Joanne Rock is a USA Today bestselling author of over one hundred works of popular fiction, including domestic suspense and romantic suspense. A frequent speaker at regional and national writing conferences she enjoys giving back to the writing community that nurtured and inspired her early career. She has a Masters degree in Literature from the University of Louisville and has taught fiction, film, and writing at the college level. When she's not writing, Joanne enjoys travel to gather new ideas.
Enjoyed this one. Both leads are strong and imperfect and challenge one another in important ways. She's not a pushover or a conniver, despite using deceit. She had good reasons and grounds her actions and decisions in conscience and plans for the future once they get past the deceit. He's not brutish or one-note, thinks through why she deceives and is like oh okay I have context I won't silently hold this against her the entire book, and he has demons and breakthroughs of his own to make.
They wouldn't make any of them without each other and that's the best part.
Good sense of them falling in love as the plot unfolds. And the plot is dynamic and interesting, the secondary characters more than cutouts. Historical details and language that elevate it above wallpaper but don't weigh the prose or story down. A bit of mystery and magic that's easy to believe as that or easy to process as superstition from the time. I like Griffin, the lack of contrived conflict because there was plenty without them having needless misunderstandings etc, and that their HEA feels sweet, sound, and well earned.
I do wonder what will happen to the very important lands/hold suddenly without a lord. So I'll imagine Collin somehow is given it & for that he finally settles down & he funnels riches he thinks best shared Because Reasons to Barret in clever ways Barret suspects but can't prove.