This cute little story actually has some meat and potatoes to it! It's also quintessentially Milan: there's a quirky lead paired with a 'straight man', and the two fall in love but only after the hero decides to remake himself before the heroine swoops in to rescue him.

As brief as the story is, it's pretty sweet. The two leads have obvious chemistry, aided by the fact that they're both fully fleshed out characters. Ginny grew up dirt poor until she ran away to her aunt for a semblance of normal life, but the trauma of her past still haunts her to this day, hence why she refuses to marry without some kind of financial security. I honestly loved this. While I am a romantic at heart and believe true love conquers all, I also live in an era where I can work and have my own money. Ginny didn't have that luxury, and so her only path to security was to marry as wealthy as she can, which she does initially, and to a man who wasn't a monster even if they didn't love each other. Good for her.

Meanwhile, Simon came from wealth but has always been a bully and a dreamer. When he discovers he can't have Ginny, he dreams and bullies his way to a prosperous existence, only to have that existence be in financial jeopardy. Still, he has enough that he plans to trick Ginny into marrying him before he loses it all. Ask for forgiveness and not for permission. That's his strategy. Unfortunately, I don't feel like he's really given time to atone for his mistakes and misdirection. He kind of just says he'll do better, and the next thing you know, he's with Ginny. It's not the end of the world. Really, the most unbelievable part is Ginny's final act Ginny spends all of her savings buying up stock to Simon's company so that he doesn't become destitute, which is a HUGE gesture to make for someone you haven't talked to in 7 years and who really is a big bully .

All in all, the story's cute. It's not particularly memorable, but it was cute and sweet and fun while it lasted. However, I don't think I'll be coming back to this one, but that's my personal preference. ( )

Short but cute. Not up to par with the other stuff I've read by Milan, to be honest, but I still liked it. ( )

Short but cute. Not up to par with the other stuff I've read by Milan, to be honest, but I still liked it. ( )

Fun historical novel with zingy dialogue. A quick read but the interplay between the characters is fun and satisfying. ( )

Fun historical novel with zingy dialogue. A quick read but the interplay between the characters is fun and satisfying. ( )