I picked this up because Eloisa James made a reel about this book being on Review Geek's "10 Best Historical Romance Novels of All Time" list (linked below), so naturally I picked it up.  Eloisa James historical fiction books have been hit or miss with me, so I was excited to know a good one to grab. (Although Lizzie & Dante, the contemporary novel she published as Mary Bly is sooooooo good and I won't shut up about it.)

Anyway it was a rough start... I was listening and thinking how is this on that list? It's not just not good, it's bad.  Well I swear the first half and the second half were DIFFERENT BOOKS! It's on me for jumping in to the middle of the series, but it was hard to understand who the main characters even were and what their existing relationship was.  But then you get it.  They're not friends.  BUT BOY DID I FALL HARDER THAN PARTH DID FOR LAVINIA!

last night I didn't take my earbuds out until I finished it, and I really wanted to read Leather and Lark or watch Castle. I loved the characters and DEFINITELY need to listen to the next one because the Jeremy & Betsy angst was angsting and I loved the premise that they set up in the last chapter.

Not my favorite book, but definitely lives up to the hype and I understand how it could make a top ten of all time list (edited by someone else).  All I'll say is if you're not feeling it in the beginning, continue on because boy did it take a turn.

I just loved how self-aware Lavinia was of her needs in a husband.  And that she flipped the switch of "he's going to think I'm ridiculous no matter what so I'm just going to be myself and he can buzz off" which then made him fall even more and grown to UNDERSTAND and love and respect the parts of her she hid behind as frivolities in the past.  UGH

https://www.thereviewgeek.com/10books-historicalromancenovels/