The Sun and the Moon (Wexford Family, #2; Lords of Conquest, #2) by Patricia Ryan

The Sun and the Moon (Wexford Family, #2; Lords of Conquest, #2) Reviews

• 
  chan ☆

  on pause
• 
  Danielle The Book Huntress

  Short synopsis from historicalromancewriters.com: A rough-and-tumble warrior and an innocent intellectual embark on a dangerous mission to expose the scheme of a corrupt churchman and save England from civil war. But their plan may be cut short and their lives endangered by the undeniable, irresistible force of passion flaring between them.
  
  
  The Sun and the Moon is a love story between a female scholar, Phillipa and a dissolute, cynical warrior/spy, Hugh in Medieval Europe. They work together to infiltrate a spy ring with treasonous intent, in which one of the leaders is heavily involved in sadomasochistic sexual practices, and the hero has a history with her.
  
  This story is not the usual. It is a celebration of the golden age of historical romances, where there was more freedom to write an unusual historical, with characters who weren't in the 'norm.'
  
  The highlight of this story was the relationship between Hugh and Phillipa. They are two people that you would not expect to fall in love each other, because they are so different. The hero is a sensualist, yet cold to other emotions. He is not a man of faith, in the slightest. The heroine is a rational and spiritual person, who has not discovered her sensual side, despite being recruited to seduce a cleric who is involved in the plot to overthrow King Henry. Because she is a female scholar at Oxford, she has the reputation for being sexually free with her favors (an inaccurate one, which Hugh soon finds out). In the course of their investigation, they learn from each other how to express those parts of themselves that they kept hidden and unrealized.
  
  The sadomasochistic aspects linger on the edge of this story, not enough to take a reader out of her comfort zone, but coloring the story enough to reveal what an evil person the villain is, and that there are some aspects of BDSM that might be integrated into a healthy sexual relationship by interested parties. I'm not a fan of S/M, or particularly interested in BDSM, but it was interesting, and not abhorrent, to read about in this story. I enjoyed the love scenes, watching the heroine and hero explore themselves together, finding a deeper connection past the physical.
  
  I recommend this book to readers who want a very deep historical romance, that has an interesting story that goes out of the typical formula. It's well-plotted, and the the adventure elements are very enjoyable. The characters were compelling, and you cared about them. I certainly wanted them to get their HEA, and I was very glad that they did when the book ended.
  
  Reviewer's Note: This book is listed under the author's other name, P.B. Ryan on Amazon.com.
• 
  Rachel

  I so wanted to love this book because I'm absolutely obsessed with Ryan's mystery series featuring Nell Sweeney. Unfortunately, this book was a hot mess for me.
  
  As a fan of historical romance and historical fiction I know that it is often a fine line between making an interesting, plot-driven book and toeing the line with historical accuracy. Also, I think readers sometimes forget that people of the past were horny bastards just like their modern-day counterparts. So I don't begrudge authors of historical romance who want to include female characters interested in exploring their sexuality. However, such thoughts and practices would have often been taboo and certainly not CONSTANTLY DISCUSSED, ad naseum as they were in this book.
  
  Historical accuracy aside, Philippa and Hugh's constant discussions about sex and repetitive inner-dialogues about sex just didn't fit with the story. In theory Philippa and Hugh are trying to stop an assassination attempt against King Henry, to whom they are both supposedly devoted (Philippa enough so that she is willing to give up her virginity to a man she despises in order to uncover the plot). However, for the first half and even two-thirds of the book Philippa and Hugh give the plot against the King little thought and chapter after chapter are devoted to the same tired issue: sex. Either with each other or miscommunications about the other sleeping with someone else.
  
  This leads me to the part of the book that frustrated me the most.
  
  BEWARE --- Spoiler-ish Below -----
  
  Since the plot of the book is about sex and little else, the central focus of the story is Philippa and Hugh not understanding the true desires (read: sexual desires) of the other. Don't kid yourself into thinking this is a book about political or courtly intrigue. It's a book about a weird "romantic" relationship based on miscommunication.
  
  In the first few chapters Hugh is under the misunderstanding that Philippa is not only NOT a virgin but perhaps a woman who has slept with more than a few men. Ie: In his mind, Philippa is a slut. Forget that Hugh sleeps with a variety of women, that's okay after all, because he is a man... So to Hugh, Philippa is a slut and it annoys him that she rebuffs his advances since he is SSOOOOO in love with her after knowing her for a week or so (did I mention there was Intsa-Love?). He assumes if he sleeps with her she will be "out of his system" and he can go back to being his normal man-whore self.
  
