Book review : Her Rebel Heart by Alison Stuart

Her Rebel Heart
by Alison Stuart

GENRE: #Historical-adventure-romance
STANDALONE

My rating: ★★★★☆
3.7 rounded up to 4

Easy read, light romance with a hint of adventure, no drama and happy ending guaranteed.

The setting is English Civil War but other than that there is no real historical information in the book, except perhaps the fact that the author was inspired by real women who endured a siege of their castle when their husbands were engaged in wars.

__ PLOT IN SHORT __ England at times of the Civil War.
Sir John Felton's two daughters are alone with the garrison in their manor Kinton Lacy Castle.
Deliverance is a classic tomboy who studies all the books in the library on war tactics to defend her home.
Penitence, a true beauty, is more feminine and is pining over her broken engagement to her neighbor and lover Jack Farrington, who now fights for the opposing faction, the Royalists.

Captain Luke Collyer and his men are sent from Gloucester to Kinton Lacy by the girls' stern father to help them resist the siege and save the castle and all the people living within the walls.
Luke has a certain reputation with women and the disheveled woman dressed in breeches, who does not want to give up the command, is certainly not his ideal type of woman ... and yet between one skirmish and another the two begin to collaborate and respect each other. The attraction and a strong feeling are a natural consequence ... but the situation is critical and dangerous, someone is betraying from within and perhaps giving in to feelings is not the wisest thing to do ...

_______________________


__CHARACTERS__ As soon as I read the names of the two sisters (Deliverance and Penitence ??? Seriously ? ... Awful !!!) and that Luke was considered a womanizer and she was rebellious and stubborn, I wanted to abandon the book... but since it was already the fourth that I started without then going on I decided to continue.
Horrendous names and two clichés that I hate... But fortunately the characters turned out to be more pleasant than what was my first impression and it was easy to grow fond of them.

I admit that all, but especially the two main characters could have been explored a little more, however when I finished my reading I realized that I missed them and that is exactly what makes me understand the grade I liked them and their story.

__LOVE STORY__ Hmm... Actually I would not recommend this book to those who read mainly romances because the whole story is a mix of various elements and the author does not focus mainly on kisses and meetings.
To be honest I liked this fiction precisely for that reason. Indeed I enjoyed the adventure and the twists (which however were resolved quite quickly ) and the love story developed slowly without being too sappy (which I hate and really didn't want).

---> It's a clean romance up to 80% of the book, then there's one sex scene (which seems a little out of line with the rest of the writing style of the book), but even if it's explicit it's not vulgar and it's described briefly, so nothing particularly steamy.

---> The language is clean and that's something I always appreciate.

---> It's a fast paced adventure, I never found a moment of lull and this helped raise my rating.

---> Not a particularly exciting novel that will remain engraved in your memory, but it's a pleasant read, recommended to those looking for an undemanding content and an entertaining read..

Thanks for reading my opinion and sorry for my English, it's not my native language.

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Book review : Dark Deceit by Cathie Dunn

Dark Deceit
by Cathie Dunn
My rating: ★★★★☆

It would have been a full 5 stars but I had to give a lower rating for an important reason, but let's start with the plot on the back cover.

____PLOT___ 1140 Gloucester and Normandy
Geoffrey de Mortagne is an under-sheriff of Gloucester and a spy for the Empress Matilda. While he is returning from the Battle of Lincoln, together with two of his sergeants and great friends, he witnesses the ambush that some criminals carry out on a knight.
They fight to help him, but the knight's wounds are very serious, so they decide to leave him in the care of the friars and go to warn their daughter at the castle.

Arriving at the castle, they have a good welcome from Alleyne de Bellac and his trusted servant, they also make friends with the guards.
Unfortunately, the girl is obsessed from a young age by the beauty and charm of another noble man who thinks he will ask her as his wife very soon.

Alleyne thus calls Will d'Arques, an old acquaintance of Geoffrey, but this will prove to be anything but a gentleman and by the time Alleyne realizes this, after her father's death, things will now be adrift.

Geoffrey, humiliated and rejected in his amorous approaches, will still help the young heiress, because he is bound by a vow made to his father, but it will not be an easy undertaking...adventures and dangers are what awaits him.

_________________

This book was supposed to be the first of the Anarchy Trilogy, but actually book #2 and #3 do not exist.

MY OPINION :

I initially gave 5 stars, because the story is gripping and full of twists.
I also loved the main male character and also the supporting characters (I loved the heroine less, who was a selfish turncoat, but I was happy not to find the usual heroine who was perfect in everything!)

The book has a good fast pace and at a certain point I couldn't care less about the fact that there was very little romance.
Romance was based only on mutual attraction, except for a very quick kiss scene at the beginning and another little love approach after 60% of the book, but the story still kept me glued to the pages.

Towards the end I longed for the solution to all our heroes' problems, but at the same time I was sad to finish the book because I wanted to read about this story again and again...

-------------> And then I had a cold shower:
An abrupt and too fast ending, the development of which was not taken care of either in detail or in the way in which things unfolded (total absence of romance!).
The ending was so rushed, not at all romantic and unsatisfying that I couldn't believe the same writer wrote it.
... It's like at least 50 pages were missing.

5 stars would not be deserved.
I rate it 4 stars because I really enjoyed reading until almost the end, but for the poorly done ending I should rate it only 3 stars!
The ending should be the icing on the cake and here instead it is a sterile ending devoid of any romance!!

Let's not talk about the epilogue, which should be totally erased.
WHY ??
The epilogue does not tell us about the happiness of our heroes and their friends, after all the vicissitudes faced at the risk of their lives... but WARNING SPOILER !___ it tells us about the villain and how he is having fun unpunished and about the nefarious plans he wants to implement against our heroes SPOILER END___ ___.
Therefore a sterile ending and an epilogue which is a cliffhanger and which makes us wait for a sequel.
In fact, on Goodread (and on the cover of the book) it is written that this is book #1 of a trilogy.

12 years have passed and no other book has followed this one, so reading that epilogue, that actually include a cliffhanger, was to me like finishing a good meal with a bitter pill!

It would be nice if the author reprinted the book with some more expanded parts, especially the ending, and deleted that annoying epilogue or wrote a worthy sequel with new adventures and an ending as readers expect.

Another small annoying thing:
There were no historical notes at the end.
While I read books related to historical events that actually happened, I never fail to do my research on the web, however it would have been nice if the author also added something at the end of the book like many other authors do.

In conclusion: I'm happy to have read the book, but for making better the happy ending I had to use MY IMAGINATION. I mean : we have a happy ending by the author, but it's not so enjoyable as it should have been on the romantic side, more the the epilogue ruins everything.

I RECOMMEND THE BOOK TO :
_ I recommend it only to THOSE WHO LOVE ADVENTURE, fast-paced novels and the idea of a love story in the air without anything concrete ever really happening and without major clarifications between the two characters on the problems between them and without sensational declarations of love and passion.

I DO NOT RECOMMEND THE BOOK TO:
_No to romance lovers: the title says hint of romance and indeed it's really just a small hint.
_No to mystery lovers: there is a murder, but no investigation, just speculation about who did it.

Thanks for reading my opinion, I'm sorry for the author if I have been too harsh, but I have to be honest and reviews must be useful to people when they have to choose if to read something or not.
Please, forgive my poor English, it's not my native language.

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Book review : The Smuggler's Escape by Barbara Monajem

The Smuggler's Escape
Perilous Secrets book #1
by Barbara Monajem
My rating: ★★★☆☆

I'm giving it 3 stars which may seem like a good enough rating, but it isn't becauseactually it must be read as 2.5

____ THE PLOT ____ THE BACK COVER READS:
1795, England. After escaping the guillotine, Noelle de Vallon takes refuge with her aunt in England. Determined to make her own way, she joins the local smugglers, but when their plans are uncovered, Richard, Lord Boltwood steps out of the shadows to save her. Too bad he’s the last man on earth she ever wanted to see again.

