Before I start my review, I want to say no one tell my mom!! Be cool you guys!! She adored the miniseries and then read all the books and has been telling me to read & watch with her. I love her so I have now read this book, despite the perfect reader for this book being someone like my mom.

My expectations for this book were formed pretty early in Chapter 2, "After eight years of making all major decisions entirely on her own, Persephone wished for a husband who was strong and firm enough to see to her own affairs, to order his life and his home without placing the burden entirely on her shoulders". I thought this would be really modern take on the historical romance heroine - someone who, like many contemporary readers, wants a man who does not add to their plate but actually shares the load. I was excited to read about a girl who was forced into adulthood/motherhood so early in life be able to experience freedom & youth. None of this happens. I desperately wish I had gotten to read that version of Persephone & Adam.

I am very used to historical romance and have read across the spice genre, but the way sex or desire doesn't even exist in this book can only be described as baffling. Adam needs an heir, thus he needs a bride, a CLASSIC historical romance set-up. For some reason, Adam has no wish to actually have this child - doesn't even mention it! It's like he completely has no understanding of why he got married just that now there's a girl in his house. He doesn't have any desire towards her, at least not even thinking about sex, consummating the marriage, etc. just a complete lack of mention at any point that he married her to have an heir which would involve having sex with her and maybe that's something he would like to do. Persephone, doesn't express any thoughts about the fact that he isn't in her bed either! These characters and their arc would have been much better suited for something other than an arranged marriage trope.

I have NO idea why Persephone stayed around or even bothered to engage with him. I think the better version of this book is Persephone realizing that she no longer has to take care of her siblings/household and spends all her time in her own hobbies & interests. Instead, she spends the majority of the book absolutely miserable. WHYYYYY does she not go home after she finds out that her pre-teen sibling dies in the navy??? SO BIZARRE. I can't remember anything Penelope enjoys, I guess riding but that didn't feel like a true hobby/interest of hers. She spends more time sitting outside and crying. My biggest issue with her, especially for the arranged marriage/beauty & the beast trope, is that she is NEVER clever.

Adam says variations of "I have a gun" way too many times, and Persephone responded to everything in ways I could never understand. Ultimately, it was a romance of two people I didn't like so I wish them the best. There is a lot in that I could see working with the right actors who have an abundance of charm, charisma, and chemistry - especially the Adam & Harry "banter" which I found repetitive & stale. I love my mom, so I will now watch the mini series lol.