𝗘𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗧𝗶𝗺𝗲🕒: 2 minutes
𝗔𝘂𝘁𝗵𝗼𝗿: Emily Rath✍🏻 𝗣𝗮𝗴𝗲 𝗖𝗼𝘂𝗻𝘁: 548 📖
𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗤𝗨𝗜𝗖𝗞 𝗔𝗡𝗗 𝗗𝗜𝗥𝗧𝗬
𝗦𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘀: ⭐⭐⭐.5
𝗦𝗽𝗶𝗰𝗲: 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️
𝗦𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘆 𝗙𝗼𝗿𝗺𝗮𝘁: Interconnected Standalone
𝗘𝗻𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘁𝘆𝗽𝗲: HAE
𝗡𝗮𝗿𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗦𝘁𝘆𝗹𝗲: Multi POV
𝗧𝗥𝗢𝗣𝗘𝗦
♟️Regency Romance
💕Why Choose
♟️MMF
💕Second Chance Romance
♟️She Proposes to Him
💕Lady x Curate x Groundskeeper
♟️Shy MFC
💕She’s His First (IYKYK)
𝗥𝗘𝗩𝗜𝗘𝗪
Okay—so I didn’t love this as much as Rosalie’s books… but like every Emily Rath read, it was still wildly bingeable.
Haven’t met Rosalie yet? Check out how her and her guys’ story started in my review of Beautiful Things.
What I Loved
I already liked Madeline in book one and was curious about Charles, so getting their story made me happy.
But the real MVP?
Rosalie, Burke, and James still being such a huge part of the story.
I love interconnecteds (if that’s not a word—now it is) for this exact reason—getting to revisit characters you’re already attached to is everything. And honestly, more Rosalie is always a win. The only thing that could’ve made it better? Renley being there the whole time. But alas… a sea captain must captain.
Now let’s talk about the real emotional core:
𝗝𝗼𝗵𝗻 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗖𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗹𝗲𝘀.
I repeat—𝙅𝙤𝙝𝙣. 𝘼𝙣𝙙. 𝘾𝙝𝙖𝙧𝙡𝙚𝙨.😭
Their relationship?? Devastating in the best way. The fact that they’ve been it for each other since they were 14?? And the hurt they carried because people suck??
Uncle Selby, I’m looking directly at you. I have words.
Also loved Madeline and Rosalie’s friendship—protective, loyal, and chaotic in the best way. Madeline showing up unannounced and Rosalie immediately being like “say less, we ride at dawn”? That’s women supporting women right there.
And don’t get me started on Madeline asking if Rosalie had ever taken two 🍆🍆 😅🤣💀
And yes. We need to acknowledge:
The. Spice. 🥵
What Didn’t Quite Hit
This is where it lost me a bit.
In books one and two, the relationships built naturally because everyone was stuck together at Alcott. The proximity made the emotional development feel earned.
Here… not so much.
It felt like Madeline spent a good chunk of the book away from the guys, so while we get moments between them, I didn’t feel fully immersed in the “they fell in love” progression.
Then there’s Warren.
Sir. You had me… and then you lost me… and eventually you had me again.
His moods were all over the place, and the way he spoke to Rosalie at times? Not it. Especially during the gazebo scene after her kiss with Charles—he was just straight-up a jerk. And since this isn’t enemies-to-lovers, it didn’t feel like tension—it just felt unnecessary.
And Charles…
My guy.
Make. A. Decision.
The amount of back-and-forth—“I will marry her / I won’t marry her / actually I will / just kidding I won’t”—had me ready to shake him.
And then Warren pulls a last-minute 180 at the end and picks up the martyr baton Charles finally put down??
GOD. DAMN. IT. GUYS.
The Verdict
Overall, still a solid read and completely bingeable, but not my favorite in the series.
If you ask me:
👉 Books 1 & 2? Immediate, aggressive recommendation
👉 Book 3? Worth reading, but your mileage may vary
Speaking of books 1 and 2, check out my review of Beautiful Things and His Grace, The Duke.
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