This is Julie Anne Long's fifth novel in The Palace of Rogues Series, easily read alone but why would you want to? Each of the couples have found a way to heal and love when they get to the Grand Palace on the Thames, and the loveable characters who are there long term are a part of this. It's almost like visiting old friends every time we come back to them, something I wouldn't miss!

In this story we have Christian, a man fresh out of French prison for espionage. I really liked Christian, he's a very skilled spy who clearly is very charismatic. He quickly takes a new position, one with someone from his past that has asked him to find the man's fiancé that had run away. A small use for his skills, but when he's fairly certain his old acquaintance is up to treason, he's willing to help if only to uncover the truth.

Aurelie, the missing woman, had every reason to run from her fiancé after he treated her horribly (TW: R). And she probably would have escaped handily - I really appreciated that this girl didn't just take off willy-nilly, she made plans and had anyone else besides a skilled spy and tracker chased her, she probably would have disappeared completely. Very appreciative of a heroine with a brain!

During the first third of the book or so, there isn't much overlap for Aurelie and Christian, that comes when she makes it to the Palace with Christian on her toes, only to suffer an attack that leaves him passed out. Mistaken identity helps bring these two together as she helps him heal, and the Palace truly helps them both heal.

This was a slow burn, but both characters had some healing to do, so in the end it was a solid romance. Both have had experiences that have shown them life is not easy and they learn together to find love. And laughter - As usual, Long doesn't disappoint with the group that live in the Palace. They manage to bring laughs not only to our couple, but to the reader as well

It was a good book, but I probably wouldn't read it again, a little slow to start even if the end felt really solid. But I love Julie Anne Long's work, and will of course continue to read anything she puts out,

My opinion is my own and given freely.

2.5 stars? This really could have been an AMAZING romance. All of the ingredients were there. I loved Christian and Aurelie’s characters and their backstories and they absolutely had chemistry.

However, this book is so plot driven that the romance wasn’t developed nearly enough, to the point that it’s honestly baffling given how much I’ve loved some of Julie Anne Long’s books in the past. Christian and Aurelie don’t get enough page time together to get to know each other let alone fall in love, so when they confessed their feelings to each other towards the end, I found it completely unbelievable.

I still love the characters this series centers around and I’m glad that we got to spend some time with the Grand Palace peeps, especially Mr. Delacorte 🤣

CW: rape (doesn’t happen on the page, but is discussed)

**thank you NetGalley and the publisher for providing an e-arc in exchange for an honest review**

Aurelie finds herself at the Grand Palace on the Thames while running from her fiancé. She checks in under an alias after passing the strenuous guest interview given by the proprietors! Her final plan is to escape to her brother in America. Christian, a former spy recently released from jail, is hired by the man who put him there to find his fiancé, Aurelie. The serious subject of sexual assault is written beautifully, while offset with some comedy by the inhabitants of the boarding house. Housemaid Dot needs her own book. Heartbreaking, adventurous, humorous. All the elements of a great read.

Great balance of intrigue and romance. Lady Aurelie is a heroine with a strength to change her circumstances in the face a huge obstacles. I'm always a sucker for a tough guy hero who gets knocked off his feet by love. Really enjoyed it!

Once again The Grand Palace on the Thames has provided a perfect setting for a wonderful tale. In this story a member of French nobility is on the run. Lady Aurelie is hiding from her fiance who is not a nice man. She is attempting to make her way to the Americas to find her older brother who is in Boston for protection. While en route, she stays at The Grand Palace where she meets a wonderful cast of characters and becomes embroiled in a bed of intrigue and romance.
Not only is her fiance searching for her, but he has enlisted the assistance of a former English spy, Mr. Christian Hawks.
The fiance, a beast of a man, wants to find Aurelie for more than one reason, and has sent Hawks to locate her.
But Hawks suspects there's more to the story, and his suspicions are on the mark.
Aurelie has trusted a man before and found herself only to be devastated by the results, should she trust Hawks? Can she?
Thus follows a plot filled with romance, mystery, colorful characters, it's terrific.
If you enjoy a good tale, filled with interesting twists, along with just enough longing and heat, this is an excellent read.
I have read each in this series and look forward to the next.

