Ravished by Amanda Quick

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Time for another Historical Hellions book! The book chosen for August is Ravished by Amanda Quick. I actually read my first Amanda Quick earlier this year and really enjoyed it. I'm super excited to read another. The live show was last weekend, so if you've read the book or want to check out what the "meetings" are like, please do so!

Harriet is a rector's daughter and taking care of her household after her father passed. She is trying to earn enough money doing her fossil work to support her aunt and sister and prepare to give her sister a season. While exploring the local cave system, she finds out that thieves are using one of the caverns to store their stolen goods. Knowing it's above her, she contacts the lord of the area Gideon, a.k.a. Viscount St. Justin, for help. What she doesn't know is his sordid past in the area and why he's stayed away. They quickly become intrigued by each other and end up getting stuck together in the caves when the tide comes in. Of course Harriet is ruined by the event and so begins their marriage.

I really enjoyed this book. I'm glad that the second Amanda Quick I read help up to my expectations. I really loved Gideon and his growth throughout the book and really coming to terms with both Harriet and his parents. I enjoyed how he reflected on his actions and yet at the same time didn't even really care what the ton thought. My favorite scene was when they were having the great "Quarrel" and were at a ball. Harriet is trying to ignore him when he asks her to dance. He responds as if she agreed and literally picks her up and takes her to the dance floor. I could just picture it in my head and really loved Gideon as a hero.

Where the book fell short for me was Harriet. I enjoy the headstrong, bluestocking heroine, but she was a little too much for me. As I just mentioned, Gideon grows and learns how to adjust to having a second person in his life that cares. I didn't feel like I got the same growth from Harriet. While she fell in love with him earlier and was fighting for him throughout the book, I just wish she wasn't quite as headstrong. There were so many moments where she acted without thinking and it felt like she was constantly forcing Gideon to be the one to compromise when it should've been from them both. I did enjoy how she saw past his scar and was immediately on the defensive for him, especially when they got to London and were taking apart in society. Some of her actions were just a little too much and she never really seemed to stop and think, or even hesitate the more they happened. I also didn't like how she was so staunch against Gideon moving against anyone meaning her harm. I understand she was worried for him, but she was a little too stubborn on top of naïve that it just ruined my connection to her. Also she could've been stronger when she was "kidnapped." I wanted her to stand up for herself in that moment like she had every other moment before then. It just felt weird to me.

Overall I really enjoyed this book and love Amanda Quick's writing style. Despite it actually taking 3 days for me to get through, I still feel like it went quick. I just don't have a lot of free time during the week to read, on top of one of my main shows being back on. I'll definitely be picking up another Amanda Quick and would love to have some of her historicals in paperback because they have such unique and fun stepbacks!

Have you read Ravished?

Bookishly Yours,

Stasi🍎

STATISTICS: Ravished, Amanda Quick, 4-stars, 3 days, eBook, 385 pages, published in 2005