Robin, to answer your questions:

Why not, Janine? I kind of liked the edge on the two of them, and I especially liked that Hannah wasn't TSTL in those early sections of the book.

I liked that Hannah wasn’t TSTL also, but she and Marcus seemed almost too at odds. After all, David had duped them both, and I expected them to be more united by their anger at him than they were. Their antagonism felt a bit too familiar to me. It may also be that since it took them so long to meet, I was impatient for their warm feelings for one another to begin.

Oh, I agree; it was the extras that made him feel more real to me, especially the way he was able to demonstrate affection for his stepmother and sister, the real struggle he feels regarding his loyalty to David, and the real friendship he builds with Hannah.

He felt real to me too, but of the things you mentioned, only his friendship with Hannah caught my interest and made me care about him, and that took over a hundred pages to get going.

Ah, I see what you're saying. I also see what Linden is saying in her explanatory post, but I agree with you that Rosalind's innate romanticism doesn't negate her understanding of what Society will expect of Marcus and how unusual his choice is, especially after so many years of confirmed bachelorhood. I agree with you there, Janine.

Thanks; you put that better than I did.

I liked the opening scene; it grabbed my attention and set up the dynamic between David and Marcus well, I thought.

As I recall, Jane liked the opening scene. But I was left relatively unengaged by it. Maybe I’m too jaded. But here’s an example of what I mean:

The man on the chaise had recovered from his shock enough to sit up and turn. “Marcus, old man, how kind of you to join us,” he said in a voice sharp with sarcasm. “To what do we owe the displeasure?”

I can tell from the dialogue itself that David is being sarcastic, so I don’t need to also be told that he is being sarcastic. I like to be left the room to come to my own conclusions about the characters, and that was what I wanted more of.

And I really liked the way David wanted to be responsible, but once his old life entered his new life, he just didn't have the resolve he thought he did.

Yes, I liked that too, but my appreciation was more intellectual than emotional.

most of what I remember of the book is positive, thus my higher personal grade, I think

I would just like to say that a C+ is not a terrible grade here. It’s above the “Not bad, but I won’t reread it” and below “I would buy it again, given the chance.”

But I didn't enjoy the initial interactions between Marcus and Hannah, when they were being antagonistic to one another, as well.

Why not, Janine? I kind of liked the edge on the two of them, and I especially liked that Hannah wasn’t TSTL in those early sections of the book.

That high-and-mighty brusque duke character felt a little familiar to me.

Oh, I agree; it was the extras that made him feel more real to me, especially the way he was able to demonstrate affection for his stepmother and sister, the real struggle he feels regarding his loyalty to David, and the real friendship he builds with Hannah.

For a duke to marry outside his class was no small matter, no matter how sound his judgement, and someone in his family would be bound to, if not object, at least not welcome Hannah with open arms.

Ah, I see what you’re saying. I also see what Linden is saying in her explanatory post, but I agree with you that Rosalind’s innate romanticism doesn’t negate her understanding of what Society will expect of Marcus and how unusual his choice is, especially after so many years of confirmed bachelorhood. I agree with you there, Janine.

the interactions between David and Hannah did not hold my attention very much. I felt there was a bit too much telling there, and not as much showing as I would have liked.

This may have been the case, Janine, but since it’s been a few months since I read the book, instead what has stuck in my mind are certain scenes that I liked from that first section. For example, I liked the opening scene; it grabbed my attention and set up the dynamic between David and Marcus well, I thought. And I really liked the way David wanted to be responsible, but once his old life entered his new life, he just didn’t have the resolve he thought he did. Sure that set him up for his own book as merely weak rather than downright evil, but I still liked it because it made sense to me.

Now I do remember thinking that some of the scenes at Hannah’s cottage dragged, and IMO the ending was the weakest part of the book (contrivance took over a bit too much there for me), but most of what I remember of the book is positive, thus my higher personal grade, I think.

I'm also left with questions about Marcus's stepmother Rosalind's eagerness to welcome a nobody like Hannah into the family and the role of duchess.

