Doctors Augustus Hill and William Blackwood meet when they're asked to archive and catalogue a medical estate, but when Augustus discovers that his hospital is holding a 'true hermaphrodite' (the hospital's words, not his / mine) patient against his will as a sensationalist object of ridicule, the two of them join forces to stage a hospital rescue, prison break style, and their own secrets are revealed along the way.

Ottoman is very, very good at invoking a historical setting and using it to explore modern ideas without losing the authenticity of the period, and nothing in this book feels forced or is treated lightly. Augustus is trans and disabled and William is a man of colour, and ableism, transphobia and racism are all themes alongside the main romance plot. Despite that, it's not a heavy read; the plot moves at a fast but well measured speed, and the romance evolves quickly without feeling unnatural. The, erm, spicy scenes are handled well (ooh-err) without making light of Augustus' dysphoria, but showing that love is always possible, and indeed best flourishes, with respect and boundaries.

I did find that the plot meandered a bit towards the end, and it then pulled my least favourite kind of ending - the ending that no-one could ever have possibly seen coming because it wasn't foreshadowed at all - with one of the subplots, but the main plot was wrapped up nicely enough that I didn't mind too much.

A diverse romance which manages to deliver a feel-good hopefulness without shying away from what it takes to get there.