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allisonwonderlandreads's review
emotional
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Instead of chicken soup for the soul, this was a zany, savory everything-but-the-kitchen-sink soup for my soul, and I am so grateful for it. I love a historical romance that is critical of the social and political systems in place, and this book delivers that on a platter alongside a raucous found family and a heist-in-progress. The Wynchesters made room for themselves in my heart ably and with little effort. There's a sister who disguises herself as an inept great-aunt (the JOKES), a homing kitten trained to carry messages, and at the heart of it all, a sister who excels at being invisible.
Chloe is a crafty woman who pulls no punches while remaining the queen of subtlety. Her deepest desire is to break out from her role as the one no one notices; her skill is useful for a heist or con but miserable for life. She jumped out at me as a kindred spirit fashion hoarder/enthusiast without the usually attendant hauteur and model status that comes with characters who share my obsession.
The romance turns tropes on their head and I delighted in it. Chloe accidentally kidnaps Lawrence Gosling, Duke of Faircliffe, when trying to steal back a family painting from him. With everything gone sideways and a favor owed to Chloe, she solicits an agreement for the duke to help her catch a husband and prepare her for polite society... but really she just wants to catch a painting as it falls into her inviting hands and her manners require no tutelage. It's not quite enemies-to-lovers, but there are false assumptions to dispel and correct ones that inspire change. I appreciate that Lawrence requires work, but he takes on projects of self-improvement wholeheartedly. It's a romance not according to either's plans. They see each other fully in a way they both yearn for, and the barely-suppressed longing is unreal.
I am SO ready for more Wynchesters and can't wait to start the sequel.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Abandonment
Minor: Bullying, Miscarriage, Kidnapping, Death of parent, and Pregnancy
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