“The truth of it is, Caroline, that I would endure any number of cats, dogs, and hedgehogs if it meant I got to spend the rest of my life with you.” —Valentine Thorn

“I love you. So much. And what’s more, I trust you. I never thought I’d be able to feel so again.” —Caroline Hardcastle

greening laughing giggling wheezing crying throwing up

Notwithstanding how much I loved the first novel, I'd be glad to say that I preferred the second one. I would venture to say that my enjoyment of this book was a pleasant surprise. This time, there is a much greater balance between the romance, as well as between the premise that women have limited alternatives in life and real character development.

Caroline's complete hatred of almost all men made her an unlikable character in the first novel, but this book mercifully softened that. Caro still possessed some of the same beliefs and was identifiable as the same self-reliant, resilient person as before, but she also displayed a new level of maturity and the capacity to acknowledge her own shortcomings and errors, to step back from her impetuous inclinations, and to reflect. And there's Valentine, who had to become more aware of how his indifference with his father's elitism had been interpreted as implicit consent or approval, took action to make things right. I thought it was great that there wasn't much debate over why Val shouldn't or couldn't be with Caroline, despite the fact that she was the person he desired.

I really had a great time to witnessing their great banter. There is a lot of tension between Val and Caro when they reunite for this investigation because they were previously involved in a covert engagement that ended unpleasantly in the first book. Much of the substance of their relationship is related to their early connection, but we are given a summary of how things went wrong between them. They came together as a result of circumstances, and they refused to back down. Her, sticking to her stance of not falling back in love with him easily and guarding her heart until the right moment. Him, staying committed to getting her back and to make amend of their former relationship to become a better couple again. Just the way I want it—no drama, no fuss, and no muss.

Overall, I thought Val and Caro's open and honest communication was wonderful. They were so adorable, and I thought it was lovely that they were given another chance for being together. There was a dramatic beginning to the story, followed by some meandering, but everything came together in the end, and I liked how it ended. Especially when we witnessed Caro and Kate take action, eliminating the bad guys who caused harm to their friends. Also, despite the fact that the women don't need anything either, Val and Eversham rushed to their aid. Their double-date pairing in action was genuinely and incredibly enjoyable.

Lastly, since this novel also gives us a glimpse of Flora and Langham's impressive banter especially the loathe-to-presumably-love, I found myself growing fond of them. I'm excited to see what else the author will reveal about this series. So, yes, I'll go straight to read A Spinster's Guide to Danger and Dukes after this