Those old women pissed me off so much. How can they whine and moan about women's sufferage and how women should have the right to vote while also believing women should be forced to marry powerful, wealthy men??

She had ZERO concern for her daughter's wellbeing, mental or physical. She cared only for her stupid reputation and the money the Duke would bring in. Those catty, arrogant, self absorbed bitchy women are proof of why women should NOT have the right to vote.

It's women like them that make us all look like entitled dumbasses. It's no wonder men never took us seriously. It's no wonder men are starting to not take us seriously again.

Not an actual quote from the book but those women are basically, "we deserve the right to vote... so we can tell you you're not allowed to drink anymore! Ban the devil's drink!" And they wonder why no one takes them seriously. I don't even drink and I still wouldn't support that. They're actual idiots. 

As for the romance, if you know anything about me, you know I hate romance. If a book has a romance tag, 9 times out of 10 I'll throw the book over my shoulder and forget it exists. Even if it's not the main focus, I don't like it. I just want a good story with friends and family, no romance needed. Those are far and few between, though. Even middle grade books often have romance. 

When I started this series, I didn't know there would be romance. I can't say I'm surprised, really. I was hesitant at first, as I always am. The romance in this series is subtle, it's not in your face, and it's not gross and disgusting. It's actual love, not lust. It wasn't immediate, either. No "hey, I just met you and this is crazy, but I'm in love with you, because you're hot."

I find myself smiling at the interactions between them without even realizing I'm doing it. They're sweet and I'm actually rooting for them. Perhaps partly because I genuinely enjoy both characters. That's not to say Em doesn't do things that annoy me, like turning a blind eye to cheating or going against her own morals to encourage a young girl to marry someone she doesn't want to. That is annoying as hell.

Still, I like her. Maybe it's due in large part to the narrator, who does a fantastic job reading this story and voicing Em. I'm also in love with the voice she gives to Brady, who I'm still swooning over.

I will say, though, I don't like the romantic tension between her and Jesse. I can't stand the trope that men and women can not be friends without catching feelings. It would have been so much better if they had remained friends or remained to see each other as brother and sister despite not being so. It felt cheap to make them start liking each other, especially when she's already in love with someone. 

I thoroughly enjoyed this book, just as I did the first one. I'm excited to read the rest of the series if Libby ever adds them lol