My Rating:

 

Favorite Quotes:

 

He was frightfully boring. And he made me boring. We were boring together. For some reason, I didn’t feel comfortable being myself when I was around Dr. Miles. And, fine, I knew I would never be the belle of any ball. But I could be quick-witted and a decent conversationalist. There was just something about being in Dr. Miles’s presence that leeched all interesting thought from my head.

It was like having permission to stare when I’d spent a lifetime looking away.

I laughed lightly before remembering myself. I’d forgotten what this was like— being charmed by, Nicolas. I could feel him tugging the amusement out of me like a string.

My Review:

 

I keep trying to like period historical pieces as I loved Downton Abbey, but I struggled with this tale as constant angst is just not one of my favorite things. While I admired the feminism of the main protagonist, Eliza, I found her insecurity and emotional immaturity annoying and tiresome as her inner conflicts were pedantic and tedious. While the writing style was easy to follow, the storylines and pacing were incrementally slow, repetitive, and rather monotonous. I adored the effervescent and patient character of Nicholas but I wanted to sigh and give Eliza a kick in her bussle.