Julie Anne Long has a skill; and that skill is to make you care. You will care about every person she puts in front of you (except the villains, and maybe even then). She did a wonderfully careful and righteous job dealing with the sexual assault Aurelie went through, and had Christian take even more care with her. I appreciated that, as our society is mostly the opposite. Reading the MC's story felt a little like Ms. Long was trying to spread a salve over all the terrible things that are happening around us. She knows loss, and trauma, and does her best to tell a wonderful love story as a retreat from our own personal and societal realities. And she succeeds every time.

Former British spymaster Christian Hawkes has just been released from a dreadful French prison after three years. Now to rebuild the fortune that was taken from him, he has little choice but to accept an assignment from the Earl of Brundage: to locate his runaway fiancée. Unfortunately, Hawkes knows without a doubt that Brundage is a traitor to his country and that it was his machinations that saw Hawkes imprisoned. Nonetheless, Hawkes has no money, and the earl is desperate for his own reasons, so they make a deal.

Lady Aurelie Capet sees no option other than to flee after her every dream is destroyed. She finds safety and kindness at the Grand Palace on the Thames, until a beautiful, mysterious man topples through their door and upends the peaceful routine.

An inexplicable but equally undeniable attraction crops up between the sweet beauty and the hardened spy. They grow closer and learn more and more of each other’s secrets as Hawkes also begins collecting secrets the earl wants to keep hidden. If he wants a future with Aurelie, Hawkes knows he must settle past scores, and avenge her. Though it gives her trepidation, Aurelie knows she must allow this action, even if it costs her even more of her peace.

It still amazes me that, after writing so many novels, Julie Anne Long still manages to write something that feels new each time. This story is slow burn perfection without ever feeling frustrating or boring, in my opinion. Hawkes and Aurelie had an immediate and palpable connection and I loved that they both recognized and embraced this. There was no game playing and despite circumstances very much not being on their side, Hawkes immediately conferred his loyalties on Aurelie and started quietly working to fix things for both of them. Aurelie’s story was incredibly emotional and painful, and I really appreciated the fact that Hawkes recognized this almost immediately, but pushed her to reveal her truths only gradually, and in such a way as to help her come to terms with everything and move forward. It was also adorable that anything that caused her the least distress obviously destroyed him as no physical pain to his person could. This is like the ultimate in manly, strong, protective hero for me, but I don’t want to say any more and risk spoilers.

I think this book is a must read and now I even want to reread it, which is pretty rare for me. I just loved that there was never any doubt that Hawkes and Aurelie would be together, and he was such a pro when it came to making that happen. These two were perfect together, their relationship a beautiful sort of healing and peace for them both, in which two souls recognized their mates and sought to be together with as little fuss as possible. If that’s not what romance, what life even, is all about then I don’t know what is. If you’re looking for some warm fuzzies, this one definitely produced them for me.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I've said it before, I want to stay at The Grand Palace on the Thames!! I can't get enough of the characters, plot twists, and swearing that happen in Julie Anne Long's The Palace of Rogues series, especially this newest release.

If you enjoy lost fiancee, a spymaster, treason, fake identity, ghost-talk/paranormal, sick bed, group activities, Dot and Delacorte, shirtless or pant-less men to name a few, you'll enjoy this book too!

Rating: 4.5 Stars

CW: Rape; physical abuse

Returning to The Grand Palace on the Thames (or TGPOTT as it’s referred to) is like being welcomed home by a dear friend. I adore the Palace of Rogues series so much, and every book I read from Julie Anne Long solidifies her place as one of my favorite historical romance writers. You Were Made to Be Mine is one of the more emotionally heavy books in the series, but Long crafts a beautiful tale of love and resiliency with the romance of Hawkes and Aurelie.

Lady Aurelie Capet fled from France and her fiancé, the Earl of Brundage. To get her back, Brundage enlists the help of legendary spymaster Christian Hawkes, recently released from a French prison for spying. While Hawkes agrees to help Brundage, he has his own motives for doing so as he suspects Brundage is a traitor to the Crown and the reason he ended up in prison. After having her worldview shattered, Aurelie escapes France and ends up at the Grand Palace on the Thames – a little heaven of safety – before making her way to America to meet with her brother. However, when Hawkes falls through the front door of TGPOTT – literally – an unexpected spark alights between Hawkes and Aurelie as they slowly unravel each other’s secrets. Hawkes must balance his growing attraction to Aurelie with his employment by Brundage and his duties to the Crown, while Aurelie needs to reconcile what she wants from her future.

