Uploaded April 2026 | Updated September 2026, 4 days ago
Set in an alternate history where women can inherit English titles, this book takes some big risks that I appreciate. The political realities and stakes are immediately upset by this new timeline, but, there is still a weight to this romance and high stakes both personal and political. Both romantic leads are allowed to be messy and have pasts. Celine is a courtesan that has survived poverty and revolution and continues to fight for survival. She is also shrewd and a good reader of people, without judging them on superficial merits. Kate is born of the more typical tortured romantic hero with a dark past cloth. And the way the truth of this dark past unfolds is wonderful in terms of the pacing and complicating of character, but also makes it potentially easy for readers not to sympathize with Kate, and there’s always the chance that some readers may find her irredeemable. In Kate’s cousin Royce as well, we have the setup for a potential redeemed rake down the road, but it doesn’t shy away from the realities in the moment. And a lot of this is underscored by the voice.
Born of historical romance, but also something different in some ways, I like that this is trying new things in a genre I love. And, it’s offering a potential direction outside of leaning in to more the more romcom style, especially in consideration of the packaging.
Thank you to St Martin’s Griffin for the ARC for review
#booktube #bookreview #historicalromance
Set in an alternate history where women can inherit English titles, this book takes some big risks that I appreciate. The political realities and stakes are immediately upset by this new timeline, but, there is still a weight to this romance and high stakes both personal and political. Both romantic leads are allowed to be messy and have pasts. Celine is a courtesan that has survived poverty and revolution and continues to fight for survival. She is also shrewd and a good reader of people, without judging them on superficial merits. Kate is born of the more typical tortured romantic hero with a dark past cloth. And the way the truth of this dark past unfolds is wonderful in terms of the pacing and complicating of character, but also makes it potentially easy for readers not to sympathize with Kate, and there’s always the chance that some readers may find her irredeemable. In Kate’s cousin Royce as well, we have the setup for a potential redeemed rake down the road, but it doesn’t shy away from the realities in the moment. And a lot of this is underscored by the voice.
Born of historical romance, but also something different in some ways, I like that this is trying new things in a genre I love. And, it’s offering a potential direction outside of leaning in to more the more romcom style, especially in consideration of the packaging.
Thank you to St Martin’s Griffin for the ARC for review
#booktube #bookreview #historicalromance
