Review: The Earl

The Earl by Katharine Ashe
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I'm emerging from a sick cocoon that lasted 5 days, I wanted to write a solid review for this book because I had thoughts and feelings reading it but I barely had the energy to leave the bed to lay on the couch.

I see a lot of people had a problem with the heroine but I thought she was the better flushed out character of the two (hero). Yes, her grudge against the hero for "abandoning" her was forced and not quite up to snuff but I thought her brusque hard exterior and attitude towards the hero wasn't anything we haven't seen many anti-heroes or broody heroes pull on heroines in other stories before.

I think my main problem with this was the utter lack of chemistry between the two that came from the characters themselves not feeling fully sketched out or deep. For two characters I have been reading sassy corresponding over several books, I was shocked at how they felt like two stiff boards interacting.

This felt like the author was trying to recreate the magic of How a Lady Weds A Rogue, an adventurous road romance but yeah, the whole two stiff boards thing. I'm going to keep trying with this series because Ashe has given some of a my favorite books/characters/romance but these last few have been a bit disappointing.

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Review: Again, My Lord

Again, My Lord by Katharine Ashe
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

3.5 stars

Thank you to Becca for the great recommendation :)

I loved this hero with his introverted, slightly awkward, wit, and gentleness.

She teased him again, and again he did not always know what to say in return.
She drove him a little mad.
A lot.

Hero was so patient and caring and oh I just fell in love with him but the format of the story kind of kept him more to the side than I wanted. It was mostly from the heroine's pov and with the Groundhog Day theme, we get the same day over and over with slight variations as the heroine learns and reacts to things differently. Now, tidbits about the hero are given but I wanted to "see" when the hero and heroine stay up talking in the church pew, I wanted to "hear" him talking to her, not just her second hand account. We get to see the heroine's growth but we don't really get to see the hero and heroine grow together because of the nature of the story. I missed seeing and experiencing that.

I thought two or three repeated days could have been cut out as the middle started to drag a tiny bit for me but overall, this was a fun and different read. I really appreciated how the author tried something different and did a pretty good job pulling it off. There is an ease to Ashe's writing that have her being one of my favorites and she's one of those authors that can get my eyes watering out of nowhere with a simple line:
Tacitus thought of his father's adoration of a woman with rotted teeth who could barely walk.
The hero thinks back to how much his father loved his mother even though someone looking from the outside would have some doubts why. It's a wonderful line stating about how love is love and how imperfect people can be perfect. Beautiful.

If you're looking for something fun and different, you'll want to give this one a shot. The first in the series (you can start with book 2 like I did, no confusion) is already on my tbr and I almost shed another tear when I saw the book 3, who I hope stars Evie (heroine's sister) and Mallory (hero's friend), isn't out yet. I really want their book :)



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Review: The Rogue

The Rogue by Katharine Ashe
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I read this for the Key to my Heart square for Romance Bingo.

"Now, pray show me how to use this instrument to wound a man."
He could not move. "You speak of wounding a man like it means nothing to you."
"On the contrary. It means everything."
There it was again in her voice: the sharp edge of fear coated in determination.
"Have you?" he said.
"Wounded a man?"
"Wounded the man that you wish to wound?
Her throat constricted in a movement so jarring that it swept the air from Saint's lungs. He hated that she had been hurt. He hated the man that had hurt her. He hated that he had not been there to protect her then, and that he had no right to protect her now.

Read the Falcon Club books before you attempt this, no seriously, you're going to want to have read them. And do a refresher before you start this one.

"I need you," she whispered as the night gave way to pale sunlight filling up the room. "I need your kindness and strength and gentleness. I did not know that there were men like you." She stroked her fingertips on the counterpane between them, but she could not bring herself to touch him. "I love you."

This heroine would not work with any other hero but Saint. Confusion over Falcon club stuff hindered me and this felt a little more dry than what I'm used to from Ashe. Still good but not my favorite.




Soooooooooooob. I was (heartlessly!) denied an arc for this on Edelweiss. Will someone who is infinitely cooler than I am request it, read it, and post all about it so I can wrap myself up in jealousy/sadness and roll around on the floor this holiday weekend?



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