This book was a bit different from my norm, and I was pleasantly surprised by how much I liked the beginning of the book. I thought starting the story out with the main character that just suffered amnesia was a clever idea. 

The pacing was pretty slow, but I was still enjoying it until I got to around Chapter 9, I believe it was, where all of a sudden Marianne and Mr. Mauleverer leave their former personalities behind and are completely enraptured by one another. 

After that snafu, my enjoyment in the book plummeted. It felt like the book veered way off track and never came around to making sense. Ridiculous situations happened one right after another and it wasn't funny anymore, just annoying. 

I didn't really enjoy either of the main characters. I thought Marianne was too gullible and lovestruck, and Mr. Mauleverer was just kind of an ass. They didn't have any chemistry whatsoever, and I wasn't cheering them on at any point in the book. 

However, one character was really quite well-written. The Duchess of Lundy was witty and unique and I really enjoyed the parts of the book that she was written into. By the end, those were really the only parts of the book that I liked. 

Overall, I wasn't impressed and I actually can't believe that I stuck with it until the end.

I thoroughly enjoyed this take on the old 70s era gothic romances.  Feisty and endangered heroine? Check. Wounded, brooding hero?  Lots and lots of plot twists, turns and misdirections?  Check, check, and check. Highly recommended for those who (like me) enjoy this know nd of thing. 

This review was based on an ARC ebook received in return for an honest and unbiased review