Review: The Lost Lieutenant by Erica Vetsch

In the midst of all the crazy of the world, I wanted something lighthearted and fun to read. This arrived perfectly timed on my kindle! :) It made me laugh a few places, swoon quite a few others, and left me with a smile by the time I finished the final pages. Kudos to Ms. Vetsch!

Now I should clarify that the plot isn’t all happiness and rainbows, there are mysteries upon mysteries to solve amongst all the sweetness. I could never quite put my finger on exactly what would happen to whom although I surely spent quite a bit of time trying to figure it all out. I got close, but still had a few surprises left for me to discover at the climax. And at the heart of all the goings on is the super adorable (and sometimes frustrating) marriage of convenience! That, naturally, was my favorite bit of them all. :D Evan and Diana have splendid chemistry together, their scenes were always snapping with energy. Even as they frustrated me with their inability to just be honest with each other already, I could still appreciate their reasons why they each held things so close. And! The fact that they completely acknowledge the ridiculousness of their refusal to communicate towards the end redeemed all that for me.

The added detail of having the Prince Regent play such a large role in the story was unexpected but I actually rather enjoyed his outrageous way of going about things. (Not so sure I’d enjoy it in real life, but in fiction? Absolutely! :) Combine that with all the swooniness of the romance and the utter sweetness of Cian and you simply have the makings of a wonderful few hours of reading. I thoroughly enjoyed myself and if you like a bit of mystery with your romance then you just might do the same.

**I received a complimentary copy via JustRead Tours. All opinions are my own.

Goodreads :: Amazon :: Barnes & Noble

Blog Tour Review :: Curse and Consequence by Savannah Jezowski

I am so pleased to participate in the blog tour for this book! I am definitely a fan of tales that take place during regency times and the synopsis of this story intrigued me. So it was a happy day when I was able to get this book for review! :)

My Thoughts

The first words that came to mind once I'd finished this story were cute and entertaining. Plus a bit of silliness, which came from the brothers of the story. Sedgwick and Hugh could both use a bit of growth seeing as how they are constantly frustrating each other and acting like children. And then Sedgwick decides a curse is a good idea. Never a good idea! The consequences bring lots of shenanigans.

But the cuteness? That comes courtesy of watching Rea and Sedgwick figure out their hearts. These two are pretty perfect for each other and made me giggle several times. I enjoyed watching them banter back and forth a bit, as well as just swoon over each other. I didn't need to do any swooning, the two of them did plenty enough by themselves! ;)

The only downside to the story that I found was the fact that it ends on a cliffhanger of sorts! And now I have to wait a whole year or so before I find out what happens next! In the meantime, I'd better go back and reread this one over again.

** I received a complimentary copy via the author. All opinions expressed are my own.

About the Book

When Love visits Ravenhead Hall, sparks fly…quite literally.

Miss Rea Abernathy only wants to honor the family who has taken her under their wing, rescuing her from a life of poverty. But thanks to two determined suitors, she finds herself in a state far worse than the one from which her benefactress saved her.

When Mr. Sedgwick Whitby sets his sights on his mother’s sweet-tempered pig keeper, his orderly life is thrown into chaos: Rea’s station is less–than-desirable, and another gentleman may be pursuing her. Hoping to get his annoyingly charming twin brother out of the way, Sedgwick purchases a simple curse from a disreputable faery which consequently plunges them all into a misfortune far more serious than troubles of the heart.

With time running out to break the curse and tempers flying high, can Sedgwick and Rea set things right and find love after all? Jane Austen meets dragons in this frolicking fantasy romance about a comely pig keeper, two wealthy gentlemen, and the curse binding them all together. Perfect for fans of Diana Wynne Jones and Gail Carson Levine.

Amazon (Available on Kindle Limited!)

About the Author

Savannah Jezowski lives in Amish country with her Knight in Shining Armor and a wee warrior princess. She is the founder of Dragonpen Designs and Dragonpen Press, which offers author services such as cover design, developmental edits, and interior formatting. Her debut novella “Wither” is featured in Five Enchanted Roses, an anthology of Beauty and the Beast, and is a prequel to The Neverway Chronicles, a Christian fantasy series filled with tragic heroes and the living dead. She is also the author of When Ravens Fall, a Norse Beauty and the Beast retelling. She is featured in several Fellowship of Fantasy anthologies, including Mythical Doorways, Tales of Ever After, and Paws, Claws, and Magic Tales. When she isn’t writing, Savannah likes to read books, watch BBC miniseries, and play with cover design. She also enjoys having tea with her imaginary friends.

