Quaesitrix reviewed The Harlow Hoyden by Lynn Messina (Love Takes Root, #1)
Delightful start, okayish middle and end
4 stars
It started very delightful, but as the book progressed the characters became less and less believable considering the time period and their position in society.
Now I absolutely hate those historical stories whose MC has inexplicably modern views and wows everyone with her forward thinking ("OMG! You think women are people!"), and if it had been one of those I'd have given up on it very soon. To be fair to the author, she doesn't just pops a modern girl in historical clothes and calls it quits, she actually does a great job trying to integrate her MC in the time period. But I don't think it quite succeeds, it's especially noticeable the more the book progresses, and especially when it comes to the romance.
The MC needing to be good with a gun also had my eyes rolling more than once.
The spying subplot at the end was quite an abrupt shift and didn't mesh very well with the rest of the book. It feels very unnecessary and kind of a cop out.
Overall, still an enjoyable book. But if you value historical immersion over romance, maybe try something else.
I listened to the Audible version, and Lucy Rayner does a fantastic job narrating. When I started to listen, I thought I would get sick of her very affected diction very quickly, but surprisingly I find it very enjoyable. It's unusual, but I think it goes well with the text.