Review: Don't be fooled by the cover art
Rating: 5 out of 5
Date: 07 9, 2014
Wow!  Just wow.  Don't be fooled by the cover art.  Yes, it's a romance.  But it's a heck of a great book, too.  Definitely NOT one of your average Cowboy Romance novels!!!I love good historical fiction.  But, since I'm also something of a historian, most historical fiction irks me with its poor research, anachronistic dialogue, and especially the way most authors completely disregard the morals and behavioral standards of previous eras.  Not so this book!  Not only is it well-edited, but the characters are about as realistic to their time as any I've read.  Sure, there's never any mention of corset or stays... but Maygrove got the split drawers correct, which is a first in the fiction I've read, so I'll give her a pass on that one.  The language is believable, the tasks and challenges are appropriate, and best of all she doesn't give us a heroine who flaunts societal norms or suddenly starts thinking like it's 2014 just because she's fallen in love.  Maygrove obviously did her research and chose to make use of it in the best way, adding depth and distinct realism to the story without burdening it with historical detail.  Yes, the realism is there, but it augments the story instead of drowning it as is all too common in books that set out to be "historically accurate."The story itself is well-paced.  There were a couple times I was apprehensive that the emotions of the characters were getting repetitive... and then something completely unexpected would happen, throwing everything back into a jumble!  A couple of plot devices were quite cliched, but they were handled well and did not detract from an overall amazing story.  One thing I found fascinating was the random people encountered along the way.  As in real life, only the barest information was given about them, and then they were never heard from again.  Perhaps in future books some of them will become protagonists?  I can only hope!For the many readers concerned about sex: yes, there is graphic lovemaking.  HOWEVER, aside from the first incident, which felt like the editor insisted be added to spice things up for the people who buy books for covers like this one has, it is loving and within the context of matrimony.  I simply felt like the story was continuing as forthrightly as it had been all along.  If you don't read that kind of book, skip over those few pages.  You won't really lose anything, and the rest of the book is too good to pass up!In short, this book is worth every penny.  I highly recommend it!  It has everything a great book should have-- flawed but believable and definitely loveable characters, surprising plot twists, historical accuracy, depth, good editing, and to top it all off, it ends well (don't be fooled by the many places it could have ended-- it ends right where it should!  You will agree when you get there.).  I am so impressed by this as a debut novel.  I will be watching with baited breath for Maygrove's next release!