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Cargando... Being Improperpor Alexandra O'Hurley
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"Born into world as mere chattel, Carrie Scott rebels against the oppression women are dealt in 1897 Philadelphia the only way she knows how-by hiding under layers of black mourning clothes worn for a fiance she respected but did not love. Freedom from the marriage auction block allowed her the quiet she needed, but the lonely life eventually made her body yearn for more. Dr. Matthew Gibson was floored to see his best friend's little sister standing in his office, now the full fledged beauty he had always expected her to become. But the fact she was asking to be treated for "Female Hysteria" made his fingers itch to touch her and claim her as his own. Neither knew that the one afternoon in his office would change their lives forever."-- No se han encontrado descripciones de biblioteca. |
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Carrie is a young woman who feels trapped by the fact that she was born a female. She despised the endless parade of suitors lining up at her door, but she eventually met one who was sweet and unassuming. They hit it off, became close friends, and eventually became engaged. Carrie didn't truly love him, but knowing that many marriages were based on far less than deep friendship, decided it would be a good match. Unfortunately, the young man was tragically killed. Unwilling to put herself back on the market, she has stubbornly continued to wear her mourning clothes for two years. Carrie feels stifled, constricted and about to loose her mind if she can't break free and gain her independence from her strict father. When a friend tells her about having been treated for female hysteria, Carrie think she may have the affliction too. She can't bear the thought of talking to the older doctors about such a thing, so she goes to a young doctor who is a long-time, family friend. She has also had a crush on him since she was a girl, and quickly finds herself falling in love and wanting more from him. I thought it took some courage on her part to ask for what she thought she needed, and she was very responsive to Matthew when he gave her the slightest hint of interest. I think having these two be friends for years made the rapid development of the relationship more believable.
Matthew had been attracted to Carrie too, but at the time he went away to Harvard, he knew she was still too young for him. Once he returned, she was wrapped in mourning garb, and he has been patiently waiting for her to shed the widow's weeds and come back to life. When Carrie comes to him seeking treatment, he can't bear to let a machine perform such an intimate task for the woman he's loved for so long. Matthew was a sweet, kind and gentle man who would do just about anything to win Carrie. Aside from when his protective instincts kicked in, he was definitely a beta hero. He is certainly a man who respected Carrie although almost to the point of loosing her. He kept his distance when he knew she was too young, then continued to keep his distance while he thought she was still in mourning. When the opportunity to get closer to her finally presented itself, he wouldn't let go, but even still he exhibited a great deal of self-control and respected her enough to wait until they were married to make love, which was very romantic to me. Matthew was just an all-around wonderful hero.
Between the likable characters and the enjoyable and steamy premise, Being Improper could have been a fabulous read, but the reason I couldn't give it a higher rating is because the author made some glaring technical errors. First was her repeated use of the word petticoat (which is a layered underskirt) when I know she meant pantaloons (the ladies undergarment). Next, there was a scene where the hero was driving himself in a hansom which is highly unlikely given that a hansom was a carriage for hire and the equivalent of a modern-day taxi cab. Lastly (and this isn't even a historical authenticity issue), the author apparently does not know where the hymen is located. Having just recently taken a workshop on writing love scenes, I know it's something I'll never forget, and once the hero is three inches inside... sorry, hon, but it's long gone.;-) Normally, I'm not a huge stickler for historical details and can usually allow a lot of leeway for the sake of literary license, but these mistakes were so elementary (even my husband who knows virtually nothing about historical romance knew these things), that I couldn't help knocking a few points off for them. All three together would have taken less than ten minutes to research for accuracy, and I can't believe they not only got past the author but also the editor. The overall writing could have used more polish as well. There were lots of little things like grammar, punctuation, incomplete/run-on sentences and clunky word choices that really should have been cleaned up before publication. However, if these things won't bother the reader overmuch, I would definitely recommend this novella. Being Improper was a sweet, tender romance that had some decent character development considering its short length. This was my first read by Alexandra O'Hurley, and overall, it has left me open to the possibility of trying something else by her. I just hope she'll try harder to get her facts straight next time. ( )