This was my first Kinsale - strategically chosen as the first so I could get a taste of her writing before reading some of her more beloved books. I really liked it; her humor was a delight to read and I enjoyed the cast of characters in this story. ( )

This is the second time I've read this and I found it quite as charming as the first. A lot of it is that Merlin (best name ever) is a nerdy, awkward girl, even if she is an ingénue. But she's more of an ingénue by default because she's a sheltered smarty-pants inventor who can't be bothered to pay attention to convention.

I especially liked that Merlin resisted Ransom and his manly wiles as far as marriage because his actions made it so clear that he thought he knew what was best and kept trying to steam-roll her. Ransom sounds dreamy but only because his feelings for Merlin were genuine. If this story had been told exclusively from Merlin's p.o.v., I would have been hollering for her to run away from him. Merlin's about-face was abrupt, but Ransom's character arc was a satisfying one.

I was a little afraid to read this again because I liked it so much the first time. It's always nice not to have your pleasant memories ruined. ( )

Laura Kinsale is not your flufflifity fluff romantic. And yet, somehow, she has some of the most fluffity fluff "dear god, I wish this hero would strip me naked too," moments mixed with some of the best humor.

The most eligible widower in His Majesty’s domain: rich, titled, powerful, and more than passably attractive, if his female admirers were to be believed—flatly refused, on account of a broken kite.

It's very clear there's a few things I like in books:
-Heroines that I understand. I know we all wax on about 'strong women' and I frankly don't know what that means. I think strength can be demonstrated in many ways. Merlin was essentially super smart, super ambitious and kind of a flake. In all honesty, it suited an inventor and I don't think we'd call a male character like her 'weak' -- It may have been overplayed, but ]...eh, I have a complex relationship with that.
-Relationships that develop. In this book, that was fucking bizarre and I'm not gonna lie. While it may have been a head-scratcher, I went with it. I mean, it was Nicholas Boulton and Laura Kinsale and there's nothing else to be done. What resulted was a battle of wills, a jackass that knows he is manipulative, and a heroine with enough force in her sweetness to bring him down, yet enough tenacity to hold on to herself. And honestly, I loved Ransom. I really, really did. He was lovely and loyal, commanding, clever, and played beautifully by NB in the audio version.

He’d thought his offer of marriage was a matter of duty, of taking responsibility for errors committed—and never questioned why he’d persisted in it past all reason and rebuff.

Well, now he knew why. The explanation sat patiently on the carpet in front of him, with chestnut hair and cloudy gray eyes and skin that glowed like soft midsummer moonlight. He loved her; he wanted to stand beside her forever, be the man she turned to for comfort and companionship; the one she went to first with those crazy, clever notions of hers; the one who listened and smiled and knew when to laugh—who recognized the difference between her accidental absurdities and the rare times she made an authentic quip in that quiet, ingenious way she had.

Oh, and that's it. That's all I need. I get extra-some heat, wonderful family and supporting dynamics, a little danger, some big weaknesses. It was a lovely little novel about two opposite strengths making one completely convincing and supportive couple. They were neither dependent nor overly independent of one another, something I can see lasting for a long, long time. Because they both try.

Wings, indeed. ( )

Light , laugh out loud read!
Not sure I believe the romance between H and h , however it does not take away from my reading enjoyment! whole cast of characters is a pure delight! ( )

Ransom Falconer, Duke of Damerell has come to find the inventor Merlin Lambourne. The government has been told Merlin has invented something that could be of the utmost importance to the war effort. Some hilarity ensues once he gets there and discovers that Mr. Lambourne is actually a Miss Lambourne.
Merlin has invented a few random things but she doesn't think much of them as her driving passion is to invent a flying machine. If it doesn't have to do with flying then she is pretty absentminded about it. In this case the French are coming and in order to keep her safe Ransom decides he will take her back home to Mount Falcon. (I won't say what happens after they eat an awful meal together at her home but the salt thing was pretty funny)
Enter the rest of the cast we have Merlin's pet hedgehog, her crotchety employee Thaddeus Flowerdew (he supposedly has a sick twin Theodore but we never actually see him), Ransom's mother Duchess May, sister Blythe, brother Shelby, Shelby's ex-wife Jaqueline, their son Woodrow and twin daughters Augusta and Aurelia, Reverend Edwin Peale, and Major Quinton O'Sullivan O'Toole O'Shaughnessy.
There is a lot of humor throughout the story and I enjoyed it very much. ( )