Years ago, Richard Boltwood’s plan to marry Noelle was foiled when his ruthless father shipped him to the Continent to work in espionage. But with the old man at death’s door, Richard returns to England with one final mission: to catch a spy. And Noelle is the prime suspect.

Noelle needs Richard’s help, but how can she ever trust the man who abandoned her? And how can Richard catch the real culprit while protecting the woman who stole his heart and won’t forgive him for breaking hers?

_____________________________

Reading this "romance" novel was like eating soup with a beautiful appearance, but a bland taste: the cover and the plot allowed us to imagine romance and passionate love between dangers and adventure.
None of this!
It could have been a nice novel full of adventures, feelings and some hot and sensual scenes... but instead it's just a jumble with a lot of annoying repetitions, no exciting adventure/action, no romance, but just thoughts constantly turning to sex and two protagonists who consider it "fun" to argue and insult each other, chemistry between the two perceived by the reader =0

The dialogues are mostly witty and this occasionally gave me hope that the plot could become more engaging and interesting, but there would also have been depth of feeling...
Unfortunately, the author thought she would attract more fans by focusing the entire book on the constant thought of sex and lust.
The author thought that to make the book romantic it was enough to write a couple of times that the hero "wanted to protect his beloved from hanging at any cost" (adding then that she was his and only his and he wanted her back in his bed).
... Too bad.
I have no doubt that there are readers who probably enjoy this type of romance (Seriously? This is a romance book??? yuck!).
I, on the other hand, am the classic type of person who appreciates hot and sensual scenes, but hates vulgar ones and definitely needs to read about true romance made up of deep feelings.
Yes, I'm the classic type of person who labels these types of novels as: rubbish!

The basic idea wouldn't be bad, but there are several concepts that are too repetitive, a lot of confusion and the story is more developed towards superficiality than interesting and engaging content.

In the introduction the author says that she wrote it when she was very young and then rewrote it as an adult and published it.

My thoughts: you can see that she wrote it at a very young age when she was still inexperienced. It doesn't look like he rewrote it...it looks like he edited it and changed it a little here and there but in my opinion she didn't do a good job.


__ THE 2 MAIN CHARACTERS ____ :
The main characters do nothing but argue and suspect each other, as well as feeling strongly sexually attracted to each other, recalling their sexual experience that occurred 2 and a half years earlier.

The LOVERS--> to ENEMIES--> to LOVERS cliché is nice to read if well developed and a little spice in a relationship has always made things more exciting.
BUT IN THIS BOOK it is really tiring to read the accusations that the two make towards each other without explaining the reasons for their wrong actions...SO UNTIL THE VERY LAST PAGES OF THE BOOK

The thing that I didn't like even more is that both are aristocrats but behave in a slutty and vulgar way and both (especially him) consider the love relationship fun only with insults and sex (but what was the author thinking about when she decided to publish this book ????? )


___ ADVENTURE/ACTIONS ___
So...in addition to the adventure-inspiring cover, the story goes that "our hero" worked as a British spy and is now working on one last task and "our heroine" turns to smuggling.
All the adventure and action there is is moving barrels from one place to another, continuously throughout the length of the book.
Is this a spoiler? No, but if it were I tell you: save your time for better novels!

___REPETITIONS___ :
"his disastrous plan", "bed", "he will make you very happy in bed" and "lust" are repeated over and over again.
Already 25% of the way through the book, I assure you that you will be fed up with reading these sentences/words.

___ KISSING AND LOVEMAKING ___
The thought of past kisses and the sex had by the two protagonists are two other repetitions that we find from the beginning to the end of the book.

----> The kisses stolen during the story have nothing sensual or exciting and the scene in which he kisses her, WARNING SPOILER ___ ___ gropes her and partially undresses her in the courtyard in the middle of the afternoon with people nearby, I honestly didn't like it.
It gave me no emotions and I didn't like it, not because I'm a bigot, which I'm not, but because the male character had no regard for her lover's reputation, but only thought about satisfying "his cravings" SPOILER END ___ ___

---> But the vulgarity doesn't end there, the sex scene WARNING SPOILER ___ ___ is carried out by the two main characters to escape arrest (and in the meantime they have the excuse to do what they wanted to do from the beginning of the book): it takes place in the room of an inn, knowing that the excisemen would enter and when they enter "our hero" talks to the excisemen while the sexual act continues and while she's keeping moaning because she is reaching orgasm " SPOILER END ___ ___, what a disgusting novel, it made me vomit.

__ THE SIDE CHARACTERS __
None worthy of note. A set of characters who pop up like mushrooms, here and there in the book, say a couple of lines (mostly rude) and then disappear into thin air, without really having a role in the story.
As I said, the book is a hotchpotch.

_____________________________

In the introduction the author even praises herself by saying that in her initial youth novel there was a lot of good material... yes maybe there was, but dear author, you should have developed the plot by putting a little more heart into it, instead of focusing on lust to sell more copies.

In my opinion the book lacks quality (wow, sometimes I can be a bitch, but I'm tired of being understanding in my reviews, after all, books are costing money!)

Thanks for reading my rant and my opinion on the book. English is not my native language, so please forgive me if you find errors of form or grammar in my text.

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Book review : A Revolution of Hearts by Ronda Gibb Hinrichsen

A Revolution of Hearts
by Ronda Gibb Hinrichsen

My rating: ★★★★☆
This must be read as 4.5 stars

--- I loved it and after finished it I feel like I'm missing the charaters.----

It's a lovely clean adventure-romance set between France and England in the late 18th century and related to the well known "Scarlet Pimpernel" ( by Emma Ocrzy / Emmuska Orczy ).
I read and appreciated E. Orczy fiction novels, so this is one thing that made me choose to read this book.

Despite the awful cover ( too dull colors,too much grey color in the background and not at all charming people ) that is suggesting something very dramatic, this is a lively romantic novel with a hint of adventure and of course a happy ending.

__THE PLOT__ Early 1789. Paris
Mademoiselle Dacia de Prideaux and her brother Marcel, from a rich and aristocratic family, are going to the theater.
While she only thinks about love and can't wait to meet her boyfriend again, her brother is taken by the new political currents, led by Robespierre, who would like to see the monarchs deposed and would like equality between the social classes.
That same night, 2 shocking events happen: her lover will marry someone else and Marcel will be killed by someone of his own political persuasion (this is not a spoiler, we know this right away).
Witnessing the murder and accused by the murderer of being the murderer, Dacia has to flee France and thus begins her adventure in England.
An adventure that is anything but easy, made up of physical effort, disguises, false identities and dangers... But in all this another aristocrat with a heart of gold, an adventurous soul and broad views will help her in her new path: Master Richard Harris, a close associate of Sir Percy Blakeney, the famous Scarlet Pimpernel.

__________________________________________

While in the start the story looked a little bit dull to me ( the chapters at the theater, while she was looking for her loved one ) after the murder ( about 20% through the book) all became interesting.


_ THE SETTING __
This is not a challenging novel (we can compare it to the usual regency romances), but the author has managed to give the reader a precise idea of the time and background in which the story took place, making the atmosphere alive and real, thus how the feelings and emotions of all the characters are fully perceptible.

Talking about the background in which the events take place and the atmosphere that the story gives us, the book can be divided into various sections:

__ Pre-revolutionary France and the first troubles shaking the country: the leaflets circulating with the new anti-monarchist ideas, the secret meetings of those who want to change history, the police and the first skirmishes and revolts underway.

__ The escape to England, Dacia's fear and anguish of being captured, the pain of her brother's death and the flashbacks of those moments, the fear of the unknown in an unknown world, the adventure together with strange characters that others they are simply men dedicated, by choice, to saving people in danger of their lives.

__ Life at Master Harris' estate, a bit of Downton Abbey set in the late 1700s, with servants, haughty aristocrats, balls and theatrical rehearsals of a Shakespeare comedy.

__ Imminent danger and action including rescue and total reversal of current situations.

__ Finally declarations of love and the only kiss of this slow-burn (very slow, too slow) romance and happy ending.

__ THE 2 MAIN CHARACTERS _
I liked both although in my opinion there is too little interaction between the two in the book.

