Overall Rating: 4.5/5.0
I was a huge fan of this book and I became hooked on The Hathaways Series right away! I felt that the story was rich in character detail, and it had a flair for the "fantastic" with it's slightly magical and mystical elements. The romantic connection between the hero and heroine was almost immediate, though the author kept us guessing as to how they would actually end up together. I enjoyed reading this story immensely and this review comes after my third read of the book (I think that says it all!).
The Hero: Mild Spoilers
"He was every bit as well dressed as the gentlemen on either side ... but it was obvious this man was no gentleman. He was black haired and swarthy and exotic."I LOVED Cam. Loved him. I can't say enough about my love of Cam. His character developed from a slightly flamboyant and funny character in Wallflowers, to a driven and romantic man in MTM. His desire to protect the heroine, Amelia Hathaway, and take on a massive familial responsibility for the sake of having her, made him so incredibly endearing. I really enjoyed the complex history that Kleypas developed for Cam, and the fact that it wasn't all resolved at book's end. I couldn't wait to continue the series to learn more about the gypsy culture and the mysterious tattoo that would eventually lead to the "big reveal" further on in the series.
The Heroine: Moderate Spoilers
"As long as she was doomed to remain a spinster, she might as well enjoy the small freedoms that came with it."Conflicted - that's how I felt about Amelia while reading MTM. She was a strong character and I can definitely appreciate her protectiveness toward her family. She was endearing in many ways - but something about her just didn't click with me. I wanted her to find love - I really did... but given how much I truly loved Cam, I couldn't help but feel like she wasn't good enough. Does that sound mean? I hope not. As the story moved along, I did begin to like her more... but honestly, the love that I feel for Amelia NOW is due to reading about her in the subsequent Hathaway novels - not the Amelia we see in MTM. I think that Cam really changes her - and not in a forced or callous way, but in a natural and lovely way. Amelia isn't who she was before once she opens up to life with Cam.
Secondary Characters: Mild Spoilers
The great thing about this book, beyond the wonderful love story, is meeting the Hathaway family. We are introduced to the troubled eldest brother, Lord Ramsay - Leo Hathaway; and Amelia's wonderfully colorful sisters: Win, Poppy, and Beatrix. In addition to the blood relations, the Hathaway's silent and brooding companion (and protector), Merripen, plays a huge role in this book as well. One of the beautiful things that I loved most was seeing how the family interacted. I knew right away that I'd learned enough about the family to want to read the rest of the series.
Dream Casting:
As I read this book, I really wanted to picture the characters with clarity... so after a little searching, here's my dream cast for Cam and Amelia: Diego Boneta and Cobie Smulders. You can check out all of my dream casts for this and other books on my Pinterest.
