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galleytrot's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
READ: Sep 2023
FORMAT: Digital
BRIEF SUMMARY:
In book three of this historical romance set in England around the turn of the seventeenth century, someone is out to frame the Lady Crofton for witchcraft, and they’ve done an excellent job of it by time Anthony and Sebastian catch on. With their power taken from them, the couple have to hurry to lay Bronwyn to rest, before the real Bronwyn can get caught up in the Sherriff’s inquiry and pay the price. No longer free to demonstrate their affections for one another in a public fashion, the men are inclined to see the slight against them paid in kind, before they can set up their futures to remain together while staying outwardly respectable to the nobility.
ENTERTAINMENT VALUE: 3.5 / 5⭐
This is the best of the three books in the series, doing a decent job of pulling together a plot that doesn’t squander quite as many opportunities while wrapping the series up in a satisfying enough way. Anthony’s character gets a bit more attention this go around, establishing a handful of friends who colour up his past and make him more than just some rich guy who likes to throw parties and tantrums in equal measure, and gets jealous a lot.
Crofton receives a suspicious letter from Sebastian’s uncle, ingratiating himself into Anthony’s good graces when not long before, he had been urging the death of Bronwyn to come sooner than later. This is the first strange event in a series of plotting maneuvers seemingly aiming to get the couple to end their charade, and when the threat grows too dire to ignore, they have no choice but to go through with it. An elaborate effort pulls off a convincing funeral, Bronwyn’s widower and twin brother go into mourning, but old connections and long-standing friendships mean that Crofton isn’t helpless – he will have his retribution against the man who stripped his power and autonomy away, and Sebastian’s acting skills are imperative to the cause.
TECHNICAL / PRODUCTION: 3.25 / 5⭐
I haven’t entirely been kind to this series so far, but book three gets credit where the others do not: there is one scene in this book that actually made me feel like Anthony and Sebastian have a loving bond for one another, worthy of their proclamations of affection, loyalty, and devotion. They had precisely one scene that made me glow and swoon. And then it all devolved right back into the extremely tired infidelity/jealousy schtick that the rest of the series was lousy with, and I got right back to saying, “Just break up already.” Alas!
I’m happy to say this book didn’t have nearly as many moments where I could see the plot taking a potential interesting turn that it never would. There was at least one noteworthy occasion I made note of, but it wasn’t nearly as big a problem as the last two books. Most of what happens in this book has clear purpose as being means to an end. All very predictable; the perpetrator is exactly who you expect it will be, and the counter-efforts at seeing them pay for their role all go off without any hiccup or hitch, because divine provenance is the name of the game when it comes to protecting our men from any true risk. So, too, do all their pieces fall into place as they settle up for their happily-ever-after.
FINAL THOUGHTS - OVERALL: 3.5 / 5⭐
It’s a satisfying conclusion to the series, although by no means will this one fall anywhere close to the vicinity of my favourites pile. What an absolute bummer of an epilogue, though. I understand that this book needs to set up its continuation in the Earls of Crofton series, but book one of that series returns to Anthony and Sebastian – I’m not sure why this story’s epilogue should be a recap of what we already knew happened plus a barely-there peek at how they lived, after the fact.
Also, Bronwyn’s bigamy was never addressed, and now she is dead on paper while still existing as Bronwyn with a child out in the world, and that’s a loose thread and a bureaucratic mess I’d hoped (but truly did not expect) would be addressed.
This book has representation for gays, bisexuals, and lesbians. There is otherwise little in the way of diversity.
The following elaborates on my content warnings. These may be interpreted as spoilers, but I do not go into deep detail.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Alcohol, Body shaming, Death, Grief, Homophobia, Misogyny, and Sexism
Minor: Torture, Child death, Death of parent, Murder, and Suicide
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