I can imagine this book as an old black and white movie with Laurence Olivier and Vivian Leigh as the leads. The writing style is unique. The story is set during the Luddite rebellion and centers on Mary, who is caught between the two warring factions. It was a quick read and is set in an interesting time but I disn’t really feel
Invested in the characters’ stories.

Based on contemporary accounts of the Luddite uprisings in Yorkshire in 1812, we follow Mary Lister, who is a new governess in a family defending their mill. William Arkwright has little patience with Miss Lister, and her cousin who has Luddite sympathies. Can these two overcome their differences in a time of turmoil?

What I loved about this was the level of historical detail and accuracy. I felt the desperation of the mill workers who were losing their livelihood. I understood the mill owner trying to keep his business relevant and productive. Mary;s viewpoint as the outsider observing it all was perfect to show all sides.

The one point I did not enjoy was the romance. Mary and Mr. Arkwright may have spent time together, but they did nothing but argue. I in no way saw what attracted Mary, though see why Mr. Arkwright would be attracted to the sweet and innocent governess.

Overall, it is a enjoyable look to a troubled time. I would recommend it to readers who enjoy fictional telling of events that really happened.

Mary travels north to become governess to the young stepsister of the master of Liversedge Mill. But she is very early introduced to the depredations of the Luddites, and is put in the unenviable position of having a bit of a foot in both camps, with her employer on one side and her cousin and his friends on the other. As the violence escalates, she must choose who to support - but to turn from either seems impossible.

I really enjoyed this book, as having a mix of romance, history and thought-provoking issues, with good writing and a well-managed storyline to bring it all together. This is an author I'll be looking for more by. Highly recommended to fans of clean historical romance.

Characters: Well drawn, though William in particular is not your standard character, being far too temperamental. But the gradual development of the romance works well with the characters.
Storyline: Good, pace is good and various issues are brought out well as part of the dialogue.
Content and language: Clean (one kiss that is hardly even described), with some violence in the background of the story, but nothing graphic. Language is good overall, I don't recall any particular issues.
Message: No particular message, but some thought-provoking discussion of what I guess were the beginnings of the union movement - enough to show that there's no simple answer.

Note that I received a complimentary copy of the book from NetGalley. I was not required to write a positive review and this is my considered opinion of the book.