3.5 
 This book was just...nice. And I mean that in the best way possible. What I liked most about it is also something that could be considered a flaw, depending on your mood. It really wasn't filled with an angsty, overly dramatic, rip out your heart kind of romance. While the romance happened at a normal pace if you're considering days, it was really a slow burning romance in all other aspects. Charlotte and Benedict were both experienced enough to really know what they wanted. This was not a story about a blushing virgin that fell for the first man that kissed her or a blind man that was shocked that a woman would still treat him like a man. It was more organic than that. Like two people that met under odd circumstances and fell in love. 
 There was just something incredibly relaxing about it all, even though the drama was indeed dramatic. That sounds weird. What I mean is, while the book might have moved at a slower place, it was never boring. It had a little of everything. There was murder, hidden treasure, secret identities, a fair bit of knives, and the best part of course, a former courtesan and a blind lieutenant fall in love. 
 I loved Charlotte and Benedict. They were two completely different people that just really worked well together. The dialogue was witty and realistic. Not everything that was said was really necessary and I think that really added a level of sincerity to it. It was refreshing that Benedict wasn't a walking cloud of self-pity. He accepted that he was now blind and he made the best of it. He wasn't angry. He dressed himself. He ate in front of other people. For once, it seemed like a love story between two people, one that happened to be a former courtesan and the other happened to be blind. Both seemed more like character traits than plot points (although they were both). This book may not stick out in the crowd of historical romances out there, but it was a very enjoyable read.