I read Lindsey's Forgotten Lands series earlier this year and really loved it. When I read that she was writing a Jane Eyre/Beauty and the Beast dystopian retelling, I knew I'd have to pick it up!
First off, let's talk about this cover! Lindsey does such a great job with her covers being appropriate to market but also so dang beautiful!
One thing I love about Lindsey's writing is she doesn't do huge info-dumps. She gives you just enough to understand the world and the stakes and moves into the story. I've started a handful of books lately where I almost immediately stopped reading them because of the info-dumping, so it was refreshing not to have that here.
We are immediately thrown into the story, learning that Selene is in trouble and her brother is trying to save her life after their mother's death. Upon their hasty retreat in which her brother was to deliver her to safety, a massive earthquake shakes New London.
Fast forward almost a decade, we find Selene working in an orphanage for a seedy couple in New London, overseeing children as they do their work. That is until the Collector comes along and buys her up.
In this world, good breeding is everything. Selene's brother was trying to save her from a deal their father made by helping her escape. The Collector purchases Selene and the children she's so fond of from the orphanage. Rumors swirl about the type of man the Collector is, and Selene is unsure about her fate.
What follows is a sweet love story about redeeming love and protecting the innocent. I really enjoyed this story. I'll be reviewing the second novel, Sea of Storms, next week, and a third novel is slated to come out in 2023!
Abbie