😀 🌷The first half of the book focuses more on DACIA:
and it can be said that she is the only protagonist.
---> I liked her because as a wealthy and privileged person she found herself forced to take on the role of a very humble person and to take on all the hardships, pains and sacrifices of that type of life.
First she worked as a waitress and then as a scullery maid, but despite the humiliation she didn't complain, on the contrary, she learned the meaning of sacrifice and understood how she too, in her previous life, without realizing it, had been haughty and very demanding with her their servants, without taking their feelings and self-love into consideration.
The author focuses several times on these considerations and between the lines invites the reader to reflect 8 and I liked it ), because if it is true that today we (or should) all have the same rights, there is still a big gap between very wealthy people and poor and humble workers who often suffer the arrogance, arrogance and boastfulness of those who have more money and more power (even in our normal daily lives).

😀 🌷 When RICHARD (Master Harris) finally enters the scene
we still have too few scenes to know him well and the interactions between the two are few and devoid of the warm emotions that should instead constitute the romantic and sweet part of the story.
So, even after meeting the character, it was initially difficult for me, the reader, to fall in love with him and if the plot on the back cover had not revealed to me the name of the male protagonist of the couple, up to 75% I would not have even known who he was, since courtship was absent.
Richard has another girlfriend, not out of love, but imposed by his father and so for a good part of the time he tries to find points in common with her.
He behaves ambiguously with Dacia, as if he had a soft spot for her, but didn't realize it... but I would have liked the author to accentuate this unconscious attraction more.
When "falling in love" finally begins, I loved it but we are quite far into the book and so for me it wasn't enough.
The author inserts glances between Dacia and Richard during the story, but they are not enough to create an expectation complete with butterflies in the stomach for the reader, it all arrives later ( so that's why it is "too" slow-burn to me )
This is the main reason why I didn't give 5 stars, but since the whole story as a whole involved me and I liked it, I sincerely think that the book deserves a full 4.5

__ A PINCE OF HISTORY____ Have you ever heard of the "Cagots" in France?
I didn't and I learned, from this book, that the Cagots are pariahs (people of the lowest social status, living in isolation from the majority), that in the Middle Ages they lived on both sides of the Pyrenees and that popular superstition saw them as object of contempt and horror, partly inspired by the visceral fear felt by populations exposed to leprosy.
I LOVE TO LEARN THINGS by reading historical fiction !!!!


---> RECOMMENDED for those who love clean romances that are sweet and adventurous at the same time.
---> NOT RECOMMENDED for those looking only for romance and hot scenes

__I WOULD LIKE __ to read a series of book with this couple as main characters about their adventures rescuing people along with Walter ( Richard's brother ), Mr. Carter ( Richard's former valet and aid in his adventures), Marguerite ( Dacia's french best friend ) e of course Sir Percy Blackney.

FREE DOWNLOAD: you can download a free ebook of a short sequel-novella of this story ( named "Sergeant Jake and his Lady "), by subscribing to the author's newsletter on her website ( https://www.rondahinrichsen.com/ ---> click on FREE BOOK ).
I did it and of course I've already read it ( nothing very amazing but nice to read, so many thanks to the author for the giveaway )

THANK YOU all for reading my opinion and please forgive my English since it's not my language 😉

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Book review : Devil in Winter by Lisa Kleypas

Devil in Winter
Wallflowers Book 3
by Lisa Kleypas
My rating: ★★★★★
5 FULL STARS !! :-D

Gosh!   Definitely not my usual reading   ...this really took me by surprise since I didn't know what kind of romance writer Lisa Kleypas is. 

You know, I just chose something romantic having many enthusiastic reviews, without the faintest idea about the kind of romance.
It's a well written story with hot and sensual scenes, where I won't tell you what is or isn't there... because the author has been generous in all the descriptions!
... And it's definitely suitable for adults.

--------> But that's not why I gave it 5 stars: 
it's because in addition to the theme on which the book "seems" to mainly focus, i.e. the hot and sexy intimate scenes, the author was good at inserting other emotional elements and parallel plots, which are intertwined with the love story of the two main characters.

---> I am not an expert of romance and in particular not of those with explicit sex scenes, which I usually discard, but according to my tastes, a love story becomes engaging and truly pleasant to read if the reader is also involved in other events and situations.
Some that constantly keep him/her on the razor's edge, piquing his/her curiosity and leading him/her to make suppositions and conjectures, to hope for one solution or another and to keep on turning the page by the desire to know what will happen the next moment. 

---> Here the author has been completely successful in keeping alive the interest of a reader, me, who usually rejects this type of reading!

_____ THE PLOT____ London, 1843.
Desperate to escape her scheming relatives, Evangeline Jenner, a 23-year-old spinster desperately trying to escape her abusive relatives, who want to rob her of her future inheritance by marrying her to their slimy and stupid son, finds the only possible solution in proposing herself in wife to London's most infamous scoundrel: Viscount Sebastian St. Vincent, a thirty-year-old womanizer whose father has squandered his entire fortune.
The advantage for her is to escape family members who mistreat her and keep her prisoner, the advantage for him is that he will be rich again and will be able to satisfy his father's creditors.
To get married immediately they must reach the village of Gretna Green, Scotland, famous for the marriages of couples who do not have their parents' permission.
She sets the condition that she will only give herself to him on her wedding night (to validate the marriage which would otherwise be considered null), then she will dedicate herself to the care of her dying father, who had left her as a child and she will be independent with her part of the money.
He happily accepts the condition posed by her, because spending more than one night with the same woman bores him to death.
So they leave that same night and together with the journey their life adventure also begins...
But is Sebastian really the rake he seems or does he, after all, have a heart too? And will Evangeline, Evie to her friends, be able to keep at a distance a man she's really falling in love with ?
_____________________

MY THOUGHTS WHILE I WAS READING :
--> Usually clean romance plots follow more or less these stages:
meeting between hero and heroine + dislike and/or adversity + overcoming problems + first kiss + other problems ( other kisses ) + definitive solution + finally sweet and intimate moment between the main characters + they lived happily ever after.

--> Well, this novel begins with the meeting of Sebastian and Evie who already know each other superficially (they met in the previous books of the series).
+ they make an agreement and a journey together follows. We do not have a classic courtship but the story of the journey is so beautiful and sweet to read, which can be equivalent to the courtship in which the protagonists begin to become familiar with each other.
+ The wedding ( so fun scene and I confess that I was also nervous for fear that one of the "villains" would stop it.)
+ Everything is ok and we have "a whole chapter" about their wonderful wedding night that WILL NOT DISAPPOINT any of the romantic readers 😉

So far we are at 25% through the book and my thought was: WHAT NOW? I HAVE ALREADY READ EVERYTHING THAT USUALLY TAKES PLACE IN THE SPACE OF AN ENTIRE BOOK...

I really feared that the book would continue with a succession of skirmishes and intimate scenes until I felt nauseated...

...BUT HERE COMES THE BOMB :
While I expected that the problems would come from asshole family members or that Sebastian was really the scoundrel bastard that he himself and his bad reputation proclaimed, she is the one who creates problems with her stubbornness and one-sided decisions.

-----> In addition to the disagreement between the two spouses, new dynamics enter the plot, altogether with painful events, new unexpected challenges, moments of action and new characters, who will have a very important role in the course of events.

----> Furthermore, every time it seems that a certain difficulty is about to be overcome by smoothing the path of the two young, a new emotional element comes into play and it revolutionizes the plans of our heroes once again.

---> In all this whirlwind of events, not only the great attraction that Sebastian and Evie feel for each other and their mutual desire are highlighted, but also the deep feeling that is being created thanks to the mutual support they give each other in overcoming critical moments ( in which sometimes their very lives are at risk).

CHARACTERS: THE COUPLE __ I liked both characters, although I must admit that for 5 minutes, I found her a bit hypocritical, too stubborn and too whiny, luckily she then redeemed herself...I'll explain better below.

