Author: 

Genre: Historical Fiction/Romance

What I liked about this book:

The author has a knack for some beautiful prose. It's very easy to read, and parts of it are very pretty. It has an old-world style, and is maybe just a tad too flowery, but the actual writing didn't strain my eyes or make me lose interest. I'd like to see how this author does writing something else.

What I did NOT like about this book:

This entire book actually made me physically angry to read.

The relationship between Ray and Anne is toxic. It's codependent. It's emotionally manipulative. It makes me cringe to read. Neither of them exists outside the other. They're so wrapped up in each other that both of them are self harming to cope with their feelings. 

In the second chapter, Anne attempts suicide. What was the reason? Raymond is away and she doesn't think she can love him 'in the way he deserves'. It's shallow, it's petty, and it trivializes depression. Then Raymond says he will die if she leaves. Anyone who is so wound up in another person to the degree where they would die by suicide if they left is not a healthy person. Period!

Anne's fits and tremors are a very stereotypical view of mental illness, especially since she's an epileptic, not crazy. Raymond keeps trying to fix her, which is infuriating. You can't fix a mentally ill person by loving them enough any more than you can fix someone's broken leg by loving them enough.

This is a toxic, toxic, unhealthy relationship that is being glorified as something precious by both Raymond's father and many of the other characters around them. These two characters do not love one another. They have a codependent relationship which is killing both of them, and I really hope no young people get a hold of this and think this is what true love is like.

Overall:

Toxic relationships, stereotyped mental illness, bad example to young people.

Rating: 

2/10. Which is a shame, because the writing was like a 7/10.