A review by wardenred
Her Every Wish by Courtney Milan

emotional hopeful inspiring 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

4.0

All these years, you’ve believed that society has given up on you. And all these years, you’ve refused to give up on yourself.

Much as I sometimes enjoy reading about high society scandals and intrigue, my favorite type of historical romance books are the ones focusing on working class people. And given that Courtney Milan is one of my favorite romance authors, it's no wonder that I really enjoyed this novella.

So often, the conflict in second chance romance stories is focused on dramatic misunderstandings and outside factors. Here, Daisy and Crash share the responsibility for their relationship not working out the first time around. They both made serious mistakes, and then they both had to confront their biases, learn to listen to each other, and figure out what they did wrong. I loved following them on their journey. 

I also enjoyed how hard the author leaned into the description of the social injustice issues and the impact they have on individuals. Although perhaps 'enjoyed' isn't quite the right word; the first chapter was in fact painful to read, because of how vividly written it was—the himuliation Daisy felt because of the way everyone reacted to her entering that context with her business proposal, just because she's a woman. There were many moments in this novella that really hurt, in the way injustice always hurts. But there were many heartwarming moments, too—between the leads and the wonderful characters that surrounded them, Crash's aunt and Daisy's best friend probably being my favorites. And the ending was wonderful, not just because the couple got their HEA, but because it really drove home how by standing your ground and persevering when the world tells you to shut up you can make things better for more than just yourself.

The one thing, though, that messed with my enjoyment a little was the constant repetition of the velociped metaphor. I get it! You need to go faster to avoid falling! I know how to ride a bike! I understood what the metaphor stands for when Crash first introduced it, there was no need to hammer it home multiple times a chapter for the rest of the book! Seriously, I think I don't want to ever see or hear the word "velociped" again after this. :D

Still, minor complaints like that aside, this was a great read. 
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