A review by yourbookishbff
Unveiled by Courtney Milan

emotional hopeful tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

It's such an interesting experience to read backwards through an author's catalogue. Having already read Milan's indie-published series, like The Worth Saga and Wedgeford Trials, and most recently, The Brothers Sinister, I'm familiar with her emotionally-charged but delightfully-over-the-top humor and her willingness to tackle political nuances of the time period (particularly dominant forces of imperialism and colonialism) head on. To return to her early Harlequin series is a shift, only because you can see the restraints she's writing within. This feels very classically "historical romance" - male main character instantly lusts after female main character, a woman in disguise and intent on betraying him before she even meets him. You can feel the glimmers of her voice and style here, though not nearly as much of the humor as I've come to love in her books. That said, she executes the primary conflict exactly as I always trust her to - with respect and care for both of her main characters and an innate understanding of how real people operate off-page. She leaves a few notes unchallenged (which surprised me only because she challenges similar scenarios so forcefully in her indie published books) - a backstory for the male main character that has him earning a fortune in India and some deep-rooted classism in the female main character (which is ultimately part of her arc but never feels fully resolved) and side characters. All that said, the power negotiations and explicit discussions around consent are so well done here, as expected - there, Milan never misses! 
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