Summary: After the tragic death of his two brothers Jared L. Windburg inherits the title of the Duke and has to live the life he was no prepared to. Because of sudden changes his first love failed miserably, but duty calls to him. This is why a big ball was held at the Maxville residence with many potential brides seeking marriage. But Jared saw no one else when he looked into those gray eyes.
Roselyn Eleanor Fairfield grew up as a head of the household, after the death of her mother she had to pick up this role and support her siblings, although she herself was just a child. Everyone praised her for being a beauty and being a perfect lady. Her participation in the ball was just a coincidence, she held no high hopes, but in the end she was chosen as the next Duchess. But things were weird and it was too late before she realized what type of loveless marriage she entered.
Jared, you're such a bitch 😂 After reading I think he didn't grovel enough.
As per usual, including my own synopsis. NOTE: This is a sequel! As I think many find out only after reading (or starting) Windburg, but this is a second book and it does have parallels with the first one. Jared was in love with FMC of the first book, it's the infamous first love mentioned here (so many times), to know some small details because of the first one is nice, but if one is lazy they can easily find spoilers instead of reading. The ratings on the first book are abismal compared to this one.
And because my reviews are shite anyway I'll write whatever I want. I left the review on NU, but I still decided to make an extended version here. Because of course, spoilers~
The overall plotline, characters and angst are quite fine. Because what Korean novel without angst? But it managed to be quite leveled and be different from other stories I tried, which tbh were so over the top. It created a nice feeling of push and pull, even if I know that some of it was deliberate and using the same trick would be glaring, but the story managed to wrap it up in a good way, so I let it go.
The characters take the main place after all. A lot of time is spent on explaration of inner drama of both characters, this is why we fully experience not only their development but reasoning behind their motiovation, good or bad or irritating (all eyes on you Jared).
The plot can't be called super spectacular or complex, but it's still a nice plot where may things become interconnected. Especially the author worked to connect two books (which I didn't read and don't plan to, I had fun with spoilers) and even if the FMC of the first book aka first love never appears once, but her presence is always there.
I actually liked how plot moved the characters and created obstacles.
It's one of few instances when I was not against angst, because both characters faced challenges in their relationship, but thanks to angelic soul of Roselyn, this relationship moved forward in the right direction.
Because a lot of time is spent on characters and their inner world the emotional world-buidling is very rich. Our characters go through all types of emotional changes and that allows to see what type of people they are. What they were and what they became.
The relationship moved forward only because of Roselyn, while Jared did many nasty things in the beginning,a lthough he has his own justification we do not forgive him (as readers). But only such a kind person like Roselyn, who wanted this marriage to work out, she knew things could go sour if she leaves everything as it is and she didn't want to give up without trying. I think that's very brave and there is strength in that, because eventually she saved this marriage and Jared.
Considering the circumstances I think they did great. It's not a modern story and people can't turn away from certain things, this is why one of the main topics of this one was duty. And the relationship issue most evident was trust.
The only critique I have is directed towards the writing style. Although the novel is very fast-paced and the chapters are short, but some elements stuck out to me. Not the emotional parts, those were done well to me. But most of it belongs to descriptions and dialogues outside of emotional drama.
Instead of organic way of describing things about the world of nobles in this book author used the phrase "nobles usually did this or that" a lot and thus it sounded crude to me. Readers do not need that, you can deliver the same information differently.
I already talked about how the same elements were used to create the misunderstandings and rifts in their relationships and also the way Roselyn heard everything from other people also was used several times, which was kinda eh, but I let it slide.
Funny thing, out of all the things described, I have no idea what is the main force behind the economic of this country. Since it's the European ambience, but actually it's practically cope-paste of London on the verge of 20th century. We know that Glen family that ruled the duchy of Windburg were into business, they had mines, department stores and other businesses that created their wealth that rivaled the royalty. But what the main portion of nobles did? This to me was left a mystery tbh. Even if the main topic of this novel involved nobles, but mainly inheritance rights.
A few words about their relationship, why I thought it was anice development, why I think Roselyn is a strong character and why I think them going through conflicts and solving them allowed to build a strong foundation for this marriage.
W/SPOILERS.
Jared starts as a bitter man who fell out of love and this is why the perspective of having a relationship with another woman, a noble woman on top of that, was a bit repulsive to him.
The reasoning for this I think are quite simple. Jared was the third son and thus he was mainly a spare. Like other noble sons who were not heirs he was treated differently, from childhood to adulthood. There is no place for him outside of getting a profession than working for the family. Even in marriage he could not get the best daughters brought up to marry only heirs. The nobles were that hypocritical to him. Outside of it his parents were not in a particularly happy marriage too, his father had mistresses outside, like his eldest brother. Even if his brother was the first to bring up the devision of inheritance among brothers of direct line. Sounds contradictory right, he had the woman he loved outside, but he knew the duty of the heir and married a person who fitted the role. So maybe Jared longed for a simpler relationship where the two of them would have only each other in their eyes. This is how he met and fell for Evelyn, she was not part of the circle and her dream was to write novels. So when it came to choosing between dreams and love she chose dreams. The thing is I could understand why Victoria, Jared's cousin who appears a lot and we love her, was so adamant about Evelyn, it's not only because she left without saying as much as a word, but that she easily left when Jared was at his lowest (not long after his brothers died). Jared was bitter about it of course and heartbroken. Maybe this is why when he heard of Evelyn again he tried to salvage the bits of the past or to create a conclusion.