If there were ever a book to make me believe in soulmates, this would be that book. Hawkes and Aurelie felt meant for each other and found each other at the exact right time. It’s risky to have the couple meet for the first time nearly a third of the way into the book, but somehow it worked perfectly in this book. From Hawkes and Aurelie’s first conversation, everything just felt…right. The banter and conversation flowed naturally, and they had a connection that couldn’t be denied. While a lot of the development of their romantic relationship happens in the last 20% or so of the book, I didn’t mind as it just felt right. There was chemistry and attraction between them, but their emotional connection went much deeper than that, making the relationship timeline work.

When it comes to Hawkes and Aurelie, these two were incredibly nuanced and well-drawn characters. Both had been betrayed by those closest to them and dealt a cruel hand by fate. They both suffered different kinds of pain, but I admired that they didn’t let that break them. They turned their pain into strength.

I quickly fell in love with Hawkes as I admired his tenacity, humor and protective nature. This man has a vendetta about Brundage, but he’s willing to go about it slowly and methodically to destroy the man. He knows what he wants and will do anything to get it. I loved his protectiveness – it’s not an overbearing type of proactiveness but one more driven by love and preventing someone you love from feeling pain. His personality sparkled and drew me in as he frequently made me laugh with his little quips. He’s good at what he does and getting others to give him the information he needs, and I loved that. Oh, he’s also got a tattoo, and that’s just hot in a historical romance.

Aurelie is a different kind of strong female lead than I expect. This girl – I just wanted to hug her. All she wanted her whole life was to be loved and wanted. When she thinks she got that, she’s betrayed and violated in the worst possible way. Her worldview got upended, but she doesn’t let that destroy her or define her but instead takes her fate into her own hands. She has a quiet sort of strength to her and confidence that most people overlook. She’s a survivor, and I love how Long handled her emotional journey following what happened to her with Brundage.

Speaking of Brundage, my god, is that man the WORST. He’s an entitled, narcissistic, traitorous pig and I loved watching Hawkes work alongside Hardy, Bolt and the Duke of Valkirk to bring him down. I also really enjoyed the spy/espionage intrigue woven into the plot of this book, as it brought more action than I was expecting.

Outside of our main characters, You Were Made to Be Mine featured many familiar faces from previous books. More so than other books in the Palace of Rogues series, this felt like a full ensemble piece as we got many scenes with some of our previous couples, primarily Angelique and Bolt and Delilah and Hardy. I loved some of the callbacks to earlier books and seeing how these characters and their relationships have grown. My favorite secondary characters, Dot and Mr. Delacorte, continued to steal scenes, and I adored seeing them again. And the whole saga with the footman, which opens and closes the book, was perfectly fitting for TGPOTT.

As I’ve said before, Long has a way with words. Her writing is fantastic as she’s able to masterfully balance all the emotional beats of the story and fully capture the feelings of falling in love. She seamlessly blends the humor and lightheartedness with the serious and emotional. Her characters jump off the page, fully formed with their own unique voice and personality. In this book, I found myself highlighting so many beautiful lines that hit me straight in the emotions, with my favorite being: “She was the heroine of her own story. She would be the victor.” Hawkes and Aurelia’s story is beautifully written, and I adored reading it.

You Were Made to Be Mine was a beautiful, emotional entry to the Palace of Rogues series. Long’s writing and storytelling continue to shine, and I highly recommend picking up this series if you haven’t already. It’s best read in order to appreciate what TGPOTT represents and the characters who inhabit it. I’m anxiously awaiting the next installment of the series to see who the next guests will be and what their romance may entail.

Thank you to Avon/Netgalley for the ARC. All thoughts, ideas and opinions expressed in this review are my own.

The latest installment in Julie Anne Long's Palace of Rogues series is proof positive that these books deserve a place in the pantheon of historical romance greats. It's the only logical conclusion when JAL managed to make the fated mates trope both suspenseful and compelling, not to mention a serious slow burn. Hawkes and Aurelie might be made for each other, but their book is what HistRom dreams are made of for readers who like smart, passionate characters; a healthy dose of political intrigue; and a quirky, delightful cast of secondary characters. CW: Prior to the events of the book, our heroine experiences a traumatic sexual assault, which she recounts on-page. Her description isn't graphic, but it's not vague, either.

Three-sentence summary: When the Earl of Brundage hires Christian Hawkes to track down his runaway fiancee, the former spymaster accepts the mission despite his suspicions that Brundage is a traitor to the Crown -- and the man responsible for Hawkes' imprisonment for the past two years. Intent on finding Lady Aurelie and at last proving Brundage's guilt, Hawkes follows the wayward woman's trail to a quirky dockside boardinghouse in London, where he is instantly enraptured by the very person he's supposed to capture. Aurelie and Hawkes find something rare and wonderful in each other, but to embrace the love neither expected, they'll both have to confront the violence and betrayal lurking in their pasts.

