Thursday 15 November 2012

Review: How to tame a willful wife - Christy English


1. Forbid her from riding astride
2. Hide her dueling sword
3. Burn all her breeches and buy her silk drawers
4. Frisk her for hidden daggers
5. Don't get distracted while frisking her for hidden daggers...

Anthony Carrington, Earl of Ravensbrook, expects a biddable bride. A man of fiery passion tempered by the rigors of war into steely self-control, he demands obedience from his troops and his future wife. Regardless of how fetching she looks in breeches.

Promised to the Earl of Plump Pockets by her impoverished father, Caroline Montague is no simpering miss. She rides a war stallion named Hercules, fights with a blade, and can best most men with both bow and rifle. She finds Anthony autocratic, domineering, and...ridiculously gorgeous.

It's a duel of wit and wills in this charming retelling of The Taming of the Shrew. But the question is...who's taming whom?

My thoughts:
There is a difference between a book not working and a book not working, or is there? Well here the book was well written, it could have been really good, but I hated the characters and that ruined it all for me.

First we have Lord Ass Hero. Sure he fits his time and is perfect for that with his constant "Obey me! You are my wife." But I do not read romance for heroes that are correct for their time. I read it for romance and he did nothing romantic. He saw her and lusted for her. They were to be married 2 days later. He wants to tame her and then when he has her he wants her to be a bit willful. He knows he owns her, that she is his property, he is jealous and a dick.

Our Willful Heroine is willful at first, but then enters the magic penis and that is long gone. Yes she hates him (but he sure is pretty!), and then he touches her and she forgets all about that and becomes a Sex Goddess. And every time they argue it ends with sex, he kisses her fiercely and she melts. She stops being willful and becomes a simpering mess. She also has a few TSTL moments.

Oh and I hate this trope: There is a secret, it could be freaking vital for the other person to know it. But the person knowing the secret does not tell it, here it is Ass Hero. He just tells her that she should obeyed him and do as he tells her.

Conclusion:
So sadly this book did not work for me, and it was a shame cos it was good. I just could not stand the characters.

Series: Shakespeare in Love #1
Genre: Historical romance
Pages: 352
Published: Nov 6th 2012 by Sourcebooks Casablanca
Source. Review

42 comments:

  1. O.o not being able to connect with the characters sucks the life out of any book..sorry this one didn't work, it sounds really good

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    1. I just disliked them both :/ This just did not work for me

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  2. I was turned off by the title but then the summary sounded kind of cute but I HATE the trope where the guy is a jerk, she hates him but her body betrays her. I'm just so tired of that. So I'm guessing this book wouldn't work for me either.

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    1. The body betraying trope, arghhh, it makes women so freaking weak. I am sad cos the writing was good and if I take away the parts with them in it, then it's good

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  3. Ah, the magic penis. The tamer of willful women everywhere ;-) I was all for this book after reading the blurb, but I only like a-hole heroes when they also show hints of vulnerability and make it clear eventually that they really do care for the women their with. I don't deal well with "ownership", so I'm thinking this is not the book for me!

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    1. Lol, yes it can tame anyone.
      And I do like a hero that is...a bit of am ass, but like you said. He has to have something good about him. This guy only lusted after her and thought of her like property. Not really something that made me like him

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  4. hahaha! Great review, Blodeuedd! Enter the magic penis, or shall I say The Mighty Wang? :D and she becomes a Sex Goddess... This is like those 70s bodice rippers looks like. I'll make sure to avoid this book ;)

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    1. Oh I hate those old bodice rippers, they are rape (which turns to love) and horror all of them

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  5. Ugh, it sounds bad, though what a funny blurb. The Earl of Plump Pockets? LOL!!

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    1. I did like the blurb, that is what drew me in

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  6. I like the author's historical fiction and thought I'd give this a try. I might still. Sorry it didn't work for you. I think you have valid reasons ;-)

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    1. I did like her historical fiction too. That was great

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  7. Too bad cause it sounded like it had so much promise too...but I do love the colors on the cover.

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    1. The colors are great, and they both got heads too, lol

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  8. Our Willful Heroine is willful at first, but then enters magic penis and that is long gone.

    *Cackling like mad* My lady but it is every man's secret dream! Tame her while having fun!!

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    1. Oh men, they suck, and their magical ..ok I will just stop there. Men are great, but I wont go all gaga for one touch

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  9. The book isn't for me, but this review certainly is!! LOL I know I wouldn't like the jealous dick, and providing a magic penis to tame the willful woman is wrong! ROFL I love your turn of phrase. :D

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    1. Oh you know I turn on the heat when it comes to negative reviews ;)

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  10. Sorry this book didn't work for you, your review is great as usual!

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  11. I'll just pass this. I haven't been huge fan of her historiccal books and I'm not sure I can take her romancey books. But good for you for reading it through :)

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    1. Oh you did not like those? I did like the one I read. But yes then m<ybe this one is not for you

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  12. I am a willful wife and I won't be tamed so Lord Ass and I won't get along either.

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  13. Gah. I hate when the heros are jerks and the heriones lose their willfulness the moment sex comes their way.

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  14. wow it must be difficult to have some characters like that... Hope it will be better next time.

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  15. Characters are so important in a book, if you don't like them it's impossible to like the book. At least you tried it.

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    1. Totally impossible. I need to like at least one

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  16. Ot it could be that it is one hell of a magic penis!

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  17. I have only read a few chapters of this, but I totally see where you are coming from. :(

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    1. :/ I wonder how it will turn out for you then

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  18. Hating the characters makes it all downhill!!

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    1. I just can't like the book when that happens

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  19. I hate it so much when the heroine gives in with each kiss and caress, and everything ends in sex.

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  20. Lol. I agree that I don't read historical romances for the men to act like their time period. There is no fun in that. I want fun and romance.

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    Replies
    1. Nope, if so then most are just asses. I want romance and men out of their time

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