While it was nice to read a romance starring an ace/aro MC, the abuse piled on him made it unbearable for me. Part of my dislike for this book was definitely a mismatch of expectation and reality - I expected a romp, yes. I did not expect something as completely far-fetched and caricaturish as this, and I expected the kind of depth of character I've seen in the other books by the author.

Women who repeatedly and knowingly make false accusations of abuse without remorse are simply not redeemable for me, and a love interest who defends these actions is simply... not of interest to me. ( )

This very silly send-up of Regency romance showcases Hall's gift for creating connection between profoundly flawed, messy af protagonists. Valentine and Bonny are A LOT, but their arcs are compelling and their happily-ever-after so very earned. The plot is fundamentally dumb (but that's the point) and also full of incident, in the manner of a serial penny dreadful (but make it low stakes as possible). The sex is filthy and funny (both, at the same time, how??)

I find the other reviews fascinating, as I was not Team Valentine! That is, Valentine is a sweetheart who deserves good things, but he is also repeatedly trying to marry a lady against her will, and also he is a duke, and I think dukes deserve to be tied to chairs. If you do not think dukes deserve to be tied to chairs, maybe this isn't the book for you!?

Tl;dr if the humor doesn't land for you, fair enough, but if you are in the market for a clever, irreverent, aspec-positive, satirical romance about a pair of erratic goofballs, check this one out.

Valentine, the Duke of Malvern, has proposed to Arabella Tarleton which their fathers wanted. Neither has any desire to marry the other but Valentine will do his duty. Arabella (Belle) runs away in dramatic fashion forcing Valentine to chase after her. Her twin brother, Boneventure (Bonny) travels with Valentine trying to catch Belle as well as pointing out Valentine's faults. Valentine is beset with much misinformation about his character and intentions during the chase. He also learns why Belle is traveling with her friend Peggy as well as where his heart lies. Can they stop Belle from running? Will Valentine's reputation survive? Does he marry Belle?

I enjoyed this over-the-top romp. Belle and Bonny are so dramatic in their words and actions. Poor Valentine does not stand a chance between the two of them. He has to try to talk his way out of situations where he is kidnapped, tied up, and threatened. Belle is a bloodthirsty creature. I liked Bonny and Valentine. I also liked Peggy. She was fairly sensible.

I look forward to the next book in the series. ( )

I was thinking of this very novel while ranting about the importance of character names on a writing subreddit. Part of the way one conveys one's world is via the names chosen; herein you will find some perfectly delightful examples of that argument, along with a wonderfully accepting subset of the world, a fiction that's very welcome in this year in a series of real-world trying years. There are many mistakes and consequences herein, ridiculous but heartfelt, and I recommend it without reservation. If you find you dislike it, perhaps later you'll better fit the rich silliness it offers. I hope so. ( )

I am joining team Valentine and DNFing at 18% (skimmed through the rest of the book, tho).

Reasons:
- non-stop annoying banter
- though some verbal exchange is funny, the story itself is not
- spoiled, immature, lying, hypocritical, manipulative, murderous twin brats
- extremely unlikable unhinged female character
- author making an idiot out of the only decent and likable character by forcing him to stick with the idiotic twins (yes, idiocy all around)
- author making fun of aromantic person and trying to cure him of it by the way of the above mentioned idiotic twins
- verbal, emotional and physical abuse, which is supposed to be funny(?), but made me angry instead
- this book reminds me strongly of TJ Klune (not a compliment)

Check out the rest of DNFs and 1 star reviews for more details. ( )