Loved the h’s siblings.
Solid 3. ( )

THE REVIEW
Jane Pickerington is mature beyond her years and basically raises all her siblings. Her parents ignore their children, leaving Jane to her own devices. She cracks me up and reminds me of Amy from Big Bang Theory! She is very analytical and plan, as she describes herself. And her trying to describe her reactions to Raven is scientific terms is so so hilarious!

Raven is an orphan who worked his way up through the workhouses to a respectable job with a house of his own. He enjoys his solitude and simple life until Jane appears sneaking into a brothel! When Jane notices the odd bird scar on his shoulder, she know she has seen it somewhere before, and this begins their strange adventure! Jane is determined to leave no questions unanswered and they work together to deduce that he is the long lost son of the ……

This was a wonderful story; it has me laughing, crying, and cheering on Jane and Raven! I love a class difference romance, the feeling that a love can overcome any obstacle!

TROPES
Historical Romance, East End London, Damaged/Tortured Hero, Gamma Hero, Rake Hero, Self-Made Hero, Orphaned Hero, Protective Hero, Bluestocking Heroine, Hoyden Heroine, Author Heroine, Scientist Heroine, Virgin Heroine, Wallflower Heroine, Class Difference, Friends to Lovers, Mystery Romance, Return from the Dead, Five Star, Three Steam ( )

More of a 2.5 in my personal rating system - almost no angst, and the hero is the one whose insecurities are soothed. The heroine appears somewhat insecure in a couple of moments here and there, but she is always confident and certain of Raven and their relationship. I was hoping for at least SOME uncertainty, and Raven does say some mean stuff to Jane when he feels betrayed, but she knows he is just pushing her away and calls it out. I would have liked some actual angst and insecurity tbh. Still, I liked all the characters and enjoyed the book. ( )

For some reason this book just didn’t work for me. I just couldn’t get myself invested in either main character. But I can’t pinpoint why. But I’ll read the next book in the series as I do enjoy the writing style. ( )

I liked the class difference trope, I thought the hero was endearing and I like how he appreciated the heroine's differences as qualities rather than oddities. I thought the heroine's scholarly bend was a bit over the top, and her lack of awareness of some basic things kind of appalling (though that part did seem to improve as the story went along). The pacing toward the end got a bit weird. But overall I was entertained. And there was some nice humor mixed in. ( )