It’s not really that Rosalind doubts Marcus will marry–she laughs it off, the idea that he would never marry, because she knows he’s too responsible not to, and he’s only 32. But Rosalind wants Marcus to fall in LOVE, not just get married. She knows him well enough to know this is far less likely to happen, just because he’s…well, so uptight and conscious of his position and duty. But David writes to her that Marcus has fallen head-over-heels crazy in love for this country woman, and *that* gets Rosalind interested. Why do you think she goes haring off to London to see Hannah for herself? She’s a romantic and a matchmaker. She would rather exert herself to turn a commoner into a duchess than put up with a social-climbing Society woman who just wants to marry a duke. So Rosalind and Celia (another romantic at heart) rush off to London to see if it’s true. Rosalind queries Hannah closely about it, and that’s when Hannah’s story about not knowing who Marcus really was backfires–THAT is what appeals to Rosalind, the idea that Marcus is so mad for this woman that he didn’t even use his title and wealth to win her. And that’s why she welcomes Hannah to the family.

There’s a fine line between subtle and vague, and I’m sorry if I fell on the wrong side of the line at times for some readers. Thanks for giving it a read, and I’m so glad some people did enjoy the book.

Best,

Caroline

I still vividly remember the scene at the party where Hannah overhears the other women talking about her, and instead of concocting some passive aggressive scheme to wheedle a confession of love out of Marcus or dropping into a corner in tears, she actually tells Marcus straightaway what she heard and he explains to her how things are. LOVED IT!

I liked this too. In fact I loved the entire section between the moment Hannah and Marcus agreed to work together until Marcus left to pursue the villains. But I just looked at the book now, and that section is perhaps 150 pages. The rest of the book didn’t work nearly as well for me.

I thought this book was so quietly competent, not announcing itself in big bold strokes or melodramatic excess, it was a relaxing pleasure to read. I didn't find myself having to pick through awkward prose to get to the stories; I didn't have to negotiate a hundred improbably roadblocks to the happy ending; and I didn't have to ferret out actual character development. These two characters got to know each other, talked, learned about each other, and revealed themselves in the process.

I enjoyed all these things too, while they were going on. But I didn’t enjoy the initial interactions between Marcus and Hannah, when they were being antagonistic to one another, as well.

How refreshing it was for me to see a character like Marcus, who, while somewhat brusque, didn't find all ladies annoying, who loved his stepmother and sister with real affection.

That high-and-mighty brusque duke character felt a little familiar to me. I was reminded a bit of Wulfric Bedwyn, from Balogh’s Slightly series, for example.

I didn't wonder at Rosalind's willingness to embrace Hannah, because wouldn't she be able to rely on Marcus's judgment?

For a duke to marry outside his class was no small matter, no matter how sound his judgement, and someone in his family would be bound to, if not object, at least not welcome Hannah with open arms. I felt that Linden was trying to brush this potential obstacle aside by having Rosalind worry that Marcus wouldn’t marry at all. But I didn’t see good reasons for him to have decided not to marry at all beyond that, so it felt contrived to me.

And, I must say, I found the whole set up for this book charming.

I’ve read a book with a similar set up before, but I do like it and agree that it is a good set up.

I don't know if that happened here, but I was definitely hooked right from the beginning, and actually like the way Linden started by developing the relationship between David and Hannah, NOT because I thought David was going to be the hero, but because it allowed me to see what kind of person Hannah was and to be her ally by the time she does meet Marcus.

I can understand that, but the interactions between David and Hannah did not hold my attention very much. I felt there was a bit too much telling there, and not as much showing as I would have liked.

I thought this book was so quietly competent, not announcing itself in big bold strokes or melodramatic excess, it was a relaxing pleasure to read. I didn’t find myself having to pick through awkward prose to get to the stories; I didn’t have to negotiate a hundred improbably roadblocks to the happy ending; and I didn’t have to ferret out actual character development. These two characters got to know each other, talked, learned about each other, and revealed themselves in the process. How refreshing it was for me to see a character like Marcus, who, while somewhat brusque, didn’t find all ladies annoying, who loved his stepmother and sister with real affection.

I didn’t wonder at Rosalind’s willingness to embrace Hannah, because wouldn’t she be able to rely on Marcus’s judgment? And, I must say, I found the whole set up for this book charming. But then again, I haven’t read nearly as many Romance novels as many other readers have, which, I’ll freely admit, makes me more receptive to certain characters and plot devices, simply because I haven’t the same level of exposure. I don’t know if that happened here, but I was definitely hooked right from the beginning, and actually like the way Linden started by developing the relationship between David and Hannah, NOT because I thought David was going to be the hero, but because it allowed me to see what kind of person Hannah was and to be her ally by the time she does meet Marcus.

CindyS

LOL of course the important thing is I liked it ;).