This book contains:
- Death of loved ones
- Accidental drowning
- Attempted sexual assault.
Amelia is a young woman who’s experienced significant pain and trauma already, and yet continues to fight to survive. As a woman living at the end of the 19th century, her options to support herself are limited, and yet she still manages to carve out a life for herself, including making connections with the likes of the Price of Wales.
Kit is heir to the Lord of Hatton, and as such, has a certain world view about what is and isn’t proper and acceptable. Given his views, he often clashes with Amelia, despite his desire to get closer to her. Especially because of the life choices he ends up making that impacts both of them.
Over the space of two years, Amelia’s life changes in so many ways. From the death of her parents, to beginning a new life just for that to be cut short, before finally finding her way, she experiences so many changes beyond anything she ever believed possible.
One of the things I like about Nicola’s writing is that while she maintains the integrity of the period each story is set in, she also creates modern and inspiring female protagonists. In the case of Amelia, we have an independent woman striving to choose her own path and not need a man to support her.
While the period she lives in is only 30 odd years before the start of WWI, it’s still very much a time where job options were extremely limited for woman, and they generally needed to be married to be financially supported and considered “socially acceptable”. And yet, Amelia continues to fight for what she wants.
A life independent of any man, and financially secure.
This intense drive and commitment are something that many people today could learn from. How to find your passion, something you truly love and believe in.
While this is a romance, that drive, commitment, and resilience felt like the core theme woven throughout the story in such an inspiring way that you can’t help but love it.
