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A review by cakt1991
Dusk's Darkest Shores by Carolyn Miller
emotional
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
I received a free copy from the publisher as part of a blog tour and am voluntarily posting a review. All opinions are my own.
Carolyn Miller is one of my favorite Christian Regency authors, so I was excited to read Dusk’s Darkest Shores before I even knew what it was about. Upon finding out more information, both from reading the blurb and being provided more insights with the blog tour information, one aspect did concern me, that aspect being the blindness of the hero, Adam. For one, I’m blind myself, and it’s always delightful to see representations of blind characters on the page (even if they’re rarely, if ever, ownvoices). But then there’s the disturbing trend where romance (both inspirational and secular) tends to engage in a trend of pacifying able bodied readers by finding “miracle” cures for disabled people so they become more “worthy” of love, and add the whole “miracles can happen when you pray” aspect of some sects of Christianity, and my skepticism mounted.
While I can only speak for myself, and other readers might feel differently, I feel Miller captured the nuances of the internal and external ableism Adam deals with upon initial diagnosis, as those he previously thought were close to him looked upon him with pity, either praying for a cure or severing their association, and Adam deals with the prospect of getting used to navigating the world differently.
And while I feared there would be a bit of a savior complex in his relationships with Mary and her father, I didn’t feel that was the case. While it was hard to tell if Mary looked on him more with pity at first, they developed a believable affection between them, and I liked that she was the one to truly see and support him as he is now, as opposed to mourning and longing for a return to what he used to be.
This is a really beautiful romance that has a lot to offer, from the tender romantic arc to the historical tidbits baked into the narrative. Fans of sweet historical romance will love this one!
Carolyn Miller is one of my favorite Christian Regency authors, so I was excited to read Dusk’s Darkest Shores before I even knew what it was about. Upon finding out more information, both from reading the blurb and being provided more insights with the blog tour information, one aspect did concern me, that aspect being the blindness of the hero, Adam. For one, I’m blind myself, and it’s always delightful to see representations of blind characters on the page (even if they’re rarely, if ever, ownvoices). But then there’s the disturbing trend where romance (both inspirational and secular) tends to engage in a trend of pacifying able bodied readers by finding “miracle” cures for disabled people so they become more “worthy” of love, and add the whole “miracles can happen when you pray” aspect of some sects of Christianity, and my skepticism mounted.
While I can only speak for myself, and other readers might feel differently, I feel Miller captured the nuances of the internal and external ableism Adam deals with upon initial diagnosis, as those he previously thought were close to him looked upon him with pity, either praying for a cure or severing their association, and Adam deals with the prospect of getting used to navigating the world differently.
And while I feared there would be a bit of a savior complex in his relationships with Mary and her father, I didn’t feel that was the case. While it was hard to tell if Mary looked on him more with pity at first, they developed a believable affection between them, and I liked that she was the one to truly see and support him as he is now, as opposed to mourning and longing for a return to what he used to be.
This is a really beautiful romance that has a lot to offer, from the tender romantic arc to the historical tidbits baked into the narrative. Fans of sweet historical romance will love this one!