4.5 The length/repeats. If you are doing a Christmas/Winter themed challenge- Book 3 and 3.5.
I wasn't even going to read this one because I had no interest in Killian/Locke because he was really bland in the other two books. I was convinced to read it, though and I'm glad I did.
I just loved getting to know the Marquess of Marsden more in this one. We know he raised his friend's orphaned children and we also know that because of his undying love for his dead wife, the children were adverse to love. They were afraid to fall so in love with a woman that it would drive them mad. We also know that as mad as they believe him to be both Ash and Edward visit him when needing life advise and love advise. With that said, those scenes were very brief and I was so happy to get to see his relationship with his son and understand through their interactions how the opinions/world view of the four men came to be. Their love for traveling, adventure, rake talk... so much was influenced by the Marsden. He has no filter whatsoever but is never rude. He is really understanding and non judgemental and in 3.5 we learn that he's always been that way.
He was a fantastic father and father in law. He was the catalyst to the love found in this book between Killian and Portia. As with so many stories, there are a lot of secrets and a lot of misunderstandings. Life would be so much simpler if all was just laid out bare and deal. I also understand that it was less safe for it to be a woman at this time.
That is all I'm going to say because I think it would all be spoilerish if I go into details. That is one thing I must say... Book 3 and 3.5 were not predictable. I didn't know which way it would go.