but the characters have no depth and it seems like the author had a few key, and I have to say interesting and dramatic scenes in mind in her head and then put in filler to get from point A to point B.  Not only that, but the book is very poorly researched with Emma reading "Moll Flanders," which is one of the most banned literary books every written and not something I can imagine Marcus would blindly hand to Emma to read.What gets me so annoyed with this book is that it's exactly the type of romance I should like.  I am such a sucker for a scarred hero and spinster heroines.  But Marcus's scars seem very oddly described, being I doubt anyone could survive an accident as severe as he suffered with no antibiotics, but the hair covered part of his head is perfect but his face is mangled which makes no sense, plus it seems to be mangled evenly yet his eyes are still in working order.  Not only that, but other other than being a bit of a recluse, he is totally normal and well adjusted about the scars.In the prologue Emma is almost raped by her brother-in-law, but like Marcus she has no lasting emotional issues from her assault.  In fact, even though she knows very little about men she is reads one spicy book she finds in Marcus's things and suddenly she is running around acting like a femme fatal, and this is less than 2 weeks after she was almost raped.  Not to mention that her brother-in-law tossed her out of the house  in the middle of the night to wander the streets of London in her nightgown without a care of what other people would think about that.I have to say I did like the basic story set up, and that being that they both have been secretly in love with each other for years, and they admit it about a third of the way in, with the next third being a rather boring stretch where we get to see them rather happy with Emma spending much of her time running around out of doors in her unmentionables, but never being seen by a servant or anyone who lives on Marcus's estate.  But, all the time they are together Marcus is totally leading her on, as they both admit their undying love and then when she thinks he is going to propose he kicks her to the curb after actively leading her to believe they are going to get married and this issue is never addressed.  For me him leading her on is as bad or worse than him kicking her to the curb, because if she never knew he loved her and never expected to marry him she would never have lost so much.There are so many unanswered questions, such as why Emma is still unmarried, even though she is supposed to be very beautiful and the sister-in-law to a duke and why when she sets her mind to actually getting married she manages to snag someone in only a few weeks.  The issue has to go deeper than money, being people want to be related to dukes.The whole thing is just sub pare in every aspect.  I honestly wanted to like this book, but there was nothing here that really shinned.  I did enjoy the scene in the church but other than that really interesting and compelling scene there was nothing that really stood out.  I wish the author would rewrite this, while making things make more sense and by putting some clothes on Emma who seems to be constantly running around in her shift, inside, outside, traveling down the street in London, she doesn't care.  This book honestly isn't that bad, it's just so full of mediocrity I couldn't stomach it.2 stars.