The Admiral's Penniless Bride (Harlequin Historical)

The Admiral's Penniless Bride - Carla Kelly I liked the way this book started off. I loved it, in fact. The Admiral is such a sweetheart and so nice and kind and charming! I loved the humour in this book, the banter and chattering. What I didn't like was the lack of romance and passion. The *ahem* scenes completely turned me off, I didn't FEEL anything at all! They were so very awful! I also didn't like that Sophie kept whining about the past. AND the fact that she ran away and left him, never even once thinking to tell him that she's pregnant with his child. I know, I know, he almost threw the paper weight at her. But he was entitled, she didn't even deem him worthy enough to tell the truth! And when it blows up in her face (deservedly so), she leaves him. UGH. COWARD HEROINES LIKE THESE MAKE ME SO mad!!Okay okay, enough bitchin' about the heroine now. Let's go back to the hero. Like I said, I loved how he was so kind and good and considerate. (One point in favour of the heroine - at least she recognised the good in him and was grateful for it. But bleh, she canceled that by comparing him with her husband at EVERY TURN. UGH.) Sorry, I keep getting side-tracked. So about the Admiral. His hook, naturally, made him ten times hotter, but as I mentioned before, I didn't really feel the passion in the book. Maybe it was the ages, him being 45 and her 32, maybe it was the dreadful, sloppy and yucky sex scenes or maybe it was how both of them wanted each other, but still wanted the marriage to be one of 'convenience'. Crazy people, I tell you.But okay, for real, it was a good book. The author writes very well, and her flow is smooth and enjoyable. Thus the third star.