  Well, it turns that Hugh is wrong about Philippa (shock). She is actually a virgin who embraced her false reputation as the town whore in order to keep annoying men like Hugh from bothering her while she studies at Cambridge. Apparently it's better to be a slut than a scholar... However, she has already agreed to sleep with some old-man-lover who was obsessed with her when she was younger in order to uncover information about a plot against the King.
  
  *****Side-Note Rage: When Philippa tries to convince the followers of the King that she can get the information from her old stalker through means other than sex, such as with her wit or her intelligence, they assure her that this is impossible. The ONLY WAY Philippa can get through to this man is through sex. This is something Hugh constantly reminds her through out the story despite her protests and obvious intelligence. *****
  
  Fast forward and it comes time for Philippa to "tup" the old stalker. Hugh now knows that Philippa is a virgin and out of the kindness of his heart (and loudly assuring Philippa that it will mean nothing to him emotionally) he offers to take her virginity the night before her encounter with the informant. There follows an awkward sex scene in which Philippa is both nervous and uncomfortable (but of course has a earth-shattering orgasm because that's what happens to most women when they have sex for the first time, especially when they are nervous and feel incredibly awkward... *rolls eyes*).
  
  This sexual encounter combined with the week they have spent together confirms for Hugh and Philippa that they love one another, though neither one says it to the other. Hugh leaves for France and Philippa leaves to sex-up the other man. Hugh is mad because he thinks Philippa wants to do this and Philippa is mad because she thinks Hugh wants her to screw some other guy after their "beautiful night."
  
  Oh those crazy kids! What a funny miscommunication! Ugh
  
  When Hugh catches up with Philppa later he assumes that she has been having crazy sex with this other man. Shockingly, again, Hugh is wrong. Philippa used that funny woman brain of her's to avoid having to "do the deed." Plus, she is still in love with Hugh because the "beautiful night they had together."
  
  But here is where it gets really bad and the plot enters WTF territory. SPOILERS
  
  Hugh does not know any of this because he doesn't ask Philippa. He assumes. Ass. Worse, he's angry that Philippa has been sleeping with this man LIKE HE ASKED HER TO DO at the start of the book. In his anger Hugh pretty much rapes Philippa in her bedroom because in his mind, she's just giving it away right? Why can't he have some, too? Are you swooning for our hero yet, ladies? Wait, it gets better. When Philippa tearfully explains that she hasn't slept with the informant and semi-apologizes for not telling Hugh (did she just kinda apologize for her own rape???) and confesses her love for him, he hugs her and says he shouldn't have treated her so roughly. That's the only apology he offers for assaulting her. In his head he decides he can't accept the weakness of loving a woman since he is a soldier. In order to push Philippa away he tells her that she still needs to sleep with the other man and then he leaves.
  
  So let me recap: Hugh deflowers Philippa, gets angry when he thinks she is sleeping with another men like he demanded she do (even when she tried to say there was another way), rapes her because he is angry at her, offers her a semi-apology, and finally, out of fear that love will make him weak decides that Philippa needs to be pimped out after all.
  
  What the FUCK?!
  
  So I skimmed the rest of the book to see if it got better. It didn't.
  
  I'll stick with Ryan's mysteries from here out, but now I'm worried about what will happen in that series if, God forbid, the author introduces any romance. Sweet Jesus.
  
  
• 
  Leyendo a Sorbos

  Curiosa historia ambientada en la revuelta corte de Enrique II de Inglaterra y Leonor de Aquitania 👑, en la cual damas y caballeros cantan al amor cortés al son de tambores de guerra 💣 Un romance épico el de Lady Phillipa de París & Sir Hugh de Wexford, dos polos opuestos condenados a atraerse por más que se resistan a dejarse el corazón en su particular "batalla" 😍
• 
  Mary

  The sequel to
  Silken Threads. This book tells the story of Hugh of Wexford, the brother of the heroine in its predecessor.
  
