A big change of pace from my last book, quite intentionally! This was such a satisfying read, and one that I started at around 8 p.m. intending to only read for a couple of hours, and then I ended up finishing it all that night.
This is a delightful regency romance that focuses on the marriage mart, and specifically on a beautiful brother and sister who are attempting to secure favorable matches with the appearance of gentility and connections while possessing none. Robin is yet another KJ Charles character in the mold of the likeable con artist, who is doing everything he can to help his sister secure a truly advantageous match. But it's a really interesting book that doesn't shy away from how ultimately unsatisfying a marriage like that would be, even with financial security, and not merely from the standpoint of enduring a loveless marriage for the sake of wealth: it takes seriously just how easy it is to make a woman suffer in a marriage like that, with no recourse at all.
Robin is thwarted in his plans to marry a plain heiress by her uncle John Hartlebury (known as Hart), who can tell that Robin isn't all he seems but is also drawn to him. There's a disastrous evening of gambling that KJ Charles fans may find a bit familiar in the best of ways, but the connection between the two of them develops in a very different way, and I found the ultimate resolution to be really quite lovely. Hart's niece Alice is also a wonderful character, and this book delivered all of the best things for the characters who deserve them, and none for those who don't.
Grade: A
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