Review: How to Catch a Wicked Viscount

How to Catch a Wicked Viscount by Amy Rose Bennett
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

I was looking forward to reading "How to Catch a Wicked Viscount" by Amy Rose Bennett, but unfortunately I ended up being somewhat disappointed with it. It was generally a well-written novel, but the story seemed to drag in several places and the characters were not as well-developed as they could have been. Most importantly, I had a tough time believing in the emotional connection between main characters Nathaniel, Lord Malverne, and Miss Sophie Brightwell. Their physical attraction for one another was clear, but I'm finding it difficult to remember them having any significant discussions that didn't revolve around the fact that Sophie enjoyed reading while Nate didn't or, later, Nate's supposed inability to love. What exactly did they have in common besides their shared interest in the scandalous memoirs of Miss Fanny Hill? How could they possibly know that they loved each other when they spent almost no quality time getting to know each other?

Neither Sophie nor Nate was particularly likeable as an individual, either. Sophie's attitude really bothered me for most of the book because she was so down on herself. She really lacked confidence, especially early in the book, and had a tough time seeing herself as anything other than a "poor country girl" who was unworthy of any gentleman's attentions, but especially Nate's. Aside from that, Sophie just seemed kind of boring. I honestly have no idea what it was about her that motivated Nate to give up his rakish ways. As for Nate, I found his immaturity and irresponsibility to be major annoyances. The pranks he and his friends pulled early in the book were incredibly juvenile and seemed better suited to young men just down from university than those in their late 20s. They all needed to grow up, and frankly I think Nate's father did the right thing in trying to rein him in.

Overall, I can't say that "How to Catch a Wicked Viscount" was a terrible book, but I didn't find it to be especially memorable either. I did enjoy the introduction to Sophie's friends Charlie, Olivia, and Arabella, however, so I will plan to pick up the next book in the series.

*ARC provided by the publisher via Edelweiss. All opinions expressed are my own.

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