Tom was fascinating, but they did not go enough in to why he suffered the way he did. The author could have focused more on his PTSD, his social anxiety, his distaste for society and what is favoured versus what is shunned. Victoria was great at moments, but also completely trusting and clueless the next. She gave me whiplash, I liked her and then I was enraged by her actions or inactions. She was blindly trusting for a woman who knows her own mind and wishes to wait for a marriage based on love. In terms of their romance, they had great moments where there was a spark, but it did not go far enough. It was hard to tell if either of them harbored more than friendship for the other. I enjoyed the quotes by Austen at the beginning of each chapter, which signaled what was coming. Also, it was funny how Victoria compared herself to each Austen heroine, but kept thinking Ann Radcliffe's books were so unrealistic. Meanwhile, her life was more Radcliffe than Austen, much more fantastical. I liked the split perspective, which allowed for more empathy and understanding of the two main characters. You could be in both minds, angry that neither of them is more forthcoming of their feelings. A lot of lost communication. The side characters were also interesting and I would have loved to learn more about Althea and Susan. Both were good sounding boards for their siblings and did not like being burdens. Both were willing to push themselves to help, even at their own risk. Seems each may get their own books, which would be lovely. This novel had lots of learning about the Regency Era in terms of divorce, abuse, rape, illegitimate children, marriage, and mental health issue. A fun read if you enjoy Jane Austen.
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