Website — Newsletter — Facebook — Facebook Group — Twitter — Amazon Author Page

Blog Tour Schedule

Monday, June 1^st

• Katherine Brown Books: Book Review
• C O Bonham: Book Review
• Beka Gremikova: Book Review & Book Excerpt

Tuesday, July 2^nd

• Jessica Belmont: Book Review
• Lands Uncharted: Guest Post on Magic
• The L. Palmer Chronicles: Guest Post on Themes of Curse and Consequence

Wednesday, July 3^rd

• Paper, Ink, Lizard: Book Review
• Baroness’ Book Trove: Book Review

Thursday, July 4^th

• She Hearts Fiction: Guest Post on Themes of Curse and Consequence & Book Review
• Flowers of Quiet Happiness: Book Review

Friday, July 5^th

• Annie Louise Twitchell: Book Review
• Selina J. Eckert: Book Spotlight
• Kyle Robert Shultz: Book Review & Author Interview
• Pooled Ink: Book Review

Saturday, July 6^th

• The Rustic Reading Gal: Book Spotlight
• Bold Reads: Book Review & Book Excerpt

Sunday, July 7^th

• Unicorn Quester: Blog Tour Wrap-Up

Bite-Sized Reviews :: Edition Forty-Five

More reviews! I told you I've been doing a lot of reading. I guess if you go eight months with very little reading for pleasure, once you get to do it again that literally becomes your life. Not a bad life either, let me just say. :) I hope all is well for my lovely reader friends!

On to the reviews then...

Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine 
by Gail Honeyman
So different than what I was expecting, but wow. This is an excellent read! I was pretty blown away by how very much I loved Eleanor and her quirkiness. I admit, she had to grow on me, I didn't totally love her at first. But it wasn't long until she had found her way into my heart and there she stayed until the final pages. Such a wonderfully written story about brokenness and how Eleanor claws her way out into light and life again. And Raymond? That man is just an incredible friend. Definitely planning to read this one again soon!

The Unhoneymooners by Christina Lauren
So much cute! I loved Olive. I really did. She and Ethan have fabulous chemistry right from the start. Even if that start is pretty "hate-filled". From the memories of their unfun meet cute to the natural feel of their slow build up to romance, I laughed so many times. And simply enjoyed their journey to finding the love of their lives in each other. A quirky set up to get them in the same place at the same time (Maui for the win!), I so completely adored watching these two fall in love.

Saint Anything by Sarah Dessen
This is so quintessentially Sarah Dessen and I cannot believe it took me so long to finally read it! I love Ms. Dessen's way of writing characters who I connect with and relate to. I understood Sydney's grief and uncertainty, even if she didn't fully understand herself. Her journey to finding who she is, without constantly being in the shadow of her older brother, while simultaneously learning to stand on her own two feet...ah I just got her. I loved all the side characters too, especially the Chatham's. Another wonderfully imperfect family that I fell in love with! And Mac? Yeah, I'll just go swoon a bit over him, shall I? Such a wonderful story! :)

Interlude by Chantele Sedgwick
Characters who are dealing with grief are ones who I understand so well these days. I loved Mia and the way she chose to do all she could for her sister while she is still living, even though she knows that Maddy could very well die soon. Along her journey, a boy enters her pathway and yes, the cute inevitably follows. :) But this isn't just a story with a sweet romance, this is all about Mia figuring out her own strength. As well as proving just how amazing she is to everyone around her! I loved her journey and am definitely planning to read more of Ms. Sedgwick's stories!

The Flatshare by Beth O'Leary
I went into this one expecting a cute romance, but I found so much more depth and sweetness than I expected! I mean, yes, the romance between Tiffy and Leon is super adorable, don't get me wrong. But there is much going on underneath the surface of these characters and one must be willing to see beyond the sweetness into their hearts. Hearts that are broken and uncertain and on a journey to discovering their own tenacity. I loved it! I loved Tiffy and Leon's notes and texts. And the slow build up over the course of their story. And I loved watching as their individual trajectories bring them into each other's orbit until they become so sweetly entwined in each other's lives. Very worth reading, friends!

