I adored the first book in this series so had high hopes for this one. It didn’t quite live up to them but I still enjoyed it overall. There was just too much sadness in it for me. However I assumed there was a third book (most likely involving Edward) to read next as this was published in 2011 but sadly it never seems to have been written. Which also dampened my enjoyment of this book as I wanted to know what happens to Edward and Harry’s wedding. So if you’re reading this Victoria, please write book 3 of the York’s. ( )

The pace of this historical romance was so slow and heroine had secrets I thought would never get revealed. I started skimming pretty early only reading the dialogue. Aiden happens across an old love he thought dead but Kate doesn't want to reconnect. ( )

Typical romance book, not a lot of action or intrigue when compared with other romances. ( )

This book was more about plot and mystery than the characters, hence the three star rating. While I still enjoyed it, I never felt the excited connection of A LITTLE BIT WILD, where the hero and heroine's emotional growth outweighs any external plot events. Katie and Aidan have a secret history, some big misunderstandings, and a whole murder-mystery subplot that gets hinted at all book long. I would have much preferred to focus on the dialog and wit that Dahl writes so well, everything else was just a distraction.
( )

IT'S ALWAYS BEEN YOU is a historical romance that's light on history and plot. It's got one significant strength: Adrian, the hero. He's absolutely besotted with the heroine, Katie, head-over-heels, no-shame, follow-her-to-the-ends-of-the-earth in love with her, but never seems weak or pathetic. That's a tough tightrope to walk; most guys who ooze depthless devotion the way that Adrian does end up seeming spineless, on the page, but Adrian is tough, no-nonsense, masculine, determined, organized...he's a convincing alpha male who has a weakness for this one girl, who means the world to him. That's sweet and touching and lovely.

I quite liked the heroine, as well. Her fear of being swallowed by her old life was palpable, her strength and determination to persevere on a new path believable. She managed to do some very foolish things without making me think less of her for it.

But, alas, I'm going to return to the original point: light on history and plot. Scenes where Katie does her own cooking and burns her sausages or where Adrian stops by to chat over a glass of wine felt too modern to me. Mostly, though, the plotting was weak; Katie is a widow who fled Ceylon, the scene of her unhappy marriage, before her husband's body was cold. She is constantly, deeply terrified of being held responsible for her husband's death and lives under a false name just in case a hint of suspicion followed her to England - but, despite her fear, we have to wait until the book is halfway over for her to seek out news from Ceylon to find out if she's actually in trouble or not. She doesn't turn to friends, family, or Adrian to avert disaster, once she sees it coming.

The whole murder/Gerard subplot really only existed to keep Katie frightened and give her an excuse to tell a lot of lies. The thing is, it's a pretty thin excuse & by the end it didn't hold water for me...and that's around when Gerard shows up to twirl his mustache.

Adrian is a total dreamboat and makes IT'S ALWAYS BEEN YOU a fun read, but if I were going to pick up another Victoria Dahl (and I'd be happy to), I'd probably look for a contemporary rather than a historical setting, having now read one of each from her pen. ( )