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Bodice ripper books are in, and I really don’t care what anyone says.
This was a lovely pick—it’s the first in a series of older historical romance novels I decided to read, and I loved every bit of it. That said, I do feel like it got a little melodramatic toward the end.
Also, I hadn’t read a book from this author before, which is a damn shame because she is an amazing writer. And I’m not even kidding, guys, I finished this entire book in less than five hours, and the hangover I had after was out of this world.
I love a book that pulls me in, keeps me glued to my seat, makes me forget I’m hungry (aside from a few water breaks), and that’s exactly what I got here. So now, I need to check out her entire backlist.
I picked this one up because it falls into the bodice ripper category, and I was just in the mood for a darker romance—one that wasn’t all about Dukes, Duchesses, Earls, Viscounts, and all that boujee stuff.
I wanted a book where the characters go through harrowing situations but still find love and joy with each other. And while this wasn’t exactly what I was looking for, it did scratch that itch a little.
The premise of this book is a little sad. Mary lost her parents to a governmental mandate that ordered the execution of all heretics. For some reason, she’s being hunted down by a malevolent figure called Decimus.
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She’s had to flee from place to place, desperately searching for somewhere safe to settle, but she’s always forced to leave because he is relentless in tracking her down.
Eventually, she gets caught and imprisoned—until an enigmatic figure called The Dark One rescues her. She later finds out his real name is Michael, and they become friends then lovers.
But Decimus is still looming over them, determined to marry Mary. The bulk of the book follows her desperate attempts to shield her romance with Michael from Decimus while also trying not to get killed in the process.
I’ll tell you right now—Michael and Mary have amazing chemistry. They light up when they’re together, and it was beautiful to see Michael, this brooding masked figure, slowly come into himself while falling for Mary. And I loved how she protected him just as much as he protected her.
There’s this overarching sense of danger throughout the book, which really highlights the oppressive power of the Church in the Middle Ages. I feel like this is something historians (and a lot of people today) tend to gloss over.
The hunt for heretics wiped out entire lineages, entire communities and it was all under the instructions of the Church’s declarations.
And honestly? That’s depressing. Mary was a victim of this, and as the story unfolds, we meet other victims who later became key players in the hunt for heretics. It was tragic to see, but also really well done.
What I do wish we had seen was a deeper dive into the politics of hereticism and the Church’s negative influence, which persisted for hundreds of years. I wanted a more nuanced approach to this topic, but we didn’t quite get that.
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Then again, maybe I’m being too unrealistic expecting this from a romance novel. Still, I feel like these are important discussions that people need to be more aware of.
As I said earlier, the book becomes rather theatrical toward the end, and I wish that had been toned down.
The big climax felt like a bit of a letdown, which is frustrating—especially after investing several hours into reading a book. I don’t like when authors give their characters an easy way out.
Now, I’m not saying I’m into torture porn, but at the same time, make it feel earned. Make it feel like the struggle was worth it. Make it feel real.
Maybe it also wasn’t a great idea to have so many different dilemmas from so many different characters. It meant we had several plot threads to follow, and I’m not sure that was the best approach.
Personally, I felt a little fatigued trying to keep up with all the conflicts, and that did dampen my enjoyment of the book to a certain extent.
All in all, though, I totally enjoyed this one. Again, it wasn’t exactly what I was looking for, but this author is now on my must-read list.
That’s all there is to it. This is a lovely, steamy historical romance about two people who essentially ride off into the sunset, hand in hand, and I loved it.
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