Waiting for Tom Hanks by Kerry Winfrey
This was fun! It wasn't perfect, but it was certainly a lot of fun to read. I enjoyed all the references to romcoms because I recognized so many of them! :D I do admit that Annie wasn't my favorite character ever, but I definitely got invested enough in her journey that I wanted her to find her happy ever after. Drew was pretty adorable! I also wasn't a fan of the way the author chose to break up the cute couple towards the end, but okay. I rolled with it and enjoyed the story overall! It certainly made me want to go on a romcom-watching-binge soon. I shall have to get on that.

Act Like It by Lucy Parker
I've had this one on my radar for quite some time, but had forgotten about it until the Modern Mrs. Darcy blog reminded me. I'm so glad I tried it! Lainie and Richard and their adventures together make for fabulous chemistry. But I loved the natural way their romance developed. They began to see beyond the initial facade each wears in public and then proceeded to fall in love. Cuteness galore! Now I am off to see if I will enjoy the rest of the books in the series...see you when I see you! ;)

The Kiss of a Stranger by Sarah M. Eden
This had just the right amount of sweetness to keep me in enthralled. Catherine and Crispin were pretty adorable together. Yet, there were times I also felt I got a little whiplash as Catherine seemed a bit inconsistent. I didn't always understand her reactions and that frustrated me. But overall I could overlook it and just enjoy the journey of these two characters finding all they could ever want in each other. A sweet and charming read.

Bite-Sized Reviews :: Edition Forty-Three

Hello, my lovelies! So I've been reading up a storm since I've been home from Thailand...but you know what I haven't done? Gotten many reviews written about all the books I've been reading. Yikes! So not cool, right? (Okay, so y'all probably don't care either way. But I do! So there. ;)

Anyhoo! Here there be reviews. And lots more probably coming soon! Be on the lookout, friends.

36 Questions That Changed My Mind About You 
by Vicki Grant
I read this when I was in need of some mindless and cute romance to distract me from all the stress of my homework and studies. And I totally got what I wanted! This isn't a perfect story by any means, but it does have a pretty adorable romance once you get past the first not-meet-cute. It made me laugh, roll my eyes a few times, as well as swoon over the sweetness by the time I got to the end. A quick and easy read that's entertaining and perfect for the summertime! :)

Match Me If You Can by Krista Phillips
Ms. Phillips is an author that is guaranteed to make me laugh as well as swoon! She just knows how to write humor that I totally get. :) Plus her characters are always put into situations that are either a) hilarious or b) relatable or both! In this case, I've never been to a matchmaking resort, so chalk this one up to being hilarious. And sweet! Ava and Sean are simply adorable together. Which means you should read this one and see for yourself. Trust me.

After the Tide by Lindsay Harrel
This one is super short, but also super adorable!! If you're in need of a really quick reason to smile, then I highly recommend it. Ms. Harrel clearly knows how to write an engaging romance that'll only make you wish it were a whole lot longer.

Sanditon by Jane Austen 
& Juliette Shapiro
Y'all know I am always a sucker for another Jane Austen story. I've read a couple other Sanditon stories and was curious where Ms. Shapiro would take these characters. The results? Not bad, but not perfect either. Still. I enjoyed it anyway! I just love Charlotte Heywood. I really do. She and Sydney Parker are quite fascinating characters. And I will read just about any story that puts them together in the end! (Also, I truly wish Austen had been able to finish this one herself because I would dearly love to know how she would've ended it. Alas...)

Jane, Unlimited by Kristin Cashore
I knew going into this book that things were going to be a bit different, whatwith the "choose your own adventure" premise. But it was certainly a whole lot more imaginative and interesting than I was expecting! The set up is intriguing and then we get to the pivotal moment which hinges on Jane's decision. Each option that comes next is fascinating, especially when we go into each one with information that Jane doesn't have about other characters thanks to the previous choice. I confess there were a lot of weird moments that I skimmed through pretty quickly, but it was awfully unputdownable at the same time. A fun ride while I was on it, but sort of forgettable once I was finished...

The Hating Game by Sally Thorne
Fun! But crazy. But fun! That was my exact thoughts when I finished this story late into the night. I could not put it down once I began. Ms. Thorne most certainly knows how to write pretty unforgettable characters! Lucy and Joshua and their hate-to-love romance are just....yeah. Delightful! I laughed at their silly office games of one-upping each other. But I seriously adored their inability to not be aware of the other at all times. Swoony and fun. And crazy. But fun! :)

Lies Jane Austen Told Me by Julie Wright
Of course, Ms. Wright had me at Jane Austen in her title. I loved Emma! I was a bit afraid when I started it that she might become a cliched type of heroine in stories like these, especially when the love triangle begins. But I was pleasantly surprised to realize that Emma knows her own heart pretty well, which made the love triangle not much of a triangle. (Hallelujah!) She knows pretty quickly on which guy she chooses, as do we. And the journey to getting both of them on the same path at the same time is a lot of fun! There were a few moments that made me grimace, but overall a very enjoyable story.

