Something Fabulous

Format read: ebook (Kindle Unlimited)Reading time: 7+ hoursTags: historical fiction, romance, lgbtq+, enemies-to-lovers, regencyOwn a copy: noReread likelihood: 0/10sigh this had such a good start. The premise was fun (kind of tropey, but that's ok in these types of novels), the first couple of chapters were fun and humorous, but then, the middle of the book happened, and it was so hard to keep reading till the end.SummaryValentine, Duke of Malvern, is set to marry his childhood friend, Arabella Tarleton, because of a long-standing promise between their (now deceased) fathers. However, Arabella has zero interest in marrying the duke, and the feeling is mutual. In between these two is Bonaventure “Bonny” Tarleton, Arabella's twin brother. Being the doting brother that he is, he tries to reconcile the two would-be lovers by embarking with Valentine on a cross-country chase to find his runaway sister. During their time together, however, Valentine and Bonny grow closer until their feelings are unavoidable, creating a hairy situation with regard to Valentine's reluctant bride.ReviewArabella's stunt of running away from her forced marriage made sense when it was first introduced, but was it really necessary to reuse the same trick over, and over again, for 300+ pages? How many times is she going to dramatically run away without giving Valentine a chance of explaining himself? He also really really doesn't want to marry this nut, so why so much unnecessary drama? The fact that she gaslit the hell out of him for the entirety of the novel was beyond disgusting. She brings her melodrama to such an extreme that she very nearly has Valentine killed, to which she expresses regret when he comes out of it alive. On top of being unjustly horrible towards Valentine, she is equally horrible to her brother and abusive towards her partner, Peggy. Peggy does nothing but support all of her whims without complaining once, and yet, Arabella still manages to be emotionally abusive towards her by essentially just using Peggy's love for her as a tool for her own gain. Her presence in the book soured the whole plot. She is one of the most despicable and vile character I've ever had the misfortune of meeting. By comparison, Bonny starts off as much of the same as his crazy sister, but he actually grows and matures during the story. By the time we get to the end (of the overly convoluted plot), Bonny is actually a decent character. The same can't be said for his selfish, bratty, and unlikeable sister.Then there's Valentine. Poor, poor Valentine. What did he ever do to be so demeaned and mistreated at every turn? Everything bad that can happen to him, happens. Valentine essentially just wants to live in peace. He's okay with marrying Arabella just to honor his father's wish, but he expresses from the very start that they can be joined in name only and that she would have complete freedom if she wishes it. Even after he finds her in a compromising situation with her partner, despite being technically engaged to him, he's really chill and open about it? Sure, he loses his temper at times, but who wouldn't when you're faced with a deranged drama queen who constantly makes up lies about you to anyone who will listen? Valentine just wants to go back home and forget about everything, but people around him just won't leave him be until he becomes as exuberant (and crazy) as them.The main romance between Valentine and Bonny is also pretty laughable. In two days' time, they go from hating one another, to shacking up. Valentine, who until this point in his life had no romantic inclinations of any sort, suddenly finds himself head-over-heels for the carbon copy of the lunatic he's desperately trying to avoid marrying?? Their relationship makes no sense, and it feels as though Valentine is forcing himself to be out of character for the sake of the plot.Speaking of which, the so-called ‘plot' was so boring and repetitive. The novel could have easily been 100-150 pages shorter, and it wouldn't have taken anything away from the story. The events were essentially the same: Valentine tries to reason with Arabella, Arabella runs away dramatically, Bonny convinces Valentine to go after her, and thus the cycle repeats itself for another 4-5 times until the end of the book. The whole middle section when Bonny and Valentine end up in a cottage occupied by two ladies, and Arabella makes them believe that Valentine is a maniac, so they tie him up to a chair for the whole night, threaten him with a gun, and lock him up in a cellar until the next morning could have been eliminated entirely. That whole bit was really uncomfortable to read and, though it was meant to be funny, it was anything but. Overall, this was a disappointing read from such a well-loved and famous author. I haven't read his other series, [b:Boyfriend Material 50225678 Boyfriend Material (London Calling, #1) Alexis Hall https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1575987260l/50225678.SX50.jpg 73590298], and now I'm not sure I want to, especially if it's anything like this one.