Saffron A. Kent is an author who shot upward at rocket speed to the position of most revered authors as a romance reader and then plunged on a downward trajectory at a speed that has been heartbreaking to say the least. Her novel The Unrequited (and I keep talking about this in every review of her books since – most probably), was one of a kind, and Ms. Kent’s backlist contained a couple of really great books which I adored. It is her latest books that have been troublesome for me to wade through, this huge “transformation” of her writing style that has been difficult to immerse myself in, which has been a heartbreaking experience for me all around.

Hey, Mister Marshall, the fourth installment of the St. Mary’s Rebels series is actually the story that I anticipated the most when the series was first announced, the story of Alaric Rule Marshall and Poe Austen Blyton, the angst-ridden road to happily ever after for a very particular guardian and his ward. First published in June of last year, and told in the first person from the view of both the protagonists, this is a review that I write with a broken heart as I feel that this is where I bid goodbye to future books from Ms. Kent, unless I have a very good reason to return to them.

Alaric is a history professor specializing in the Renaissance era, already head of department at the age of 31. Poe is 14 years old when she is forced to move into his home, live with a man who refuses to even talk to her. For Poe who has lived most of her life taking care of herself given the diva nature of her mother, a famous soap opera actress, it should have been an easy transition to move from New York to the home of her guardian. But the loss of one’s mother, the only parent she has known, has its downward spiraling effect on even the best of us.

Years pass, and it is an 18 year old Poe that is enrolled in the very school at which Alaric is employed, the school for “troubled” teenagers which seeks to discipline them. Poe knows that this is the punishment that she must endure for daring to fall in love, for breaking the rules as set by her guardian, the sole reason as to why she was sent to the school.

Needless to say, things happen, Alaric and Poe spend time together, and Poe starts to realize that Alaric too is not immune to all that she is, no matter how much he might pretend otherwise, or tries to push her away and keep her at arms length. But Alaric never factored in the force to be reckoned with that is Poe, when she is at her most determined.

To be honest, this was still a “better” book than My Darling Arrow, the debut book in the series. As much as it pains me to say this, I stopped reading the second book in the series, A Gorgeous Villain, half way through, because I just couldn’t take it anymore. Perhaps the reason I stuck through with this one was because a) I had waited so long for Alaric and Poe’s story, and b) some of Poe’s determination must have rubbed off on me to see this through.

As I mentioned earlier, it is the stark difference that is felt in Ms. Kent’s prose that is the bitterest pill to swallow when all is said and done. It actually makes me wonder whether I am reading stories written by the same author, and whether it was actually Ms. Kent who wrote the earlier books, where she wrote dark characters who were true to where the story led them, where she wasn’t afraid of pushing the boundaries that may be frowned upon by the larger romance reader base, and where she told a story of such grit and heart that your whole being is invested in the outcome, no matter what.

Compared to that, these recent books read like the stuff of your worst nightmares, written by someone who flunked their writing class and yet is bold enough to subject us to this kind of drivel. The repetition in each and every book since is tedious to the point where you are skimming through huge chunks of each chapter, just because you have invested all that time in the story and want to see it through. To be frank, this story could have actually been a novella for what it was worth.

Though Alaric reminded me of Thomas from Unrequited in some ways, I just could not get past the immature inner voices of both Alaric and Poe. Now with Poe you could understand given that she was at first fourteen and then eighteen years old as the tale unfolds – she is in effect, a teenager. It is Alaric’s voice having the same vibe which grates on the nerves. He is a 31 year old when the story begins, a double PhD holder – one must wonder whether he got permanent head damage, and twice, which must be the reason for all this nonsense.

Also what is with the annoying way of stating each character’s name in half and then in full during the inner monologues? At one point, this is Alaric; “And here I thought that I’d already made it, my biggest mistake. Four years ago. When she came into my life. And when I forced her to stay. Poe Blyton. Poe Austen Blyton.” At another, this is Poe; “Him, him, and him. It has all been about him. Alaric Rule Marshall. My soulmate.” – I just can’t!

The funniest bit though was when I snorted at the point where Poe realizes she is in love with Alaric – while he is shagging her in the arse. Just poetic!

Recommended for fans of young adult romances – this is as whiny as it gets!

Final Verdict: It is with a heavy heart that I bid adios to an author whose earlier works I will always treasure. Ms. Kent, it has been bittersweet!

Favorite Quotes

This man.
Of dark hair and dark eyes.
With the broadest shoulders I’ve ever seen and the deepest voice I have ever heard. This man with a name that sounded so ancient and boring when I first heard it, but it made sense when I saw him.
When I saw his face, I knew why he was named something classic and vintage.
It’s because he is classic and vintage. It’s because every feature on his face, every line and angle, every plane and crest, is quintessential.
It’s because he’s the very definition of male beauty.
It’s insane actually.
How fucking beautiful he is. It’s unreal.

Purchase Links: Amazon