A History Nut's Romantic State of Mind

This is a near-miss book for me. It has a good premise and I was intrigued to learn more about Clio and Rafe. Only the romance fell short. I don't see why they would fall in love nor do I feel I am rooting for them as a couple. Quite honestly in the end I was wondering about Rafe's older brother, especially when he turned up in the book in the last 20%.

Clio is an interesting heroine. She waited many years (I think 8? I cant be sure anymore.) for her fiance to return from the Continent to marry her and one day she decides she cannot wait anymore. She goes to her fiance's brother Rafe, the hero, who has the legal rights to release her from the marriage contract in his brother's absence. Rafe being the family black goat but secretly wanting to do right by his family, refuses and later embarks on a journey to convince Clio how great it would be to proceed with the marriage. Rafe is a boxer (or something of the sort, an athlete) who boxes to make a living. He is a outcast son who has a difficult family history with a perfect older brother, Clio's fiance. They are attracted to each other and many follies later they kiss and have sex (sorry for making this so unromantic but there really isn't much else to say. These are all just mechanisms the writer usees to fill a book. No many emotional moments). Rafe's brother returns and things goes downhill for Clio and rafe (not for me because I was more interested in the brother than the principal characters). Rafe leaves and returns to his boxing. Clio goes to find him and almost gets hurt. This is where the story lost me. It is, for what it's worth, the last bit of the story, but I was not crazy with the story to begin with. Then the train wreck of an ending happens.....

I am a very very linient reader, as long as I could connect with the lead characters. I don't mind a little poor logic or historical inaccuracies. I could, with much effort, tolerate jerky heros and whiny heroins. All is forgiven, if it is a emotionally packed story that tugs me at my heart. This book did not do that. I am giving it 3 stars because at least I managed to finish it a while ago. Nowadays I would not bother with the book and just leave it at maybe 40% and leave a 2 stars on goodreads.