Full Review on NetGalley
( )

Full Review on NetGalley
( )

*I received this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review*

"The Reluctant Countess" is a fun and sweet regency romance. It tells us the love story between Sophie, Countess of Monmouth, and Patrick, Earl of Coulter. From the start it looks different because they're from the same social class, so the classic story of the noble man that falls for the peasant does not apply here. I mean, it doesn't and it does, because Sophie became a countess by marriage, and Patrick met with the deceased Earl of Monmouth a few days before he passed and he didn't learn of any wife. Which makes Patrick very suspicious and obsessed with the countess. Well, that and the fact he cannot take his eyes off her when they are together and take her out of his mind when they are apart...
Sophie has a secret that, if revealed, will not only destroy her life, but also the life of those she loves. So she's very careful in her role as the impenetrable widow, cause it's the only way to avoid a fatal slip. The only problem is the annoying Earl of Coulter who seems to have picked on her and that stirs her in a way that makes it impossible for Sophie to stay on character near him.

I really liked the relationship between Sophie and Patrick and the way it developded from mutually picking on each other, to irresistable atraction, to grand love. But I confess the story seemed to drag a little after the wedding. I loved the fact that the author included a secondary love story, but I would have prefered to see them have their own book. So much was left undisclosed after all...
There was a detail that really annoyed me and made me want to violently slap Patrick. I wont reveal what it was cause I dont want to spoil it, but for those who read it, I'm refering to the scene between Patrick and Sophie on the carriage. That imbecil was suspicious of Sophie from the start, she almost let it slip before and he seemed to catch it then, and he goes and does that brutality? The knee in the nuts she gave him later seemed like light punishment to me... ( )

Sophie, Countess of Monmouth, is referred to as an ice princess because of her seemingly cold demeanor. She uses her frigid attitude to keep her past a secret and protect the ones she loves. She comes into the society scene with her sister in law, who became her sister in law by way of a sketchy death bed marriage. Patrick, Earl of Coulter, suspects that Sophie is a charlatan, and he vows to uncover her secrets. He sees beyond the mask she keeps in place for the noble people she circulates with and the ice princess begins to thaw. The two share quite an attraction, and while Patrick learns her secrets, he also falls in love with her. Her secrets become his to protect and he wants to make Sophie his forever.
The story was good, the romance spicy, and there was an added splash of adventure as Sophie fought for her life more than once. Patrick wanted to protect and save her, but Sophie was quite able to take care of herself. She helped rescue a family member, and even fought and escaped a band of kidnappers. There was also a romantic storm brewing between Sophie's best friend and Patrick's best friend that was entertaining as well. I enjoyed this novel.
I was given a copy of this book for free in exchange for an honest review. ( )

To read this review and more, go to my blog; Drugs Called Books
My Rating: 2.85 of 5 stars
(better than a 2.5 stars, but not exactly 3)

I received a copy for review purposes through Netgalley.

I find it hard, close to impossible, to write a review for this book. I simply don't have much to say about it. We didn't click, in a way that I don't even know to explain much why. I didn't hate it - I didn't love it. It was okay.
It's more of an issue of... not having an opinion, really.

At first, it was really hard for me to get into the book. Later on it got better, I got more interested, but I never really felt much toward it.

I thought the main characters, Sophie and Patrick, were fine. I didn't overly like them, I didn't overly hate them. I didn't connect to them, on any form of level.

Their romance was okay, though again - I found myself more inclined toward indifference when it came to this book.

I also didn't quite understand all that they did to make Sophie countess... I felt like this should've been explained better, or I don't know what. I mean, I get part of it, but I was never really convinced with the explanation. It just felt... lacking, to me.

And I was not convinced by the villain. He was supposedly so horrible, but he didn't do anything to Sophie before? Wasn't she there for two years still?
Or, he kidnapped a bunch of people but never left any guards on them?
And with the fact he was so horrible and all that, the cops--they didn't notice him?
I don't know. It just... smells.

I thought the supportive characters were good, but could've been used better and to the fullest; they had a story of their own, and I thought the author could've written them a separate book or spent more time about their relationship in this book; the two or three snips I had into their lives didn't satisfy me, and then suddenly they were marrying.
Personally, I might've been more interested in their story as a whole, even with only so little to go on in this book.

I thought the writing was fine for the most part. I didn't like the way Vella wrote speech on certain parts ; all the ohhhhhhh and llooovvee and stuff. Those kind of thing are cute when you're writing a blog or something, but they make me cringe in a book. But that's a very personal and subjective opinion.

For a first time author, though (or at least, so says Goodreads), I think this was a good job and she shows potential. I didn't connect with the story itself, but I has no problem with her writing style and the way she built their relationship (aside for those ohhh and lllooovee). ( )