Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

42% in, this is what I thought: great! Personally, I detest the 'heroine wears breeches' premise in Regencies but this author makes the ruse a high-stakes gamble to provide her mother and sisters with a solvent future. Later: the emphasis on the heroine's 'masculinity' and their lack of chemistry made their romance unbelievable before/during/after the heroine was revealed to the hero. The last half of the book - and the romance itself - fell flat for me as a result. I paid four dollars for this, unlike many, many who read it for free, so I have skin in the game. I bought it because the sample started well. I really got a sense of the time period and the social mores but the story lost my interest after the inevitable reveal/reconsideration/'sex/romance.' Here's why: the author emphasized repeatedly that the heroine was masculine-looking enough to pass as male among men. She was tall, not pretty, horsey and small breasted enough to be able to wear loose men's clothing with one stock flattening her and another hiding her lack of an Adam's apple. In test after test of her disguise, and there were numerous occasions, no man suspects her true gender. Even the hero. There was no hint of the hero second-guessing his sexuality b/c of 'untoward feelings for his friend. Ever. Her Mr. North was an amusing friend, nothing more. (Most damning, the hero was willing to distance himself and his sister when nasty rumors about Mr. North circulated.) That put up a high hurdle for the story to clear when it came time for the big reveal and next, romantic phase. Given the set up, how could these two fall in love? I was on the edge of my seat wondering what the hero would do when he found out about her. Turns out, not much but mount her. Where was the romance between H/h? Prior to Mr. North's revelation, the duke felt nothing but friendship and at times admiration for Mr. North's perception and kindness. So while she's secretly drooling over him behind her disguise, the hero's only ever seeing his friend, the fribble, Mr. North. The worst WTF was the duke's bland response to the big reveal itself. This made me cringe. From this point on, the story sank lower and lower into incredibility. Possible SPOILERS below. At the key turning point, the duke sees the heroine at a masked ball, tarted up in blonde wig and revealing gown of a courtesan. He approaches her in her new disguise, has no idea who she is and takes her home to have sex. Not love at first sight, a one-night zipless deal. Forgot to mention, he was shopping around for his mistress-for-the-Season when he picked her up for a trial-run slap-and-tickle. Then the He's a she! reveal in bed: The hero's reaction to her unmasking/de-wigging was incomprehensible -- sort of "Gee, Mr. North's got boobs. Better peek under the sheet a couple times. Yup. Okay. Let's get busy." Wha? After the BIG, LONG, INVOLVED build-up about her convincing Mr. North disguise, the duke - a real rake by rep - sees his best male friend's head on a body with breasts and quim, and that's all he does before humping her? From that scene on, he was TSTL or too shallow, take your pick. It only got more painful and, for me, unromantic from there. Their subsequent decisions (she does become his mistress) made them less and less appealing. I read hist. romances to see two people, often opposites, deal with obstacles or conflict, and come to love one another as they overcome their differences. This had a doozey of an obstacle, she must be a he for life to keep the wealth she/he has fraudulently inherited. But after the set-up, what I got here was something between a duke and the dude-who-wasn't who he hung out with, then screwed, then married to spite his mother or grandmother-- can't remember, don't care. 1.5 stars. It wasn't even a particularly good bromance. HOWEVER, to each his/her own. Other readers have loved this. And given the author's skill, another Regency romance of hers might suit me better. (But I'll wait till it's free. Lesson learned.)