I read this for a book club at The Ripped Bodice in New York.

Mattinesh Jay, the head of a textiles house, needs a swordsman for his arranged marriage – a marriage that will give the family the funds it desperately needs. He hires Luca Piere, a con artist and duellist who offers him fencing lessons as part of their deal. The two fall in love, and find a way to outwit shady business rivals who are trying to undermine Jay House.

The main romance is fine, an enjoyable slow burn.

There’s a secondary sapphic romance which I’d have liked to see more of: it appears as a fait accompli at the end of the book, with minimal buildup. The worldbuilding is also a little too complicated: as well as the house system, there’s a complex polytheistic religion and geography that isn’t really explained or used, it’s just there. And it’s barely a fantasy, despite being marketed as such.

Overall I enjoyed it, and it’s different to what I’d usually read, so I’m glad the book club put it in my path.

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