  I wavered between a five and four star only because there were certain actions by the characters (secondary as well as primary) that I did not like. But, overall, this book was excellent. And I adored the hero and heroine, both of whom struggled with some internal demons. This is one of those stories where two fiercely independent characters struggle for a long time before they can finally admit their feelings for one another. So, of course, this makes for some highly emotional scenes and a really good HEA. The dialogue between the two main characters is wonderfully intelligent and witty. It also had a good suspense element. The plot surrounds a spy mission in which the characters are involved for the King of England, so this aspect provides some necessary danger and intrigue that will push our characters along as their relationship develops.
  
  Highly recommend both this book and its predecessor,
  Silken Threads. Patricia Ryan is an excellent writer.
• 
  Kit★

  This was a pretty engaging story. It's been awhile since I've read a medieval, and I was glad I picked this one up. I liked both characters, and I liked the story, especially once the plot really started rolling while they were at Halthorpe Castle. The secondary characters were alright too. I even got a little emotional myself towards the end, which doesn't happen very often. I'll definitely be looking for more books by this author.
• 
  Séverine

  Beautiful medieval love story with a good plot and strong characters.
  
  I will probably write a longer review after but I wanted to share my first thoughts on it.
  
  I didn't give 5 stars because of some at least two hard graphic sexuel scenes that can totally offend the readers.
  
  I find it really sad that a so great history can lost its value with scenes that give you desire to let the book aside while without them it could be a really great moment.
• 
  Brandon Rami

  Uno de los libros que más me ha atrapado, tiene acción, suspenso y romance
  Me encanta
• 
  Emily

  4.5* maybe I should give it 5*
  
  I enjoyed this book immensely, much more than the first of the Wexford series. I admit it started out a bit weak. Powerful men, including our hero scheme to recruit an educated but “loose” woman to spy for them, assuming the best way is for her to seduce a former suitor. Hugh is extremely unlikable for the first few chapters. He is drawn to Phillipa immediately, and you get an early sense it is less about her attractiveness and more about her unusual lifestyle and intelligence intriguing him. This causes him discomfiture and so he behaves like a complete ass to her.
  
  But as his attraction and respect for her increases the interactions between Phillipa and Hugh become more enjoyable. Their eventual coupling was inevitable. No way was Hugh going to send Phillipa off to her target’s bed without having her first - more so when it is revealed she is actually completely innocent. Her innocence was one of the weaknesses of this novel for me. It didn’t fit the character we’d gotten to know. And I don’t mean her lack of experience, rather, her complete lack of knowledge about sexual intercourse. A woman living alone surrounded by men at Oxford for 7 years may have escaped a dalliance of her own (unlikely,) but would at least have heard details of the dalliances of her colleagues and fellow students. In fact, she talks about witnessing liaisons in alleyways near her flat when we first meet her and this seems to not phase her in the least. This book could have been just as good, maybe better, without using Phillipa’s innocence as a device for tension between our protagonists.
  
  When they separate so Phillipa can pursue her target without Hugh, her fake husband, getting in the way, a well structured novel of palace intrigue develops. I grant that the angry, drunken second sexual encounter for Hugh and Phillipa is problematic and his treatment of her brushed off too easily. But the ensuing relationship that they attempt to keep platonic is what helps make this romance feel believable. Our hero and heroine actually get to know each other, and like each other beyond initial feelings of lust. An element that is missing from the vast majority of romance novels. This, combined with a suspenseful last quarter are what, for me, make this a particularly worthwhile read. While it is infuriating that Hugh continues to encourage Phillipa to sleep with her target, I think we need to remember that they have been hired to spy for the king and must fulfill the mission. Hugh uses this as an excuse to push Phillipa away, but it is not so incredulous as a plot device since it is precisely what she was hired to do.
• 
  Marina

  Considero que la historia en sí misma se diluyó y terminó de distribuirse de una forma muy lenta, ya que su final fue tan embellecedor como rápido. Aún así, podría haber sido una libertad artística para lograr generar la misma incertidumbre que sentían los protagonistas tanto en la acción de los crímenes vividos en la casa real, así como el amor reprimido que sentían uno por el otro.
  Fuera de ello, es una narración altamente introspectiva y rica en el aspecto racional y espiritual sobre el quehacer humano. Pasajes como, "(...) te resulta más fácil abrazar la idea intelectualmente que ponerla en práctica, defecto común entre aquellos que pasan demasiado tiempo leyendo acerca de la vida y muy poco viviéndola."
  La conversión al lado romántico de Hugh una vez que hace frente a sus sentimientos sobre Phillipa (especialmente antes de darle fin a las encrucijadas que atañen su relación de meros espías) es tan fuerte como dulce. Bajo la promesa de salvarle la vida y perderla en el intento al no existir razón para vivir sin ella, el apogeo de su amor es tan culminante que el lector (si es amante de los romances) se sentirá fuertemente conmovido por una demostración tan potente de uno de esos amores que solo se encuentran entre hojas amarillentas de un viejo libro.
• 
  Carol