The Lost Letter by Mimi Matthews
While I have a couple blogging friends who have gushed over Ms. Matthews stories for a good while now, I confess to having tried a couple and not really been able to get into them. Except for A Holiday by Gaslight which is just DELIGHTFUL. And I finally found another that I loved! Yay! With a bit of Beauty and the Beast vibes going on, Sylvia and Sebastian's romance is awfully adorable. Even when Sebastian is being an idiot. :) Sweet and fun, this is one you need in your life, reader friends. Especially if you adore reunited lovers tropes.

Bite-Sized Reviews :: Christmas Book Edition {#40}

Hello again, my lovelies,

I do hope your January has been filled with lots of wonderful stories so far. My life is busy enough right now that few books seem to make it into my hands. Other than books necessary for school, that is. Still! I manage to fit a small bit of reading for pleasure time in there wherever I can! :) Is it snowing in your part of the world? I know it is at my home in VA. But here in Thailand? Not so much! It is still quite warm and humid on the daily around here...

Meanwhile! Back to more book reviews!

A Holiday By Gaslight by Mimi Matthews
This book began making it's rounds on twitter and several of my blogging friends gushed over it's delightfulness. Yet it wasn't until I saw it compared to North and South by Elizabeth Gaskell that I knew I'd be reading it! I'm a goner for N&S and any story even remotely related to it. ;) All the gushing reviews are correct, my friends! It's definitely got N&S vibes going on and it's simply a really sweet little short story, perfect for Christmastime! Of course, Christmas is now over, but this book is still worthy of picking up. :) I was swept up into chapter one and very quickly knew I wouldn't be putting it down until I reached the end. Sophie is definitely my favorite character! Quite spunky underneath her proper exterior, she surprised me a few times with her choices. And she certainly surprised her suitor! Which was perfect and wonderful and made for a few awfully swoony moments! :D If you haven't read this one, friends, then you really should. I've already re-read it two or three times!

The Christmas Heirloom by Karen Witemeyer, Kristi Ann Hunter, Sarah Loudin Thomas, and Becky Wade
I admit that the biggest draw of this group of novellas was Becky Wade's. I've so much loved her Bradford Sisters series! And this was a wonderful edition to it. Yet the other three stories in this collection certainly held my attention once I got to them. From blunt grandmothers, to "stern" businessmen, and shooting competitions, the side characters and plotlines made me laugh and swoon. Sometimes at the same time! :) I enjoyed how the brooch made its rounds through each of the stories and tied them all together. Super sweet stories that are worth your time, reader friends!

Of Mozart and Magi by Rachel McMillan
This was one story that had me SO EXCITED before I ever dived inside! I am such a huge fan of Ms. McMillan's Three Quarter Time series of novellas, so I knew I was guaranteed to love this one. And I was right! I loved getting back into Rose and Oliver's lives. Seeing them in the middle of their happy ever after was delightful. A fellow blogging friend called this "a tiny piece of Christmas perfection" and she is spot on! From first page until last, the sweetness you'll find in between is sure to make you smile. Oliver and Rose are adorableness personified and now I think I'm ready to go re-read it yet again! If you loved Rose in Three Quarter time, this is the perfect story for you! :)

Bite-Sized Reviews :: Edition Thirty-Seven

Hello, my lovelies! Yep, I'm still rolling out the mini review posts. I had a lot of reviews to catch up on! Sorry for the influx, but please don't let that keep you from checking a few of these books out. There's some awfully cute stories you might miss out on otherwise! ;)

The Men of KWESTT series by Clari Dees
Some Enchanted Evening
Heart and Soul 
You're Nobody 'til Somebody Loves You
Catch a Falling Star
I was in need of sweet romance and good chemistry between characters when I stumbled upon this series. Happily, Ms. Dees delivered precisely what I wanted! The guys are suitably handsome and charismatic and their ladies are perfect for them. I grinned a great deal while reading each of their stories and, of course, swooned at the romantic bits. I appreciated that Ms. Dees gave depth to the hurt and fears the characters had to work through. Also, I thoroughly enjoyed the musical aspects of the stories! Since all the guys are a part of a musical group together, each of them plays a different instrument and it was great to see the fun they have together. I think my very favorite character was Enoch though and I loved his kindness and true gentlemanly ways. Since he doesn't have his own book, I was pleased that he showed up so often in the others. Super cute and fun series overall!

