Member Review

Lady Madeline Blaire hates high society, but she's played the part of submissive doll to her parents' desires. But when she finds out that her aunt left her a fortune she'll only inherit it if she's married by the end of the year, 3 weeks away, and that her parents are hiding it from her to keep it, she runs away to Alcott Hall in the hopes of finding a husband before time runs out. There, she'll find not just one man whom she can see as her husband but two, if only they'd all realize that no one has to choose.

Whelp, Rath has done it again and made a polyamorous historical romance that feels authentic to the era in everything from obstacles to the way the characters react to the idea of being together and how they'll have to hide. I love that there's always that one individual who doesn't care about society; they just love who they love, and that's that. Aside from all the great romance, how fun it is, and all the interesting plot points, the fact that it reinforces that people should be free to love who they love is one of the best parts of the Second Sons series.

I liked every character, both old and new. Madeline took a bit to grow on me because she feels way too submissive and naive for my liking, but she soon outgrows that, letting her true personality shine through. She's a lady of her time, which shows in the ways she's ignorant about so many things, but she's also curious and open-minded. Warren and Charles are also very interesting characters, showing Madeline two very different ways of being that somehow work even better when together.

It's a story that had me laughing, crying, and cheering for the characters. You get pulled into the plot and there's no escaping until the last, satisfying page. I loved it.

As this is the third book, despite being touted as a stand-alone, I don't think it's necessary to have read previous volumes. Still, I will say that it's a delight to get such an in-depth look at how the lives of the characters from previous books are going and to be there for their joyous occasions.

Delighted thanks to NetGalley and Kensington for the steamy and romantic read!