Coming off the high that was Unclaimed, I had great expectations for this book. Milan delivered, yet again, compelling and well-rounded characters, a believable and relateable romance, and a plot that had me sitting on the edge of my seat. Compared to her other novels, this one is more of a historical romantic suspense novel, not that I'm complaining. I love a dash of mystery and intrigue. Moreover, I DID NOT see that ending coming. Nope nope nope. It blew up in my face, and I loved every second of it.

So why did I only give it four stars? The hero was a bit too... lucky, I guess. He was lucky that, despite his inability to flirt or be clever and being moderately kind that the heroine fell in love with him. He wasn't dashing, and he was a bit messed up, to put it mildly. There were times where I was like "why him?" He grew on me as the story progressed, so I eventually liked their dynamic, but the heroine was definitely doing the legwork of the relationship for most of the novel.

Milan is a gifted storyteller, and she crafts wonderfully complex characters. She is a must-read for any historical romance reader. You're truly missing out on the capabilities of the genre if you don't. ( )

2nd read- I enjoy a prickly hero whose hard shell begins cracking the moment he meets the heroine. =) The mystery aspect in this one is only fine, but their relationship is quite engaging to me, and the mystery mostly just sets up opportunities for the characters anyway. Also multiple times circumstances start to aline and I begin thinking 'Oh, I know how this sort of scenario always plays out, purely for maximum drama...' and then it'll just entirely bypass the whole thing. Which I really appreciate! Overall the whole trilogy is quite solid. ( )

It’s hard to complain when Courtney Milan builds a series around a group of men. At least, so far, I have no complaints. I didn’t like Ash & Margaret’s story as much as I loved these last two, but to be fair, by the point we’re reading about Smite, we already know a great deal about him. At least we have an idea of how tortured he is. Exacting, unforgiving, cold.

And we know Mark knew he needed, and gave him, a dog.

Smite is the difficult character. He’s also intense, straightforward, and loves animals. He listens as a magistrate to all the accused that others don’t or won’t. He’s uncompromising and has a very dark back story. He’s an exceptional compartmentalizer, but he’s also self-torturing, which is probably the most difficult thing about him.

Miranda, on the other hand, is scrappy and sunny--having lived her life raised by many loving adults but with no real stability. She does what she feels she has to, but she’s so aware of what people are saying and adept at reading them, it makes her, not surprisingly, a perfect match for him.

There are many moments in this book where one or the other could’ve sacrificed who or what they were, but it didn’t really happen. Smite is absolutely starved for companionship but remains isolated as a reminder of what he has to do to give back.

This book could’ve easily tipped into angst-making drahhhma. It didn’t, not really. It had tension, and heart squeezing moments and everything I want in a romance. What else it had was communication between the Turner brothers, making me wish I had more to read about. Their love and appreciation for each other along with their growth is the best thing about these. And it did it without being trite.

That’s a whole lot of nothing, honestly, but I guess it’s more words than my initial:

“Erp”




( )

Smite Turner is a magistrate in Bristol. Due to his upbringing, he is one of the few judges who deal fairly with the poorer citizens. When Miranda Darling appears before him as a witness, his interest is caught. It doesn't take long before he and Miranda are involved.
I admit I've devoured this series. I had the first book on my reader for a while and finally got around to reading it. The writing and the characters drew me in and I've quickly gone through the next two books. The Turner brothers are interesting and the women they picked, while not always suitable to society, are perfect for each of them. They are strong and intelligent.
I do love the way Ms. Milan always gives her plot an extra twist, varying from the usual historical formulas. I never guess her endings (not the HEA, that's a given) but they're always believable and make perfect sense. Smite is so stoic and Miranda is a joyful person despite her living conditions; they make a perfect pair.
I'm sorry the series ended, but it has been a great read. ( )

Miranda Darling is a quick witted wig-maker with a talent for accents. Smite Turner is the cold and precise magistrate who notices she's lying during a court case. It turns out, their oddities match up very well.

I was amazed at how much I enjoyed this book. It's enjoyable for any book, but downright fantastic for an early Victorian romance. First off, there isn't a ball in sight--their love affair blossoms during conversations about the nature of justice, judgmental comments during bad productions of Shakespeare, and a bout of blackmail from a self-appointed King of Thieves. The characters felt unique and had depth; they have actual struggles and communicate about things beyond just their affection for each other. Both Smite and Miranda have gone through frightening and traumatic experiences, but although they're open about how those experiences inform their current circumstances (Smite in particular, the very definition of an Iron Woobie) they also appreciate the person those experiences has made them; they each refuse to be pitied or feel pitiful, but instead try to be stronger and more useful.

All in all, a book I'm really glad I picked up. ( )