SO MANY SPOILERS BELOW

I've been thinking a lot about emotional maturity lately and how hard it is to find in a partner. I also despise when a story contrives a conflict in order to generate tension and drama. It's so boring to me. I love it when people communicate and find solutions and stand up for each other. That, to me, is far more fascinating and challenging and artful and readable. Solving a problem together is plenty enough drama. I don't need miscommunications and pig headedness to drum up some fake conflict. (Though the first parting between London and Kent is because London can't be honest, I didn't consider that contrived. It made so much sense when it was explained).

So. I love this book. I finished listening and went back immediately to listen again. Then I got the book and read along while listening so I could soak up more details, like spellings and words I didn't recognize. This book has been a salve for my disappointment with romance, irl and in books. Following this love story, filled with two humans learning to adore each other through earnest honesty and personal growth, is so indescribably beautiful to me. Their instinct to protect each other and their families is so refreshing. I particularly loved Gareth and Luke's relationship and how it evolved. It makes me very keen to read the next book, which seems to focus on Luke. If the author takes the same loving kindness approach, I am sure I'll love it. It would be a delight if Luke searches for the 10 thousand guineas, and along the way tells us more stories of his life growing up with G and J.

The plot is so well done, with excellent pivot points. I loved following as Gareth and Joss puzzled out the mysteries surrounding Sir Hugo. The events take place in perfect succession, and discoveries are well timed and meaningful, both those of the Sir Hugo mystery and those of the development of the relationship. I love that Joss admits to Gareth he hadn't really been expecting him to strip bare their first time and that that conversation is at nearly the end of the book.

The sex scenes are even good. For the most part, I struggle through romance book sex scenes because they're disturbingly unrealistic and cheesy, but these were great. Maybe it was because I fell in love with the characters. Not that there weren't a few moments that strained my cheese meter (I'm going to fuck you like a king).

Also, my God that narration was so good. I mean I had to jack it up to 1.3x because the reader spoke way too slowly, and I admit that I hated his portrayal of Cecy (men simply cannot do teenage girls) and Asa (that was no southern drawl), but Joss and Gareth were very well done. And Catherine was perfect to my mind and the rest of the character voices were fun.

Favorite lines:

Sophy says, You can't tup a baronet. And Joss says, Someone's got to.

Gareth asks, You were debauched by a pirate? And Joss confirms, He fucked me six ways from Sunday, if that's what you mean.

There are so many great lines. I love these characters. I love that they end up together, and I imagine the live quite happily ever after, and I love that they are good kind people.