Chain of Gold

I adored this so much. Such amazing and wonderful characters in this story who I just love.
Cordelia is such a wonderful main character! (James is also a main character, but I like Cordelia more, leave me alone). She's so smart and she never makes rash decisions, she always thinks about it so that when she makes a decision things don't go WRONG! What a refresher! I've gone through three series of main characters who do not think before doing, and god I love Cordelia so much!
Alastair, also, like, can we talk about Alastair????? The snippet we got before the release told me about as much as I needed to know - he will get a redemption arc - AND CAN WE JUST- I JUST- I NEED SOME CLOSURE HERE- WITH MATTHEW- AND ALL THAT- APOLOGY TOUR, PERHAPS? ALASTAIR, I LOVE YOU, BOO, PLEASE DO THE TOUR. IT IS NEEDED. Also, hello Thomas. THOMAS!
Anna is just wonderful in every single aspect and I really wish there was more of her! I loved how she was kind of the collected older sister everyone goes to when they need help and can't ask the adults, lmao. I think I know what her role will be in the next book (or next two) AND I CAN'T WAIT. 
Charles.... And Grace..... I fucking can't. I need them both to just leave. Mostly Grace, but Charles, fuck, you're such an asshole. And Grace is literally on an entirely different level. Charles is like level 2 assholery, and Grace is like level 57. I cannot with this girl, she aggravates me to no end and I need her to sit the fuck down and STOP. Regain her conscience. Apologize. And move on. 
LUCIE IS SO ADORABLE, I LOVE HOW EVERYTIME SOMEONE IS FOCUSING ON JAMES SHE'S LIKE “I'm here too, hi!”, AND I LOVE HOW SHE RUNS TO CORDELIA AND HUGS HER AND YELLS OUT HER NAME EVERY TIME SHE SEES HER, AND I LOVE HOW SHE TAKES NO FUCKS AND TELLS MATTHEW OFF, AND I JUST FUCKING LOVE HER SO MUCH, OKAY, PLEASE DON'T HURT THIS PRECIOUS BABY, CC, PLEASE! 
Now, the parents.
Seeing our previous mains as parents, I was dying! It was amazing! Will is the jokester dad (as expected ofc), and Tessa is the common sense, I love. Cecily is such a feminist, and she shuts down Gabriel and Will for trying to disagree, I love. Henry is Christopher's mentor and I LOVE. I just love, I love all the love, I LOVE. (unfortunately, there was not enough of Gideon and Sophie, nor Charlotte). 
Matthew is a character who I adored in the short stories, but was slightly annoyed with here. It is probably mostly because he's drunk all the time, but I really just need him to step the fuck up occasionally. 
Generally, I adored the absolute shit out of this book. My only gripe with it is actually the plot. In general, the book feels like a starter book in terms of character introductions and period setting, which means the plot gets pushed to a later time, just a bit. I really loved seeing all the bits of Cordelia navigating this posh world she has landed in, it was so entertaining. But the plot felt smaller than I've become accustomed to with CC's books lately, yet at the same time it felt like it wanted to be larger than it was.... does that even make sense? Idk. But it did feel a little bit lackluster at times, you know, it feels like a book whose purpose is to set up the next book (as books in a series obviously should, but I hope you know what I'm getting at.)
It was so aggravating at times BECAUSE FUCKING GRACE, and often I got so blindsided I was like wha- did you jus- but I thought- it's- but- wut. Other times, I was simply very confused about the decisions that were made, like HELLOOOOOOOO. 
Overall, this first book is very much character-driven, and thankfully I LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVEEEEEEE the characters, which made it very easy to love the book. There were so many good character moments, like I get happy just thinking about it. Gah! I want more! Ahhhhh! Closer to the end I was worried I was gonna chuck the book across the room when it was over, but I actually was VERY happy with what happened at the end and the outcome it leads into for the next book, like I AM SO EXCITED OH MY GOD. THIS TROPE. 
I can't. Like I fucking can't. Yes. All the yesses.