___ SEBASTIAN and the subplot that makes his personality interesting:
from the story emerges his nature was not as selfish and contemptuous as it seems from the previous books... Basically the young man's nature was good, but having lost, at very young age, his mother and his loving sisters, he had grown up in a superficial way with a selfish and spendthrift father, certainly not the best of examples. The great beauty he possessed led women to throw themselves at his feet, resulting in great self-confidence, arrogance and boredom.
By reading the story WE REALIZE THAT THE CAUSE OF THIS WAY OF DOING IS THE LACK OF A PURPOSE, OF SOMETHING TO DEDICATE TO AND OF A GOAL TO REACH.

Evie's arrival ( a "wallflower" who is not only more beautiful than he had previously noticed, but also turns out to be much sharper and more intelligent than he supposed ) combined with her need for protection and the problems related to her father's work her, trigger a process that manages to bring out from Sebastian his true value and skills.

His respect and esteem for her arises immediately and this changes the balance between them.
He immediately offers her the needed help and so he discovers that in dedicating himself to someone and something he finds the satisfaction and fulfillment that he previously lacked.

If on the one hand he is gratified by all this, the change scares him very much.
He feels vulnerable for the first time, because now he feels that "his well-being depends on someone else's happiness".
---> Being selfish and self-centered is ultimately much easier.
LOVE CHANGES EVERYTHING, and even though he behaves like a lovely husband, he refuses to admit that he feels himself in love.
The care that Sebastian gives Evie ( despite the fact that she no longer wants to behave like a wife ) and his unconsciously sweet gestures easily made it easy for the reader to fall in love with him.

WARNING SPOILER ___ ___ There is a moment when she takes off the wedding ring (which is a small protagonist of the story from the beginning), he continues to pretend to be the indifferent asshole who doesn't get hurt by anything, but later on, we will discover that he had hung the ring on a chain around his neck, therefore the object had an intrinsic value to him: it represented the bond with her, their adventure to and in Greta Green and all moments spent together.
So for him, keeping the ring around his neck was like keeping her (and the bond with her) close to his heart... but Evie doesn't know this, she will discover it by chance only later. SPOILER END ___ ___


_____ EVIE and what gives her value: Evie's value lies precisely in her strength of mind and her courage in throwing herself into new situations which ultimately do not give her guarantees, but could be a leap into the void, just to escape an unacceptable family life.
Shyness and a slight stammer, mainly due to the mistreatment suffered in the family by greedy relatives, do not make her popular at social events.
Instead of crying over herself, she rebels against events and reacts.
She doesn't want to be intimidated even by Sebastian's boastfulness, but she wins his respect and obtains his kindness.
The journey to Gretna Green is very long and full of discomfort and yet she never complains, pursuing her goal with clarity and great determination.
She falls in love with Sebastian not only because he is beautiful and, as we will discover, a fabulous lover, but above all because for the first time she experiences what it means to have someone who covers her with attention, takes care of her, cuddles her and makes her feel protected and safe.

During the trip, Evie has the opportunity to see a side of Sebastian that he had never shown to anyone and she will learn to appreciate him also for his desire to get involved in her father business despite having never worked before.

---> What Evie gives Sebastian is "faith" in him and his abilities, something that everyone else continues to deny him despite facts proving the opposite.

---> Obviously Evie also has her fragilities and the fear of falling in love with someone who perhaps sooner or later will betray her is what complicates things.
As I already said above, there is actually a moment in which Evie makes me angry:

WARNING SPOILER ___ ___to protect herself from a strong disappointment in love, she no longer wants to have sexual relations with Sebastian, SPOILER END___ ___ however don't think that after the first 25% of the book, there are no more hot scenes: Sebastian tries in every way to provoke her desire with kisses and touching, intense or amused and inviting looks, barely hinted mischievous smiles ...

--> There is a scene WARNING SPOILER ___ ___ which, although not a complete sexual intercourse, it is anyway sex and she is in ecstasy because of that, so I said to myself: WHAT A KIND OF HYPOCRITE!
Furthermore, she doesn't want make love with him, but when he tries to detach himself from her to overcome the constant temptation, she whines "because no one wants her and everyone has always left her in a corner".
NO GIRL! IT'S YOU WHO ARE DOING THIS TO YOURSELF, YOU HAVE NO RIGHT TO WHINY! SPOILER END ___ ___
...luckily this attitude changes thanks to an unexpected dramatic event and all situations are turned upside down again.

__ I ALSO LOVED EVERY MOMENT in which Sebastian enjoyed scandalizing her with risqué topics or words that gentlemen would never say in front of a woman.
It made me laugh too much every time she pointed out: I DON'T LIKE THAT WORD, like a diligent little nun could do and then he usually smiled smugly and topped up the dose.
Then she smiled just as much, accepting the joke and accepting Sebastian's personality in its entirety.
---> These little skirmishes are not only funny to read, but they help to create an intense bond between them two.
A certain playfulness and complicity are born, this strengthens their relationship.

__SIDE CHARACTERS:

--> I adored Cam Rohan, a young half-Irish and half-gypsy man, who not only has the charm of a pirate, but is also intelligent, capable at his job and knows how to prove himself to be a loyal and affectionate friend for Evie and a great help to Sebastian.
He is a secondary character, but he was fundamental to the realization of Sebastian and Evie in a world hostile to them.
____ We have a scene of a kiss between him and the heroine's friend Daisy... don't have any illusions about this couple, but each of the two has a book dedicated to, with a related love story (see at the bottom).
I will definitely read that one telling about Cam Rohan love story : "MINE TILL MIDNIGHT" ( book #1 in The Hathaways series )

---> Lord Westcliff ( Sebastian's former best friend ): ...always serious, always loyal to duty and justice.
Main character in book #2 alongside Lillian, but that one I won't read, because I don't want to go back to an asshole Sebastian. I am happy with everything that is told in this book.
I'm more interested in "A Wallflower Christmas", to read next December. That's book #5 in the series, in which all the characters from the previous books are reunited.

---> Lillian ( Evie's friend ): when she was mentioned I didn't see her as a poor one in a difficult situation, but I disliked her.
Then later her jokes become funny and she proves to Evangelin (Evie) that she is a good friend who can be counted on.

---> the family of villains ... a little exaggerated, they seemed to have come out of the Cinderella fairy tale: a triple stepmother in the role of the 3 uncles and the 2 step sisters concentrated in the character of the slimy cousin.
I suppose it was necessary to be represented in this way in order to justify Evie's proposal to the rake in question, resulting in her escape to Gretna Green

--> the other villain: the perfect expression of a dissatisfied person who is constantly envious of others success, devoured by envy, anger and desire for revenge.

4 CURIOSITIES that the author cleverly inserted into the events: 

1) GAME OF DICE and EXPLANATIONS OF THE CALCULATION OF PROBABILITIES: logic + mathematics ... It was interesting to read how expert croupiers and gamblers make their bets not by relying on chance, but on very precise calculations.
The process is explained just enough to capture the reader's attention without becoming boring.

2) COMBAT AND LEVERS TO LAND THE OPPONENT: Cam explains to Sebastian that to defend himself and defend the place effectively, he must put aside the correct behavior of a lord. To deal with drunks and brawlers and avoid trouble in the shortest possible time, it is necessary to implement some immobilization techniques. Here too a brief explanation and demonstration together with other club employees.

3) BLEEDING TECHNIQUE TO TREAT: obviously leeches are no longer used as in the 18th century, but the doctor brings a special device and explains how the whole procedure works.
What I FOUND UNLIKELY:

WARNING SPOILER ___ ___even though Sebastian was against it thanks to his common sense, the doctor and all the other doctors proposed that solution.
Evie is brave to follow her husband's will, but it is a little absurd that the doctors proposed the wrong thing, while Evie and friends find the "right cure" on their own through the remedies of grandmothers and housekeepers.
...Oh well, after all it's a fiction, let's ignore it. SPOILER END ___ ___

4) A PARTICULAR VARIANT OF SMALLPOX. I didn't know there were various types of smallpox, much less that the disease attacked the brain and could show itself through symptoms of confusion and madness.

These little notions have somehow enriched my knowledge and given a little added value to the author's writing style and the plot of the book.

