Series:
League of Extraordinary Women (Book 4)
Bookish suffragist Catriona Campbell is busy: An ailing
estate, academic writer's block, a tense time for England's women's rights
campaign -- the last thing she needs is to be stuck playing host to her
father's distractingly attractive young colleague.
Deeply introverted Catriona lives for her work at Oxford
and her fight for women's suffrage. She dreams of romance, too, but since all
her attempts at love have ended badly, she now keeps her desires firmly locked
inside her head -- until she climbs out of a Scottish loch after a good swim
and finds herself rather exposed to her new colleague.
Elias Khoury has wheedled his way into Professor
Campbell's circle under false pretenses: he did not come to Oxford to classify
ancient artefacts, he is determined to take them back to his homeland in the
Middle East. Winning Catriona's favor could be the key to his success.
Unfortunately, seducing the coolly intense lady scholar quickly becomes a
mission in itself and his well-laid plans are in danger of derailing...
Forced into close proximity in Oxford's hallowed halls,
two very different people have to face the fact that they might just be a
perfect match. Soon, a risky new game begins that asks Catriona one more time
to put her heart and wildest dreams at stake.
Good conclusion to the series. In this story, we have Catriona,
the quiet one of the four women. She is an introvert who can only handle being
around people for so long before she needs some alone time. This can be
difficult when you serve as a hostess for your father, are involved in the
women's rights movement, and have activities you are committed to at Oxford. As
the book opens, Catriona enjoys the solitude of the family estate in Scotland
despite the imminent arrival of one of her father's colleagues, which adds to
her stress. She's horrified when she emerges from a swim in the loch and finds
herself exposed to that same colleague.
Elias came to Scotland on a mission. He wormed his way
into Professor Campbell's life to get access to some ancient artifacts from his
homeland. He is determined to return them to their rightful place by any means
necessary. Elias doesn't need Catriona's distraction, but he can't get her off
his mind. Matters become complicated when they are forced to work together at Oxford.
Catriona is an interesting character. While she would
like a chance at love, her romantic history has her convinced it isn't in the
cards for her. She must also balance her idea of love with the realities of
relationships in her time, which don't seem compatible. She struggles with balance
in her life with competing activities of her writing, her suffragette work, her
friends, and her studies. I could feel her stress when her life became too
"peopley."
I liked Elias. He's a good man who loves his family and
his homeland but is also frustrated by the limits placed on him. I liked his
determination to resolve the issue of the stolen artifacts. Elias has also been
burned in a romantic relationship.
I enjoyed the development of Catriona and Elias's
relationship. The sparks of attraction are present from the moment they meet, but
both are determined to resist them. At first, they try to avoid each other
whenever possible, but Fate continues to throw them together. I liked watching
them get to know each other. I loved how in tune Elias was with Catriona and
how he understood when she needed space and when she needed him. I liked seeing
Catriona's connection with Elias grow and deepen. It was sweet to see her
attempt to cook for him. When she discovered his real reason for being in
London, not only did she understand, she wanted to help. There is trouble when
her desire to help runs up against his pride, especially when Elias's heart is
also involved. Catriona must face her fears before she can open her heart, but the
results are terrific when she does.
I enjoyed the continuation of the suffragette storyline from
the other books in the series. The behind-the-scenes look at the activities and
work that went into changing the laws was interesting. A few times, it felt a
bit heavy-handed and slowed the story's pace. I loved the epilogue and seeing
our intrepid ladies admiring their handiwork years in the future. I liked that
it included all of the couples, but I would have liked more about Catriona and
Elias's lives. I was slightly disappointed that there was no follow-through
about the woman they encouraged to sue her husband. I would have liked to see
how that turned out.
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