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katrinaward's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism
Moderate: Racial slurs, Colonisation, and Sexual assault
blewballoon's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
This is an excellent historical fiction romance. The setting is clearly well researched and the story is immersed in Victorian Era culture and fashion, with nuance. I do enjoy spicy books, but I found it refreshing to not have explicit spice here. The romance is chaste, with no on page sex scenes, but there was plenty of physical chemistry and intimacy between the characters. I felt their pull towards each other. Their dressmaking interactions were an excellent example of how you can create incredibly sensual moments without there being literal sex. I also felt their friendship and partnership growing the more they interacted. It was refreshing how open and honest they were to each other, yet there was still plenty of pining and tension. Evelyn starts the story somewhat naive due to her upbringing, but she is not willfully ignorant and is physically and emotionally strong. Ahmad is guarded and a bit cynical, but very compassionate and kindhearted. They are both genuinely talented and hard working in their respective areas, and respect each other's abilities. The side characters are interesting, but also serve to move the story forward. I listened to this on audio and I found myself thinking about it all the time when I wasn't listening. I had really high hopes for this one, and it met them. Mimi Matthews is probably going to be a new favorite author for me.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Racism and Racial slurs
Minor: Pregnancy, Sexual assault, Xenophobia, and Sexual content
sydapel's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
Followed the thing I did as a kid where I picked up a book entirely for the horse on the cover, but I despite a lackluster start and the lack of steam, I liked this! It's clearly setting up an entire series, so there's quite a bit going on, but I liked the central relationship a lot, especially Evie's determination to create a life for herself and Ahmad. I feel a bit weird about a white woman writing from the perspective of a half Indian person, but I can't speak to how well or badly it's handled. I wish that there had been less focus on side plots so that we could dedicate a little more time to Evie and Ahmad's physical relationship, but this is a good entry into historicals if that's what you're looking for.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism and Xenophobia
Moderate: Sexism and Sexual assault
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