  From head strong to mild hearted
  
  A young woman with t he deep desire for knowledge meets a man of much strength, grandeur and wit. He is a Knight and has been summoned to return with her to spy on a the goings on at a neighboring castle, a sort of enemy. They arrive at their destination and because of certain acquaintances are allowed to enter and invited to stay as long as they wish. They are pleased with their l suck as they search for answers whether they are conspiring against them with war. Much happens and they are nearly killed from an explosion within the castle. Who has survived is yet to be known , who and why were they being conspired against?
• 
  Linda Luz

  Una magnífica lectura, después de muchos audiobooks por fin pude volver a leer, al parecer he estado en paro lector sin darme cuenta, solo escuchando, nada de libros leídos en la Kindle ni físicos, asi que estoy muy feliz por haber encontrado este libro que me encanto y disfrute.
  
  Que me encanto:
  *el romance se siente natural, no es forzado.
  *No hay exceso de sexo, justo lo necesario.
  *No es únicamente una historia de romance, tenemos vueltas de tuercas muy interesantes y la historia se siente muy firme.
  *Los protagonistas se hacen querer fácilmente.
  
  Que no me encanto:
  *Hugh of Wexford es un terrible espía.
  
  Conclusion
  Recomendado.
• 
  Bora Logbook

  Me suelen gustar mucho estas historias, sin importar lo obtuso y arrogante que pueda llegar a parecer el protagonista principal, pero eso es siempre y cuando se efrente a una mujer que luego lo ponga en su sitio y el sufra aunq sea solo un poco de lo que ella sufrió. (Vamos que lo haga sufrir) 😜
  En este caso, aunque el libro en sí está bien, la protagonista es un poco “blanda” para mi gusto, asiq no puedo darle la buena nota que me habría gustado.
• 
  Jennifer

  I have read a lot of romance novels. This one is something special. First, it contains the best "first time" scene I've ever read and second, it actually had a twist I did not see coming. HIGHLY recommended. (Note: This is a sequel. I read the first book, which was a solid enough story and enjoyed it. I would recommend reading it first just for the background.)
• 
  Sussy_lwp

  3,5☆ En general me ha gustado mucho la historia, sobre todo la hambientacion y no que fuera todo sobre los estudios de la protagonista. La trama me ha parecido muy interesante y entretenida.
  Sólo pasó algo que me sacó un poco de la historia, no está argumentado y me molesto que lo dejaran pasar.
• 
  Michelle

  Good book
  
  You people should just read this book yourselves and write your own review on this novel yourself and I really enjoyed reading this book very much so. Shelley MA
• 
  Oblivion

  Un final increible y precioso. Los personajes también tienen un fondo profundo y muy trabajado, sin duda una narración perfecta
• 
  Airis303

  Entretenido y para nada lo que esperaba en más de un aspecto, aunque resultó muy predecible. No solo descubrir quién es la espía, que se puede intuir casi desde su primera aparición, sino en la mayoría de los capítulos.
  Me entristece un poco el final, que me recuerda al de 𝑀𝑢𝑗𝑒𝑟𝑐𝑖𝑡𝑎𝑠. Parece que los protagonistas siempre deben casarse y tener hijos para ser felices, a pesar de que toda su vida hayan pensado y deseado lo contrario.
  3/5
• 
  Kim Headlee

  Patricia Ryan must be a fan of the musical "Camelot." The number "The Lusty Month of May" contains a line exhorting everyone "to do a wicked thing or two and try to make each precious day one you'll always rue." Many of the characters in The Sun and the Moon do more than their share of "wicked things" -- including female-dominant S & M -- causing me to rue the precious day I spent reading this book.
  
