Review: Surrender by Amanda Quick

From Amazon:

From the dazzling ballrooms of glittering London society to magnificent, cursed estate in the distant wilds of Yorkshire, comes the deliciously wicked story of a thoroughly unconventional courtship—and a thrilling midnight rendezvous that could only lead to love... At four and twenty Victoria Huntington thought herself quite adept at fending off fortune hunters... until she came under siege from Lucas Colebrook, the darkly disturbing new Earl of Stonevale. Amidst the brightly plumed birds of the town, Lucas was a hawk. And when he held out the lure of moonlit rides and wild, reckless midnight escapades, Victoria found herself powerless to resist. But becoming Stonevale's companion in adventure was far more dangerous undertaking than Victoria could ever imagine. For the attractive Earl would use her every weakness to woo her, to win her, and ultimately to wed her. And soon the amber-eyed lady would find herself ensconced in a crumbling mansion deep in the English countryside... where the real reason for her hasty marriage becomes all too apparent...and where the ghosts of her dark-stained past are waiting to rise up in a terrifying plot that will threaten her life, her honor, and the only man she could ever love.

My Review:

This afternoon I finished Surrender by Amanda Quick.  I'm an avid fan of historical novels and don't mind the steamy, scandalous tales or the tamer variety that merely highlight the glitter, glamour and romance.  Surrender, however, fell short for me on both counts.  I struggled through it.  I generally enjoy Amanda Quick, but this one just didn't hold my attention.  

The story was predictable and the mystery wasn't very mysterious.  The hero & heroine didn't have a lot of depth.  I didn't dislike them, but I didn't love them either.  The plot and premise was much like other dime-a-dozen novels  (heroine needs money, seeks an heiress, heiress is curious & unconventional, heroine tries to woo and/or seduce her, seduction ends in scandal, someone is out to get one or the other, mystery resolves itself, they live happily ever after.)  The intimate scenes weren't necessary or romantic.   I don't mind intimate scenes, but these fell flat and, in my opinion, felt like they were added because it's expected.  I skimmed them, flipped ahead, and it had no bearing on the story as a whole.

I like my historicals fluffy enough for a quick escape or so multi-dimensional you have to immerse yourself in it.   Surrender should have been fluffy, but was actually a bit of a bore.  Seriously,  I fell asleep while reading the last chapters this afternoon while the boys were entertained with their LEGO Scholastic Readers.  I'm thrilled it was a borrowed library e-book.

I very much wish my first review on this blog was positive and happy.  Unfortunately, I wouldn't recommend this novel unless you're a huge Amanda Quick fan.  If you don't have access to anything better, give it a go; otherwise, just leave it on the shelf.