WhiskeyintheJar Romance

I like how this book started out with describing the Essex sisters and how they are all different. Series which have lead ladies with different personalities are always fun reads for me. (Wallflowers anyone?)

I don't mind when it becomes apparent right off the bat who the heroine is going to fall in love with, in fact I kind of enjoy how giddy I get when they are about to meet or are meeting for the first time. When Lucius is about to walk into the dining room and meet a slightly tipsy Tess the smile on my face was unstoppable.

The discourse between Derwent, Lucius's manservant, and Lucius is hilarious. I definitely hope Derwent sticks around in this story. I love how Derwent's eye twitching means to him calamity in the worse form, or to him marriage and just wants to escape the house while everyone is still a bachelor.

I'm quite enjoying the feistiness between Lucius and Tess, especially when Tess responds with "Much ado about nothing.." in regards to their kiss and Lucius's marriage proposal because of it. I love when author's work in the title of the book into the story somehow, adds a little something for me.

Such a plethora of characters that the main ones, Lucius and Tess, get lost in the mix at times. There is not much interaction between the two, but boy howdy when there is action it is intense. This is the first book in a series, the cast of characters are just getting introduce which is why Tess's other sisters get so much attention. Usually I get annoyed when the author gets to busy pimping her other characters for future books but the characters here are so interesting and intriguing as to where they could possible end up that I didn't mind…..at times.

I don’t know, after I finished reading the book I felt like Lucius and Tess's story was unfinished somehow. I felt like this couple had so much more to give! I would have also liked to have had more of Lucius and his thoughts and feelings throughout the book. The whole deal with Lucius and his parents felt completely unsettled, in fact the whole ending felt unsettled. There was a cutesy epilogue but it didn't satisfy me. This was a really good book but like I said before Lucius and Tess were pushed to the back by everyone else's drama. (My God Tess's sister Imogen certainly stole the show towards the end of the book for sure). Lucius was such an intriguing sexy character that for him not to be rewarded with a bulk of the spotlight, in his own book no less, was a shame. I would have loved to have read the conversation between Lucius and the Earl of Mayne on Tess's wedding day; at the end of the book we learn Lucius told the Earl of Mayne "to leave" but I still would have liked to read that scene!

This was once again sooo close to being a keeper for me; if only Tess and Lucius had spent more time together! I am excited to read the next book in this series, it's Annabel's story. Hopefully, with one sister out of the way that book will be less crowed and there will be more focus on who are suppose to be the main characters.

Oh, I almost forgot! What the hell happened to Derwent!?! I hate when authors introduce characters, get you interested in them, but never mention them again. Derwent and Lucius needed to have many more witty misogynist slanted conversations!