The premise of this book was absolutely fantastic. Which is why it befuddled me that I was completely bored by it for the first half. As I read, I wasn't sure that I would even pick up another Sarah Eden book after this one. It took me longer than usual to read it, since I was completely neutral about picking it back up each day. About halfway, I started to care more about the characters and got more invested. This is clean, not at all religious, and Sarah has a wonderful mind for writing plot. It was such a clever story! I think the prose wasn't my favorite and where I struggled. It felt criminal that such a great story was made boring. By the end, I truly did enjoy it and even feel like I would indeed read more of Eden's books. I don't not recommend it, but I think readers will enjoy it more if they go into it knowing that the slow start will be worth it in the end.

I really enjoyed this book!! Both main characters were lovable and I even enjoyed the inserts of the characters own writing which is not usually something I enjoy in books. Really had a great time reading this one :)

I loved this story, the way there were penny dreadfulls included in the story each with their own story. The characters were really likable,

This book was so much fun! I loved how there were so many moving parts and really sets the stage for the continuing series. We have a woman who is a headmistress of high-society children, who is also an esteemed author while also writing under a male pseudonym and dreams of living out the stories found within Penny Dreadfuls. Then we have a man who authors one of the most popular Penny Dreadfuls but is also a part of an underground organization that helps those in need. The series of events that kicks off this relationship is layered and I love their dynamic for a multitude of reasons. It is always great when an author writes a strong self-reliant female lead and allows the male lead to trust her instead of constantly trying to ‘help’ her. These two are equals. The actual plot is full of twists and turns with a lot of underground shady characters with action in all the right places. There are societal concerns of the time which feel genuine and not forced. There’s the perfect amount of subterfuge and just an all in all entertaining ride. Eden even sprinkles in chapters from the Penny Dreadfuls that our two leads are writing and it is a great way to learn more about their characters and seeing how their journeys in life relate to their fiction. This was honestly such a great read and I enjoyed pretty much every moment of it. I do wish that there was more apparent romance between the Elizabeth and Fletcher but that is par for the course with these soft and sweet romances. That being said, I went into this expecting a light and fluffy read but there were some great action/adventure moments that caught me by surprise and had me even more invested. Also, that ending could not have been more perfect! I would highly recommend this one if you are looking for something a bit different added to your soft romance and enjoy some playful secrets between partners. I definitely have book 2 lined up to read soon as well!