CONCLUSION: is it worth reading? If you are looking for a beautiful love story full of sensuality, a little adventure and action, feelings (including friendship, loyalty, spirit of sacrifice), irony and lightness combined with moments of drama, the answer is yes!
If you are romance-addicted, then ABSOLUTELY YES!

---> I find the whole story interesting from start to finish.

Oh my goodness, such a long review!
I suppose I needed to share my enthusiasm... well, if you've read this far, thank you for your patience and interest in my opinion.
English is not my native language, but I hope I managed to write in an understandable way and that my thoughts can be useful to you in choosing or rejecting this novel :-)

Join me on FB Tizi Cozy Corner page to be always updated on new posts

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LIBRO disponibile anche in EDIZIONE LINGUA ITALIANA, leggi la mia recensione !

Peccati d'Inverno
di Lisa Kleypas
My rating: ★★★★★
5 STELLE PIENE !! :-D

Caspita, decisamente, non il mio solito tipo di lettura... Son stata colta di sorpresa, dato che non sapevo che tipo di scrittrice di romanzi rosa fosse Lisa Kleypas, ho scelto qualcosa di romantico che avesse molte recensioni positive, senza la più pallida idea al riguardo...
E' un Romance dalle scene molto calde e sensuali, dove non sto a dirvi cosa c'è e cosa non c'è ...perchè c'è tutto ! L'autrice non si è risparmiata nelle descrizioni ed è decisamente adatto solo ad adulti.

Ma non è per questo che ho dato 5 stelle:

----> Dal mio punto di vista, infatti, il libro è ben scritto e la storia mi è piaciuta tantissimo,  perché oltre al tema su cui "sembra" focalizzarsi principalmente il libro, ovvero le scene intime calde e sexy, l'autrice è stata brava ad inserire altri elementi emozionali e trame parallele, che s'intrecciano alla storia d'amore dei due protagonisti e che mantengono il lettore coinvolto con un turbinio di emozioni che vanno dal divertimento alla suspense, dalla tristezza alla tensione per situazioni pericolose, dall'insofferenza nei confronti dei cattivi alla felicità per una nuova chance di vita...

---> Come ho già detto non un'esperta di romance e in particolare non di quelli con scene di sesso esplicite, che di solito scarto, ma non per bigotteria, semplicemente perchè "il troppo annoia" ( penserei lo stesso se il libro fosse stato sulla cioccolata che adoro o su qualsiasi altra cosa, se dall'inizio alla fine il tema si ripete in continuazione ed è sempre e solo fine a se stesso ). 
---> La storia d'amore per me diventa coinvolgente e davvero piacevole da leggere se il lettore viene coinvolto anche da altri elemnti che lo tengono continuamente in suspense stuzzicandone la curiosità e inducendolo a fare supposizioni e congetture, a sperare per una soluzione o per l'altra, girando continuamente le pagine con la brama di sapere cosa succederà l'attimo dopo.
---> Qui l'autrice ha avuto pieno successo nel mantenere vivo l'interesse di una lettrice,la sottoscritta, che solitamente scarta questo tipo di letture !

_______ LA TRAMA ___ Londra, 1843.Nel disperato tentativo di sfuggire ai suoi intriganti parenti, Evangeline Jenner , una zitella 23 enne che cerca disperatamente di sfuggire a parenti maneschi, che vogliono derubarla della  futura eredità facendola sposare al loro figlio viscido e stupido, trova l'unica soluzione possibile nel proporsi in moglie al più famigerato mascalzone di Londra: il Visconte Sebastian St. Vincent, un trentenne donnaiolo il cui padre ha sperperato tutto il patrimonio.Il vantaggio per lei è sfuggire ai familiari che la maltrattano e la tengono prigioniera, il vantaggio per lui è che sarà nuovamente ricco e potrà soddisfare i creditori del padre.
Per sposarsi immediatamente devono raggiungere il villaggio di Gretna Green, in Scozia, famoso per i matrimoni di coppie che non hanno il permesso dei genitori.
Lei pone come condizione, che si concederà  a lui solo la prima notte di nozze ( per convalidare il matrimonio che diversamente sarebbe considerato nullo ), poi si dedicherà alle cure del padre morente, che l'aveva lasciata da piccola e sarà indipendente con la sua parte di soldi.
Lui accetta la condizione posta da lei con contentezza, perchè passare più di una notte con la stessa donna lo annoia da morire.
Partono dunque la notte stessa e insieme al viaggio comincia anche la loro avventura di vita.
Ma Sebastian è davvero il bastardo mascalzone che sembra oppure in fondo anche lui ha un cuore?
...Ed Evangeline, Evie per gli amici, riuscirà a tenere a distanza un uomo di cui si sta davvero innamorando ?

----------------

I MIEI PENSIERI MENTRE LEGGEVO : -->  Comincio col dire che fin ora ero abituata a trame che, nel loro svolgimento, seguivano questo più o meno queste tappe:
incontro dei 2 protagonisti + antipatia e/o avversità + superamento dei problemi * bacio  + altri problemi + soluzione definitiva + finalmente momento dolce e intimo tra i protagonisti + vissero felici e contenti.

--> Bene, questo romanzo comincia con l'incontro dei due protagonisti che già si conoscono superficialmente  ( si sono incontrati nei libri precedenti della serie ), stringono un patto, ne segue un viaggio che non è un corteggiamento ma è talmente bello e dolce da leggere che può equivalere al corteggiamento in cui i protagonisti cominciano a prendere confidenza tra loro.

--> Il matrimonio offre spunti divertenti e confesso che ero anche in tensione per paura che qualcuno dei "villains" lo fermasse.

--> Tutto ok e abbiamo "un intero capitolo" sulla meravigliosa notte di nozze che NON DELUDERA' nessuna delle lettrici romantiche...... Fin qui siamo al 25% del libro e il mio pensiero fu : E ORA ? HO GIà LETTO TUTTO CIò CHE DI SOLITO SI SVOLGE NELL'ARCO DI UN INTERO LIBRO... temevo davvero che il libro sarebbe proseguito con un susseguirsi di qualche scaramuccia e scene intime fino ad averne la nausea... 

ECCO CHE INVECE ARRIVA LA BOMBA :
mentre i mi aspettavo che i problemi sarebbero arrivati dai familiari stronzi o che Sebastian fosse davvero il bastardo mascalzone che lui stesso e la sua brutta fama proclamavano, è proprio lei a rovinare tutto con la sua testardaggine e le sue decisioni a senso unico.

-----> Oltre allo screzio tra i due sposi entrano nelle trama nuove dinamiche, vicende dolorose, nuove sfide inattese, momenti d'azione e nuovi personaggi che avranno un ruolo molto importante nel corso degli eventi. 
----> Inoltre ogni volta che sembra che una certa difficoltà stia per essere superata appianando il cammino dei due giovani ecco che entra in gioco un nuovo elemento emozionale che rivoluzione nuovamente i piani dei nostri eroi. 
In tutto questo turbinio di eventi vengono messe in rilievo non solo l'attrazione che Sebastian ed Evie hanno l'uno per l'altra e il loro desiderio, ma anche i sentimento profondo che si sta creando grazie all'appoggio che ognuno da all'altro nel superare momenti critici in cui a volte la loro vita stessa è a rischio.

PERSONAGGI : LUI E LEI __  mi sono piaciuti entrambi anche se devo ammettere che per 5 minuti, durante la storia, l'ho trovata un po' ipocrita, troppo cocciuta e troppo frignona, per fortuna poi si è riscattata...spiego meglio sotto.

___ PERSONAGGIO: SEBASTIAN e la sottotrama che rende interessante la sua personalità: 
dalla storia emerge la sua natura non era così egoista e sprezzante come sembra dai libri precedenti, di base l'indole del ragazzo era buona, ma avendo perso, in età molto giovane, madre e sorelle che ne avevano cura con affetto, era cresciuto in maniera superficiale con un padre egoista e scialacquatore, non certo il migliore degli esempi. 
La grande bellezza di cui era dotato portava le donne a buttarglisi ai piedi, ne conseguiva grande sicurezza in se stesso, arroganza e noia. ( come dite? Certo, sono d'accordo, non è comunque da giustificare !!! Essere stronzi è una scelta, non si sono scuse che engano !)

