"Where to begin… Firstly, thank you, A. M. Kray for the opportunity to read in advance. Every time I see one of these up for grabs to review, I gobble it up, because I know it’s going to be an amazing read. What you’ll get: Angst Pain Betrayal Widower Manipulation Abandonment Secret baby Redemption Check your triggers as there are a few key ones that may be particularly distressing This story delivered. What an emotional journey! You will get a little background which makes the story all the more heartbreaking. The first and subsequent meetings of William (future Earl of Ashford) and Violet (daughter of the stablemaster and cook) set it up, and even though you know what will happen due to the rigid rules of Victorian society, you can’t help but want something different. William, after making promises that we know he can’t deliver, shoulders the weight of family duty, abandoning Violet to marry a woman of ‘breeding’. He is open about the fact that he does not want the marriage, and has absolutely zero relationship at all with the wife (the ONLY thing making him redeemable to me). However, in the meantime, he abandoned Violet and his unborn child… His mother works behind the scenes and sets Violet up as a widow and she exiles her to another location. This was broken into 4 parts… and honestly, each section pulls you in a different direction. It’s an emotional journey where you will feel heartbreak, rage, joy and pure happiness. Violet is understandably closed off, and oh my… made the hard decisions based on Lily’s happiness and not hers. She’s such a beautiful soul… Lily was a delight, a sweet little girl and absolutely adorable. William… I struggled. Even though we had his thoughts throughout the story, I couldn’t help but wonder what was truly going through his head, because he seemed to react to everything rather than plan. He was redeemable (reasons above), and his actions to make reparations and to make things right were truly astounding. The acceptance from everyone regarding the circumstances was beautiful, highlighting the nature of the family that had been formed. Despite the challenges, she/they had gained a wonderful extended family… A quick read, it's very easy to immerse yourself. I only stopped because it was 1am and I needed sleep. Needless to say, I may have neglected a few chores in the morning to finish it off…."