Author Update: The author that is shown on Goodreads is Ashley J. Barner.

I was lucky enough to receive this book from BookSirens on behalf of the author. This is in exchange for an honest and unbiased review that is not compensated. I hope the prospective reader will read this review fully before making any prejudgments on the book. I will give the book my thoughts, good and bad. Also, this review contains opinions that are my own and not the author’s. My thoughts will be different from your thoughts and just know that before reading the book.

The main word to think about is secrets. Family is everything in this novel and the reader will wonder if these secrets will crush them or not. He had many dreams that he wanted to pursue and she sacrificed everything that she held dear to pursue something different. She knew she had to protect what is most dear to her. Hugh Pembroke has a mysterious past. He never thought he would have a family of his own. The death of an old friend changed everything in his life. Lettie is frightened and alone. Hugh wants to give Lettie the life that she deserves. Aoife has her own secret. To protect everything that she loves, she has to give up everything that she has ever known. She is accepting a position at Juris Hall as a governess. Lettie’s grandfather is out to ruin everything that she has. It will take all the willpower of everyone around them and maybe, a little magic.

The characters were wonderful. I think that it is important to me to have characters that I love and seem real. They are charming, but I think that they can feel a little bit fake. I tend to like my characters written to seem that I can meet them on the middle of a town one day. I think that maybe the possible historical setting is hard to connect with. Although, I found Hugh to be a lovely character that is a wonderful man through in through. Aoife is definitely a wonderful woman. I like her, but her name is a little hard to pronounce. I loved Lettie! She brings this childlike joy and love to the book. I know that it would not be the same without her. I do think that the villain is amazing and the extra characters were a good addition. The people that you thought were going to be stuck up were actually not and Aoife has a wonderful ally that is on her side every step of the way. I think the characters were actually three dimensional and perfect for this setting.

My Rating: This book, to me, is swoon worthy. I don’t know why I felt so connected to this book. Now, the language could be a little complicated. I think that was my only drawback. I feel as if I don’t understand all of it because I have to read it back a few times to really connect. That does bring me to the conclusion that I am not always connected to the story. The book was overall an enjoyable read and a pretty quick read. I give this book a 4 out of 5 stars. It was a good book, but there were moments that stopped it from being perfection. Even though the history side was fairly accurate, though there were some magical moments. I enjoyed the book. It was different, yet entertaining.

I hope this review helps you in making your next book choice. Happy reading!

 DISCLAIMER: I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.