IN REALTà, man mano che leggiamo la storia, CI RENDIAMO CONTO CHE LA CAUSA DI QUESTO MODO DI FARE è LA MANCANZA DI UNO SCOPO, DI QUALCOSA A CUI DEDICARSI E DI UN TRAGUARDO DA RAGGIUNGERE.

L'arrivo di Evie, non solo più bella di quanto lui avesse mai notato, ma anche molto più acuta ed intelligente di quanto lui supponesse, unito al bisogno di protezione di lei e ai problemi legati al lavoro del padre di lei, innescano un processo che riesce a tirare fuori da Sebastian il suo vero valore e capacità.

Il rispetto e la stima di lui nei confronti di lei cominciano da subito e questo cambia gli equilibri. Lui le offre aiuto e scopre che nel dedicarsi a qualcuno e a qualcosa trova la soddisfazione e il completamento che prima gli mancavano. 
LA SUA BATTAGLIA INTERIORE: Se da una parte è gratificato da tutto ciò, il cambiamento lo spaventa, si sente vulnerabile per la prima volta, perchè ora sente che "il suo star bene dipende dalla felicità di qualcun altro".

---> Essere egoisti ed egocentrici in fondo è molto più facile, l'amore cambia tutto e pur comportandosi da innamorato rifiuta di ammettere che prova questo sentimento.La cura che Sebastian ha per Evie, nonostante lei non voglia più comportarsi da moglie e i suoi gesti inconsapevolmente dolci, mi hanno facilmente fatta innamorare di lui.

ATTENZIONE SPOILER ___ ___ C'è un momento in cui lei toglie l'anello di matrimonio ( che fin dall'inizio è un piccolo protagonista della storia ), lui continua a fingere di essere lo stronzo indifferente che non rimane ferito da nulla, invece più avanti scopriamo che aveva appeso l'anello ad una catenina al suo collo, ergo per lui l'oggetto aveva un valore intrinseco, rappresentava  il legame con lei, la loro avventura a Greta Green e i bei momenti trascorsi insieme. Dunque per lui tenere l'anello al collo era come tenere lei (e il legame con lei) vicino al cuore...ma Evie questo non lo sa, lo scoprirà casualmente solo più avanti. FINE SPOILER ___ ___

__ PERSONAGGIO _ EVIE e ciò che le da valore: ogni libro di questa serie mostra come ognuna della 4 ragazze che per più di una stagione londinese sono state solo wallflower, riesce a riscattare la propria esistenza e a trovare il vero amore.
Il valore di Evie sta proprio nella sua forza d'animo e nel suo coraggio nel buttarsi in nuove situazione che in fondo non le danno garanzie, ma potrebbero essere un salto nel vuoto.
E' una ragazza che viene lasciata in ombra dagli altri a causa della timidezza e di una leggera balbuzie, dovuta soprattutto ai maltrattamenti subiti in famiglia dagli avidi parenti.
Invece di piangere su sé stessa, si ribella agli eventi e reagisce. Non vuole farsi intimidire nemmeno dalla sbruffoneria di Sebastian, conquistandone così la stima e ottenendone la gentilezza.
Il viaggio a Gretna Green è molto lungo e colmo di scomodità eppure lei non si lamenta mai , perseguendo il suo obiettivo con lucidità e grande decisione.

S'innamora di Sebastian non perchè è bellissimo e, come scopriremo, un favoloso amante, ma perchè per la prima volta sperimenta ciò che significa avere qualcuno che la copre di attenzioni, si prende cura di lei, la coccola  e la fa sentire protetta e al sicuro.
Evie durante il viaggio ha l'opportunità di vedere un aspetto che Sebastian che lui non aveva mai mostrato a nessuno e imparerà ad apprezzarlo anche per la sua voglia di mettersi in gioco nonostante non abbia mai lavorato prima d'allora.
---> Ciò che Evie regala a Sebastian è la "fiducia", sia come partner sia nelle sue capacità, qualcosa che tutti gli altri continuavano a negargli nonostante i fatti dimostrassero il contrario.
---> Ovviamente anche Evie ha le sua fragilità e la paura di innamorarsi di qualcuno che forse prima o poi la tradirà è ciò che complica le cose da una parte, ma che forse crea anche le basi per un impegno reciproco solido, nonostante la vita non possa mai dare certezze assolute.  Come ho già detto sopra, effettivamente c'è un momento in cui Evie mi fa arrabbiare: per proteggere sé stessa da una forte delusione amorosa, non vuole più avere rapporti sessuali con Sebastian, tuttavia non pensate che dopo il primo 25% del libro non ci sia più nulla : Sebastian cerca in tutti i modi di creare desiderio in lei, i baci non erano compresi nel patto e oltre agli sfioramenti, agli sguardi, ai sorrisi, ai baci caldi c'è una scena ATTENZIONE SPOILER ___ ___ che pur non essendo un rapporto sessuale completo, è comunque sesso e lei è praticamente in estasi per cui io mi son detta : CHE RAZZA DI IPOCRITA !  Inoltre lei non vuole concedersi a lui, ma quando lui cerca di distaccarsi da lei  per superare la tentazione continua, lei frigna " perché nessuno la vuole e tutti l'hanno sempre lasciata in un angolo " . EH NO RAGAZZA ! SEI TU CHE STAI FACENDO QUESTO A TE STESSA, NON HAI DIRITTO DI FRIGNARE ! FINE SPOILER ___ ___
...Per fortuna questo atteggiamento cambia grazie ad un evento drammatico inaspettato e tutte le situazioni vengono nuovamente mette sotto sopra.

_LUI E LEI__ HO ADORATO INOLTRE OGNI MOMENTO in cui lui si divertiva a scandalizzarla con argomenti osé o parole che i gentiluomini non direbbero mai davanti ad una donna.  Mi faceva troppo ridere ogni volta che lei puntualizzava : I DON'T LIKE THAT WORD ( non mi piace quella parola ),  come una piccola e diligente suorina e lui sorrideva compiaciuto e rincalzava la dose. A quel punto lei sorrideva altrettanto, accettando lo scherzo e accettando la personalità di Sebastian nella sua interezza. IN QUESTO LEI MI è PIACIUTA MOLTO.

---> Queste piccole schermaglie non solo sono divertenti, ma contribuiscono a creare un legame intenso tra loro.
Si creano una certa giocosità e complicità, che rafforza il loro rapporto. 
Evie mi è piaciuta anche quando mostra di rispettare a pieno la volontà del marito nel momento in cui il dottore proponeva una soluzione che andava contro ogni buon senso, ma che al tempo era una pratica molto diffusa tra i medici.
Sebastian non voleva sottoporsi a quel procedimento e Evie, combattuta tra la volontà del marito e  l'opinione professionale del medico, decide di rispettare la volontà del marito( vedi sotto al punto in cui parlo del SALASSO ).

__PERSONAGGI DI CONTORNO : 

--> Cam Rohan, impiegato nel club del gioco d'azzardo: giovane mezzo irlandese e mezzo zingaro, che non solo ha il fascino da pirata, ma è anche intelligente, capace nel suo lavoro e sa dimostrarsi un amico leale ed affettuoso per Evie che, conoscendolo sin da piccolo, lo considera un fratello.
Naturalmente ciò indispone Sebastian, ma Cam non fa mai nulla per mettersi tra marito e moglie, anzi con modi non convenzionali aiuta St. Vincent ad inserirsi i un mondo che non gli apparteneva e a farsi rispettare da coloro che lo ritenevano un intruso non abbastanza forte, emotivamente e caratterialmente, per sostenere quella situazione e quel tipo di lavoro.
E' un personaggio secondario, ma è stato fondamentale per la realizzazione di Sebastian ed Evie in un mondo a loro ostile.
DIFFICILE NON INNAMORARSI DI LUI e sarà con lui protagonista, che più avanti leggerò nuovamente Lisa Kleypas!
____ Abbiamo una scena di un bacio tra lui e l'amica dell'eroina, ma per questa coppia non fatevi illusioni: ognuno dei due ha un romanzo dedicato, con relativa storia d'amore. ( Daisy è nel libro 4 della serie Wallflowers : Scandalo in primavera; Cam è nel libro 1 della serie Hathaways, con il titolo Fino a mezzanotte ).

