Susan F. (scoutmomskf) - , reviewed on 1/23/2021 + 2617 more book reviews

Good book. When Petra meets Guy Granville again, she remembers how he broke her fourteen-year-old heart and decides to give him a taste of his own medicine. She's ten years older now and confident that she can resist his well-known charm. The grown-up Petra intrigues Guy, and he quickly forgets his usual love them and leave them attitude.

I enjoyed the development of the relationship between Petra and Guy. They met when she was fourteen, and he was twenty-four and spent a great deal of time together. (Okay, yes, the age difference at that point is perhaps a little questionable.) Even then, Petra was different from other girls, and Guy enjoyed her company. Petra's schoolgirl heart fell hard for him, and she was devastated when he left without a word. Their first meeting ten years later was a bit awkward. Petra was quite cool to him, while Guy was thoroughly entranced. Petra comes up with a plan to get even by drawing him in and then dumping him the way he did to her. She didn't count on her old feelings coming back even stronger.

The sparks between Guy and Petra were intense, and not just the sparks of attraction. Both of them are strong-willed and clash frequently. Guy tends to be high-handed, taking control of situations without considering other's feelings. Petra, who is protective of her friends and family, has no trouble calling him out when he does so. She also has to work hard to keep him from running over her wishes when they are together. This sets up some interesting confrontations. It isn't long before Petra gives up her plans for revenge and enjoys the time she spends with him. Guy also finds himself more entranced by her than he expected. With the time they spend together, the attraction between them soon burns out of control. I loved Guy's "aha" moment when he realized that he wants it all with Petra and impulsively proposes.

However, neither Petra nor Guy quite realizes what marriage will require from them. Clashes begin immediately over wedding plans. Both Petra and Guy had good reasons for their wishes, and it took some effort for them to find a compromise. Fortunately, they do, and the wedding and honeymoon proceed on schedule and with rave reviews from both of them. But Petra and Guy stand on opposite sides of one significant issue - women's suffrage. Guy had no idea how deeply involved in the movement Petra is at first, and it comes as quite a shock when he finds out. I ached for Petra as she realized that, unlike her friends Diana and Fenella's husbands, hers does not support her views and work. I wanted to shake Guy over his attitude toward her thoughts. This sets up a devastating confrontation when her involvement in a suffrage event clashes with his position in the House of Lords. While I empathized somewhat with Guy, he could have handled things much better. Petra, too, was not entirely blameless. I liked the ending, as Guy discovered he could change given the right motivation, and Petra also learned the art of compromise.

I liked seeing Diana and Fenella from the first two books and getting a glimpse of their happy marriages. I love the close friendship between the three women and how they support each other. I think the story would have benefitted from an epilogue, maybe a few years on, to see how all three couples have turned out.

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