Review: Diana Quincy's THE VISCOUNT MADE ME DO IT.

Thanks to the publisher & Netgalley for the complimentary ARC. All opinions provided are my own.

​ Q: what’s one of your fave 2021 covers? I think this one is gorgeous!

Shout-out to Diana Quincy for writing a viscount/bonesetter couple in The Viscount Made Me Do It, a daring combo that was fun to read for the first time.

Hanna Zaydan is the bonesetter in question, a woman who faces discrimination on account of her profession, her sex, & her Arabic ancestry & culture. But she’s not bowing down to anyone’s idea of what she should do, not even her mother & grandmother, who want her to marry an Arabic man & stop practicing bonesetting.

Viscount Thomas Ellis “Griff” has spent the last couple of years in tremendous pain but that’s not why he visits Hanna. It’s because he sees her wearing his murdered mother’s necklace & wants to question her about its providence.

The fact that she heals his arm when others haven’t been able to garners his respect for life & her beauty & demeanor capture his more romantic admiration.

But there are big obstacles between them & tbh, I had my doubts about how it would all work out.

The characterization of Hanna is often delightful. She’s ambitious, skilled, & she really isn’t afraid of much. There’s a flower scene with Griff—where she really lets her feelings go— that I adore.

But Griff is frequently frustrating to me. One mark in his favor is his appreciation for Hanna’s skill, but I find his overall attitude toward her & their relationship to be not as romantic as I would like. There are a couple of moments where I feel like he’s somewhat cold.

Hanna is a compelling heroine but sadly the romance in this one is a little lackluster for me.

3.5 ⭐️. Release date: 07/27.

CW:


Xenophobia; misogyny; murder in past