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allisonwonderlandreads's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
In this historical romance, a detective and a journalist must team up to catch a murderer while the wrong man sits behind bars. Along the way, class and gender expectations and assumptions are interrogated along with suspects. In addition, a sentence cutting the upper classes down to size for wealth built on slavery and colonization was the realness I require in historical fiction.
It was fun to add a murder mystery element to the romance even if the culprit was glaringly obvious -- the investigating was still intriguing despite the fixed outcome. I enjoyed seeing the motives and connections uncovered by our intrepid team. I also appreciated having protagonists with professions and maturity with more on the line than an all-consuming love story. They both have expectations, boundaries, and are comfortable in their own skins, which was a refreshing take.
The romance is a bit of a whirlwind for my tastes. To be fair, there are a lot of interesting moving pieces to accommodate the plot. I didn't feel that the romance took a backseat, but it was low on angst and tension and instead proceeded in a streamlined fashion towards true love, etc. I think more than an increased romantic presence on the page, I was looking for a deeper knowledge of the characters and seeing the two gain that understanding of one another, as well.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content and Toxic relationship
Moderate: Blood, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Murder, and Sexual harassment
Minor: Child abuse, Colonisation, Infidelity, Kidnapping, Pregnancy, and Slavery
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