Ratings8
Average rating3.8
Victorian high society's most daring equestrienne finds love and an unexpected ally in her fight for independence in the strong arms of London's most sought after and devastatingly handsome half-Indian tailor. Evelyn Maltravers understands exactly how little she's worth on the marriage mart. As an incurable bluestocking from a family tumbling swiftly toward ruin, she knows she'll never make a match in a ballroom. Her only hope is to distinguish herself by making the biggest splash in the one sphere she excels: on horseback. In haute couture. But to truly capture London's attention she'll need a habit-maker who's not afraid to take risks with his designs--and with his heart. Half-Indian tailor Ahmad Malik has always had a talent for making women beautiful, inching his way toward recognition by designing riding habits for Rotten Row's infamous Pretty Horsebreakers--but no one compares to Evelyn. Her unbridled spirit enchants him, awakening a depth of feeling he never thought possible. But pushing boundaries comes at a cost and not everyone is pleased to welcome Evelyn and Ahmad into fashionable society. With obstacles spanning between them, the indomitable pair must decide which hurdles they can jump and what matters most: making their mark or following their hearts?
Reviews with the most likes.
I honestly hadn't read the blurb before going into this book. It had just be recommended to me by Goodreads. So I was very pleasantly surprised to find the male lead to be a dressmaker of Indian origin.
I love period romances, and this one had a very intriguing premise and characters. I found the two leads to be quite interesting- a dressmaker of Indian origin and a woman whose passion is riding horses. She's in London, for the season, and decides to enlist Mr. Malik - the aforementioned dressmaker - to make habits and later even dresses for her.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I enjoyed the discussion on identity, that of an Indian origin man in London during the Victorian era.
I believe this book sets up a lot of interesting threads that I hope would be broached in the sequels. I am definitely going to pick up the next book at some point.