A debut novel with the promise of a good series. I love how I got a feel for the author's knowledge of the time frame without boring me with useless details. The plot was one that we have seen before. Millicent "Missy" Armstrong has been infatuated with her brother's close friend James Rutherford. Through the years the yearning has turn into love and Missy plans to get James to notice her. James does start to see Missy as a desirable woman but she is off limits to him but one night when she pushes herself on him and kisses him changes everything. After three years of hiding from Missy, James has returned and Missy is even more determined to get her man.Now I like the woman chasing a man them but for some reason Missy didn't click for me. After reflecting on my reaction to her, I realized that my reason was that I couldn't see James through her eyes. I really wanted to know why Missy was so in love with James. What was their relationship like when he first started to hang with her brother? I wanted her to spend time getting to know the man because loving from a far is not good enough for me. She also was very immature. Her public outcries and her forceful tactics made her unlikeable to me. I wanted her to plan a little better. On the other hand, I know that some might not like James but IMO he was more realistic to me. Sure, he was cold but he had to be in order to push Missy away. He liked her and it was clear but he valued his friendship with Thomas and he had issues with his father's infidelites throughout the years. He had no positive role models for a loving relationship. At the end when he found out about his sisters, I completely thought he was going to revert back into his cold ways. I was rather surprised when he still wanted Missy.The secondary characters actually lured me into the book more than the main characters. I became enthralled with Lady Victoria and her secrets. I liked Thomas and Alex. I see a potential story for them both and I highly anticipate it especially Thomas :) I also want to know more about Claire. Though her role is minor, I want to know what secrets she hold back. There is so many ways this series can go. I will definitely look out for further books. A good read from a debut author.
