I wasn’t expecting that ending. I’m not used to historical romance novels touching on difficult themes that still feel so relevant today, and this one really took me by surprise—I had to take five minutes just to process it. And just when everything was fine, and I’d gotten my emotions back in check, the author hit us with that epilogue, and yes, my eyes may have teared up a little. 

I couldn’t decide between 4 or 5 stars at first, because there was a moment where I wondered if it was dragging a bit, but it absolutely deserves 5 stars for all those revelations. I can usually see plot twists coming after reading so many books, but this one managed to surprise me not once, but twice. And the fact that it brought tears to my eyes—that’s something few books achieve. 

I definitely need to read every book in this series.