Series: The Phoenix Club, #8
Traits & Tropes: soldier; spies; brother's best friend/best friend's sister; spare son; bluestocking
Publication Date: 01.24.23
Genre/Setting: Historical; Regency; London, February 1816
Heat Level: 4
Rating: 4/5
Lord Lucien Westbrook is known for helping other members of society, but few know that his eagerness to be of service is heavily influenced by the lack of love and support he’s endured from his own father. When his best friend’s sister, Miss Kathleen Shaughnessy, asks him for his help researching scientific matters that interest her, he can’t seem to refuse her, though he knows he should since she’s mostly fascinated by human mating habits. Lucien was furious when he learned of Kat’s brother’s secret affairs with his sister and now he’s about to go down the same slippery slope. He knows he needs to focus on the other problems currently plaguing him and avoid compromising situations with Kat, but he can’t seem to resist her.
I had extra high expectations for this book because of how much I’ve loved the character of Lucien throughout the series and how much he deserved his own HEA after working so hard to help others find theirs and not having much of his own. It’s also worth noting that it’s January and I find that to be a particularly depressing and difficult month for me mentally, which is possibly reflected in my reviews at the moment. Whatever the case, it is also important to remember that this book had a lot to accomplish to wrap up this series in a satisfactory way and give us answers about Lucien’s relationship with his father and the future of the club and everything did wrap up in a way I was pleased with.
This book definitely did give me some angst because the whole time Lucien was just suffering and under so much stress that he made me just want to give him a hug. After his having helped so many people, it started to feel like no one was there for him, until he finally confided in his friends and they, of course, stepped in to help him. I loved that closeness and the ‘friends who are family’ aspect here. I definitely did struggle to warm to Kat, especially at first. Her anxiety issues are painfully relatable for me, so perhaps it was also a struggle to see those familiar feelings of not belonging or being too different reflected back at me. Beyond that though, she gave no thought to anyone but herself and her research and that narrow scope made her difficult to root for as a heroine for a while. She bordered on narcissistic there for a bit and only saw Lucien as another bit of wildlife for her research, making her come off as simultaneously clueless and arrogant. For a while there I was much more interested in the mystery surrounding the woes facing the club than I was in Lucien and Kat’s relationship as the romance wasn’t really there for me yet. It was clear she was attracted to him but for a while there I wasn’t convinced there was an emotional connection and it almost felt like she was just using him to get something she needed/wanted, much like every character in the series has done, though Lucien never begrudges them.
Fortunately, things turned around as Lucien and Kat spent more time together. She grew as a person, mostly because of him, as he helped her see things differently and want to be better and widen her views to become more empathetic towards others even as she struggled to understand them. He understood her, and she understood him, and that was really beautiful. I also loved that she referred to herself as an aberration for not fitting into society as a proper lady should, but he viewed himself the same way within his own family. They were both struggling to find their place in their own ways, and I really enjoyed seeing them change their perspectives, reevaluate what they thought they wanted for themselves, and make that happen together. This was a satisfying series conclusion with an intriguing mystery and solid character growth, and I loved seeing everyone together cohesively in the end as a found-family unit.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
https://www.bookbub.com/reviews/2777471360
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/5279419978
Comments
Post a Comment