I’ve read the occasional romance novel over the years, to greater or lesser degrees of enjoyment but never really been captured. I’m caught now, though! I think I needed some Courtney Milan in my life. After reading many reviews here at CBR I decided to take the plunge. I read Unclaimed in an evening. The next day I read Unraveled, the next day I moved on to The Duchess War (because it was free) then A Kiss for Midwinter. I can’t remember the last time […]
First book in the series is too focused on future books, not enough on itself.
My biggest problem with this book is that it felt forced, and Courtney Milan’s stuff has never felt forced to me before. I can tell she really struggled with this one. I feel like I would have been able to tell even if I hadn’t read her newsletter where she confessed that Once Upon a Marquess had given her tons of trouble, to the point where she basically had to scrap it and start the book over. There was just too much she was trying […]
I think she was high when she came up with the title
Seriously, “once upon a Marquess” has literally zero to do with the plot except that the male lead is a Marquess. I can’t imagine that Milan had anything to do with it unless she was off her tits. Given that she self-publishes, it can’t have been pressure from the publishers. I am a fan of Milan specifically, and I have fond feelings for romance in general, but the naming convention is total sexist bullshit that infantilises the readers and detracts from the genre. Am I […]
A new year, an old friend of a book.
I had promised myself a reread of A Kiss for Midwinter this Christmas, however I didn’t get to it until this weekend, but that doesn’t matter since its a very quick read. It is Mrs. Julien’s favorite novella, possibly of all time, and one that I really enjoyed, but always felt like I was missing something. I think I’m still missing something, but this is definitely a 4.5 star book for me, and proves that Milan is fantastic at novellas (not that I didn’t already […]
Oh Courtney…
Lady Judith Worth lost everything when her father and eldest brother, Anthony, was convicted on treason. Her father committed suicide in prison, her brother was sentenced to deportation to Australia. Due to complications during the journey, Anthony never arrived at his destination, and is presumed dead. Since losing their wealth and their privileges, Judith has been the sole breadwinner for two of her younger half-siblings; the spoiled, socially challenged and extremely cat obsessed Theresa and her youngest brother Benedict, who she’s finally saved up enough […]
A worthwhile down-payment on a series that I am sure will improve.
3.5 stars, rounded up out of loyalty Something felt a bit *off* about Once Upon a Marquess: possibly, it is bogged down by setting the stage for the entire Worth Saga. Also possibly, and related, it was just kind of ambitious and didn’t quite pull everything together in a convincing way by the end. To wit: Treason! Judith Worth’s father and brother are guilty of it! And the evidence thereof was compiled by none other than our hero, Christian Trent, the Marquess of Ashford! Kittens! […]
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