As a couple they have both scorching chemistry and beautiful intimacy; I loved their banter, as Viola’s fierce will collided with Gracewood’s stubborn determination.

Know, with certainty that only comes around a few times in one’s lifetime, that you have found a piece of your soul that exists outside of your body. He comes to understand that just because a woman had to support or fight for him, that doesn't make him any less of a man. I know you have to handwave some of it given how this is the early 1800s and the first discovery of estrogen supplements was in 1896 (by consuming bovine ovarian tissue, fully understood in the 1930s, and first available as ready made pills in the 1960s) but still I think the novel should have attempted some sort of explanation, maybe with the first method that was discovered or even just ways to soften the face. And then a letter from Gracewood's sister alerts Viola to the reality that her death has left her best friend a broken shell of himself. He's suffering from severe PTSD while trying to fulfill his duty thrust upon him by the name he carries.The article I have taken much of the information and quotes from discusses d’Eon’s life with the author of the biography Monsieur d'Eon Is a Woman: A Tale of Political Intrigue and Sexual Masquerade. This book is out 5/24 and I can’t wait for everyone else to fall in love with Viola, Gracewood, and their epic romance. And there is some smut, though it’s not too detailed, but my main takeaway was how this book made me feel.

When Viola and Gracewood are reunited by their families, they are faced with rediscovering each other, figuring out how they fit together after so much has shifted within and between them, and overcoming the barriers that would seek to part them once more. At the end of Fourth Wing (2023), Violet and her lover, Xaden Riorson, discovered that Navarre is under attack from wyvern, evil two-legged dragons, and venin, soulless monsters that harvest energy from the ground.A lush, sweeping queer historical romance from the bestselling author of Boyfriend Material - perfect for fans of Bridgerton, Evie Dunmore, and Lisa Kleypas!