Review: Could've been so much better
Rating: 3 out of 5
Date: 11 1, 2013
I was thoroughly enjoying this book until about 80% of the way into it when the h has a TSTL moment that killed things for me. Let me summarise the story. The h is a bit of a hellion (not overboard) and a childhood friend of hers has ended up in prison and is going to be hanged for thieving. The h feels responsible for all sorts of reasons and approaches the H for help. The H is a surgeon but also a lord, although he's chosen not to live his life amongst the ton because of his past background. When he was 15 he nearly died of a disease and was actually buried alive, he lived because of some grave robbers but his family were very superstitious and basically rejected him after that. He has a fearsome reputation but the h thinks that he can help rescue her imprisoned friend. The story is long and involved and very intriguing. There is an immediate attraction between them and the H decides he wants the h in his life. There is a mystery, some villains, an awful mother to the H and some other really interesting secondary characters.+++Spoilers+++I loved the marriage bargain that the H and h struck and they were just so well suited. Unfortunately the H is very repressed and doesn't believe it love which he tells the h early on. We as readers realise that he is actually smitten but he's a man and doesn't. What gets me is that the h knows she's a target and she is lured and drugged once and knows she is in danger. What happens? She falls for the same m.o. and gets a note and she dashes off without letting anyone know. Once is ok in a book, tedious but ok. Twice is just flat out annoying. I was furious that the author did this to such a good book. The thing that really nailed it for me was the fact that the h believed the worst of the H without even blinking. She wasn't at all suspicious of the villain even though he just happened to be lurking around when she runs off after receiving the note.This is an early work of the author's and I guess can be forgiven. What a shame though.