Ruth's Reviews > Much Ado About You

I enjoyed this one. It had some touches which made it more enjoyable than most, although the plot was somewhat predictable.

Things I liked:
- The four sisters are like real sisters. They love each other, but also drive each other nuts, argue, sulk, bitch and complain a bit. This is soo much better than all those romances where sisters just love each other and think the the sun shines out of each other's #@!*. Nope. Sorry. I've never met sisters who are like that. There's always tension there, and this book captures it well
- The sisters are an integral part of the story, but the main romance isn't lost in all the side-stories. I'm still trying to figure out how the author accomplished this, but it's probably because..
- It was well-written, although I got the impression the author could have been a bit more expansive in the language used. It was clear and there was minimal repetition of words (a pet-peeve of mine, using the same word over and over again).
- The hero is great. He's quiet, strong, gorgeous, but I got the impression I never get to completely know him, and I do like a bit of mystery about him
- Not everything is resolved, although the pieces which are not resolved are not particularly important. I find it a bit off-putting when everything is wrapped up neatly at the end. The only thing I really care about being resolved is the HEA
- The introduction of the secondary characters, aside from the sisters, is great. It's not clear up-front who the heroine will end up with, and I absolutely loved that ambiguity. It made for a much more entertaining read, and, at a time when an aristocratic woman's lot in life was to essentially marry, probably more realistic.
- I loved Rafe. Paunchy, a bit of a drinker, but essentially a wonderful human being. I can't wait for him to find true love.

Things I didn't much like:
- The heroine was a bit irritating. Yes, I get that she felt she raised her sisters and was in-charge, but it would have actually been a bit more interesting to make her the irresponsible oldest sibling (yes, they do exist). It just felt a bit formulaic.
- She interfered with the hero's family, and I felt she should have been made the see the error of her ways more clearly. I wouldn't have wanted to see her exactly "punished", but the hero didn't even lose his cool and she effectively interfered when she was clearly told to keep her nose out. I just don't think she should have got away with that.
- All the sisters are described as "beautiful". This is a minor peeve in the bigger scale of things, but it does annoy me. Can't just one of them being Miss, or Lady, Average rather than paragons of exceptional beauty. Gets a bit wearing, to be honest.

So, overall, nice story, nice background, well-written, providing a really great introduction to the rest of the series, without overwhelming with lists of physical attributes for the entire cast.

4 stars.