Can you put a price on love and freedom?

Synopsis

A mistress cannot marry for love…

As one of the famous Preece sisters, Kitty is the most sought-after courtesan in London. But with the vicious Duke of Gillingham scaring away any man who looks her way, securing a new arrangement with a wealthy gentleman will be no easy feat. Kitty’s only hope to find someone suitable is through her loyal and cherished friend, the Reverend Sidney Wakefield.

Sidney has devoted his life to the church, but it was never by choice. He is a writer and Kitty his muse. As he is roped into Kitty’s plotting, he begins to realise that protecting her from the malevolent Duke comes at a price – and it might mean losing Kitty to someone else entirely.

As Kitty and Sidney try to find a way out, it becomes clear that years of friendship have developed into something deeper. Except that they are from different worlds and Kitty’s heart has never been hers to give away…

My review

Kitty Preece is together with her sisters one of the most desirable courtesans in London. But being in demand also means catching the wrong kind of attention. And Kitty has caught the attention of the Duke of Gillingham.
Even if Kitty truly dislikes the man, his wealth cannot be just ignored… And thus Kitty must find someone even more wealthier, to escape the Duke’s clutches.
Her best friend, writing Reverend Sidney Wakefield wants to help Kitty the best he can. Not only because Kitty is his muse, but she is also the woman who has stolen his heart.
While trying to find a way out of Kitty’s situation, realization dawns that there is mote than just friendship. But with their worlds miles apart, is their love alone enough? As it’s not only a matter of money, but also a matter what people would think and a matter of status… 

I always enjoy reading stories about impossible loves. It intrigues me to see how the story will develop from something impossible to something possible and wonderful. Add the fascination of a Regency story and my interest only increases! 

Kitty is the kind of person that may seem to use her assets merely for gaining wealth. But while that in a way may be true, there is more to her than we first see.
She hasn’t become a courtesan by choice, but more by force. And while I don’t like that, I understand that all three sisters had to make this career, to survive. 

But when on moments we see Kitty parading around, we also see the soft and kind side of Kitty, how she looking after Ada – Marie and her nieces too.
Also her friendship with Sidney shows us that she isn’t a shallow character at all. She treasures her friend and even deeper into the story we see how she wants to protect Sidney, despite her own feelings. 

Sidney is in a way not the kind of Reverend I always imagined, yet in other ways he absolutely is. He is indeed a Reverend, but we also see another passion in him, and a talent. And him being a write somehow clashed with my vision of a Reverend.
His friendship with Kitty shows how non – judgemental he is. He doesn’t judge Kitty for her ‘profession’ but he sees her true character. And in that way he is a real Reverend, as he sees the heart of people. 

The Duke is for sure a despicable character, in several ways. And his behaviour made it for sure understandable that Kitty wants to escape from him the sooner the better.
And of course she seeks the help of her best friend. The best friend that would do anything for Kitty, even if that would mean to have his own heart broken… 

While we know from the start Sidney’s feelings, it was sweet to see how Kitty realizes what her own feelings are. But on the other hand it was also sad, because her situation isn’t one where she can just follow her feelings as there is too much at stake, not only for her but also for her loved ones. 

And that frustrated me a little bit in Kitty… because I could see the dilemma. How can she be with the man she loves if that would mean that Sidney would lose a lot? And how can she ever abandon her sisters? But how could she ever lay with another man when her hearts belongs to Sidney? And as a reader or bystander it’s easy to say to make a decision and just stick with it. But how can you decide when it’s your life and your beloved ones’… 

This wasn’t the light – hearted story I expected it to be. There are darker bits in it, showing us the ugliness of real life and even betrayals of the people around Kitty and Sidney. But life, no matter what era, isn’t a journey filled with sparkles and rainbows. There are always people that will hurt you.
But also, no matter era you are living in, there will also be love. Sometimes it may be hard battle, but love will be worth of the battle and all the other struggles it will meet on its path. And this book shows us all those aspects.