Avon, 2010
377 pages
Historical; Romance
Third in Bevelstoke Series
3/5 stars
Source: Bought
Summary: Sebastian Grey is the presumptive heir to his uncle's earldom but said earl hates him and is trying to find a bride to bear him a new heir. That young lady is Annabel Winslow who despises the earl but feels responsibility for her seven younger siblings and recently widowed mother-what's a girl to do?
Thoughts: I really loved the book trailer (and I usually avoid them like the plague) so I picked this up. I wanted to love it because Sebastian is soooo charming and it's always great when the womanizer is finally bested and falls in love with just the one woman. I also the idea of top ten lists. However this was such a jolting experience. First it would be charming Sebastian Grey; then the vulgar desperate earl; then more Sebastian; then Annabel being somewhat mopey. Instead of Quinn's usual polished style, it jumped and left me feeling disoriented. Every character was too exaggerated. The earl was too pervish, Annabel's grandparents were too mean and openly accepting of adultery to an innocent, Annabel had little personality. For one thing, if she loved her siblings so much why do I only know one sister's name? I would have appreciated diving more in to her family life and how that impacted her decisions.
The romance was okay-they said a lot of funny things to each other but it don't cohere in to a whole and it wasn't as deep as I would have liked. I guess I was expecting more from Sebastian, who utterly charmed me in What Happens in London but I was let down.
Overall: Disappointing story of a charming rogue.
Cover: I don't really like the girl's face (and I'm not sure she's curvy enough) but the white of the background looks good with the purple of the title and Quinn's name.
This sounds like a charming story, fun enough to read. I would borrow it, not buy it, though. Thanks for sharing!
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