After all, her husband was declared dead and now, with Safere in ruins, she has no way of supporting herself. Her desire to remain husbandless does not change with Tristan's return. And, after the way she was abandoned for eight long and lonely years, letting Tristan know her true identity is equally impossible. Whenever I open one of her books, I lose myself the story. The Secret Swan is no exception.
Close attention is paid to character detail.
Tristan, who spent those missing eight years in a French prison, doesn't just shake off the effects of his incarceration. He actively searches out means of escaping whatever room he is in, despite the fact that he knows he's safe and can leave whenever he wants. Amiranth is lovingly crafted, as well. The careful balance between betrayed wife and a woman falling in love again is maintained with ease. The first third of the story has the reader switching between 1341, when Amiranth and Tristan were married, and 1349, when Tristan returns home.