5 stars After the last book in this series, Don’t You Dare, My Dear, in which Edith presented herself as a total and complete hoyden, with a tendency toward petulance and impulsiveness, I cannot believe that I found her character in this book so strong and inspiring. She learned from her mistakes, and although she still demonstrates passion, she has developed the ability to temper her impulsiveness with careful consideration. This is due, in large part, to Griffin, soon-to-be Marquess of Hartfield (since his wicked father is at death’s door, and honestly, cannot die soon enough). The family dynamics in this book are fascinating. Edith has 5 overbearing, arrogant brothers, and a father who shaped them to be the men they are (with the youngest on his way). Edith lost her mother when she was quite young (early teens, I think), as her mother died in childbirth, about to give birth to child number seven, who also died. Griffin observes that Edith’s brothers, whom Edith long ago dubbed The Brutes, and her father, the Earl of Westgrove, have little use for Edith and disregard her feelings and opinions. Really, they only seem to notice her when she disappoints them or disagrees with them. He immediately feels a kinship and an undeniable need to protect her. Griffin adores his mother and despises his father, a despicable man who has never shown any sense of caring for either of them. He is a rake through and through, and we find that when Griffin was much younger, his father actually brought one of his mistresses to the house for dinner with his wife and two sons. Truly appalling. His older brother wasn’t much better and died prematurely from his participation in a curricle race. Now, his father is dying from the pox and seems just as bitter and manipulative as ever. Now, he threatens Griffen that he will expose his mother’s secret if Griffen doesn’t find a woman to marry tout suite. Although he is inexplicably and irrefutable drawn to Edith, he has determined she is unsuitable as a candidate, even though he’s fairly certain he could develop feelings for her. In fact, he actually stomps out and locks down any glimmer of feelings for her. He must find a sensible and respectable wife to rehabilitate the family line that his father so thoroughly destroyed. But Edith is absolutely irresistible. At first, I loved the consistent metaphors for Griffen’s heart—snow, ice, walls of icicles, ice picks, cracking ice—but there are only so many words to describe the same thing so it grew a bit predictable. Okay, so his heart is encased in ice to protect himself. Typical male hiding his hurt and fear of emotions behind a wall of denial and coldness (oh, yeah, that word was also used). But toward the end of chapter one, I understood the reason for it as Griffen observed, “A man made of ice could never guard himself against a summer sun.” Enter Edith, who is repeatedly referred to as the summer sun, sunshine, warmth, passion, and so on. Slowly but surely, she melts away his icy barricades and shows him that passion will not automatically turn him into his father or brother, because deep down, he is not like either of them. It is such a sweet love story, two people lost, drifting, searching for happiness and approval, both unlikely to get it from their families. Ultimately, they both realize that the men in Edith’s family love her but are incapable of seeing past the fact that she is a woman and must be treated as less-than because of her gender. And Griffen realizes that he needs no one’s approval and Edith makes him happy. There were some wonderful quotes sprinkled throughout this book—in fact, many—but I can only share a few. ‘Twas a dangerous web she wove around him. One that sat lightly over his skin, but burned his flesh. He was a master at building ice walls, though. So, he settled himself into the snow of his own heart and built them high and thick so no heated net could crack or melt them. Edith is a gifted musician and Griffen discreetly observes her playing the pianoforte. He thinks, “No one else played with such precision and passion. Two things that should have dueled with one another instead of becoming companions, as they did when her fingers fit against the keys.” Griffen is a mathematician at heart and had planned to become a professor, until his brother died and cast him in the role of future marquess. He uses math to calm himself and to make sense of the world. He and Edith knew each other well as children, as he often played with her brothers, but he has only remained friends with the eldest. When he encounters Edith again after many years, he asks her a question and immediately disparages himself, thinking, “Entirely wrong question. He’s mucked it up before he’d even begun. Like getting the first step of an equation wrong.” Shortly thereafter, this thought is followed by another observation about Edith as she gave him “an incomprehensible answer that made five of two and two.” Later, “...she had him cornered. No, less fatal than that. More like his every bone pressed against a steel cage ad there was Edith, unlocking it, opening a door he hadn’t even known existed, tempting him to come out when it was for everyone’s good…” Edith’s heart is always way out in front of her logic and she can feel herself falling for Griffen even though he has told her he cannot love her (he’s lying, of course). “Another heartbreak glowed on the horizon as obvious as the storm crackling across it yesterday. And she could not help herself from taking footstep after footstep closer to it. She must hate happiness.” And this is another great description of her feelings. “Every star in the night sky glowed ten times brighter, cascaded through colors stars are not usually known for, and fell to earth, landing in her own chest. She swallowed the star-colored feeling…” Because holding the key to someone’s heart is such a cliche, I loved this alternative. “He locked his eyes with hers. He might as well have thrown away the key.” And I loved that Devon and Lillian (Kiss or Dare) made an appearance. Ever the flirt with a droll sense of humor, he responds to Edith’s declaration that she is to marry the Marquess of Hartfield by discreetly trying to ask about her betrothed’s accident. She explains that was Griffen’s older, deceased brother, and he responds by saying, “Ah. Excellent. Lively women deserve live husbands…” I think the imagery and other poetic touches make this an outstanding book and one of my favorites from Charlie Lane (so far). It’s sweet and it kinda made my heart melt just a little bit. August 28, 2022
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Elizabeth J ConnorWriter. Editor. Proofreader. Archives
September 2022
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