The blurb:
Gareth St. Clair is in a bind. His father, who detests him, is determined to beggar the St. Clair estates and ruin his inheritance. Gareth's sole bequest is an old family diary, which may or may not contain the secrets of his past...and the key to his future. The problem is—it's written in Italian, of which Gareth speaks not a word.
All the ton agreed: there was no one quite like Hyacinth Bridgerton. She's fiendishly smart, devilishly outspoken, and according to Gareth, probably best in small doses. But there's something about her—something charming and vexing—that grabs him and won't quite let go...
In most of the previous novels, there hasn't been a lot of solo Hyacinth—mainly she's been part of a Hyacinth-and-Gregory double act—so this book was her chance to step into the spotlight a little more than she has been. The picture that emerges as she does is one of someone who takes the witty banter to its extreme and, as Violet observes, someone who needs a partner who is both up to her standard as far as wit goes and isn't scared of her. I did have faint horrors of something akin to Anthony and Kate's 'Taming of the Shrew' revisit but thankfully that's not on the cards here. Instead, Hyacinth is allowed to be herself, and Gareth is allowed to be both a match for her and not overawed by her or feel any need to make her less herself.
The plot device of a buried secret plus some hidden jewels gave the couple something to do while falling in love, and the epilogues provide a little closure to that as well.
Plus we also get bonus Lady Danbury; she's always a fun character to get things moving again. One of the best bits of getting older (while also being filthy rich) in such a society would be the ability to be as eccentric as you like; what have you got to lose, after all?
I enjoyed this one. It's light and fluffy, Daddy issues get resolved (honestly, a good therapist in Regency England would have made a fortune), and happily ever after. If I had to critique anything, it's that Hyacinth is maybe a little too daring at times—I'm caught between 'historical accuracy' and the demands of the storyline. Even an independent-minded young lady would have baulked, I think, at sneaking out and breaking into other people's houses, you know?
Started: 10 June 2025
Finished: 12 June 2025
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