“I have esteemed you since I first laid eyes upon you in the foyer of your parents’ house. You were so full of life that you made something in me come alive—and that part of me has lived for you ever since.”

When Lady Charlotte learns that her parents have betrothed her to the cold, ruthless, and twice widowed-under-mysterious-circumstances Viscount Hawley, self-preservation prompts her to take any action necessary to extricate herself from the marriage contract. Ultimately she finds herself marshaling a team of unlikely allies in her quest for independence, including the Viscount’s half-brother and her childhood friend, Dr. Matthew Talbot. Sparks of every kind start to fly as Charlotte, Matthew, and their friends race against the clock to outsmart the dangerous Hawley before she is forced to walk down the aisle.

This sweet Georgian-era romance is simply fun, and a pleasure to read from start to finish. I love the plotlines, and that both Charlotte and Matthew are involved in their own secret intrigues that weave together so tightly throughout the events of the story. Charlotte’s independent, fearless nature is so perfectly balanced by Matthew’s quiet, humble strength. They are such a great match, and I think the author does a wonderful job developing their chemistry through their slow-burn romance. I love all of the supporting characters, and that the Black Sheep is a microcosm of the British social strata. I also really enjoy the author’s sense of humor, and it translates so well on the page through Pan’s outbursts. I love that he appears at the masquerade ball with a little eyepatch!

Usually, my criticism with romance novels written within the last 5 years is that they are entirely too long. Here, the biggest drawback for me was that the book wasn’t long enough! I kept feeling that there were important bits of the story that were missing, and that would have made for even better character development. For example, I wanted to know more about why Matthew’s father held his bizarre beliefs about the fae; why Hawley hated Matthew given that Matthew was never a threat to him or his birthright; and why Hawley hated Alexander.

I am hoping that this novel is the start of a series about patrons of the Black Sheep, because I would love to read Alun Powys and Lady Calliope’s enemies to lovers romance next!

Tropes: friends to lovers, slow burn, found family, hurt/comfort, no sex on page

Thank you Netgalley and Forever (Grand Central Publishing) for the opportunity to read and review this novel. All opinions are my own.