Yes to everything you said--this is my main problem with Charles's books, as well, and seems particularly pronounced in her last few (this, Band Sinister, Proper English). She writes fraught emotions really well, but I do think often undercuts herself by not allowing those emotions to play out fully and therefore cheapening both those emotions and cheating character and relationship development that could've been really wonderful to watch. A Seditious Affair is obviously the pinnacle of this done right, which I think only highlights how often she falls short of the mark in other books.
I would even argue that Think of England does this, despite how wonderful the first two-thirds or so are. While I love Archie realigning how he looks at his past and having his own little eureka moment, even when those sorts of things happen it's not that simple, and there was so much more that could've been done re: how different the two of them are and their respective baggage to be worked through. I do agree it's one of the better ones, though; A Fashionable Indulgence actually does this nicely, too, I think. Harry and Julius's relationship gets a lot of development, and they both have their own issues that are navigated but not solved. It never feels trite, which is something I can say about few romance novels.
Really, letting the emotions breathe sums it all up, as you say. When Charles is good at this she's so good at this, so I wish we got examples of it more often.
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Date: 2019-05-16 03:57 am (UTC)I would even argue that Think of England does this, despite how wonderful the first two-thirds or so are. While I love Archie realigning how he looks at his past and having his own little eureka moment, even when those sorts of things happen it's not that simple, and there was so much more that could've been done re: how different the two of them are and their respective baggage to be worked through. I do agree it's one of the better ones, though; A Fashionable Indulgence actually does this nicely, too, I think. Harry and Julius's relationship gets a lot of development, and they both have their own issues that are navigated but not solved. It never feels trite, which is something I can say about few romance novels.
Really, letting the emotions breathe sums it all up, as you say. When Charles is good at this she's so good at this, so I wish we got examples of it more often.