I enjoyed this as a solid romance novel, though it may not be a stand out for the genre. I liked the friends to lovers trope, the setting (as a transplant to RI, Gilded Age Newport was a fun taste of “home”) and the steady, inevitable-ness of the happily ever after. The well-researched nods to historical events shows a commitment to accuracy that always makes this genre shine, the “mashers and hatpins” reference being A+ work!
That said, the book dragged a bit in places, featured a love triangle (not a personal favorite) and our intrepid hero isn't really great about treating the heroine as an autonomous person. I understand that that exact point is meant to be part of the relationship development, but it certainly made it feel like Maddie was just a checkbox on Harrison’s revenge checklist. The real interesting intrigue is clearly being had by side characters, so that does set up the series nicely.
Even though this wasn't a five star read for me, I still would like to read more in the series.
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