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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
wilybooklover's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
4.0
A beautifully woven story full of longing and rich in historical detail.
I wish this had been a bit more slow burn, with more of a friendship forming first. It felt more like insta-lust the way they were so instantly enamoured of each other; a slower start would have been a bit more believable. Still, I loved both Ahmad and Evelyn separately and together. I especially enjoyed how respectful Ahmad was of women — not just middle- and upper-class women like Evelyn, but all women right down to sex workers. Evie’s independence and determination sets her up to be his ideal match despite the significant barrier of race and class. Their romance was so heartfelt and tender, full of simmering tension during the dressmaking scenes. Even when they didn’t think they could be together, they were open and honest about their feelings with each other.
I do think that you need to like both fashion and horses in order to enjoy this book, since they take such a prominent place in the plot. There’s also significant discussion on racism and colonialism that’s very naturally woven into Ahmad’s experience as a mixed race man in Victorian London. I loved that Evie takes it upon herself to buy books on India to inform herself on Ahmad’s experience. The addition of spiritualism was perhaps one plot point too many — all of these different things going on (there’s also subplots with Evie’s friends, one of Ahmad’s customers, Ahmad’s cousin, and Evie's sister) are kind of a detriment to the building romance, which could have had more focus.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism, Colonisation, Xenophobia, and Sexual harassment
Moderate: Misogyny, Racial slurs, and Violence
Minor: Sexual content, Suicide, Death of parent, Pregnancy, and Panic attacks/disorders
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