Series: Shapeshifters of the Beau Monde, #3
Traits & Tropes: tortured hero; titled hero; unconventional heroine; working heroine; well-traveled heroine
Publication Date: 08.23.22
Genre/Setting: Historical/Paranormal; Regency; Sussex, England, 1817
Heat Level: 2.5
Rating: 3.5/5
Since he was captured and held by a traveling menagerie, Alwyn ap Lewin, the Duke of Llewelyn, has not changed into his lion form. Remaining unbalanced with this other part of himself is making him ill, but he’d rather die a free man, if that’s what it comes to, rather than ever again find himself a prisoner.
The residents of Lowell Close, where Alwyn is recovering, remain fearful and suspicious of him, but not Tabitha Barrington. She’s been tasked with helping the Welshman heal and as he spends more time with her, Alwyn comes to realize he does indeed have much to live for.
This book does contain spoilers for the first two books in the series, so I would first like to recommend they be read in order. I’m a big fan of the tortured or damaged hero trope and Alwyn certainly fit that bill. I was very much looking forward to seeing him be rehabilitated by his lady love and having him change her for the better as well. While we did get that here, Tabitha definitely wasn’t the sort of heroine I’m a huge fan of and her ongoing insistence on being unreasonable did put a bit of a damper on the story for me. She seemed determined to find fault with everything Alwyn did, making no exceptions for the fact that he’s basically relearning how to be a human. Even when he asks her to court him as an equal, she somehow winds up annoyed with him even as he’s doing everything she asks him to and trying to give her space to think. Tabitha was quite mean to Alwyn when he was only trying to protect her, which was also part of his healing process and returning to his true self, so I’m not sure why she kept being so mean about it and distancing herself from him when he clearly needed someone to be there for him. I also didn’t really understand the motives of the villain in this story or why so much leeway was allowed them. The final frustrating element here was the missed opportunities, for instance there was a great one for some sick/comfort and instead the story veered away from it in favor of a scene between Tabitha and her brother. So, I suppose my main issue here was that Tabitha and Alwyn really don’t have much alone time together on the page and I wanted more, especially given the fact that Tabitha kept running away when they did get a chance to have a conversation together. I do think she pushed him away too long and that her frequent brooding sessions became repetitive.
Despite these issues I had, I really did enjoy this story. As has been the case with the other books in this series, I found it to be a great palate cleanser for me and a refreshing take on Regency. The language is a bit odd, and so are the characters and plot, but I actually think that’s part of its charm and it’s definitely worth checking out if you’re looking for something different, but again, the series is best read in order.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/4666639681
https://www.bookbub.com/reviews/1372760841
Comments
Post a Comment