Many historical plots rely on the machinations of a villain, and that's difficult to do well. It just gives you more clichés to avoid. I don't object to villains done well, but it is nice to see a good plot that doesn't rely on someone personally out to get one of the main characters, or working fiendishly to keep the h/h apart. It also helps the romance to feel more real to me, because most couples I know have to struggle against themselves or against circumstantial obstacles to get together and stay together, not against a personal nemesis.

Yes, exactly. I’ve certainly encountered an interesting villain or two in my reading, but most of them were forgettable or detestable (and not in a good way), or some combination thereof. I really prefer the conflict to focus on the h/h and their own tangible or intangible obstacles, rather than some evil outside force.

Another thing I loved about this book was that there was NO VILLAIN. (I guess you could count the prophet guy, but he's not the romance standard direct enemy of the h/h.) The conflict was between them to be worked out, alongside an external set of challenges for them to confront together, and that really worked for me.

I totally agree. I got fed up a while back with the surfeit of romances that featured villains and nemeses for the h/h, and often strong mystery or suspense elements even when the book wasn’t labeled, say, a romantic mystery. Not because I dislike mystery or suspense, or object to villains in stories, but because I felt that some authors were using these plot tropes or external characters to pad the story because they couldn’t sustain the focus on the h/h. I really admire a author who manages to tell a story without falling back on those crutches (though NQaH did, I guess, include some “adventure”, but I have a higher tolerance for adventure in my romances than I do mystery or suspense).

I agree that the Big Mis here is one of the good ones — because it isn’t totally a Mis. He did sleep with another woman right before their wedding! It falls into Big Mis territory because she’s too insecure to confront him about it, and she jumps to the wrong conclusions about what it means, but it’s not like he didn’t do it. For me that part of the plot worked pretty well, because he knows he screwed up and he can begin from there to figure out how badly she was hurt.

Sherry Thomas works very well with the “you don’t know what you’ve got ’til it’s gone” trope. There are personal reasons that’s a favorite of mine, and maybe that’s why I have liked all three of her books so much. I’m also a sucker for British India as a setting; there were moments in this book that reminded me of one of my all-time favorite books, M. M. Kaye’s The Far Pavilions. The geography, history and culture were done well, IMO.

Another thing I loved about this book was that there was NO VILLAIN. (I guess you could count the prophet guy, but he’s not the romance standard direct enemy of the h/h.) The conflict was between them to be worked out, alongside an external set of challenges for them to confront together, and that really worked for me.

The sleepy sex thing didn’t bother me, really. I was glad she found that way to establish the characters’ sexual rapport. I really appreciate romances where the characters acknowledge their sexual attraction but that doesn’t solve everything — no mighty wang or magic hoo-hoo in operation. It doesn’t bother me that mind-blowing sex is a requirement for the relationship to work (hey, it’s fiction, and those parts are fun to read!), but I like seeing the needs of the characters go beyond that, to issues of respect and emotional compatibility. IMO the best romance authors do that, and Sherry Thomas is right up there for me.

In some ways, this was a “Big Mis” plot, in that the reasons for the estrangement could have been aired out in a conversation. The worst of Big Mis plots are completely misunderstanding driven (“Oh, she’s your sister“), whereas with the better ones (and I include this book among those, obviously), the misunderstanding goes deeper and is informed by the characters’ flaws, fears and insecurities. So I totally agree with you there.

On reflection, I wonder if the intervening years allowed the heroine to mature to the point where she could accept love. I think Leo definitely matured, but I’m not sure what changed in Bryony. I do like to think that there has been some catalyst for change so that the years of separation don’t feel totally wasted (and I did appreciate that the separation wasn’t as long as separations often are in this type of story – a decade seems to be the standard).

I actually like the sexing during sleep part. I think it’s such a good demonstrating how intensely lonely both of these ppl were in their relationship until that moment of understanding. It’s clear that these two are meant for each other but like any good love story, their path to each other is convoluted and sometimes, stupidly so. But nevertheless, I quite like the Big Mis in here. It’s very relatable because it’s stem from very human flaws and insecurities. Instead of some contrived plot line, the main problem is within and in a non broody sulky way too. I

Unlike others, I thought the book was long enough. I do feel that once the Big Misunderstanding got clear up, there wasn’t that much to drive the plot further more.

Moth, I don’t disagree, but it seemed in line with the rest of the sex in the book, which wasn’t hugely realistic. I didn’t mind it. I cut my teeth on 80s books where there was often sex on horseback, etc. So maybe I’m a little immune to the strangeness there.

I know she had to rewrite this without the side story thus the shorter length and some gaps. I still liked it but.. PA remains my favorite, the main characters were the most likable in that one. I did like the prologue and epilogue in NQAH though.

Raine, I’m not a read in one sitting type of gal, but I did read this pretty quickly for me (over maybe three days?). It was that compelling.

Started reading it at 10 pm and didn’t stop until 3 am. Love it. Made me read Private Arrangements again- I agree with the abruptness of the ending.

Please keep ‘em coming Ms Thomas.

Really glad to hear the great reviews on this one too. When Dear Author likes it I generally do too. I’ll order it tonight!