---> Lord Westcliff, ex amico del protagonistatenebroso, sempre serio e ligio al dovere e alla giustizia.
  Protagonista nel libro #2 insieme a Lillian. Non lo leggerò, perché non mi va di tornare ad un Sebastian stronzo. Sono contenta di tutto ciò che viene raccontato nel libro presente.

---> Lillian, amica della protagonista e neo-moglie di Lord Westcliff: quando veniva nominata per gli eventi concernenti il libro precedente, non la vedevo come una vittima, ma mi stava antipatica.
Poi successivamente le sue battute divertenti me l'hanno resa più simpatica. Lei dimostra ad Evangelin ( Evie ) di essere una buona amica, su cui si può contare.

---> La famiglia dei cattivi: un po' esagerati, sembravano usciti dalla favola di cenerentola: una tripla matrigna nei panni dei 3 zii e le 2 sorellastre concentrate nel personaggio del viscido cugino.
Suppongo fosse necessario essere rappresentati in questo modo per poter giustificare la proposta di Evie al rake di turno con conseguente fuga a Gretna Green.

--> L'altro cattivo: la perfetta espressione della persona scontenta e costantemente invidiosa del successo altrui, divorato dall'invidia, dalla rabbia e dal desiderio di vendetta.

___ LOCATION :

---> Gretna Green ___ le lettrici di romance conoscono già questa località. Per chi non lo sa dirò semplicemente che questa cittadina scozzese, vicino al confine con l'Inghilterra, divenne famosa in passato per i matrimoni delle coppie in fuga, che non avevano il consenso dei genitori.
Qui non era nemmeno necessario andare in chiesa, i matrimoni potevano essere celebrati da chiunque, anche se  per lo più i posti dove venivano celebrati i matrimoni erano i fabbri. I documenti che venivano preparati immediatamente e la presenza di 2 testimoni era sufficiente per confutare il matrimonio. Unica clausola per evitare l'annullamento era consumare il matrimonio subito alla prima notte di nozze ( per questo i fabbri non solo avevano tutto l'occorrente, ma disponevano anche di una stanza per la prima notte ).
La scena del matrimonio è molto divertente e la prima notte di nozze molto calda e sensuale.

---> Club di gioco d'azzardo ___ non mi piaceva inizialmente che l'autrice facesse prendere in mano questo lavoro a Sebastian...ma perlomeno lo ha reso più accettabile facendo togliere prostitute e mandandole in un luogo vicino dedicato a quell'attività. "In un certo qual modo" il protagonista pian piano lo trasformerà in un club rispettabile( metto tra virgolette, perchè ovviamente si tratta sempre di gioco d'azzardo che comunque non è legale e sia in passato che al giorno d'oggi è un vizio che rovina la vita delle persone, per cui per me non è accettabile ).

____ 4 CURIOSITA' che l'autrice ha inserito abilmente in mezzo agli eventi: 

1) SPIEGAZIONI DEL CALCOLO DELLE PROBABILITà: logica + matematica ...è stato interessante leggere come i croupiers e i giocatori d'azzardo esperti, facciano le loro puntato non affidandosi al caso, ma a calcoli ben precisi.
Il procedimento viene spiegato quanto basta per catturare l'attenzione del lettore senza scadere nella noia.

2) COMBATTIMENTO E LEVE PER ATTERRARE AVVERSARIO: Cam spiega a Sebastian che per difendersi e difendere il locale in maniera efficace, deve mettere da parte il comportamento corretto da lord. Per fronteggiare ubriachi e attaccabrighe ed evitare guai nel più breve tempo possibile, è necessario infatti mettere in atto alcune tecniche di immobilizzazione. Anche qui una breve spiegazione e dimostrazione insieme ad altri impiegati del club.

3) TECNICA  DEL SALASSO PER CURARE: ovviamente non sono più usate le sanguisughe come nel 700, ma il dottore porta un apparecchio apposito e spiega come funziona tutto il procedimento.
Ciò CHE HO TROVATO IMPROBABILE : nonostante Sebastian si opponesse grazie al suo buon senso, il dottore e tutti gli altri dottori proponevano quella soluzione.
Evie è coraggiosa a seguire la volontà del marito, ma è un poco assurdo che i dottori proponessero una  cosa sbagliata, mentre Evie e amici trovano da soli la "giusta cura" attraverso i rimedi di nonne e governanti ...mah !..eh vabbè, in fondo è una fiction, sorvoliamo.

4) UNA PARTICOLARE VARIANTE DI VAIOLO. Non sapevo ci fossero vari tipi di vaiolo, ne tanto meno che la malattia attaccasse il cervello e potesse mostrarsi attraverso sintomi di confusione e pazzia.
Queste piccole nozioni hanno in qualche modo arricchito la mia conoscenza e dato un piccolo valore aggiunto allo stile di scritture dell'autrice  alla trama del libro.

CONCLUSIONE : vale la pena leggerlo ? Se cercate una bella storia d'amore ricca di sensualità, un poco di avventura e azione, sentimenti ( tra cui anche amicizia, lealtà, spirito di sacrificio ), ironia e leggerezza unita a momenti di drammaticità, la risposta è si !
Se siete romance-addicted, assolutamente si !

Trovo tutta la storia interessante dall'inizio alla fine.
L'unica differenza tra i romanzi normali ( diciamo così ) è che trattandosi di un romanzo dai toni caldi, le parti in cui i protagonisti hanno dei rapporti vengono raccontate per filo e per segno. Se noi abbreviassimo quelle parti, vi assicuro che non rimarrebbe una storia vuota, bensì rimarrebbe una storia ugualmente dolce ed avvincente ed è questo ciò che apprezzo di più.

Ringrazio chiunque abbia letto la mia recensione con interesse, spero possa essere utile nella scelta o meno del romanzo.
Non sempre i libri che leggo hanno la corrispondente edizione italiana, ma se volete rimanere aggiornati potete seguirmi sulla mia PAGINA FB: Tizi Cozy Corner .

Book review : You Belong to Me by Johanna Lindsey

You Belong to Me - Historical romance by Johanna Lindsey
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I simply loved it !! I loved it from the very first word to the last one ! It's 5 full stars well deserved :-)
I was looking for light entertainment, fun and romance and I had it !

I'm not used to reading romance novels, yet every now and then I too feel the need to read about courtship and some ardent kisses (which I can't find in cozy mysteries and classic mysteries, my usual kind of reading) and if there are love scenes (but not vulgar or exaggeratedly explicit), I'm even happier.

The story, set in Russia in the early decades of the 1800s , is very funny and full of adventure during a journey that will last for almost the entire book.

As often happens in brilliant comedies, the two protagonists can't stand each other, especially because they suddenly discover, despite being two complete strangers, to be betrothed by a contract stipulated by their fathers about 15 years earlier.

Actually this is just the plot of a desperate father who tries to find a husband for his tomboyish, rebellious and reckless daughter who use to reject every suitor.
The betrothed, cousin and personal guard of Cardinia's King, for his part is a consummate libertine who feels great in the role of a single man and who has never experienced the effect of a rejection from a woman.

Both he and she are bound to the contract by family honor, so he have to collect his bride in Russia and take her with him to Cardinia, but both of them are hoping that by pretending to be an unbearable person, the other one will decide to break the contract.

What emerges is a set of small mutual teasing, provocative jokes in which each of the two will try to win over the other, embarrassing and funny situations, witty and lively dialogues, a couple of kisses that make you dream and the moment in which they make love in a passionate overwhelming way (but there are no vulgar or too explicit descriptions).

