Amanda
Written on Feb 25, 2014
If it had only been the clunky language and lackluster story telling, I might have been able to enjoy the book. The story wasn't quite believable (even in a fictional historical romance sense), but I could have muddled through it if it hadn't been for one overriding fact.
Vanessa is continually described as plain, not lovely, not beautiful, not pleasing, etc. Except maybe when she smiled and was animated. Even Elliot commonly remarked to himself that he had no idea why he was sexually attracted to Vanessa because there was nothing remarkable about her. Because of course she had brown hair and had small breasts and wasn't as pretty as her sisters.
Really? Why must this be a THING in romance?
Elliot tells Vanessa she's pretty even as he questions it himself and then when she expresses disbelief, he says he's not lying. Even after finishing the book, I'm still not quite sure what he saw in her. Most of his thoughts regarding her were negative and not flattering for the majority of the book.
I didn't particularly like Elliot. Vanessa was tolerable. I skimmed some parts because the narrative went on and on and I rolled my eyes, groaned, and skipped ahead. Unless someone can convince me otherwise, I'm not inclined to continue reading anything more by Mary Balogh.