found some parts of the story to be rather clichéd or overdone, there’s perhaps too much winking, and the romance has quite a few references to “warmth” and “sensations,” which gets repetitive. Also, though this isn’t an insta-love story, the eventual jump to love still felt rushed to me, on one party’s part in particular, especially since they both began the story so opposed to marriage.

Still, I very much enjoyed this read, ate it up in one evening, and would be happy to continue the series.

This book is historical romance at (almost) its finest. There's perfect amounts of romance, sweetness, societal expectations, drama, and the obligatory life-changing discovery leading to happily ever after.
Readers know Merry and Phillip are perfect for each other from the moment they meet and watching them get closer to each other is a charming treat. The will-they-won't-they element is almost an afterthought, but the thing that kept me reading from the very beginning was always the interactions between the two leads. This book is 100% about two young people finding their soulmate and figuring out their lives. Everything else is just icing on the romantic cake.
My one gripe is that there are several elements that just do not fit with the times. They add to the overall positivity of the book (much needed in these trying times) but the easy acceptance of several of the events in the book just didn't ring appropriate for the era. And yes, I am aware that the whole point of romance is to look at life through a pink lens of happiness and romance, but it just felt off to me while reading. That's on me, not the author. In fact, I'm looking forward to reading more from her because I totally fell in love with the Hamilton Cousins.

Many thanks to Netgalley and Kensington Books for the sneak peek.

An absolutely charming romance! This one did take a little bit of time for me to get into (the opening feels very much like a Little Women clone, which took some getting used to!), but overall, it was a thoroughly enjoyable, page-turning read! 5 Stars!