The fourth in a series. It’s a great standalone, but don’t deprive yourself of the others, and it is better in order.
Plot: Two weeks ago, Mariana was a celebrated opera singer, sought after for her spectacular voice and body. Two juvenile delinquent aristocrats and a little scuffle later, Mariana is penniless and on the run from a literal mob. Following her gut, she ends up at the Grand Palace on the Thames, where she’s allowed to stay in exchange for a performance. Well, that’s a relief. Now, so long as she can keep from stabbing the pretentious, self-righteous Duke who is also sheltering at the Grand Palace on the Thames while he writes a sequel to his best seller on Honour (blech), everything will be dandy. Right? Shenanigans ensue.
Mariana is my kind of heroine. She’s resourceful, motivated, and driven by hard earned morals rather than societal norms. But the value people placed on her beauty and voice meant that this was all she developed, and all she thought anyone would want of her. James too came from nothing. He too is resourceful, motivated, and driven by hard earned morals. But he was blind to the advantages he had, and the way those advantages allowed him to hold fast to morals that perhaps would have meant destitution and death for someone else. So they both had a lot to learn.
As ever, Long threads the needle of social commentary without it ever slowing down the plot, and our characters are open-minded and willing to accept responsibility when they’ve messed up. This series is a joy to read and this book is no exception.