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MY REVIEW:

I really enjoyed this second installment in this series! Gillie was a really interesting character in the first book (from the little we saw of her) – a female tavern owner who is fiercely independent. I knew she’d be a great lead in this book. And yes while she’s independent, it does seem like she isolated herself from others as a form of protection. I was worried this would cause major issues later down the line as the relationship between Gillie and Thorne progressed, but it didn’t as Gillie realized letting someone in could fill a need.

Thorne was great, though how he ended up in Gillie’s lap was not smart. I really enjoyed unraveling his story and seeing the interactions between Gillie and him – their chemistry was jumping off the page. Even though Thorne is a Duke, he seemed more at home in Gille’s tavern than any ballroom. It’s also clear his backstory with being left at the alter is setting up book 3, which will focus on his missing bride Lady Lavinia and Finn Trewlove.

Much like book 1, there was an idealistic nature to this book, as Thorne, a Duke, was able to see past the class boundaries and the fact that Gillie was a bastard and a female tavern owner, and able to accept her for who she is. I know it might not be the most realistic part of this series, but dang I love it. I also loved that the conflict in this book wasn’t anything too major – it was those class barriers – but the character both come to realize they can push past that for what they want.

I’ve already started book 3 and I can’t wait to see what happens next in this series.