You can leave it at the altar, it will make you out a liar

[sovay]

I hurt too much to sleep and the fever kept coming and going, so I read Courtney Milan's Unraveled (2011).

I am not sure I'm in the best place to read romance novels right now. I was upset at several points in this one by positive developments in the plot. That said: well-written PTSD, well-negotiated fantasy, questions of justice, reponsibility, and law that I think I last saw around Gaudy Night (1935) and Busman's Honeymoon (1937), emotional complexity also comparable to Sayers or Megan Whalen Turner, some extremely funny lines, and there are enough ways in which the central relationship reminded me of the most idtastic bits of Girl of the Port (1930) minus the racist douchecanoeing that I may feel oddly better about the movie. I actively like both of the protagonists, which is less unusual than it used to be, but enough still that I make a note of it. It is not the second sex scene's fault that I was distracted by wondering about the historical accuracy of its sexual terminology. (I think a lot of this book's diction is not especially 1843. I just went with it.) Richard Dalrymple is a disaster zone of a human being and I unsurprisingly love him. I suppose I should read the first two books in the set.

Comments

[selkie]

I'm beginning to think Milan could write a passably plausible diction for the era and that it's an editorial choice based somewhere in the depths of her publishing house's desire for popularity. Her research is certainly there.

Also you were supposed to sleep *through* the fever. There was a plan.

Love.

[sartorias]

I've only tried one Milan historical, and the many historical errors in the first two pages made me put it back. I much prefer her contemporaries, where her wit and strong modern voice are pluses, not negatives.

[kate_nepveu]

I think I liked this one best of the series because spacetoasters are my favorite. (Reference: https://thefourthvine.dreamwidth.org/170414.html ) I won't say it's the best of her books, but a hazy memory thinks it's reasonably representative of the historicals?

[gwynnega]

The Milan I've read is The Suffragette Scandal, which I enjoyed, though I was dubious about some of its historical aspects.

[choco_frosh]

I hurt too much to sleep and the fever kept coming and going, so I read Courtney Milan's Unraveled (2011).

That sounds absolutely terrible. I'm really sorry. But I'm glad it was a good book?

really OT but

[kore]

DUDE

https://legionofhonor.famsf.org/exhibitions/gods-color-polychromy-ancient-world

DUUUUUUUUDE

[17catherines]

I am SO glad you enjoyed Unravelled (and the other Milan books you have read so far)! I'm ridiculously fond of her writing, and basically spent the Australian Romance Readers' Convention going to every panel or talk she gave and trying not to look too much like a stalker, because she is just as engaging and intelligent in person as she is in her books.

[kore]

I think I am also getting the flu (despite having HAD a flu shot, augh) so I may check this out.