2.5 stars overall. Firstly, my rating is not a refection on the author, or her writing - which is excellent. In fact, Ms Crews is one of my favourite authors! I simply did not enjoy this book and found myself speed reading the last third. I didn't connect with the H/h at all - maybe it's because I've read so many similar story lines over the 40+ years I've been reading Mills and Boon. eg Alpha man whisking the poor feisty, but downtrodden heroine off to his island/castle/empire in a foreign country to keep her away from society and to himself. (It's a lot more complicated than that of course, but this is a summary) I liked the first half (4 stars for that) Never mind - on to the next book, you can't love 'em all. 😌