Review: OK Read w/a Young Adult Feel
Rating: 3 out of 5
Date: 12 13, 2013
This is a really cute story set in 1875 England.  The h and H are members of the gentry.  From a technical point of view this book garners a 5 star rating....it is really well written, there are no editing issues that I could see, and the characters are all nicely developed.  However, from an enjoyment point of view I give this book 3 stars.I could not get past the fact that the hero is only 18.  I read a lot of historical romances, it is actually my preferred genre for reading; so, I am used to the heroines being of a very young age, usually 18 or 19.  However, having a hero that young resulted in this book feeling more like a young adult book, rather than a true romance.  I don't have anything against young adult books; as a matter of fact, I've read several that I thoroughly enjoyed.  But, it's hard to take a romance between two 18 year olds seriously, especially when the hero hasn't even finished school as yet!Lara and Miles first meet at age 14, when Lara's sister and Miles' brother got married.  At the time, they developed a tendre for each other, but of course neither confessed his/her feelings to the other.  Well, Lara actually does write a letter to Miles confessing her love to him, but Miles never responds, and so she believes that he now despises her.  When they come together again for the Christmas celebration four years later, Lara realizes that she is still in love with Miles (that is assuming a 14 year old can be in love in the first place.)In any event the story unfolds, and the two do get their HEA.  But, with Miles being 18, and still studying at Cambridge, when this book ended I was left with the feeling that they were only now beginning their courtship, rather than actually getting their happily ever after.  Furthermore, throughout the book the romance is lukewarm at best, with minimal interaction between Miles and Lara.  The other characters are more in the background, except Lara's twin sister, Fiona, who I did not like at all.  Fiona comes across as a jealous, selfish creature.  By the end of the story she is redeemed somewhat, but only marginally.While this plot was interesting, the story that unfolds is only mildly entertaining.  It is by no means a gripping tale.