This was a lovely read, with two compelling leads, a fully-fleshed out world, and a wonderful cast of supporting characters.

Anne, the Duchess of Hawthorne, is trapped in a miserable marriage of convenience. She’s dreading the return of her husband, his lover in tow, and goes to great lengths to prevent it - namely, hiring an interior designer to completely overhaul her house in the hope that it will be unliveable. Letitia Barrow, a designer determined to make a name for herself, wants to not only be appreciated for her skills but to earn enough money to comfortably support herself and her son. No prizes for guessing what happens next!

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Not only do we have slightly older leads than we usually do in regency romance, each of our two leads had her own character arc, including friends and family, that was distinct (but not completely unconnected) from the romance. In fact, I would say that the romance acted more as a vehicle for their individual storylines, both of which were incredibly satisfying to read.

I also loved the focus on the wider queer community, the challenges they faced, and how the characters dealt with them. While the author doesn’t shy away from the very real dangers facing queer people of this era, she isn’t afraid to give them all a happy ending too.

Thank you to the publisher for providing me with a free copy for review. All opinions are my own.