Fugitive gardener meets lady playwright in 1740s London pleasure garden that's been horrifically & summarily burned down. Trauma bonding and secret identities ensue. ROMANCE.

Spicy, historical romance, 1740s, London, characters late 20s, 3 POVs (main couple and a protagonist from the next book.) 3rd person, past tense.

I was really looking forward to a bantery Apollo, especially when he's paired with a comic actor that's been teased for several books.

That doesn't really happen. Stage named Robin-real name Lilly starts off on a foot that's either ableist or rude to non English speakers and I don't know that she nails down a personality at any particular point.

Strong and interesting start, but Hoyt's heroines have a tendency to not pay attention to the murders their paramours are trying to solve- which is a weird vibe. Instead it's no fewer than two rambles down the "Will we get married? Am I his mistress? He said he loves me but does he like me?" vein. During the peak of the "who's the murderer?" plot.

Valid concerns, but as a group, I worry about their situational awareness as soon as the first sex scene hits.

It's a skosh awkward.

Plot's still pretty strong. Apollo is still interesting. And we meet some new characters via the Duke of Montgomery who are very fun. 

Narrator - Ashford McNab returns after 2 books off. Her pacing is dramatic and leaves a lot of space. Generally fine until someone is spiralling in their internal monologue or a sex scene hits. Her Phoebe lisp has me concerned for the next book.

Parallel Story - each of the Maiden Lane chapters start with an interlude that's a section of a in-story fairytale, fable, or myth. This one is "the Minotaur" and it's tough to get amped about, especially when it cuts up some emotional beats.