4.5 stars

This would be a 5-star read if there wasn't a specific scene that I found to be grossly misogynistic/controlling. I know that in the time period this book is set in, male dominance was a common, everyday thing. Women did housework and raised children. One of the things that made me like this, though, was that Jane and eventually Gifford (G) ignored those standards. Yet there was a scene about 75% through that ruined that image for me. I won't say specifically due to spoilers, as it is close to the end. But Jane made a choice that G didn't approve of, so he took actions he thought were simply fulfilling his duty to protect her. I thought differently. Granted, the time period is different so therefore society was too, and G did later realize his wrongdoing. Regardless, the action itself bothered me enough for it to still be on my mind a few hours later, so I had to lower my rating.

Otherwise, I absolutely loved this book. It was a perfect blend of real history and added fantasy.

List of what I liked:
- Jane was an introverted bookworm and against the standard protocol for young women in society. She was so relatable, and honestly what I think I'd be like if I lived in her time.

- G had a great character arc throughout the story. He first appeared as a brooding guy that wanted nothing to do with Jane or marriage in any form. He preferred running through fields and forests while spending his days as a horse. His growth by the end of the book was significant.

- Edward and the other characters, major and minor. There were a lot of them throughout the story, but I never got them confused. They were all clearly individuals, and I loved and hated them to a varying degree.

- The writing read as if it was all done by one author, rather than three. I couldn't tell who wrote what chapter. If there weren't three names on the cover, I'd assume it was one woman. They blended their writing styles really well.

- Horse jokes, witty banter, snarky one-liners, and Tangled references. This book is easily the funniest I've ever read, and one of few to make me genuinely laugh out loud while reading. If I had tabs or a highlighter while I read, I would've either used all the tabs or run the highlighter dry.

- The fantasy elements were incorporated smoothly into the historical society. I want to say this book takes place in the 16th century, but I'm not quite sure because I don't really pay attention in history class. I do know that it took place during the Tudor dynasty, after King Henry VIII (the guy that had six wives and killed five of them) died. Edward was the boy-king, Elizabeth wanted the best for him, and Mary wanted to chop everyone's heads off. That's historically accurate, right? Anyway, I thought the idea of the Edians was really creative and well-done, and I liked that they were used in a historical setting.

- The pacing was balanced. In the beginning, the story was slower but still entertaining. As it went on it started to pick up, and the last 40% was thrilling. There were twists sprinkled in throughout, but the best ones and all the action happened toward the end. It never felt rushed, though.

- The ending was so hopeful and cute and perfect and I loved it all. A short epilogue set a couple of years in the future would've been nice for certain reasons. An epilogue in general would've worked. But even without it, I thought everything was wrapped up nicely.

Basically, I really liked this book. Even with the issue I did have, everything else was so great it's still a new favorite. If you haven't read this, you definitely should.