I read the next book in the series, Four Nights with the Duke, months ago and really loved it. Thorn and India were in it a bit and I was curious about their story.

Really, really enjoyed this book overall. I gave it 4 stars. It had a couple of things in it that I didn’t like, but it also had a lot that I just LOVED. I have read 9 books by Eloisa James and this is probably my third favorite (Four Nights with the Duke being my favorite and When Beauty Tamed the Beast being second)

Thorn is the bastard son of Villiers (a long time hero of James’ Desperate Duchesses series) and he needs a wife and wants to start a family. He purchases a large country home and hires India to make everything come together: redecorating the house, impressing the future mother in law, and securing his marriage. Villiers was in this book a decent amount, so if you love him you will get to see him again.

There were a lot of really sweet scenes between Thorn and India. I loved the letters they wrote each other. I loved one of their first true relationship growth scenes where they eat dinner together after India starts redecorating his house. I thought the tension at the beginning of the book was great.

I got frustrated with a few things:


Spoilers ahead!!!!!

I HATED that he had zero guilt over having a flirtation/affair with India while ‘basically’ engaged. Yes he hadn’t proposed yet but it was accepted by everyone that it would be happening.

I HATED that India lied about being a virgin. HATED IT!!! The fact that she didn’t confess and he didn’t realize, just speculated later...then the fact that she used it against him later in their argument...I did not like that.

I loved the fact that he dove into the river to collect her family’s lost jewels. I had a strong inkling he would do this from the first moment of foreshadowing. I guess I thought it would be done differently and was a little disappointed. I felt like it should have been presented as sweeter and more sacrificing than what I was.

Overall enjoyed it though!