A glowing 5 stars. This was such a fun read. I honestly could not put it down—there was much "multitasking" on my part, and my poor children had early bed times for those couple of days I was reading it. Sadly, this poor author just cannot keep up with my appetite for her books (cruel of me, since she has released 5 and a short story in the last 2 years—go, buy them all). Dewees has such a great knowledge of the time period and her setting. Her enthusiasm for the subject is evident in her descriptions and her characters behaviors, and it really makes the stories come to life. The occasional frustration did arise in that OMG, THESE VICTORIAN CHARACTERS WERE ACTING SO DARNED VICTORIAN in their inability to actually discuss any taboo topic. This led to a cringe-inducing moment or two, but can we really blame these poor characters for acting like they were raised in the setting they were placed in? (Answer: No, we cannot. Good job.) Atticus Blackwood is my new imaginary boyfriend. This is such a wonderful hero, the requisite gothic drama notwithstanding—honorable, generous, strong, clever, and even humorous and genial until tragedy strikes and the thrills and tension really ramp up. Our heroine, Clara, was also quite enjoyable—mature, intelligent, humanitarian, bold. (When I did occasionally wonder at her ability to completely overlook her first love's negative qualities, though, I just fell more in love with Atticus's willingness to not break her heart by point out her delusion.) I will admit to guessing what the shocking twist would be toward the end of the first half of the story, but there are only so many gothic elements to choose from when needing to properly torment our hero and worry our heroine, and the climax was dramatic and exciting nonetheless. "Master of the genre" might be a little early to declare, but I think that her understanding of the qualities that make up gothic romance surpasses many, and her ability to blend all these attributes into something that is still new and gripping is really excellent. I can't wait for her next one. Next month, please?