If you judge a book by its cover, you might be tempted to write this one off as a typical historical romance. Boy, would you ever be wrong.
Despite the whimsical cover design, what you find between the covers is a hard look at the lives of all women and workers in 1850s Victorian England. The author’s research pays off in a well written story that integrates social history, the horrors of the coal mines, general working conditions in newly industrialized England, and the state of women in rising tide of demands for women’s suffrage. All of that is just the background to a story of a coerced marriage, carefully planned, a-long-time-coming revenge, one character’s quest for self determination, and yes, a love story spiced with generous dollops of bed sport.
Arguably, this is a true historical novel. The main characters, Lucian and Harriet, interact with real events and believable characters from the period that gives the reader a true sense of the time. The reader sees the stifling restrictions of a woman’s life through Harriet’s eyes and is treated to the classism of the era through her interactions with the female coal workers. It’s highly unlikely that there isn’t a woman who reads this book who will not be able to identify with both Harriet and the women of the coal mine.
As for Lucien, he embodies both the opportunities and the opportunism of the industrial era. He rises from nothing to become a very, very wealthy man. He wields his wealth as the instrument of revenge on those who have acted in ways to bring him great personal grief. His story is probably the most cliched.
The story of Harriet and Lucien together is in my estimation, atypical in that you begin to wonder if there will be an HEA. I won’t be responsible for spoilers, but know this: just about the time you think you see it on the horizon, one of the characters makes a huge left turn. I have to say, I have HUGE respect for the author’s choices in this part of the story.
For me, there’s nothing to not like in this story. If you want a good, multifaceted story, this would be a very good choice.
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From #1 New York Times bestselling author Colleen Hoover comes a novel that explores life after tragedy and the enduring spirit of love. | Learn more
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Popular Highlights in this book
Any remotely self-determined woman should claim control over the curve of her own mouth.Highlighted by 558 Kindle readers- “Much that I despise,” he said hoarsely, “and all that I desire, meets in you. And it frustrates me beyond reason.”Highlighted by 481 Kindle readers
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Reviews with images
A too prejudiced lady for this self made man …
Will she see past her own prejudices…After the first two books’ heroines, Hattie appears so much foolish and sheltered. Her life’s experience is close to zero. She flutters and falls on her knees at the mere sight of a naked forearm. So compared she presents herself childish. A grown woman of twenty something but easily lost in a teacup. Yet she judges and orders.Lucian was much easier to like, the brooding man with a torturous past, on a mission to right many wrongs, to clean the slate of his past pain. He is set on his revenge scheme all the while trying to find a way to better those he feels like kinship’s harsh life.But as the story unraveled, Hattie demonstrates she has more depth than I expected. And while her struggles will never reach Lucien’s owns, she too had to make do with her own failing and scars. I mourned with her part of her lost dreams all the while being upset at her inability to understand how the world works and to be so demanding while never listening to her husband’s own plights. After all she tempted on her own the devil, so in some way she has to settle the invoice.Why she is in for a gargantuan earthquaking awakening. At a time, I felt for her, still she kept her black and white view of the world, blind to how it does not turn only around herself, deaf to others’ pain.Sure, what ensues the early days of her marriage is one eyes opening journey. But she wants to change her husband again and again to suit her own lost dreams, making him the Galahad she wants for her, not the man he is.I struggled to accept her last decision, I still see it as her way to make him pay for the beginning of their marriage, a hard handed mean to shape him into who he is not, but whom she desires. So much she demands he releases the villain of the story. From there, I truly wondered what Lucian saw in her, as at every turn, she leaves him, hurts him with poison fueled words or wants to mold him into someone else, to me they are largely even. Is it because she is his total opposite, raised in a gilded cage, sheltered to the point she is blind to others’ hardship, so very naive when he is jaded..The author delivers once more a flawless tale, widely researched, full of heartbreaks. I just never really came to care for Hattie and her ways to get what she wanted.3.5 stars𝗦𝘁𝗲𝗮𝗺 𝗹𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗹 onscreen lovemaking scenes
Top reviews from the United States
There was a problem filtering reviews right now. Please try again later.
