Thanks to NetGalley, Olivia Wolfgang-Smith and the publisher for this ARC!

This historical fiction about a marriage of convenience between queer characters at the turn of the century seemed really interesting to me and I had high expectations going into this book.

While I liked the setting and concept, there are a few things that fell flat for me. The style of narration is a bit difficult to follow, and personally don’t love an omniscient narrator. The story is definitely a slower, and the end didn’t fully justify the pace for me.

One redeeming aspect for me the dynamic between the three main characters and was excited for a story to explore queer platonic love. However, I do feel like Vivian lacked strong character development and I was a little disappointed with how her story ended.

I adored this book! I was so invested in the characters and I found the prose to be as lyrical and poignant as Glassworks! Olive is quickly becoming one of my favorite authors!

This is an ambitious novel. A period piece written in the style of the period, both wrenching and wryly funny, and with a broad scope that includes not just the human experience of its main characters but the time and place in which they live. It's a slow-moving story, though, and the omniscient voice holds us at a distance us from Vivian, Oscar, and Squire. I really struggled with these factors, despite appreciating the novel for what it is and what it's attempting to do. Ultimately a beautifully written book for which I'm probably not the right audience. I read it closely for over two hundred pages, but skimmed the last third.