I confess, "fated mates" has never been one of my favorite tropes. But in JAL's capable hands, destined love feels as fresh and fraught as forbidden romance or enemies-to-lovers. Another five-star knockout from Julie Anne Long -- and another reason to hope in my next life, I come back as a resident of The Grand Palace on the Thames.

Thank you to NetGalley and Avon for the advance copy.

An utterly enthralling story of a spy and a sheltered runaway noblewoman, this was a difficult book to put down once I started reading it. The love story between Christian and Aurelie is heart-wrenching but still sweet and romantic. I would highly recommend this book as I adored the main leads and the secondary characters. This is book five in the Palace of Rogues series but can be read as a standalone. It was the first book that I read in this series. Although, I adored the secondary characters so much that I will look into their own stories in the other books in this series.

Trigger warning: Sexual assault is part of the book's characters' history.

I received this ARC from NetGalley and the publisher for an honest review*

I love this series. It has everything - quirky characters, humor, suspense and romance. I love the premise - two women with very patient, supportive husbands and a lively crew of employees run a slightly rundown boarding house, The Grand Palace on the Thames (or the Palace of Rogues). The maid Dot, who is a believing sort, is one of my favorite characters. The ladies and the other women of the house are still looking for a footman - it is a little hilarious how they yearn for one. A tall man who can reach the sconces ....

A young woman, Lady Aurelie Capet, is on the run from her fiancee, the Earl of Brundage. She ends up at the Palace under an assumed name, where she finds a welcome and refuge. The earl hires Christian Hawkes to find her, a man he knew who had a talent for finding people who are in hiding. The earl wants to find her and a piece of jewelry she took with her.

Christian needs the money and also has some questions about events during the war, events that may include Brundage. Once titled and rich, Christian lost everything but his life during the Napoleonic Wars. He was a spy, was betrayed by someone to the French, and spent years as a prisoner of war under the worst circumstances. He has suspicions about who betrayed him to the French, but no proof. He becomes a guest at the Palace when he literally falls into the house when the door is opened - he has been stabbed. However, there are several women there and he doesn't know immediately which one is the Earl's fiancee.

This book is a little different from the others in the series in that the focus is not immediately on the romance..
Christian and Aurelie do not meet until 25% or more into the book when they are both staying at the Palace in disguise. Christian is not only looking for a missing fiancee, he is also looking for a traitor. I didn't properly appreciate how well this story was put together until I re-read it. Christian is not the only hero who shines in this book.

I wish I could give this book more stars. My thanks to the publisher Avon and Harper Voyager and NetGalley for a review copy of this book. It was my pleasure to read and review it.

Note to publisher: Amazon would not accept this review as written. It was finally accepted 7/2/22 after I removed references in my review to the Grand Palace on the Thames and the Palace of Rogues. I had similar problems with including the series name in the previous book. My apologies for the delay. The original review was accepted at bookbub, kobo and B&N so I have left those unchanged at those retail sites and on NetGalley. . .

Thank you to Avon and NetGalley for the advance review copy. I'm a huge Julie Anne Long fan, and was thrilled to be able to read YOU WERE MADE TO BE MINE. All opinions are my own.

“Like a magician, he turned her knees to smoke, and the room into a whirlpool, and the kiss into a world.”

Swoon and sigh. This was lovely. A little more suspense oriented and plot- than character-driven, pivoting on some heavy themes, but so beautifully written as always and full of Grand Palace on the Thames ensemble cast goodness.

I love the world of TGPOTT and can't wait to see who we'll meet there next!!

✨Thank you to NetGalley and Avon Books for the ARC of this fantastic book!✨

I was so happy to be back at The Grand Palace on the Thames! This latest installment in The Palace of Rogues series was just what I needed. 🥰

We start with meeting Hawkes, a former spy for England who was held in a French prison after being caught. Hawkes agrees to search for Aurelie, the fiancée of a man named Brundage, who Hawkes suspects is a traitor to England and the man responsible for Hawkes’ imprisonment, even if Brundage did manage to get him released. He has been trying to prove Brundage’s guilt, so he agrees to look for Aurelie.

