Sigh. I just spent half an hour typing a very in depth review on my phone, only to accidentally swipe down and delete everything.

Maybe I’ll find the will to fully rewrite my thoughts, but here’s a truncated summary.

Tropes I loved: enemies to lovers, one bed, bad boy with a heart of gold, heiress meets the real world.

I think the Hattie haters aren’t seeing the big picture (AKA, that we have more knowledge of Lucien and his intentions than she does). Hattie’s feelings are valid, even if her actions are not always justified. For starters, she’s been raised to have a very particular view of the world—and when push comes to shove, she grows into a better person. And when she advocates for people, she doesn’t simply do what she thinks will help, she takes time to think about potential consequences and asks people directly. She has a tremendous character arc that I can appreciate. She’s not perfect, but she comes a long way.

Those who say Lucien “hands his balls” to Hattie make me feel sorry for them. She helps him become more vulnerable, and I love the way that he loves her. I do agree that it would have been nice for Hattie to empathize more for her husband than she does. That’s really my biggest qualm, and as the reader we have WAY more context for his life than Hattie does (which I wish would have been remedied, or addressed). But while Hattie isn’t always in the right, her wanting him to let go of his vengeance is not a bad thing. Though when all is said and done, it’s Lucien that really made this book shine. I love his character SO much.

Overall, I love that they help each other to be better people. And I truly adored basically everything that happened while they were in Scotland.

Now, let’s talk ending, which I know is taboo. Do I KINDA wish that last little bit just didn’t happen? Yes…I was especially mad that Lucie was still so hostile to Lucien (like did Hattie not tell her friend she loved him?). However, I can come to accept the ending.

Only because in some ways I think it speaks to Hattie’s maturity. I don’t LOVE that she left, but it has the same bittersweet feel of a Bronte or Austen novel (which are frequently referenced and used as parallels in the book). She’s spent her whole life sheltered and used, and she knows her resentment for how her marriage began would continue to fester. She needed to know she could rely on herself, and that’s okay. She needed to be confident that she could trust herself to love him without lashing out. And I think their reunion was so sweet.

ETA: I guess really my problem with the ending is that it was too little too late. I mean the book simply could have concluded where it was with three chapters to go, but the author threw in a big ol wrench. Even if it felt like something Hattie would do, I resent that it was done so quickly and carelessly and I would have preferred a slightly more HEA. The epilogue was fine though :)

This book worked for me in ways the second book sometimes did not (and it was a LOT steamier). Overall, I just really enjoy this series and this writer SO much.