Personally I hate libertines, but what I liked about the male character is that in fact, after having made love with her, he never touched another woman again despite claiming that he didn't want that marriage.
In the story, the female protagonist threatens several times all women who throw themselves at her betrothed's feet, but it is true that if he really wanted to sleep with another woman he could have found more than one way.
Another thing I really liked about him is that he falls in love with her by accepting her even with what seem to be her flaws (actually a fiction, but this is important to me).

I really liked her because unlike many women she was able to show so much determination and fortitude, never once did she cry or use her tears to convince someone of her will, the only time she shows tears is in a touching moment with her father.

The pride of each was of course the main obstacle to their love, but in this reverse courtship their quarrels have nevertheless led them to share experiences together and to get to know each other, even if only partially glimpsing the best part of their way of being.

I also loved all side characters.
Both our hero and heroine are accompanied on the journey by an entourage of friends or people in their employ, to whom they are bound by deep affection and who assist with heartfelt participation in the two betrothed skirmish.

If in addition to dreaming of a love story with a happy ending, you are also looking for a good mood, I assure you that with this book you'll get it.

I really like the setting of this romance, however I must warn you that in this novel you will not find historical research by the author, you only need to know where and when the story is set to mind the costumes of the characters, scenes backgrounds and of course the habits and customs of that time and way to think of that era.

Maybe the only little thing I wished was different ___ WARNING : SPOILER [ it is the fact that they will get married knowing that they are now in love with the other, but without having openly declared it to the partner, thus both thinking that they will not be reciprocated.
Only on their wedding night will they say "I love you" and I would have liked them to say it when he finds her after having chased her across half of Europe. ]__ SPOILER END

---> FINAL NOTE ABOUT THE BOOK : This is the second book in a series of 2, but you can read it as a stand alone.
Although in the second book there are some of the same characters of the first one, they are 2 independent stories (the protagonists of the first book are the future King of Cardinia and his future bride, who in this second book are only marginal characters.)

If you read this book, I hope you enjoy it as much as I did and if you found any errors in my review, please forgive me, I'm Italian and therefore English is not my language
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____DISPONIBILE ANCHE IN ITALIANO ( anche se detesto le copertine pacchiane con i due amanti, come spesso hanno i romanzi rosa, preferisco copertine più sobrie)

Titolo: MI APPARTIENI. recensione in italiano:

Mi è piaciuto molto !

L'ho semplicemente adorato!! Mi è piaciuto dalla prima all'ultima parola!
5 stelle piene :-)
Stavo cercando intrattenimento leggero, divertimento e romanticismo e l'ho avuto!

Non sono abituata a leggere romanzi rosa, eppure ogni tanto sento anch'io il bisogno di leggere di corteggiamento e di qualche bacio ardente (che non riesco a trovare nei cozy mysteries e nei gialli classici, il mio genere di letture abituali) e se ci sono scene d'amore (purché non volgari e troppo esplicite), sono ancora più felice.

La storia, ambientata nella Russia dei primi decenni del 1800, è molto divertente e ricca di avventure durante un viaggio che durerà per quasi tutto il libro.

Come spesso accade nelle commedie brillanti, i due protagonisti non si sopportano, soprattutto perché scoprono all'improvviso, pur essendo due perfetti sconosciuti, di essere fidanzati secondo un contratto stipulato dai loro padri circa 15 anni prima.

In realtà questo è il complotto di un padre disperato che cerca di trovare un marito per la figlia maschiaccio, ribelle e spericolata che rifiuta ogni corteggiatore.
Il promesso sposo, cugino e guardia personale del re di Cardinia, dal canto suo è un consumato libertino che si trova benissimo nel ruolo di un uomo scapolo e che non ha mai sperimentato l'effetto di un rifiuto da parte di una donna.

Sia lui che lei sono legati al contratto dall'onore familiare, quindi il promesso sposo deve andare a prendere la sua sposa in Russia e portarla con sé a Cardinia, ma entrambi sperano che, fingendosi una persona insopportabile, l'altro decida per rompere il contratto.

Ciò che ne emerge è una schermaglia di prese in giro reciproche, battute provocatorie in cui ciascuno dei due cercherà di dare il peggio di sé e vincere sull'altro, situazioni imbarazzanti e divertenti, dialoghi spiritosi e vivaci, un paio di baci che fanno sognare e il momento cedono l'uno all'altra in modo travolgente e appassionato (ma è una lettura pulita, non ci sono descrizioni volgari o troppo esplicite).

Personalmente odio i libertini, ma quello che mi è piaciuto del personaggio maschile è che infatti, dopo aver fatto l'amore con lei, non ha mai più toccato un'altra donna nonostante affermasse di non volere quel matrimonio. Lui ha una tentazione, ma più che altro per di mostrare a se stesso che ha ancora pieno potere decisionale sulla sua vita.

Nella storia, la protagonista femminile minaccia più volte tutte le donne che si gettano ai piedi del suo promesso sposo ed esse scappano spaventate, ma è vero che se lui avesse davvero voluto andare a letto con un'altra donna avrebbe potuto trovare più di un modo e qualsiasi altra donna che non avesse ricevuto minacce.
Un'altra cosa che mi è piaciuta molto di lui è che si innamora di lei accettandola anche con quelli che sembrano essere i suoi difetti, quindi prima ancora di scoprire che i modi poco signorili di lei in realtà erano una finzione, anche se era criticata e non accettata dalla madre di lui e dalla società del "bon ton", il che è importante.

Anche la protagonista femminile mi è piaciuta molto perché a differenza di molte donne era capace di mostrare tanta determinazione, forza d'animo e capacità di reazione ad ogni imprevisto o difficoltà.
Mai una volta questa ragazza ha pianto o usato le lacrime per persuadere qualcuno alla sua volontà come soesso fanno le altre ( come detesto le donne frignone ), l'unica volta che mostra le lacrime è in un momento toccante, di riconciliazione con suo padre.

L'orgoglio di ciascuno è stato ovviamente l'ostacolo principale al loro amore, ma in questo corteggiamento al contrario i loro litigi li hanno comunque portati a condividere insieme esperienze e a conoscersi, anche se intravedendo solo in parte il lato migliore del loro modo di essere.

Ho amato anche tutti i personaggi secondari.
Sia il nostro eroe che la nostra eroina sono accompagnati nel viaggio da un seguito di amici o persone alle loro dipendenze, ai quali sono legati da profondo affetto e che assistono con sentita partecipazione allo scontro tra i due promessi sposi.

Se oltre a sognare una storia d'amore a lieto fine, cerchi anche il buon umore, ti assicuro che con questo libro lo otterrai, è una storia davvero divertente!

L'ambientazione di questo romance mi piace molto, però devo avvisarvi che in questo romanzo non troverete ricerche storiche dell'autore, vi basterà sapere dove e quando è ambientata la storia, per immaginare i costumi dei personaggi, gli sfondi delle scene e ovviamente gli usi e costumi di quel tempo e il modo di pensare di quell'epoca.

Forse l'unica piccola cosa che desideravo fosse diversa:
___ ATTENZIONE SPOILER : [ è il fatto che si sposino sapendo che ormai sono innamorati dell'altro, ma senza averlo dichiarato apertamente al partner, pensando quindi entrambi che non saranno ricambiati. Solo la prima notte di nozze diranno "ti amo" e mi sarebbe piaciuto che lo dicessero quando la ritrova dopo averla inseguita per mezza Europa. ] ___FINE SPOILER

NOTA FINALE SUL LIBRO: questo è il secondo libro di una serie di 2, ma puoi leggerlo come stand alone ( non serve leggere il primo per godersi la storia ).
Anche se nel secondo libro sono presenti alcuni degli stessi personaggi del primo, si tratta di 2 storie indipendenti (i protagonisti del primo libro sono il futuro re di Cardinia e la sua futura sposa, che in questo secondo libro sono solo personaggi marginali. )

Se leggete questo libro, spero che vi piaccia tanto quanto è piaciuto a me, ma ovviamente ogni gusto è soggettivo e ricordate che non è un "romanzo storico", ma una storia romantica e divertente di puro intrattenimento.