Series: Fairy Tales, #4
Traits & Tropes: pirates; marriage in trouble; separation/estrangement; marriage built on lies; infidelity; friends to lovers to enemies
Publication Date: 08.28.12
Genre/Setting: Historical; Regency; London, England, 1809-1815
Heat Level: 2.5
Rating: 2/5
Narration Rating: 4/5
Theodora Saxby has long been lauded as unattractive and too boyish in her looks to make a great match, despite her rich dowry. Certainly no one expected her to marry James Ryburn, heir to the Duke of Ashbrook, but she finds herself swept off her feet by his dramatic proposal before the prince, no less.
Their marriage is the talk of London’s gossip sheets, but Theo and James soon discover an unlikely love, up until Theo learns that he was really just after her dowry. Their blazingly fast separation further scandalizes high society, especially when it endures nearly long enough for James to be declared dead in absentia. But then he returns, determined to convince Theo of his undying love, despite her reluctance to be wooed.
This book was such a disappointment for me because Eloisa James usually works so well for me and this one just didn’t. This review is likely to devolve into more of a rant so beware of spoilers if you venture any further. From the beginning I didn’t like this heroine, which seems to be an unpopular opinion, and I thought the hero had potential to be charmingly awkward (this sadly did not pan out.) Honestly, I found Theo to be pretty terrible from the first. She was very immature and shallow, upset by people picking at her looks and yet she does the same and worse to others in her scathing commentary about their appearances. Her initial friends to lovers relationship that was beginning to grow with James in the beginning had such potential and I was interested to see where it was going. Off the rails, that’s where it was going.
Theo, justifiably angry and in a fit of pique, tells James she never wants to see him again and of course, he’s so immature that he just takes her at face value and leaves the country entirely, leaving Theo to deal with the fallout. For seven years. He then becomes a pirate. When I heard this (I was listening to the audiobook) I thought for sure I was mishearing something because it was just so far out of left field. Even better, he tattoos his face and also decides that since Theo has declared their marriage over, there’s no reason for him to remain faithful. At this point I threw this audiobook aside and it took quite awhile for me to come back to it, and I almost didn’t. Also, he does this not once, but three times. I’m sorry but I just can't deal with the infidelity. Upon his return he justifies himself to Theo by saying that he viewed their marriage as over because she said it was and therefore, he did nothing wrong. He shows absolutely no remorse whatsoever and suddenly because he’s back and wants Theo again, she should just accept this. I don’t understand why he even bothered to come back, and I just didn’t buy his declaration that he’d always loved her and only her.
I mainly wanted to read this book because I just knew it would have a great grovel. Nope. Not even that. Theo gets over her anger and indignation with him all too quickly and somehow their relationship is repaired virtually overnight. I just didn’t buy it and I certainly didn’t find it satisfying. The infidelity was what pushed this over for me, though the tattooed face and long estrangement didn’t help. I almost wanted Theo to move on and find someone else to have her HEA with, but at the same time I didn’t like her enough to really root for her, though I do think this is one of those rare cases where I might’ve tolerated the infidelity more if she’d had a couple affairs herself instead of being presented as this undesirable being who has transcended the need for physical affection.
Overall, the writing itself is solid, but I just did not like this story or its characters at all. This couple spent most of the book apart and doing very much their own things which just became boring after a bit and definitely did not make this feel romantic. They certainly didn’t spend enough time together to make their love convincing. The end didn’t bring the grovel I wanted but instead an all too quick forgiveness and more less than charming behavior. I’ll hang on to my physical copy because the stepback art is gorgeous but that’s my only reason for keeping this one.
https://www.bookbub.com/reviews/2983625543
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/1967596665
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