Cannonball Read 17

Sticking It to Cancer One Book at a Time

A historical romance, and my first historical Milan!

by 6 Comments

tdwSo ladies (and gents!) I finally finished my first historical Courtney Milan! And I have so many feelings. I even emailed my sister an in depth attempt at understanding said feelings, but they may not be the most coherent thing. First though! The plot.

Minnie, a genteel yet impoverished girl, lives in Leicester and there meets Robert, Duke of Clermont, while hiding behind a sofa from a prospective suitor. After this charming meet cute, you learn that neither Minnie nor Robert are what they seem. Minnie is hiding a scandalous past and Robert is hiding a scandalous present. Events obviously then transpire.

So here are some very confused thoughts on the subject. I liked it, but I am not in raptures. I paused reading it for about a month as I realized that I was definitely going to have to change my expectations as compared to other romances and what I would be getting.

As emailed to my sister:

-As I said last night I definitely prefer less “realistic” ones. On a Kleypas level more so than a full on Dare fantasy level. The abuses suffered by Robert, Minnie and the everyone really just didn’t result in the kind of escapism I’m usually looking for. If I wanted to read about social upheaval or women on the brink of poverty I’d be reading some Gaskell or Bronte. That’s what they’re there for.
– I didn’t particularly connect with Robert as a hero and it has taken some contemplation as to why. At first I thought it was just because he’s not a big, burly alpha, but I’ve decided that’s not it. As we know, I’m an Archer (reference to our favorite romance series from when we were teenagers), and that means my favorite heroes are the ones who take responsibility, who care for all around him, and at the start (and really first half of the book +) That is exactly what Robert isn’t doing. He’s actively trying to dismantle his responsibility, and my natural response is BOOOOOOO. By the end he grows into his role a little bit (entirely through Minnie’s help), but overall I prefer a more confident, mature hero.
– Fun fact, and when I really decided that I had to take Robert as he is: they were both virgins. It made sense for the character, especially with who his father was, but with that knowledge I started definitely seeing our hero in a different light.
– Ultimately, why I ended up liking it in the end: Minnie. I wanted her to get her happy ending, and if she chooses that lame ass wussy to boss around the rest of her life, that’s her choice. My favorite romances are the ones where I want them both to get their happy ending, but as long as I want it for one I’m okay with it.
Did any of those make sense? In the interim I read the prequel novella The Governess Affair yesterday and LOVED it. The review for that shall be up shortly, so all is not lost on me on the Milan front.
Also this came out yesterday: NPR’s 100 Swoon-Worthy Romances! I think at least one Cannonballer has read almost all of these! But tackling this list in my hormonal state has definitely become a priority.
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