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I did not read the synopsis before jumping into this book, and maybe this is what I’m going to do henceforth.
I feel like if I had some spoilers, I probably wouldn’t have been that interested in reading it. But I didn’t and I was pleasantly surprised by how much I loved this book.
I loved everything: from the characters to the writing, to the setting, to the story – everything just came together so perfectly.
So, our male lead, Ben, is a foreign diplomat who’s nursing a broken leg. He’s informed about his father’s death, and when he returns to the family estate in England, he finds out that his father may or may not have killed himself after a business deal went wrong.
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Apparently, his father sold a horse to a longtime friend, but the friend later claimed the horse he received wasn’t the one he expected. Because of this, the father feared his reputation would be ruined – especially since his main trade was horse-selling. He became depressed, neglected the estate, and was eventually found dead.
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When our male lead comes back to the family estate and takes charge, his goal isn’t revenge, per se. He just wants to right a wrong because he strongly believes his father wouldn’t have committed such a deceitful act. He wants to make everything right, and he’s also dealing with the guilt of not being there during his father’s lowest moments.
The female lead, Julia, on the other hand, is sent to the countryside after doing something in town that causes a scandal. Her parents think it’s better to have her rusticate in the countryside – especially since she wouldn’t be able to cause more trouble there until the gossip dies down.
She’s sent to live with her aunt, and this aunt, let me tell you, is the best matchmaker ever. She simply took one look at Julia and one look at Ben and decided they’d be a perfect fit and she wasn’t wrong.
Usually, in historical romance books, we see families that aren’t united. I know Bridgerton – probably the most popular historical romance series right now – features a loving, close-knit family.
But most of the books I’ve read have fractured families where everyone is just being exploited for what they bring to the table. In our female lead’s case, even though her family doesn’t always understand her, they have this unique love and respect for each other, and that really carries through the entire book.
And it’s very ironic that she ends up being ravished – or rather, trying to initiate a ravishment – while in the countryside, much to her brother’s astonishment.
I should also mention that her aunt a total troublemaker who has shunned society and is happily living out in the countryside. When our heroine gets there, she finds herself facing a dilemma.
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On one hand, she wants a family, children, and someone she loves standing by her side. On the other hand, having seen society and the men in it, she realizes how hard it is to find an ideal match. Everyone wants her to be mild, proper, and compliant, and that doesn’t sit well with her personality or goals.
As she looks at her aunt, she sees a symbol of freedom – a woman who does whatever she wants. This sparks an internal debate: is this the life she wants too? In the end, she admits that while she respects her aunt’s choices, that life isn’t for her. And it all comes down to choice – what you choose for your own life.
When she meets Ben, she’s stunned. Her aunt made sure she didn’t know his identity, so the more time she spends with him, the more surprised she is. He’s not from the ton, but he gets her on every level. He makes her feel seen, heard, and equal. Even when she rambles, he listens. It’s almost as if he sees her soul.
For him, he doesn’t know who she is at first, but, while he doesn’t know her relationship to her aunt, he quickly realizes the older woman’s matchmaking attempts.
And, though he tries his best to avoid her, she keeps coming around, trying to help. They keep meeting in the woods, they even sort of adopt a hare together, and all these coincidences bring them closer. Slowly but surely, his walls begin to crumble, and he finds his heart opening to this young lady.
Speaking of the hare they sort of adopt – I should also mention that I’m currently reading Raising Hare by Chloe Dalton, her memoir about adopting a ferret and what she learns from the experience. I’m about 30% into it and reading it bit by bit because it’s such a lovely, well-written book. I’ll definitely post a review on the blog when I’m done.
That said, I could smell the third-act breakup coming from halfway through. When he eventually finds out her identity, things get complicated.
I’m doing my best not to drop spoilers, but I promise you, the third-act breakup really works here. And maybe I shouldn’t even call it a breakup because while the two are separated, their love for each other is still so clear.
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One thing I really appreciated is that there are no unnecessary misunderstandings. They get each other. Even when one is in the dark, it’s not due to miscommunication – it’s just because they don’t have all the information.
But through it all, there’s this deep trust between them that keeps the flame of their relationship alive.
The chemistry between them is what sealed the deal for me. That’s what made this a five-star read. I love when characters have natural chemistry.
They don’t even have very similar backgrounds or interests (aside from chess), but somehow the author makes it work. You get to see their relationship grow from strength to strength.
All this is just to say: this is one of the best historical romance novels I’ve read. If you’ve been following the blog, you know I almost exclusively read this subgenre and it’s definitely my favorite.
So please, read this book and let me know your thoughts! Read this if you want a sweet, cute, spicy, low-angst romance novel.