He tracks her to The Grand Palace on the Thames, where she has been taking refuge while figuring out how to get to her brother in America.

Once we’re at The Grand Palace on the Thames (or TGPOTT as monogrammed on the handkerchiefs), we get to see how all of our beloved previous couples and side characters are doing, while learning the horrible circumstances that led Aurelie to flee from her fiancée (there’s a TW here). It was sad and terrible to read, but have no fear. Hawkes makes sure the guilty party pays for hurting Aurelie. 🙂

Hawkes and Aurelie are both keeping secrets and have trauma to overcome and it was wonderful watching the beautiful slow burn as they faced their trauma together and helped each other heal. ♥️

I also could NOT write this review without mentioning the absolute TWO GREATEST side characters EVER written, imo. I adore Mr. Belacourt and Dot SO FREAKING MUCH. They are hilarious, sweet, and everything endearing and wonderful. I want to hug and squish them. 🥰

I adore this series with every fiber of my being and this was another fantastic installment. Julie Anne Long is an extraordinary author and has become an auto-buy/auto-read author for me.

I'm more a fan of Julie Anne Long's writing than I am of Regency romances but she's definitely hooked me with this series and You Were Made to Be Mine. The quirky cast from the previous books is most all back. Two new additions, Christian Hawkes and Lady Aurelie Capet, fit right in and are a part of this eccentric "family" in no time. One of my favorite parts of this series is that there's always intrigue and suspense included. Poor Aurelie is in a really bad situation and finds she has fewer skills to get herself out than she thinks. Luckily Mr. Hawkes is quick to realize she needs his help.

Aurelie finds herself running from the marriage she thought was going to ensure her lifelong happiness. Her fiancé isn't the charming, attractive man she first thought he was. After he does the unthinkable, Aurelie runs. Wearing her lady's maid's clothes and traveling as Mrs. Mary Gallagher, Aurelie finds herself at the Grand Palace on the Thames for a brief stay while she arranges funds and transport to join her brother in Boston.

Hawkes is hired by her fiancé, Lord Brundage, to find her. Hawkes is not keen on working for Brundage for his own reasons but promise of a huge payoff is too attractive. Especially since Hawkes isn't convinced Brundage didn't have a hand in Hawkes's fortune being taken from him. As he investigates Aurelie's disappearance Hawkes finds a lot to implicate Brundage as not only part of Hawkes's imprisonment in France, loss of fortune and perhaps less than gentlemanly treatment of his fiancé but much larger crimes like treason and theft..

The meet/cute between these two is too fun with Hawkes arriving at the Grand Palace on the Thames very much out of sorts because he's been attacked. He's mistaken for a clergyman who was expected and since he's unconscious he can't correct the misunderstanding. Once that confusion is corrected and Hawkes is just barely healed enough to get back to work, the search for the truth is back back on. Aurelie isn't making this easier too. Her confidence her ability to sell a piece of jewelry and book passage to American has her finding herself in bad situations with strange men more than once. Thankfully, Hawkes is there to save her.

I loved seeing the entire cast just being themselves. The way that Hawkes quickly befriends and enlists the aid of Hardy and Bolt was particularly rewarding. I loved seeing these men bond and work together. Everyone at the Grand Palace feels like a friend to each other and to me!

Long does her usual amazing job of giving us fascinating, entertaining characters and the right mix of suspense, strife, fun, humor and rewarding relationships both romantic and not. The book really does run a gamut of emotions and finds the perfect resolutions and a very satisfying happily every after.

Thanks to NetGalley, Avon Books and the author for the ARC.

DNF at 16%

Julie Anne Long and I have had a sort of love/hate relationship over the years, and it's further cemented with this rough start. For me, YWMTBM just felt too wordy and tedious for me to really get into, while I never fully connected with the two MCs. Based on past experience, I'd guess my next book by Long will be a knockout. I cannot wait!✌🏽

This 5th book in the Palace of Rogues is stunningly beautiful. While it could be read as a stand alone, I think to truly appreciate the cast of characters it is important to start at the beginning of the series. This book in particular covers some heavier topics (see CWs) but handles it in a very tender way. JAL has such a beautiful way of writing, it is so soulful and emotional. She uses big words that have me reaching for my dictionary, but never in a way that feels pretentious.

This story has the perfect blend of heart and soul, adventure and action, grappling with hard issues, and yet inserting just the right amount of humor (there are some running jokes that span books like the footman and Dot and Delacorte).