The Rider of Lost Creek by Louis L'Amour
I'm not normally a big fan of westerns, hence why my family (who have all read pretty much every book by this guy) hadn't convinced me to pick up one of Mr. L'Amour's stories. Until now. (When you're on a roadtrip with friends, sometimes you get outvoted.) And I will admit that I thoroughly enjoyed myself! I can clearly see why he's such a well-loved author, he quite impressed me with his ability to keep me invested in the story. I was anxious to find out how things were going to go and hoping that it wouldn't end with my favorite characters dead! :) Full of vivid descriptions and enough tension to keep me on the edge of my seat, it surprised me into laughter several times as well. Perhaps I shall read another L'Amour book someday!

Taking a Chance by Becky Monson
Short and sweet, this little novella relies heavily on the chemistry between its two main characters. And it surely delivers! From their initial meeting and throughout their one day together each of them slowly opens up to the other and begins to find an understanding heart. Finding Liza's bravery makes for a cute and adventurous day for the two and the slow buildup to the final pages felt very natural. We leave them at a place of beginning and leave me with a smile on my face! Super cute. :)

Miss Wilton's Waltz by Josi S. Kilpack
Ms. Kilpack had me immediately upon introducing Lenora. There was just something about her sweetness of character and the awkwardness she strove so hard to overcome. It was delightful to see her press forward despite any and all circumstances that wanted to knock her back down! And her very slow growing friendship with Catherine was wonderful to watch unfold. For all of Catherine's precocious and awful ways, I couldn't help but like her. As for Aiden? Oh my! The genuine nice guy that he is certainly made me like him a great deal! Even if he did make a choice or two that made me want to shake him. Lenora and Aiden's romance is quite adorable though! Even with all the fears and hurt they both have to work through, the way they encourage each other is sweet. A fun, easy read that made me grin. And swoon! :)

Bite-Sized Reviews :: Edition Twenty-Five

Well, hello again, lovelies! I am back with some mini reviews for your reading pleasure. I figured out that, while I thought I had caught up all my reviews from last year, I missed one. Oops! So I'm adding it here, along with a few others that I've read more recently. I am so, so, SO happy my reading slump is mostly over! It's just not fun when I struggle to find books to hold my attention. These following stories aren't amazing, but I did enjoy them overall. :)

Return to Sender by Janice Thompson
This is a cute and sweet little novella written by one of my favorite authors. Ms. Thompson's stories almost always have just the right amount of humor to tickle my funny bone, along with an adorable romance. While this one had both of those things, it seemed to not flow as smoothly as I was expecting. The banter between the main couple had its cute moments, but there was something holding me back from fully investing in their relationship and I'm not sure why. Lots of novellas have things moving at a pretty quick pace, simply because they have to given the shortness of the page count, so that wasn't the issue for me. Regardless though, I did enjoy the story overall! Holly and Liam have nice chemistry and I loved Gertie. She was pretty fun! I closed the final page with a smile on my face, what more can a reader ask for? :)

The Girl Who Heard Demons by Janette Rallison
I've been a fan of Ms. Rallison's for several years and I was happy to see that she had a newish one out. (I have to admit it has been out for a while, but I just hadn't noticed it.) Her stories always have a great mix of fluffy, adorable romance and enough tension to keep the pages turning. This one is excellent in that regard! Adelle can hear demons, she just can't see them, and having that "gift" has disrupted her life in many, many ways. Enter Levi, a fellow student whom she attempts to save and who refuses to stay out of her life ever after (and thus has to give some of her secrets away). Their relationship has lots of pretty cute moments and their banter is fun. The fact that demons are real is a concept Adelle never questions, but Levi struggles with it. His unbelief, coupled with a mystery as to some other happenings around school, make for a little bit of drama for Adelle. But she is up to the challenge of learning how to handle her "gift" as well as fall in love. I thoroughly enjoyed watching her growth and seeing her finally choose to live life instead of letting it simply go by out of fear.