  The "Sun" is King Henry's soldier-cum-spy, Hugh of Wexford, scarred by a brutal upbringing compounded by 15 years as a warrior into eschewing all ties, especially those of love. Petite, scholarly yet innocent Phillipa de Paris shines as the "Moon," recruited by Hugh under the king's orders to uncover evidence of Queen Eleanor's rumored rebellion by becoming the paramour of a corrupt cleric, Aldous Ewing. More than half the book centers on Phillipa's attempts to siphon information from Aldous without succumbing to his lust, because she wants to keep herself untainted for Hugh as they reluctantly fall in love with each other.
  
  These machinations grind on against the backdrop of "courtly love" as purportedly invented by Eleanor of Acquitaine and further twisted by Ryan into practices that seem more apropos to a 20th century mindset than a 12th century one. Adultery and other sexual behavior typically ascribed to the practice of "courtly love" is a myth perpetuated by literary scholars mistaking jest for fact.
  
  Alas, the characters' actions do not constitute the only anachronisms in this novel. Twentieth-century words, phrases and concepts run rampant through the dialogue and internal monologue. And when the word choices didn't catapult me out of the story, the plot's predictability did. The plot did take a somewhat unexpected turn near the end, but the development brought to mind Marion Zimmer Bradley's quip to aspiring writers, "Suspension of disbelief does not mean hanging by the neck until dead."
  
  Not to mention the prevalent sin of telling the reader information rather than revealing it through the characters' actions, as in the following sample:
  
  'She shouldn't do that,' Father Nicholas told Hugh when Phillipa took hold of the [corpse's] sheet to pull it back. It was telling, Hugh thought, that the priest directed the comment to him rather than to Phillipa, as if his disdain for women ran so deep that he couldn't lower himself to censure one directly.
  
  Hello, Ms. Ryan! Your audience is smart enough to figure out that sort of thing on our own without being bludgeoned!
  
  Save yourself from a mental beating, gentle reader, and avoid this novel at any cost.
  
  (Originally published in
  Crescent Blues. Reprinted with permission.)
• 
  SidneyKay

  The Sun and the Moon is the sequel to Silken Threads, and it is another good book, just not as good as Silken Threads. Something else for all of you Hitchcock lovers - about halfway through this book it started to sound familiar... a woman with a bad reputation is asked to spy on someone... she goes to the castle... she must get in the cellar... something is going on in the cellar... she must get the keys... she must seduce the bad guy, even though she loves the good guy. Sound familiar? Think "Notorious." Yes, The Sun and the Moon was inspired by Hitchcock's "Notorious." Not one of my favorite Hitchcock movies and that turned out to be a problem for me.
  
  I didn't like the way Phillipa is used by the men in this book. I didn't like the way Ingrid Bergman was used in "Notorious" and I still didn't like it in this book. However, Phillipa and Hugh are both very strong characters and it was nice to be in the medieval time period again. Patricia Ryan is very good at setting up the feel of that time period, except for the over use of contemporary language. That jolted me out of the narrative and this time I wasn't able to forgive as much as I was with Silken Threads. One word especially - spy - kept irritating me. Every time I saw that word in this tale it just kept getting bigger and bigger till it consumed the whole page. Now, I tried to do some research on that word, because it just sounded so James Bond-age. I did find that it may be from the mid 13th century Frankish word espier or maybe spehon, and that the term spy-glass was around in 1706, so the use of it in this book may be correct; however, it's one of those words that I think authors should have care when using. Because, whether right or wrong, it threw me out of the story and I spent the time doing research on the stupid word instead of reading the story!
  
  By the way, even though I'd read the book before, I'd forgotten who the real villain was... and I never saw it coming.
  
  Anyway, if you do read Silken Threads (it behooves you to do so), you should read this one also. Just be prepared. It isn't quite as good as Silken Threads. AND, I still wish Patricia Ryan was writing historicals.
  
