Why I picked up this book:

When I saw Ms. Stephanie put out the call for ARC reviews on her debut, I jumped at the chance to get a first read. To be honest, I wasn’t even sure what to expect as I had to wait a few extra days before the blurbs went up. All I can say is I’m so very happy I jumped at the chance.

This review may contain spoilers.

What I loved:

The story as a whole is fantastic. What really jumped off the page right away is the voice of this tale and how easy it was to immerse completely into Cecily’s story. While the heroine wasn’t any sort of a special snowflake, she was real and had a simple complexity that made her stand out as unique among a horde of brutish men.

I adored Captain Whorley’s character. Probably because I have an unnatural love of roguish protectors. His character was fun and spirited, wrapped inside a darker, enigmatic persona trying to keep himself and the people he cared about alive.

Areas needing a touch of refinement:

Trying to keep away from spoiling too much, the end didn’t really feel like the ending. There’s still something left to accomplish, and yet the small band of heroes go in the other direction. It sort of left me scratching my head as to why they wouldn’t go toward danger one more time.

During the second dinner the pacing was a bit off. The scene seemed stilted, so I wasn’t really sure what was happening. Fighting foreplay? It was the only scene that didn’t feel fully fleshed out though, and not enough to deter me.

The deity talk felt out of place in this story. I know it was part of the time period, and there was very little said, but the few lines it came up felt out of left field. Purely subjective, but I’d have been happier without it.

Overall:

This was a super fun adventure story, and I do hope the author will take us back into the next chapter of this tale in the future. The story was fun, the characters were engaging, and there’s still parts of the tale we didn’t get to explore. Hint hint… I can’t wait for the next installment!