Reviewed in the United States on September 7, 2021
After the first two books’ heroines, Hattie appears so much foolish and sheltered. Her life’s experience is close to zero. She flutters and falls on her knees at the mere sight of a naked forearm. So compared she presents herself childish. A grown woman of twenty something but easily lost in a teacup. Yet she judges and orders.
Lucian was much easier to like, the brooding man with a torturous past, on a mission to right many wrongs, to clean the slate of his past pain. He is set on his revenge scheme all the while trying to find a way to better those he feels like kinship’s harsh life.
But as the story unraveled, Hattie demonstrates she has more depth than I expected. And while her struggles will never reach Lucien’s owns, she too had to make do with her own failing and scars. I mourned with her part of her lost dreams all the while being upset at her inability to understand how the world works and to be so demanding while never listening to her husband’s own plights. After all she tempted on her own the devil, so in some way she has to settle the invoice.
Why she is in for a gargantuan earthquaking awakening. At a time, I felt for her, still she kept her black and white view of the world, blind to how it does not turn only around herself, deaf to others’ pain.
Sure, what ensues the early days of her marriage is one eyes opening journey. But she wants to change her husband again and again to suit her own lost dreams, making him the Galahad she wants for her, not the man he is.
I struggled to accept her last decision, I still see it as her way to make him pay for the beginning of their marriage, a hard handed mean to shape him into who he is not, but whom she desires. So much she demands he releases the villain of the story. From there, I truly wondered what Lucian saw in her, as at every turn, she leaves him, hurts him with poison fueled words or wants to mold him into someone else, to me they are largely even. Is it because she is his total opposite, raised in a gilded cage, sheltered to the point she is blind to others’ hardship, so very naive when he is jaded..
The author delivers once more a flawless tale, widely researched, full of heartbreaks. I just never really came to care for Hattie and her ways to get what she wanted.
3.5 stars
𝗦𝘁𝗲𝗮𝗺 𝗹𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗹 onscreen lovemaking scenes
A too prejudiced lady for this self made man …
Reviewed in the United States on September 7, 2021
Will she see past her own prejudices…Reviewed in the United States on September 7, 2021
After the first two books’ heroines, Hattie appears so much foolish and sheltered. Her life’s experience is close to zero. She flutters and falls on her knees at the mere sight of a naked forearm. So compared she presents herself childish. A grown woman of twenty something but easily lost in a teacup. Yet she judges and orders.
Lucian was much easier to like, the brooding man with a torturous past, on a mission to right many wrongs, to clean the slate of his past pain. He is set on his revenge scheme all the while trying to find a way to better those he feels like kinship’s harsh life.
But as the story unraveled, Hattie demonstrates she has more depth than I expected. And while her struggles will never reach Lucien’s owns, she too had to make do with her own failing and scars. I mourned with her part of her lost dreams all the while being upset at her inability to understand how the world works and to be so demanding while never listening to her husband’s own plights. After all she tempted on her own the devil, so in some way she has to settle the invoice.
Why she is in for a gargantuan earthquaking awakening. At a time, I felt for her, still she kept her black and white view of the world, blind to how it does not turn only around herself, deaf to others’ pain.
Sure, what ensues the early days of her marriage is one eyes opening journey. But she wants to change her husband again and again to suit her own lost dreams, making him the Galahad she wants for her, not the man he is.
I struggled to accept her last decision, I still see it as her way to make him pay for the beginning of their marriage, a hard handed mean to shape him into who he is not, but whom she desires. So much she demands he releases the villain of the story. From there, I truly wondered what Lucian saw in her, as at every turn, she leaves him, hurts him with poison fueled words or wants to mold him into someone else, to me they are largely even. Is it because she is his total opposite, raised in a gilded cage, sheltered to the point she is blind to others’ hardship, so very naive when he is jaded..
The author delivers once more a flawless tale, widely researched, full of heartbreaks. I just never really came to care for Hattie and her ways to get what she wanted.
3.5 stars
𝗦𝘁𝗲𝗮𝗺 𝗹𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗹 onscreen lovemaking scenes
Images in this review
Reviewed in the United States on April 26, 2023
Reviewed in the United States on January 31, 2023
Top reviews from other countries
CRISTINA
Au moins aussi bien que les précédents
Reviewed in France on March 12, 2022Sarah Mitchell
The historical romance/feminism cross over, I never knew was missing!
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on September 16, 2021