This is where the deal between him and the Empress comes from and one of the main hidden danger conflicts between him and Roselyn.
But Jared knew what a duty is and he couldn't leave everything.
This is where the ball comes from. He thought he will marry a woman who is not emotionally attached to him and they can perform their duties.
But Roselyn could not live in a marriage devoid of any feelings, she did not grow up like that and it was alien to her, this is why she tried to get closer but was met with Jared's atrocious behavior.
Jared hurt her emotionally many times (as we later find out it was unconscious act of testing her when she will give up, because he wanted to be the first and last choice for the person and if it can't be that crazy, then it won't be like that). But unlike his predictions Roselyn found strength in herself to actually try to shorten the distance. Many might not understand her, but I think she is in the marriage and was raised as a noble lady and head of teh household, it's hard to see past those convictions. It's still early to realize that there was something fleeting in their first meeting that attracted them.
Time and time again Roselyn overcame those hurtful words that Jared said.
But then a turn comes in. With this push and pull you can see that Roselyn was happy that they became close and Jared was giving up his earlier convictions.
And at this critical moment the first conflict appears.
Thanks to Naomi, wife of Jared's cousin, and her relative of sorts, they maliciously told Roselyn about Jared's first love, how men don't forget first love, are sentimental, and that she was a commoner girl and he still wanted to marry her.
This will play a role for a very long time, because Roselyn herself is completely different from Evelyn. And she couldn't help but bring up their differencies. Not to mention the rosewater and roses that were mentioned a lot that created the bigger rift (from the first moment Jared said he hated roses, not to mention that's in Roselyn's name, but she wore rosewater, later she switched just for him but found rosewater perfume in the drawer, later we know it's a coincidence and he forgot about it, but to her it was not).
Jared made the mistake of sending Victoria instead of saying it himself (though some may say it's better to hear from others than person in question), but it still partially appeased Roselyn.
They still worked this out, she also found his reason for traveling to the capital and this is where they got into the whirlwind of changes, because it was published how Jared supports the new changes to family law.
Thinking back I don't know if Evelyn would be capable of handling the situation the same way as Roselyn did. She was under tremendous pressure, she was a Duchess now, had to manage this huge estate, her main duty was also to bear a heir (while it was also her inner fear, her mother died in birth) and now she had to nderstand her husband, because she wasn't aware of his movements.
This change in Family Law will become the biggest part of the plot. The one who published to corner Jared was actually the Empress.
So we have few lines to follow, Jared and Roselyn who try to navigate through the crisis of opposition and relationship drama.
There is also conservatives who are made of mainly noble heirs of their own families and they take important positions.
There is also Alexander Glen, Jared's causin and Alex's wife Naomi, the family of snakes. Because both are eyeing the title of Duke. Alex doesn't like that someone like himself took the role of the Duke, because Jared is not the firstborn and Alex is collateral line. Naomi was also a step away from becoming a Duchess as she thinks, but had to marry Alexander and live this unhappy life where her husband is always outside with someone.
A little later in the story Roselyn becomes pregnant. Right at the time for the Spring and their obligatory visit to capital. This is where Roselyn not only finds out that his deal with Empress originated from his first love, but that it's the author she reads and she saw the book on Jared's bookshelf.
Because she was agitated she was left home the next day when Jared planned to give the speech.
She read the letter he wrote explaining himself more in detail. Because he knew he earlier promised to tell her everything, but honestly, this type of truth is not something you can tell easily.
His origin why he rallies for changes may not have been pure, but they changed with time. Great part btw. Because Roselyn among other reasons for marrying did not think about love, but more about how this marriage will also help her family etc. But she later came to love Jared.
I know these two are a bit obsessed, the main point in love for them is each other.
But after the speech Jared was shot.
Note: here I couldn't udnerstand how such a developed country with trains and cars and a few years later electricity appeared and telephones, but when Jared was shot they also performed surgery, yet afterwards said - if he has a fever, it means infection and everything in God's hands. Like WTF ahahaha They have no idea about immune system yet I suppose and that body tries to patch up itself. Wounds also can be cleaned and treated. Anyway it was silly, but I suppose it meant to highlight how serious the situation was.
After that no bigger emotional conflict came over, at the moment of losing her husband she didn't bother about anything else understandably.
So Jared kinda paid it off with his body?😂
The shooting was paid by Alexander who wanted to get rid of Jared and become the next Duke. The conservatives wanted to use this incident and stall the reforms. But it was resolved, not that the law was also changed. The progress is described in side-stories.
This is why I think they rebuilt their relationship and made it stronger through everything.
Side-stories also show that it's not happily ever after, there are some things here and there but it is how they now handle it.
Also cute info but they had 3 kids (maybe they wouldn't stop on that who knows). Maybe not cute if you look at another angle because Roselyn was under pressure to have children throughout the entirety of this novel, so many people told her she should bear children, especially boys and she knew it was a duty too, but it fucked her up like is this everything about her, not because of Jared this time, he'd be happy with just one child, but it becomes Roselyn's wish. Jared was simply worried about her since birth is so hard on women.
And this was it. I feel it's great to experience this type of novel yourself. This novel easily sparks a conversation on different topics too. It kinda revived a hope in me. I usually read manhwa and they all seem so toxic and borderline disgusting (who am I kidding, I'm no white flower but it was repulsive).
RATE: 4,5/5.
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