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A review by wildwolverine
After the Wedding by Courtney Milan
5.0
What a book! What a romance! Everything was perfect: the hero was sufficiently gentlemanly and dashing; the heroine was relatable and sweet and strong without having a bleeding heart; the pacing was great, and the stakes were real. Best of all, the plot wasn't driven by a lack of communication, meaning the hero and the heroine actually talked to one another. I wasn't screaming at my kindle and instead got to enjoy the ride and the creativity that sprung from a story helmed by two, sensible and mature leads. No tropes. No tripe. Just good story-telling.
Camilla is part of the notorious Worth family who has descended from lady to underpaid servant. She's married off in a plot to get her away from some powerful people to man who is also getting in the way: Adrian Hunter. The youngest son of five (now two since the other three died in the American Civil War), Adrian feels the pressure of healing what's left of his family. He wants to make up for the loss of his three brothers by convincing his powerful and white bishop of an uncle to accept the black side of the family. To do that, Uncle Bishop has Adrian doing a bunch of crazy errands to "earn" his love. Until those shenanigans end up with him being married at gunpoint to Camilla.
Starved for love, Camilla wants to believe that someone somewhere will care about her. On paper, she sounds like she'd be a pitiful character, but she isn't. She's someone who's faced a lot of trauma but who is very strong as she continues to be hopeful. She's resourceful, romantic, overly trusting, and an overall complex character who is fun to read about. Watching her blossom under Adrian's love and friendship is truly a sweet thing to behold.
And Adrian really does take care of her. If this were an old-fashioned historical romance, the two would've consummated the relationship on their first night as married couple followed by a lot of negging until the hero eventually learns to value his lady. However, Adrian treats Camilla with respect without overwhelming her. He helps her to buy new shoes and clothes without reserving a modiste for the day. He pays for her own room at inns and doesn't impose on her when she comes to stay at his place. Their first, illicit kiss is spicy but never once do you feel like he's taking advantage of her. Nor do you ever feel like she's manipulating him. Adrian is truly a kind man, and he's such a joy to read about on the page.
This is a story of two people learning to believe in their own self-worth, but what makes this a great romance is that they help each other to realize that. Adrian helps Camilla realize she's worthy of love and lemon tarts without sleeping with her (and when they do come together, it's precious). Camilla helps Adrian realize he's worthy of affection and sympathy and helps him through his survivor's guilt. It's a very touching story, but most importantly, it's a wonderful romance built for a modern audience.
Camilla is part of the notorious Worth family who has descended from lady to underpaid servant. She's married off in a plot to get her away from some powerful people to man who is also getting in the way: Adrian Hunter. The youngest son of five (now two since the other three died in the American Civil War), Adrian feels the pressure of healing what's left of his family. He wants to make up for the loss of his three brothers by convincing his powerful and white bishop of an uncle to accept the black side of the family. To do that, Uncle Bishop has Adrian doing a bunch of crazy errands to "earn" his love. Until those shenanigans end up with him being married at gunpoint to Camilla.
Starved for love, Camilla wants to believe that someone somewhere will care about her. On paper, she sounds like she'd be a pitiful character, but she isn't. She's someone who's faced a lot of trauma but who is very strong as she continues to be hopeful. She's resourceful, romantic, overly trusting, and an overall complex character who is fun to read about. Watching her blossom under Adrian's love and friendship is truly a sweet thing to behold.
And Adrian really does take care of her. If this were an old-fashioned historical romance, the two would've consummated the relationship on their first night as married couple followed by a lot of negging until the hero eventually learns to value his lady. However, Adrian treats Camilla with respect without overwhelming her. He helps her to buy new shoes and clothes without reserving a modiste for the day. He pays for her own room at inns and doesn't impose on her when she comes to stay at his place. Their first, illicit kiss is spicy but never once do you feel like he's taking advantage of her. Nor do you ever feel like she's manipulating him. Adrian is truly a kind man, and he's such a joy to read about on the page.
This is a story of two people learning to believe in their own self-worth, but what makes this a great romance is that they help each other to realize that. Adrian helps Camilla realize she's worthy of love and lemon tarts without sleeping with her (and when they do come together, it's precious). Camilla helps Adrian realize he's worthy of affection and sympathy and helps him through his survivor's guilt. It's a very touching story, but most importantly, it's a wonderful romance built for a modern audience.