If you like something more interior, something that involves the hero and heroine talking things through/dissecting their issues, those kind of conversations happen at length here and held my interest surprisingly well considering that I’ve struggled lately with more character driven stories.

This did feel a little too confined at times, I wouldn’t have minded something that would get them out of the house and out of their heads a bit more, like a few more interractions with the theater troupe or more instances of Mary and Anthony attempting to navigate society life, the one visit they do have with an older woman was a highlight, she brought to mind some of the overstepping characters of Jane Austen or Julian Fellowes’ television series.

Before this story begins, Mary disappeared and we quickly learn that Anthony did not react heroically to that disappearance, which was a great decision by the author, Anthony’s flawed behavior in that moment created believable tension inside him throughout the story as well as adding to the tension between husband and wife. I’m conflicted though about a certain revelation from Anthony’s past, an incident of violence, which, I don’t know, maybe for the time period possibly wasn’t all that out of line, but didn’t sit well with me, still, I could to an extent understand how Mary was able to get past that, since as I said, so much of this book is spent talking and dissecting their actions and Anthony does take ownership of his past, he is not proud of it and he seems to earnestly wish to change.

I’m pretty much a lifelong soap opera fan so I’ve seen roughly a billion amnesia storylines play out, they tend to not be something I enjoy, but I liked how this author came at it. Mary isn’t stuck in a fragile mental and emotional state where she’s at a disadvantage in every conversation with her husband because she can’t remember their life, this book begins when Mary’s emerging from the amnesia, she knows her husband and better still she knows herself. This is far less about forgetting and more about starting over with a clean slate and how psychologically freeing the amnesia has been for Mary, her new self attempting to merge into her old uncomfortable life, and that made for a satisfyingly fresh take on the amnesia trope. ( )

Good book. Anthony was a widower when he met Mary at a house party. She was the paid companion of an unpleasant old woman. They married quickly, but though she worshipped him, Mary never felt as though she belonged in his world. Meanwhile, thanks to the disaster of his previous marriage, Anthony kept himself back, reluctant to trust his feelings.

When Mary disappeared, Anthony believed the worst - that she had run away with another man - and wrote her off. In truth, Mary and the groom with her had been attacked by highwaymen. In the melee, Mary was injured and lost her memory. The story of what happened to her was heartbreaking, and her loss of memory was understandable. Three months later, after being taken in and cared for by a troupe of actors, Mary found herself back at her home with her memory returning. Anthony is shocked by her return and suspicious of her story. He is torn between throwing her out and taking her back.

I liked Mary very much. Because of her memory loss, her time away allowed her to develop skills and strength she'd never had before. No longer is she the meek, quiet, and biddable mouse she had been. She stands up to Anthony's suspicions and unwelcoming attitude. I ached for her and the hurt she felt when she discovered that he hadn't bothered to search for her when she disappeared. I enjoyed seeing her channel her "Perdita" identity as the countess.

I had a tough time liking Anthony. Though he began well by marrying Mary, who stirred unexpected feelings in him, his "I know best" treatment of her was too controlling. It was countered by him neglecting to help her fit in and oblivious to how others treated her. But I lost all respect for him when he didn't bother to look for her after she disappeared. Even after he had proof, his constant questioning of her story irritated me and hurt Mary. He redeemed himself somewhat at the end, and I liked seeing him finally admit his mistakes, but it will take work for him not to backslide.

#netgalley ( )