Wrapped in Red by Meghan M. Gorecki
I'd heard good things about Ms. Gorecki's first book, but hadn't fit it into my reading schedule yet. Then I heard she was writing a Christmas novella and that seemed a perfect way to get to know her writing. I really enjoyed it! Merry and Sam are rather easy to root for, even when Merry's being a little ridiculous. Let's just say that she has a few quirks that made me simultaneously laugh and yet wish I could knock some sense into her so she could realize how silly she was being! But that made her feel like a real person, as don't we all have our frustrating sides? :) As they slowly get to know one another, I loved seeing them open up to each other and fall in love. I do have to say that the beginning of the story took a bit to start flowing smoothly. The first chapter or two felt a little choppy to me, but once I was several chapters in things settled down and I stopped noticing the little bumps while reading. All that to say that this wasn't a perfect story, but I liked it anyway! I definitely look forward to reading her future books because this only whet my appetite for watching her skills grow! :)

Thirty-Two Going on Spinster by Becky Monson
This was just a really fun story! I wasn't sure what to expect upon beginning chapter one, but I was quickly swept up in Julia's mundane existence of a life. She's stuck, and while she kind of knows that, at the same time it's really hard to get herself going again. Her "spinster-ish" life isn't that terrible, but she definitely needs a wake up call. When hers arrives, she doesn't appreciate it at first, but watching as she grows, changes, and realizes that there is so much more to life than simply going through the motions and being miserable, I loved it! Her love life gets a bit of a jumpstart as well. While I could see some of the plot developments coming, it didn't take away my happiness at seeing Julia finally take charge of her life and fall in love (both in romance and with her job) in the process. She's a fairly relatable character, even when she's being a little frustrating. Overall, just a cute story that made me laugh several times! And I'm looking forward to seeing where the next book takes her...

The Nine Lives of Christmas by Sheila Roberts
I love the Hallmark Christmas movie that is based on this book, so I was hoping I'd enjoy this one. But I didn't. Oh, it's not an awful story, so to speak, it's just vastly different than the movie (which is to be expected, I knew that) and had so little substance to it. I kept hoping I'd finally like Zachary, but he was simply never very likable. Not even when he finally gets a clue at the end and makes the right choice! When I don't like the main character, that means I usually struggle to like the story they're in. I will say that I did enjoy Ambrose the cat! His parts were funny and sweet, and I liked getting things from his perspective. And Merilee is very sweet as well, so that helped. So basically, this wasn't terrible, it was simply very forgettable once I closed the final page. If you like romances where the main guy is very shallow, and has to stumble around being a bit stupid for much of the story, then you might like this one. It just wasn't for me, unfortunately.

The Mistletoe Promise by Richard Paul Evans
I really loved this little story! After watching the Hallmark Christmas movie based on this book and enjoying it, I was so pleased to start this book and find so much more meat to the story. It starts off seeming like it has a rather shallow foundation, but it isn't long before Elise begins to realize what a wonderful man Nicholas is and I did too! He is a sweet man who lives up to all the promises he makes to Elise. But it isn't just the cuteness of watching these two fall for each other, their backstories are complicated and entwined in ways I couldn't have imagined. I loved watching it all play out over the course of the book and I think I fell a little bit in love with Nicholas myself. ;) There are a few bumps in the road, like Dan, who irritated me greatly, but I just skimmed through his parts and quickly returned to Elise and Nicholas. Definitely a wonderful read worth your time, friends!

An Uncommon Courtship by Kristi Ann Hunter
After seeing fellow reader friends exclaiming how they loved this one, I knew I needed to check it out. Plus I loved book one of this series and as much as I love the Hawthorne family in particular, when I saw this one had a contract marriage as its premise, I was hooked. :) And I ended up really liking it! Watching Adelaide and Trent circle around each other so very tentatively, both clearly uncertain of the other, is pretty cute. Although I will say that I expected a little more confidence from Trent. As the man in the relationship during this time period in history, I expected him to at least take charge of a few decisions. Instead, he decides to completely ignore the fact that he's married. In fact, the degree to which he was naive over things really surprised me! It felt a little unrealistic, I think he should've known a few more things than he did, and he frustrated me with how long it took him to finally begin acting like he's married. Now Adelaide's naiveness is perfectly understandable and I enjoyed watching her begin to learn confidence in herself and what she is capable of. And of course, the Hawthorne's! Once the rest of the family finally shows up (much too late in the story for my liking, I admit), then things truly begin to happen. Lots of forward movement in the latter half of the story brings everything to its delightful conclusion and I closed the book with a happy sigh. So while the first half was a little disappointing, the last half made up for it. I'm always game to read about a contract marriage, there's just something about that trope that pulls me in every time! :)