If there was an option to give a 2 and a half stars that what I would have given this. I liked the premise but the execution was choppy. I lost the plot thread several times and had to go back and reread pages. I also never got a really good sense of the passage of time in the story (it seemed that events were happening too fast, but I also got the sense that the writer's intention was that more time was elapsing in the story than it seemed) and the romance seemed implausable. Having said that, I think with some rewriting this could be a really good story. ( )

This story is a nice hint with the works of Cinderella and Beauty and the Beast kind of feel. Ms. Tolles is a master when it comes to her writing and I am one of her major fans with her works.
Phoebe has been sent away to work as a housemaid for Nathaniel. Her father feels she will never marry since in his own eyes she’s damaged goods. But Phoebe finally fits in and starts to have feelings for her master even though she has awful dreams that should steer her away from the home she now lives in. There’s something deep inside of Nathaniel. He isn’t sure he can involve Phoebe in it but will she take no for an answer? What a great story. ( )