I strayed too far out of Romancelandia and lost all my will to read, but where there is a Milan book, there is salvation.
Plot: Lady Judith was on the cusp of joining the marriage mart when her father and brother were accused, by her intended, of treason against the Crown. Both were found guilty, with her father dying in jail while her brother was transported and lost at sea. So it should have probably come as no surprise that she was not interested in honouring their understanding, even if it meant destitution. But it turned out Lady Judith had more in her than embroidery and balls, because she spent the next eight years earning and saving hundreds of pounds to support her sisters’ coming out and her brother’s education at Eaton. Then the money disappeared, and she knew there was only one person on earth that would help her. Shenanigans ensue.
Milan has this magical ability to take difficult, contentious subjects, and engage with them in a way that is meaningful and deep. Milan presumes a certain level of intelligence and awareness from her readers and writes to that level, instead of the common denominator approach so many other authors do. That she does this while still managing to force belly laughs out of me is pure witchcraft. As always, Milan has created a slew of fleshed out characters who make a story that does start with something of an unlikely premise feel grounded. Judith’s siblings are fantastic and varied – I assume Teresa is going to get her own book when she’s older and I am ready for her to be unleashed on the unsuspecting public.
Milan somehow crafted a story that believably deals with drug addiction, sexism, so many cats, the indignity of poverty, existential questions of loyalty to one’s country when it isn’t always in the right but where action may risk your life and that of your family, and also a revenge ploy on a bunch of school bullies.
It’s funny, it’s sweet, it’s dark, and it may leave you with existential questions about what you might be willing to risk to do the right thing.