and a genuine hero. Further, the fact his love for Sibellla was only a part of the motivation to confront both his past and future instead of using her as a magik wand endeared him (and the author) to me. That he allowed Sibella time to heal, just as she had given him that same gift, made me want to sing hallelujah!

Likewise, Sibella was a woman confronting her twenty-sixth year. Considering the life expectancy of the time, she wasn't out of line feeling pressured to fish or cut bait, and yet, she hesitated because her heart insisted her desires mattered. She wanted not only a husband, but a mate - a partner, children and a family that reflected all she knew and hoped to be. Her love forher family that was so earnestly reciprocated, the way she made a place for herself while maintaining her own identity in a large family was a precious depiction of a (real) Regency woman.

I was proud of her for giving Strathairn more than a couple chances to realize how excellently they would grow together. I equally understood when she let those dreams go; there was only so much a woman could do - without jumping the shark. Her conflict over her doubts regarding the menace - uh fiancé were believable precisely because she knew settling for the image of her dreams would never be as wonderful as having them. Her fears that her family would dismiss her doubts wasn't a trite misunderstanding or villainy on the part of her