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The Dark Earl (2011)

by Virginia Henley(Favorite Author)

3.68 of 5 Votes: 3

ISBN

0451234642 (ISBN13: 9780451234643)

languge

English

genre

Romance

publisher

NAL Trade

series

The Dukes

review 1: It is a great pity that I can't give more stars to this book.However, there were several things that got on my last damn nerves! -.-'First, I thought that the first meeting of the protagonists, that happened when the heroine, Harriet, was barely a child, was a bad start for their story.I mean, I'm not seeing myself falling in love with a person that called me bitch or that accused me of theft.But whatever, some years passed and by the time that they meet again, the hero, Thomas, is almost 30 and Harriet is almost 20.Once again, their meeting was bad. Thomas strongly disapproves of Harriet's behaviour (she is rather rebel for the time) and seems not to have her in a high esteem.From that point on, he starts to court her and I can only think that he does that because she is ... morea rich heiress, daughter of members of the high nobility and he needs her money, since his father lost everything gambling so, in spite of inheriting the title of duke, he will not inherit wealth.Harriet recognizes that she is attracted to Thomas, since he is a very handsome man, but she doesn't like that he is so "straitlaced" and controlled, so she turns her attentions to other suitors that are paying court to her.However, I hated the fact that, instead of thinking about their character, first she only thought about their title and their possessions. So, she was switching suitors for a while until the came to the conclusion that she was in love with Thomas.Once again, her feelings and later, Thomas's feelings when he says that he is in love with her seem too forced for my liking. I can't see how they passed from "She has no shame! I don't like her!" and "He is much to controlled and controlling for me!" to "I love you!".But this is just me thinking that the author didn't develop their relationship in the right way.There were some other things that I did't like but I'm not going to say it because this review would have 2 meters.Overall, this book is ok. There is nothing special.
review 2: The Dark Earl by Virginia HenleyHistorical Romance -Sept. 6th, 20113 starsThanks to his father, the Earl of Lichfield, Thomas Anson watches as everything in Shugborough is auctioned off and the family’s hunting lodge nearby burned to the ground for insurance money. Angry and bitter, he vows to restore Shugborough back to its former glory no matter the cost. When he meets the precocious and willful Harry (Harriet’s nickname) daughter of the Duke of Abercorn, he realized that she is his solution. Harry comes with a considerable dowry and is extremely beautiful as well. But Harry will not marry for anything less than love. She wants what her parents have - a loving marriage. Can Thomas give her his heart?This book reminds me a lot of Whitney My Love and other romance novels from the late 80’s. The writing style is definitely sparser and much more straightforward than the current style, which I prefer. Also, the heroine reminds me of Scarlett O’Hara from Gone With the Wind - she’s drop-dead beautiful, very headstrong, very stubborn, and very proud. As much as I admire how she deals with her sister’s and former suitor’s betrayal, I find it hard to relate or like Harry. She’s too different, too out there, and too perfect. The only way I can describe her is that she is the ideal heroine from the last decade. Thomas Anson is very detached and focused. He just wants Shugborough back and Harry is the means to an end. It takes him a long time to realize that he loves Harry very much, which cause problems between Harry and Thomas. The main conflict between the two characters is very soap-operatic. You can definitely see trouble coming from far away.Formulaic and with a different writing style, this book is recommended for those who love the sweeping romances of the 80’s.Reviewed by Pauline from the Bookaholics Romance Club less

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