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Title: This Wicked Gift
Author: Courtney Milan
Genre: Victorian romance
Thingummies: 3
Synopsis: A shopgirl and a penniless clerk have their own Gift of the Magi situation, only with more sex.
Thoughts: This is really more of a novella, setting up for a series of novels. And it's an early work. Unfortunately, the two combine to make a relatively weak Milan story.
One nice twist--this one features a deflowering that happens right up front, and in no way debases the female partner. It's a refreshing break to the pattern. And there are a couple clever bits, and the heroine has pletny of agency without becoming anachronistic.
But the plot is a little thin, and the heroine has a completely unearned realization about how she's smothering her younger brother. Overall, this lacks both the wit and the keen sense of place and historical background that later Milan works are characterized by. It's sweet, but slight.
Author: Courtney Milan
Genre: Victorian romance
Thingummies: 3
Synopsis: A shopgirl and a penniless clerk have their own Gift of the Magi situation, only with more sex.
Thoughts: This is really more of a novella, setting up for a series of novels. And it's an early work. Unfortunately, the two combine to make a relatively weak Milan story.
One nice twist--this one features a deflowering that happens right up front, and in no way debases the female partner. It's a refreshing break to the pattern. And there are a couple clever bits, and the heroine has pletny of agency without becoming anachronistic.
But the plot is a little thin, and the heroine has a completely unearned realization about how she's smothering her younger brother. Overall, this lacks both the wit and the keen sense of place and historical background that later Milan works are characterized by. It's sweet, but slight.
