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A review by mangosugar
Ten Ways to Be Adored When Landing a Lord by Sarah MacLean
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
3.5
i feel a little conflicted by this because i do love sarah maclean’s writing and i adored the first book of this series, but there are a few narrative problems with this sequel that bug me.
first, it’s the timeline of events. while the novel starts up quite slowly, the bulk of the action takes place over three to four days, which was so unbelievable to me given how intense all the characters’ emotions were. when you become explicitly told via character dialogue that it has only been three days in the last quarter of the book, it really takes you out of the story. there’s only so much disbelief one can overlook.
secondly, the characters themselves felt a little lacking to me. i love the concept of a lady forced to run her own estate because her father is a rat’s ass and she turns her home into a safe haven for young women on the run from the abusive or toxic men in their lives. minerva house is so special and a lovely idea, there’s nothing like a female found family to win over my heart. on the other hand, i do feel like isabel suffered from some character flaws not uncommon in historical romance—she’s so beyond stubborn that it becomes infuriating at some points. similarly, nick also made me want to pull my hair out at times because of all the unnecessary tension he contributed to.
however, there are still a lot of very positive aspects of this novel that i enjoyed! as mentioned, i love strong female characters and this book does not lack any. from isabel to her close circle of powerful, loyal women to the brief appearance of callie, our beloved first book’s protagonist who has tamed her marquess even more in their marriage.
i really loved nick’s relationship with james, isabel’s little brother in need of a male role model to look up to and confide in. and oh my god, i love rock!!!!! FINALLY a person of color in these english romances who isn’t a stereotype or the eternal butt of jokes. his friendship with nick and some of the other characters (no spoilers lmao) were so endearing and i truly hope to see more of him in the third instalment of this series.
first, it’s the timeline of events. while the novel starts up quite slowly, the bulk of the action takes place over three to four days, which was so unbelievable to me given how intense all the characters’ emotions were. when you become explicitly told via character dialogue that it has only been three days in the last quarter of the book, it really takes you out of the story. there’s only so much disbelief one can overlook.
secondly, the characters themselves felt a little lacking to me. i love the concept of a lady forced to run her own estate because her father is a rat’s ass and she turns her home into a safe haven for young women on the run from the abusive or toxic men in their lives. minerva house is so special and a lovely idea, there’s nothing like a female found family to win over my heart. on the other hand, i do feel like isabel suffered from some character flaws not uncommon in historical romance—she’s so beyond stubborn that it becomes infuriating at some points. similarly, nick also made me want to pull my hair out at times because of all the unnecessary tension he contributed to.
however, there are still a lot of very positive aspects of this novel that i enjoyed! as mentioned, i love strong female characters and this book does not lack any. from isabel to her close circle of powerful, loyal women to the brief appearance of callie, our beloved first book’s protagonist who has tamed her marquess even more in their marriage.
i really loved nick’s relationship with james, isabel’s little brother in need of a male role model to look up to and confide in. and oh my god, i love rock!!!!! FINALLY a person of color in these english romances who isn’t a stereotype or the eternal butt of jokes. his friendship with nick and some of the other characters (no spoilers lmao) were so endearing and i truly hope to see more of him in the third instalment of this series.