I adore! While I am a noted Eloisa James completist and fan, I think this book might be one of her best!

I love Torie, she's such a fun lead and I love the disability rep. I love her good nature and kind heart, and how unconventional and special she is. I also love how she thinks, we get so much great point of view from her. Dom is also great, I found him very funny and only a bit of an ass. I like men who are humbled by their wives, and Dom is certainly thrown for a loop!

Strong recommend, a great read and very fun. I particularly love the HEA, which felt very earned.

Eloisa James continues to prove she's an expert in her craft. This story has so many great elements: funny, cute kids, an eccentric, complex and flawed but charming heroine, and a grumpy yet somehow still endearing Hero.

Dominic and Torie had me rooting for them from the first sentence. I liked how Torie's inability to read and write was revealed from the very beginning and was weaved in as part of her life and personality. So many easy trope opportunities that James handily sidesteps for a far more interesting take on these characters and their journey.

Four strong stars.

*I received a review copy from the publisher/author via NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.*

Delicious. And then, sneakily, heartfelt. James has here two (understandably) withholding, self-protective main characters whose journey of discovery in less able hands would be frustrating. But their attempts, successes, near-misses, and failures all have this gentle way of pushing the reader to be invested in the story.

Also, full disclosure. I despise children in romance novels. They are typically too cloying, too smart, or too stupid. But in James' world, these children and their role in the story is just enough to enhance the plot but not so much that it pulls focus. Indeed the children add to this world where all the characters push against the rigid roles and rules they have been slotted into. In this way James pulls in dialogues about neurodivergency, learning challenges, gender discrimination, and debates around slavery in the UK which only add to the complexity and texture of the novel.

This book was absolutely awesome. For me Eloisa James is a hit or a miss. Some books I have LOVED and some not so much. So when I started reading this book I did not know where it would fall. I adored this book. I loved everything about it from the characters, the plot, the kids and the two main characters. In fact I could not put it down. I really loved it so much.

There are three main characters in this book.
1. Dominic, he is a Viscount, and he has been engaged to Leonora for over two years
2. Leonora is Dominic's fiancée, and she has been delaying the wedding. When Dom's wild younger sister dies and leaves two children behind. He wants to push the wedding up so she can help with the kids.
3. Victoria/Torie is Nora's sister. She is a painter and cannot read or write.

Torie has a big handicap, and she embraces her differences and is very honest about it. In a way it makes her a more gentle, honest and well-respected person. It also makes her more accepting, and she has a very kind heart. When Nora is upset about the children, Torie embraces them and I fell very hard for her.

I received a complimentary kindle version of this book and am voluntarily leaving my review.

Nora wants to marry Dom, but she wants to hand the kids over to Torie and make her their nanny. But she has a life, but she also falls very hard for the kids. Will she fall for Dom too or will he marry Nora? Well, I am not spoiling it.

This book was fantastic. Maybe the best historical I have read in a long time. It had a lot of heart, romance, hot scenes and I loved the plot. I could not wait to see what would happen next.

HR doesn’t burn any brighter and desire doesn’t run any deeper than when Eloisa James takes the helm, opens the throttle, and takes us readers along for a breathless ride as she breaks the romance barrier; again and again. Simply loved Dominic and Torie. I couldn’t put it down.