Take a photo of a barcode or cover
A review by rosehillmb
Secrets of a Summer Night by Lisa Kleypas
5.0
This is somehow only the second Lisa Kleypas historical romance that I've read! It might be more of a 4 star read but I decided to go up to 5 for a few reasons.
I struggled with Annabelle for a majority of the book. She was a shallow snob and that was about the sum total of her personality. I could NOT figure out the attraction on Simon's part. Was it because she was pretty? No clue because she really had nothing to recommend her and she was flat out a bitch to him for really no reason.
I mainly loved Simon. His questionable actions in the prologue not withstanding, I felt like he actually HAD a personality. You knew what drove him, you knew what his goals and aspirations were. He stepped up in the all ways you hope a man will.
I wish we didn't have to wait til about the 70% mark before Annabelle gets her head out of her ass. I'll give her credit...it didn't take her long to come to her senses and realize she was a classist snob and to change her mindset. She still seemed mostly shallow, but at least was showing growth.
What made me decide to go up to 5 stars is the story is genuinely well written. It also offered something I'd been craving....a REALISTIC historical romance. Most historical authors these days are a little too willing to lean into a modern mindset. I've stopped reading most historicals because I just can't disassociate myself from the fact that women weren't applauded for being outspoken and rarely if ever lived independently. In fact, this is part of what made me come around to Annabelle. She is exactly how a woman of her station would have been during that era! With that context she felt much more real as a character.
It also seemed predestined that I would randomly pick this book up because I was JUST bemoaning the insane amount of 'peer' heroes. Like...where is the butcher's son who isn't living in poverty but also isn't a Duke? OH, he's in this book! It so refreshing to have a story WITHOUT a fucking member of the realm as the focus! I wish historical authors would get a little more creative and tell stories about 'regular' people. There are only about 4 actual Dukes in the world...it's NOT THAT COMMON.
There you go....a 4 star book that got bumped up to 5 stars because of a few key issues.
I struggled with Annabelle for a majority of the book. She was a shallow snob and that was about the sum total of her personality. I could NOT figure out the attraction on Simon's part. Was it because she was pretty? No clue because she really had nothing to recommend her and she was flat out a bitch to him for really no reason.
I mainly loved Simon. His questionable actions in the prologue not withstanding, I felt like he actually HAD a personality. You knew what drove him, you knew what his goals and aspirations were. He stepped up in the all ways you hope a man will.
I wish we didn't have to wait til about the 70% mark before Annabelle gets her head out of her ass. I'll give her credit...it didn't take her long to come to her senses and realize she was a classist snob and to change her mindset. She still seemed mostly shallow, but at least was showing growth.
What made me decide to go up to 5 stars is the story is genuinely well written. It also offered something I'd been craving....a REALISTIC historical romance. Most historical authors these days are a little too willing to lean into a modern mindset. I've stopped reading most historicals because I just can't disassociate myself from the fact that women weren't applauded for being outspoken and rarely if ever lived independently. In fact, this is part of what made me come around to Annabelle. She is exactly how a woman of her station would have been during that era! With that context she felt much more real as a character.
It also seemed predestined that I would randomly pick this book up because I was JUST bemoaning the insane amount of 'peer' heroes. Like...where is the butcher's son who isn't living in poverty but also isn't a Duke? OH, he's in this book! It so refreshing to have a story WITHOUT a fucking member of the realm as the focus! I wish historical authors would get a little more creative and tell stories about 'regular' people. There are only about 4 actual Dukes in the world...it's NOT THAT COMMON.
There you go....a 4 star book that got bumped up to 5 stars because of a few key issues.