  Time/Place: Medieval England
  Rating: B
  Sensuality Rating: Almost Hot
• 
  LadyCalico

  This was a fast moving, well-written adventure/romance/ mystery, but for me a bit of a disappointment after reading Silken Threads for two reasons. One, the author failed to capture the same delightful, affable, devil-may-care personality of Hugh that worked so well as a secondary character in the previous book. He seems to have lost a lot of charm and humor, in fact he seemed downright surly. Granted, he was now on a serious mission instead of just having some fun while on leave visiting his sister However, the author kept telling us that the charm, humor, and affability were still there, while failing to demonstrate that they were still there in the dialogue and behavior. If one hadn't read the first book, this would not be a problem, but those of us who were Sir Hugh fans from the previous novel would likely be disappointed that there was little carry-through of that personality into this book. My second problem is that Phillipa was not as likeable, human, and sympathetic as the resourceful, plucky Joanna of Silken threads. Phillipa was a prig and a bore--as she was meant to be--however, a priggish and boring heroine make for a less engaging novel. After the conversation in Harthorpe where Hugh reveals himself as her intellectual match, and she sees what a fool she has been making of herself with her snobby intellectual pride and phony posturing, the author humanizes her and lets her grow, however, by that time the book is almost finished and it is hard to salvage any affection or concern for her or care whether or not she gets herself killed. The author does a good job of explaining the changes in the characters--I just didn't happen to like the negative changes in charming Hugh nor really appreciate the positive changes in the obnoxious Phillipa.
• 
  Julia~

  4,25 🌟
• 
  Vmontgzz

  Lady Phillipa de Paris es una mujer de 1172 que tiene fama de liberal y promiscua ya que vive sola en Oxford como cualquier estudiante universitario.
  Hugh de Wexford es un ex-mercenario reclutado por el Rey Enrique como uno de sus espias.
  Un antiguo pretendiente de Phillipa es sospechoso de estar ayudando a la reina Leonor en sus planes de rebelion, y es por eso que Hugh recibe ordenes de reclutar a Phillipa para sacarle informacion a Aldous, y conseguir pruebas en contra de la reina.
  Al principio el libro va un poco lento, pero en cuanto se instalan en Halthorpe todo comienza a ponerse interesante, con Phillipa tratando de sacarle informacion a Aldous sin acostarse con el, los extraños sonidos del sotano y Huhg negando que se ha enamorado de su compañera porque lo que menos quiere es estar ligado a alguien ya que perderia su amada independencia.
  Se me hizo raro que siendo un libro de Titania Romantica abundaran palabras que generalmente se ven en las ediciones eroticas aunque la verdad es que tiene varias partes muy subiditas por parte de los personajes secundarios, con cordones y latigos.
  En general me gusto mucho, fue interesante ver una nerd en el medioevo, porque eso es lo que era ella todo teoria y nada de practica.
  
• 
  Kelly

  This was the perfect book for me to read today. It has plenty of political intrigue and amateur spy antics, an interesting romance, and a surprising villain. I'm a tad ambivalent about the writing... the language and dialogue read almost like a contemporary romance with a few setting clues thrown in (trenchers, kirtles, etc.)... On the one hand, that's just fine with me, because an excess of archaic language irritates me (one of the reasons I don't often read medieval romances), but it did make it difficult to believe the story was set in the twelfth century. And I took exception to the dubious consent of the characters' second sex scene -- that was uncomfortable -- which seemed to imply that the heroine's implausible orgasm was her show of consent. The bottom line, though, is that the story is incredibly engaging (and maybe that my standards for medieval-set romance novels are much less stringent than for more modern settings.).
• 
  babyfishmouth

  I didn't enjoy this book as much as some of the others I've read by this author.
  
  The hero/heroine are great and scenes involving them fully kept my interest. Their romance is sweet and the build-up of the tension is done really well. The ending declaration of love is fantastic, too.
  
  What didn't work so well for me was the spy plotline. It's a take off on the film Notorious and I don't feel it translates well to a medieval setting. The secondary characters are a little too plentiful and one-dimensional and I found myself eager to get back to scenes involving only Hugh and Phillipa. The spy plot didn't hold my interest at all but I was happily surprised at the twist toward the end which I didn't see coming.
  
  Overall, a great romance buried in a less than stellar spy story.
  
  
• 
  Saba

  This is kind of a partial review since I haven't finished the book. I really liked this book until I got about 3/4 of the way through. I liked the characters and the tone of the book. Some of the dialogue was a bit too modern, but I could forgive that because I really reading about how Hugh and Phillipa dealt with their feelings.
  
  Then came a sex scene that made me want to stop reading. I found it really disturbing that a supposed hero could treat the heroine that way. Even HE acknowledges how horrible he was. It totally ruined the character for me. I don't even know if I want to finish the book which has never happened with a historical romance before.