Hmm, I think this is my least favorite Darcy Coates book so far. I will say that her writing is always fairly straightforward, and maybe a little cliche, but the simplistic writing style hadn't bothered me before. It feels lower quality here, maybe being in a historical setting makes the writing seem weaker because it sounds too modern? The story is a combo of Rebecca and Crimson Peak, but more rushed and with less nuance than either. It did shock me at one point though

when the completely evil aunt just point blank shoots the friendly maid and kills her.

The romance didn't work for me, either. I'm going to read the sequel anyway, because I have it and I didn't hate this, but if you asked me for a Darcy Coates recommendation, it would be another book for sure.