Marguerite Kaye

Terrific friends to lovers story. Mercy endured seventeen years married to an autocratic bully of a man who trashed her reputation in a codicil to his will. After the required year of mourning, Mercy is more than ready to live her life as she wants. A chance meeting with Scottish engineer Jack Dalmuir gives her the perfect method to do so.

I loved Mercy's first meeting with Jack. Lost in her thoughts, she stepped in front of Jack as he was driving to the local inn. While neither was hurt, both were shaken, and Jack invited Mercy to join him for tea (or something stronger) to recover. The sparks between them were immediate though both tried to ignore them. Mercy uncharacteristically found herself telling Jack about her husband, marriage, and desire to experience the life she was denied during her time with her husband. I loved how Jack listened to Mercy's dreams and offered to help her achieve them by being her escort.

I liked both Mercy and Jack. Mercy is a kind, thoughtful, and loyal woman who did everything she could to make her marriage a success. Her husband was only interested in one thing - getting an heir. So while their marriage looked perfect to the outside world, he made Mercy's life miserable behind closed doors. After his death, Mercy was determined to avoid another marriage at all costs, having no desire to lose her newfound freedom as a widow. Jack is a self-made man. He grew up poor but was fortunate enough to be given an education thanks to his mother's employer; he discovered a talent for math and science and, by his mid-thirties, made a name for himself as an engineer of steam engines. He has great plans for expanding his business and devotes his time to that goal. Marriage is not in his plans for many years yet.

I loved watching the development of the relationship between Jack and Mercy. He understands that she wants to "kick over the traces" and stands ready to help her in any way. I loved her introduction to "polka the way it should be danced." She was pretty nervous about her first venture outside Society's norms, and Jack quickly put her at ease. Mercy's enthusiasm was evident as she enjoyed the experience and Jack found her enchanting. Every time they got together, they were drawn closer together. But Mercy worried about their activities' effect on Jack's life and business because she knows the viciousness of the gossip rags. I liked Jack's confidence in himself and his business and how he refused to let gossip deter his time with Mercy. The icing on the cake came when they showed up at her brother-in-law's ball, uninvited, with Mercy's desire to face down her former family and "friends." I loved her strength as she stood up to him and her "swan song" as she and Jack danced a polka no one would ever forget.

During their time together, the attraction between Jack and Mercy continues to grow, as do their feelings for each other. But each has been honest about their feelings about marriage, so they continue to attempt to ignore the sparks. Mercy is especially wary, thanks to her late husband's treatment, but eventually, her attraction to Jack wins out. As they give in to the passion, each finds themselves thinking about a different future than initially planned, but neither says anything to the other. I admit to getting frustrated at their stubborn unwillingness to believe they can have a future together. They each earned their misery when they ended their relationship, trying to stick to their original intentions. A not unexpected surprise brings them back together, when both Jack and Mercy have to face their pasts and decide if they will allow those pasts to run their lives. I liked seeing them examine the issues that hold them back and realize that real happiness comes from being together.

I loved seeing Victorian London and Glasgow shown from a different viewpoint than the usual aristocracy. The detail about Jack's pumps showed the importance of something rarely mentioned in other books. I also enjoyed seeing Mercy's involvement with the women's and children's charities and the problems that are frequently glossed over. Having been to Glasgow, I loved learning about Jack's background and a bit of the history of that city and its impact on him.

The ending was terrific, and I loved seeing what was in store for them a few years later. I wish Mercy's former in-laws had experienced real consequences of their treatment of Mercy.… (lisätietoja)