Four Stars
If you’ve been reading the Victorian Rebels series since the beginning, which I highly recommend (!!), then, like me, you’ve been waiting with bated breath for Chief Inspector Sir Carlton Morley to get his own book. Byrne has skillfully crafted his development as a secondary character throughout the previous six books, and it was finally, FINALLY time for Morley to get his moment.
As always, I bow down to the strength of Kerrigan Byrne’s writing. Her descriptions transport me to the dregs of London. Her ability to weave the characters’ complex and deeply human emotions throughout the book fully invests the reader in this book.
Prudence Goode was the perfect match for the complex and often cold Morley. Their “meet-cute” LOL was SO HOT. One of the hottest scenes I’ve read so far this year. Prudence was relatively mild-mannered, but that made it even more fun when she stood up for herself and started to find her voice. I mean, when you’re married to “Victorian-era Batman,” you have to figure out your own life.
Morley was everything I wanted him to be and more. His devotion to Prudence, even when he wasn’t sure he could trust her, made me fall a little bit in love with him. Plus he was just such a good guy (TM) I was cheering for his HEA the whole time.
I do have to say, I wanted a little more. This book was only 266 pages compared to the 360+ page average of the other books in the series, and it showed. I wanted a little more oomph with the plot, and Byrne’s descriptive writing style demands a longer book to encompass a fully fleshed out plot.
Overall, this book was trope-tastic and super fun. Maybe a little less dark than previous books in the series? But not in a bad way. Honestly, the Victorian Rebels is one of my very favorite series of recent years, and I never want it to end.
**I received an ARC of this book in order to provide an honest review**
Romance Reader 