Series: Men of Wollstonecraft Hall, #3
Tropes & Traits: damaged, titled hero; reformed rake
Publication Date: 12.04.18
Genre/Setting: Historical; Victorian; England, 1845
Rating: 4 stars
There is a lot going on in this story and to be honest, a lot of the author's vocabulary choice and writing style threw me off a bit. We begin with our hero, Aidan, heir to an earldom, recovering from an intense opium addiction and being nursed back to health by the heroine, Cristyn, in her father's sanatorium. Though the two have a strong connection and become friends, Aidan leaves to rejoin his family and continue his recovery. A short while later, in an attempt to make something of himself and give his life purpose, Aidan goes to work undercover as an overseer at a poorly run mill so he can gather information about the conditions and illegal actions of the owner. It just so happens that Cristyn is working as a nurse with the local doctor there. The two cannot stay away from each other, but Aidan cannot risk his mission or the revelation of his true identity. He is also afraid he will lose Cristyn for good if she learns all the details of his true identity, high social standing, and his very sordid past. Eventually, Aidan decides he has had enough of his pretend role and the cruelty of the cotton mill, and that he wants to be honest with Cristyn then wrap things up and go home. Of course, it's not that simple and he still has trouble opening up about his feelings, but this is where I finally felt like I was getting into the book.
We also get some scenes told from the point of view of Aidan's father, Julian, about his own love affair as all the Wollstonecraft men seem to be finding love. Aidan's grandfather, the earl, also has a love affair, leaving all the men hopeful of finally breaking the family curse.
I would recommend reading the first two books in this series before reading this one. I did not, and while I still enjoyed and understood the story, I think I would've gotten more out of it if I'd read the others first, not to mention avoided spoiling some of the previous plot points for myself.
Overall, Aidan is an interesting character and probably one of the most truly flawed heroes I've ever read. What's also interesting is the fact that not only are we told of his flaws and debauched exploits, we are shown them too. He's definitely tortured and a bit of a beta hero, and while I was rooting for him to be strong and overcome his demons, I still struggled to actually like him until the very last chapters of the book. Nonetheless, he was up against a particularly evil and cruel villain and this story tackles several serious issues that are still relevant today, such as addiction and social injustice. Cristyn's character was enjoyable in that she was unafraid to own to her true feelings and be her own person. This was a very different story from the typical formula and I would recommend it as an enjoyable read.
We also get some scenes told from the point of view of Aidan's father, Julian, about his own love affair as all the Wollstonecraft men seem to be finding love. Aidan's grandfather, the earl, also has a love affair, leaving all the men hopeful of finally breaking the family curse.
I would recommend reading the first two books in this series before reading this one. I did not, and while I still enjoyed and understood the story, I think I would've gotten more out of it if I'd read the others first, not to mention avoided spoiling some of the previous plot points for myself.
Overall, Aidan is an interesting character and probably one of the most truly flawed heroes I've ever read. What's also interesting is the fact that not only are we told of his flaws and debauched exploits, we are shown them too. He's definitely tortured and a bit of a beta hero, and while I was rooting for him to be strong and overcome his demons, I still struggled to actually like him until the very last chapters of the book. Nonetheless, he was up against a particularly evil and cruel villain and this story tackles several serious issues that are still relevant today, such as addiction and social injustice. Cristyn's character was enjoyable in that she was unafraid to own to her true feelings and be her own person. This was a very different story from the typical formula and I would recommend it as an enjoyable read.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2563839384?book_show_action=false&from_review_page=1
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