I really enjoyed this book! The Gothic vibes are absolutely fantastic. It gives Brönte vibes so well, but somehow still has Atwater's coziness similar to her other books. How she does it with such a dark Gothic atmosphere is beyond me. 

I really loved the characters. Winnie is such a great character! She is so strong in herself and acts for the best of others despite her fears. I would have loved even more of her character. Mr. Quincy is also a fantastic character - I loved the mystery around him, and learning more about him. Of course, Robert grows on you as his character grows, and everyone should love Cook - such a badass! The true hero and stealer of the scenes though has to be Oliver! 

This book deals with such dark material, but I loved the way that it was done. The discussions of fears, the music and the piano playing a role in the reveals, and of course the faerie tales used to slowly reveal pieces of the story and the character's pasts. I also love that we got to see some familiar characters. I haven't read all of Atwater's books, only Half a Soul - which I absolutely adored - so I'm not sure if other characters show up. I think one is mentioned. I am hoping we get more stories in this world, especially as I want to learn more about Clarimonde and Bellamira! 

This was different than Atwater's other Regency novels, which I loved. This one had less romance and upped the Gothic faerie vibes. It didn't have the cozy vibes I loved but I still really liked this one. It does deal with some heavier topics (see TW)

 Of particular note: This book takes place in the early 1850s, which places it as much as 30-40 years after Half a Soul and 25-30 years after Longshadow