tl;dr
A sweetly written romance that takes a bit of a backseat to a bigger adventure plot. Lots of fun plot twists and tender moments that should please fans of the ongoing series.

About
Everyone thinks Dr. Barnabus Milligan is a bachelor for life, so it's quite a shock when his wife arrives to help him and the Dread Penny Society in a battle against the shadowy villain known as the Mastiff. It's been three years since they last saw each other. Three years since he married her to save her from her family, and she left after realizing he didn't truly love her. But maybe this time will be different. If the Mastiff doesn't kill them first.

Thoughts
As a fan of the first three books in this series, I immediately jumped at the opportunity to read the fourth. Like the first three installments, this book had a gentle romance, mystery, and intrigue, dotted with two "penny dreadful" stories that are meant to reflect the events of the book. Unlike the first three installments, the plot takes center stage with romance being secondary. I'm not too surprised - the previous books definitely implied that it was going to get more plot-heavy, and the featured couple in this one already know each other, leaving us more time to follow the underhanded dealings of the mysterious Mastiff who has been plaguing our cast since the first book. Armed with these expectations, I found I enjoyed every second of this. Like its predecessors, the writing was easy to follow, with the narrative voice shifting very naturally to match the POV character. The central couple were charming, with a good dose of pining, along with some very tender moments. Gemma's romantic heart was endearing, and Baz's bumbling nature about his own feelings didn't stretch as far as frustration. Their ceremony at the end is one of the sweetest things I've ever read. The main plot was well-paced and exciting, although the solution at the end felt out of place considering what we know about the villains. Overall, a great read with a startling ending that has me impatient for the next installment!

To would-be readers, I heartily recommend reading at least the third book in the series, if not all three, before jumping into this one.

Thanks to NetGalley and Shadow Mountain Publishing for an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.