i really love this.

obviously there’s a theme with these types of books, especially by the same author but even with that each one is different in its own way and each character is full developed and distinguished.

hartley is lovely and i adore him. i love the “mystery” of finding the paintings and the fact that they’re IN THE HOUSE is just… wow. hartley’s portrait being the only one left in a frame is horrifying, someone really did go to the trouble to put them in the walls after lord humphrey died and i think it has to be the lawyer but what else would be in the cabinet then? the letters telling him to do so?

i think sam is a beautiful human and his patience with hartley is phenomenal, hartley’s trauma is respected and discussed by the characters without being triggering for the reader. i love slow burns and ones written like this where the characters are learning and understanding and not pushing sex with “just trust me it’s fine” but truly waiting for the other to be ready and feel safe is just perfect.

i just wanted a bit more, more of the mystery that was thrown in at the end would’ve been nice if it was at the beginning and developed thought. genuinely, what was in the cabinets??