Noble Destiny by Katie MacAlister

Straight from the bat I am telling you that this book isn't for me. I found the heroine grating on my nerves - not tstl annoying, just plain old annoying - and the humor, at it's best, tiresome. To be fair, google for other reviews and will find many glowing things said about this book. It worked for them and I'm cool with that. It, however, didn't click with me and I can tell you now that I wouldn't recommend it to friends. What, you may ask, is it about Noble Destiny that turns me off so? Here's a little background.. Widowed Charlotte Collins is a social pariah because she's...erm...brain dead (there is literally no other way to put it). Some years back, out of sheer boredom, she runs off and marries an inappropriate dude in an inappropriate way. Now, he's dead and there's hell to pay. Obsessed with regaining her previous social standing (she was once the season's incomparable) she decides that the only way to gain back footing is by marrying well and marrying fast. She sets her sights on an earl, Alasdair "Dare" McGregor, and successfully entraps the poor sucker into matrimony. Except she doesn't want to marry him anymore cos dude refuses to spend his fortune marrying her at bloody Westminister Abbey (well, among other things). Anyway, whatever, long story short, they marry. In the first sentence I see what kind of a character Charlotte is, I figured; MacAlister was pulling a Cullman - slaughter the lead and then redeem, and I'm all for that, a good trouncing is always fun, so I mustered as much patience as I could and trodded forward. I kept waiting and waiting for blessed redemption but, thank god, I didn't hold my breath. Princess Charming acts like a whiny ass bimbo throughout the book. It's all about me, me, me, me, me. She truly is an incomparable, for there is no other heroine more vain, shallow, and selfish. She doesn't give a rats ass if what she wants is unreasonable. Her wanting it (whatever it is) is reason enough and it should be done now. Husband dear is nothing but a sap who scrambles around like a puppy trying to grant this brain dead brat her every whim. Unfortunately, redemption was half baked and came a little too late. The dead, black, frozen thing in my chest (occasionally called a heart) couldn't be induced to care. My second major quibble is the author's attempts at humor. The heroine's misuse of words is one such thing and it's agonizing to read. That shit gets old really really fast. Maybe it's just me. Maybe my pathetic little asian brain can't get it, that's why I'm the only person who seems to dislike this book. Maybe the author was just being really precise and delivered an accurate portrayal of women in 1800s England and I just cannot appreciate that much detail. I don't know. But like I said earlier, this was my first MacAlister book and am now disinclined to read the rest. *edit* For the sake of fairness I have now actually read the book preceding (Noble Intentions) AND succeeding (The Trouble With Harry) this one and I am happy to report that they were a joy to read. I may still not recommend this one to friends but I certainly would encourage them to read the other two. I may even go as far as beg the author to write a fourth one cos I am absolutely dying to read about Nick and Thom (secondary characters in the last book).