December 8, 2020
Done...For Awhile
https://vivlorret.net/
https://vivlorret.net/
At last! I finished Lord Holt Takes a Bride, the first book in Vivienne Lorret’s series, Mating Habits of Scoundrels. That also finishes my small glomming project. Or at least, I’m finished until the next spate of disappointing books. And yes, I read this series out of order! While this story is a decent book, it is a bit disjointed. I will be honest, I had a problem getting started, and had to force myself to continue.
The first part of the book introduced our characters Lord Asher Holt and Winifred Humphries. There’s a goofy set-up. Winifred and her friends are doing research for a book which will warn women how to avoid nincompoop men, or philanderers, or boneheads, or something like that. In order to continue writing this epic, the friends kidnap Asher so they can ask him questions, or observe how a man operates, or get all the low-down on the mysteries of males. I guess males are mysterious. Even though Winifred doesn’t have anything to do with the kidnapping, she does show up at the secret place they have hidden Asher. Asher, who is blind-folded has been eavesdropping, and he hears her voice. After a lot of convoluted conversation, he is released. In the process he loses his money, jumps to the conclusion that the kidnapping-women stole it from him, then decides to seek revenge on Winifred. He chases her, finds her escaping from her home. Why is she escaping from her home? Well, my little Petunia’s, she is being forced to marry a loser, and she has decided to run away. She falls like a ripe plum into Asher’s lap. So, he can kidnap her without expending tooooo much energy, and she has someone who can help her run-away….or something. So, they are off, and we are treated to a road trip. This whole rigmarole was just plain ludicrous. But the road trip was a lot of fun! I just wish all of the book was as much fun as the road trip, and that the end of the book was had continued on with the smooth narrative.
You know, when I think of this story, it reminds me of that old movie with Clark Gable and Claudette Colbert, It Happened One Night. There’s a bride running away from a groom, a chase, a road trip, a betrayal, and HEA. If I remember correctly the road trip in that movie, like this book, was the best part…everything else is forgettable. This road trip had everything a Romanceland road trip should have, even potty breaks. We get to meet fun characters, and we get to watch our couple Asher and Winifred grow into a great pair. During their time together, Winifred becomes a confident woman, while Asher tries to figure out a way to convince Winifred that he loves her for more than her money. This story is all about trust, and during the middle of the book this trust blooms. However, it doesn’t take long for that trust to fade away after a stupid misunderstanding, and Winifred turns into a stubborn doofus who will not listen to Asher.
Parents. Let’s discuss parents in Romanceland. I’ve said this before, and I’ll say it again…I grow weary of bad parenting. This book has a ton of bad parents. The most obvious one is Asher’s father. His father is a leech, he gambles, he gets into debt and expects his son to bail him out. He is corrupt, he uses extortion to force his son to pay his debts. No matter how hard he tries, Asher cannot get out from under his father’s thumb. Asher’s father deserved some kind of horrible ending, but he doesn’t get his comeuppance. Then there is Winifred’s mother. She is hurtful, but doesn’t seem to realize how painful her words can be. She’s oblivious to the wounds she has dumped on Winifred through the years. Winifred is not a thin woman, she is described in the book has plump. Through the years, her mother has constantly given Winifred back-handed complements. You know something like: oh, that dress has such beautiful colors, lovely stripes, too bad those stripes aren’t vertical. Vertical stripes are thinning. Or, you don’t really want that last biscuit, do you? You’ve already eaten quite a bit. It was quiet, destructive, bullying at its worse. When Winifred finally confronts her mother, her mother tears up, apologizes and claims she had no idea she was being hurtful. Different types of parenting, both were destructive, and unforgivable.
Bottom line. The middle of the book is great, the road trip is magical and fun. But the beginning is disjointed, the parents appalling, and the ending seems rushed.
The first part of the book introduced our characters Lord Asher Holt and Winifred Humphries. There’s a goofy set-up. Winifred and her friends are doing research for a book which will warn women how to avoid nincompoop men, or philanderers, or boneheads, or something like that. In order to continue writing this epic, the friends kidnap Asher so they can ask him questions, or observe how a man operates, or get all the low-down on the mysteries of males. I guess males are mysterious. Even though Winifred doesn’t have anything to do with the kidnapping, she does show up at the secret place they have hidden Asher. Asher, who is blind-folded has been eavesdropping, and he hears her voice. After a lot of convoluted conversation, he is released. In the process he loses his money, jumps to the conclusion that the kidnapping-women stole it from him, then decides to seek revenge on Winifred. He chases her, finds her escaping from her home. Why is she escaping from her home? Well, my little Petunia’s, she is being forced to marry a loser, and she has decided to run away. She falls like a ripe plum into Asher’s lap. So, he can kidnap her without expending tooooo much energy, and she has someone who can help her run-away….or something. So, they are off, and we are treated to a road trip. This whole rigmarole was just plain ludicrous. But the road trip was a lot of fun! I just wish all of the book was as much fun as the road trip, and that the end of the book was had continued on with the smooth narrative.
You know, when I think of this story, it reminds me of that old movie with Clark Gable and Claudette Colbert, It Happened One Night. There’s a bride running away from a groom, a chase, a road trip, a betrayal, and HEA. If I remember correctly the road trip in that movie, like this book, was the best part…everything else is forgettable. This road trip had everything a Romanceland road trip should have, even potty breaks. We get to meet fun characters, and we get to watch our couple Asher and Winifred grow into a great pair. During their time together, Winifred becomes a confident woman, while Asher tries to figure out a way to convince Winifred that he loves her for more than her money. This story is all about trust, and during the middle of the book this trust blooms. However, it doesn’t take long for that trust to fade away after a stupid misunderstanding, and Winifred turns into a stubborn doofus who will not listen to Asher.
Parents. Let’s discuss parents in Romanceland. I’ve said this before, and I’ll say it again…I grow weary of bad parenting. This book has a ton of bad parents. The most obvious one is Asher’s father. His father is a leech, he gambles, he gets into debt and expects his son to bail him out. He is corrupt, he uses extortion to force his son to pay his debts. No matter how hard he tries, Asher cannot get out from under his father’s thumb. Asher’s father deserved some kind of horrible ending, but he doesn’t get his comeuppance. Then there is Winifred’s mother. She is hurtful, but doesn’t seem to realize how painful her words can be. She’s oblivious to the wounds she has dumped on Winifred through the years. Winifred is not a thin woman, she is described in the book has plump. Through the years, her mother has constantly given Winifred back-handed complements. You know something like: oh, that dress has such beautiful colors, lovely stripes, too bad those stripes aren’t vertical. Vertical stripes are thinning. Or, you don’t really want that last biscuit, do you? You’ve already eaten quite a bit. It was quiet, destructive, bullying at its worse. When Winifred finally confronts her mother, her mother tears up, apologizes and claims she had no idea she was being hurtful. Different types of parenting, both were destructive, and unforgivable.
Bottom line. The middle of the book is great, the road trip is magical and fun. But the beginning is disjointed, the parents appalling, and the ending seems rushed.
Time/Place: Regency England
Sensuality: Warm/Hot
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