Minx, Julia Quinn

It takes a minx to tempt a rogue...

Henrietta Barrett has never followed the dictates of society. She manages her elderly guardian's remote Cornwall estate, wears breeches instead of frocks, and answers to the unlikely name of Henry. But when her guardian passes away, her beloved home falls into the hands of a distant cousin.

...and it takes a rogue to tame her

William Dunford, London's most elusive bachelor, is stunned to learn that he's inherited property, a title... and a ward bend on making his first visit his last. Henry is determined to continue running Stannage Park without help from the handsome new lord, but Dunford is just as sure he can change things... starting with his wild young ward. But turning Henry into a lady makes her not only the darling of the ton, but an irresistible attraction to the man who thought he could never be tempted.

I was loving this book and completely high on Julia Quinn's writing until I got to about the last quarter of the book. I think Julia Quinn is a really talented writer and I absolutely loved What Happens in London. Part of my love for that book came from the light tone of the book. I am so frazzled at the moment with report cards, parent teacher conferences, and my mysterious & never ending cough that I cannot abide any additional stress- particularly in books I'm reading at the end of the day to forget my troubles in. So when things got more stressful in this one I got a little frustrated.

I was expecting (and hoping for) a similar light & romantic tone in Minx. I love the premise. The scenes when Henry and Dunford meet and she tries to run him off the estate are hilarious! They make a great couple and I was happy to see them getting together. I got worried when they were confessing their feelings for each other and there was still so much book left.

And I was still a happy reader through many of their jealousies, misunderstandings, etc. Where I got a stomachache was the whole debacle with the mistress... that was not cool, not cool at all. I wanted vulnerable & tender hearted Henry to be reassured and comforted not left to stew and fester for weeks & weeks! That was awful! I like happily ever after weddings not grit your teeth and say I do because the bride and groom are too prideful to talk to each other honestly weddings.

So my issue is not with the writing or even that one particular plot thread so much as how long and extended the unhappy portion felt to me. It didn't fit the light hearted, sweet tone of the rest of the book. Don't get me wrong I still really liked this story I just wasn't in the mood to be that stressed out. And I loved these two characters but I was so busy holding a grudge against Dunford for being such a jerk that even when they worked things out I was still a little bitter but by then the book had ended. It's like this makes me feel:



Now I love North & South both the book and the miniseries, but I have to be in right frame of mind or it is just too uncomfortable to watch it. And that is saying something because I love Richard Armitage!
So, basically I hate those kinds of moments where if the characters would just talk to each other or in the case of North & South just look at each other many pages of problems and misunderstandings would be avoided.

On that note I love the internet for providing me with 3 minute roundups of 4 hour miniseries complete with fancy font quotes and the soundtrack to The Piano. Cause I clearly couldn't find the above clip without getting caught up in some important Richard Armigate youtube research. Which leads me to ponder why he isn't making any movies I want to see...