Things are going along just fine for Emmaline Farnum, or Emmie as she is called, as the town baker. Sure, the women in her family have a reputation, but she's managed to build up a sizable business to support herself. She has tried to keep an eye on her young cousin Winnie, but seeing as how Winnie hates baths and disappears for hours at a time, it is difficult to keep up with her. When the old earl dies and Devlin St.Just becomes the new Earl of Rosecroft, Emmie has a hard time explaining the situation. The more St. Just gets to know Emmie, the more he wants to know. And there is a mystery afoot: What exactly are Winnie's family connections? Why was Emmie sent off to Scotland as a young girl? Something doesn't add up, and St. Just is not only determined to get to the bottom of things, he's determined to marry Emmie. She just doesn't know she wants him too... yet.

Grace Burrowes does a lovely job of making a romantic historical fiction subtly mirror modern times; essentially, Devlin St. Just has PTSD after soldiering for several years. My husband is a soldier as well, hence my interest in the book. I like how Ms. Burrowes strives to create balance and depth with her characters; this is not your stereotypical couple. Emmie is deeply conflicted about her past and her feelings for St.Just, believing she is not worthy of his attentions. I really liked her spunk and all the scenes in the kitchen--talk of food always draws me into a story! While it's sometimes hard to read about a character you don't like, they also provide interest, as is the case with Winnie. She's one of those children you'd like to reach into the book and shake she is so thoughtless and disobedient.

I'd have to say my one complaint is all the crying. It seemed like Emmie tried to be strong and didn't like to cry, but she was always sobbing on St. Just. In turn, St. Just had some uncomfortable to read scenes where he was bawling like a baby, once in the arms of a male friend. It didn't undermine his masculinity (which is a real feat on the part of the author! Bravo!) but still, more than one of that type of scene was too much. I think that scenes where Devlin wakes up sweating or crying out from nightmares or some nervous tic (fingering a loaded gun he always carried, for example) would have would have worked just as well to illustrate his PTSD then all the crying. Overall, the book was a good read, gaining momentum and really generating curiosity and interest the last few chapters as we really get a good look at this knotty mystery and its final resolution.

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