She has really reached her stride, as books 3, 4, and 5 are all slam dunks. While this book doesn’t have nearly as many steamy scenes as book 4, the slow buildup is delicious and when the moment finally comes it is executed perfectly.

Hawkes is for sure my favorite hero yet, but I love how the cast of characters from the previous books surround each new story and round everything out so well.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ for sure and very worthy of being read by all!

CW: Rape (Off-Screen and not between hero and heroine), Assault

An earl hires Hawkes to find his missing fiancée. But Aurelie wants to stay lost. She plans to escape to America as soon as she can sell her jewels. Will Hawkes prove friend or foe?

This novel is magical. The author weaves together a compelling plot, relatable characters, and profound emotion in a way that reaches inside you as if you're living the story. It's impossible not to love Hawkes and Aurelie, impossible not to feel what they're feeling. The plot unfolds in such an honest and heartfelt way, it feels inevitable. This novel further cements Julie Anne Long as my favorite Regency romance author. And as usual, Justine Eyre does a brilliant job with the audio narration.

Thanks, NetGalley, for the ARC I received. This is my honest and voluntary review.

I recommend before you read my review and you read this book that you read the previous books in this series because a lot of the characters from the previous books come into this book as well. And if you don't know their backstories then you will be a little bit confused on who these people are. Now on to the review. I really enjoyed reading this book when I first met Hawk and he was meeting with the evil conniving Brundage. Hawk believes that he is the one that led to him being arrested and thrown in prison for espionage. Even though Hawk was working undercover for the English under the French but nobody was supposed to know that. But he is being charged with finding the girls run away fiance and he does have a bad feeling about this guy not just that he threw him in prison but that he is not a good man but an evil man. He is trying to build a case against him while he is trying to find the guys fiance. When I met Aurelie my heart went out to her because she had to have run away for a reason not just because she didn't want to marry him when she did. She was hoping that she would finally have the family that she always wanted that she had a loving husband and could have kids but apparently the Earl showed himself in a very nasty way that made her flee. I won't get away too much of the story but when they first meet let's just say there are meeting really went out with a bang. You will get to know these characters and love them and root for them to be together because they both have been through so much and they deserve happiness. I received an advance copy from netgalley and was asked to give my review and let's just say I could not put this book down and I don't think you will either.

This fifth installment in Julie Anne Long's Palace of Rogues series is an intriguing, slow burn romance with heavy found family aspects and a strong cast of characters. I really enjoyed this novel and am absolutely adoring this series. Long has a way of building a rich world and community in her series, I love that her novels all seem to belong to the same expansive world and that Long provides the reader with constant glimpses into past characters. I will say that even though you can read this novel as a standalone it definitely holds more meaning and interest if you read the books in order because you will have a much stronger understanding of past characters which do still have a strong presents in this new romance. Long's writing is well paced and is very entertaining as the plot weaves around our hero and heroine and slowly draws them together and into each other's sphere.

Hawkes, a former British spymaster, is tasked at the start of the novel with finding an earl's missing fiance. Hawkes is destitute so when the desperate earl needs his help he overlooks past transgressions in hopes to find further proof of the earl' s treason. Lady Aurelie flees her only home after the devastating shattering of her dreams (content note for rape) and finds refuge with and alias at the Grand Palace on the Thames when she is welcomed with kindness and understanding. Soon Hawkes and Aurelie find themselves in each other's obit, with fake identities, very intrigued by the other and slowly unmasking each other's secrets.

This novel is truly a slow burn with lots of moving parts in the plot that feature characters outside of our main romantic couple. And even though Aurelie and Hawkes do not officially meet until about a third of the way into the story, I found that Long was able to easily draw me into the plot and I was interested in learning how the outside plot around our main hero and heroine would play out. I found that as soon as Aurelie and Hawkes meet and are on the page together that they have a really lovely instant chemistry. It is as if both their souls recognize a truth in the other and through this they slowly open themselves up. I love that as their secrets are slowly revealed that neither judges the other for the decisions they have made. They both have an understanding of the other that runs deep and true which leaves them open to listening and understanding. I love that they have an inherit trust with the other which means they never have to have a falling out with each other, they see the other for their strengths and they have faith in the other to make the right decision.

The Palace on the Thames is a place of refuge, hope, understanding and found family. This novel is a charming addition to the palace's story. I would very much recommend this series in order to truly respect the work and world building that Julie Ann Long is doing, and I am so looking forward to the next chapter in this series!