I don't even know how many annotations I've made. I loved this novel so much! Where do I start?

❤️ARTHUR. This perfect, bearded, insecure bear of a reluctant Scottish Earl who looks fearsome, and is absolutely kind, gentle, sensitive, and earnest to his core. This man loves so deeply that he carved himself straight into my heart within the first few minutes of meeting him. There is nothing more swoonworthy to me in romance than a man who truly deserves to be loved to the depths of his partner's soul for being himself. Arthur must be saved at all costs. I would rescue this book from a fire for him. Every time he says "Dinna fash" I get lightheaded.

📚LYDIA. She's a feminist, an anonymous writer of political pamphlets, and she suffers from social anxiety. My Queen! By deciding to take charge of her own life, she is the seemingly insignificant pebble that drops into the pond, so the ripples of her bravery continue to get wider and impact more and more people. I love her independent spirit, her insecurities, her desire for love and acceptance. I love how much she loves Arthur. I love her relationships with her brothers and her friends Selina and Georgina. I love her intelligence and refusal to accept societal expectations for women.

🐎 The madcap caper of a premise, and subsequent mystery adventures that have all of the characters dashing all over Scotland and London, alone and in various groups, trying to discover and/or subvert unknown plans by unknown individuals who stole Arthur's new invention to permit more accurate long-range shooting. This book reminded me of classic Georgette Heyer novels given its comedic elements, and the good but misguided intentions of the characters that threaten the whole enterprise, but somehow, despite themselves, come together in triumph at the end.

🦓 Any historical romance novel featuring a gay animal rights activist who has rescued a herd of zebras from menageries throughout the British Isles automatically wins my forever devotion. Chef's kiss

🐶 Same goes for Sir Francis Bacon. Every time someone referred to Bacon I laughed.

🌈Bertie and Huw were true highlights of this novel for me. I loved that their partnership was seamlessly integrated into the landscape of the story and the lives of the other characters, rather than existing like an island that needs some kind of explanation for being there. They're woven into the fabric of the world, and no one would ever consider them to be otherwise.

😍 Lydia's brothers and mother are hysterically funny and I loved all of them. Ned most especially, and I need to read a story about him and Jasper!

🌷The 15/10 Epilogue. It brought me to the best of tears. It was perfect. I wouldn't change a single word.

This is without a doubt Alex Vasti's best work yet. The prose is sublime, the humor and dialogue are sparkling and real. The pacing is spot on. The characterizations are inspired. I will be recommending this bright, engaging, and truly entertaining historical romance to all of my followers and friends.

Thank you NetGalley and St Martin's Press for the opportunity to read and review this novel prior to publication. All opinions are my own.