Once upon a dream, two cursed people fell in love . . . Tansy White doesn’t want to end up alone like her three aunts who raised her, but when she is betrayed by her would-be betrothed, she fears she might never change her fate. At her aunts’ suggestion, she seizes the chance to visit Rose Cottage, the country home of her late mother. For years, dreams of the cottage have haunted Tansy, and she is convinced it holds the answer to her hidden past. But after getting caught in a terrible storm, she meets a man who is just as determined as she is to learn all her secrets. Marcus Taylor, brother to the Duke of Westmorland, is also troubled by vivid dreams. On a sleepless night, as a tempest rages outside his brother’s estate, he makes a discovery far more mysterious than any dream: a young woman, cold as ice, lies unconscious in the library, and he is sure she is the key to solving his problems. When she wakes, what begins as a shared quest for information turns into an unexpected friendship. As they piece together the fragments of their pasts, they discover a tangled web of lies, and their feelings for each other become just as entwined. But is their love as strong as their dreams . . . or their fate?
REVIEW
I loved this story and the magical element it held. Add a splash of mystery and this Regency Fairy Tale is a perfect escape. Tansy was a fascinating character who's dreams held more than usual. Marcus had a similar affliction. He was friends with The Masked Baron, so I appreciated that tie to the previous book though it wasn't enough someone couldn't read this one all on it's own.
Anneka Walker has an amazing way with words that adds a magical quality to the fairy tales that take place in a world that is not necessarily magic.
Tansy's aunts add that good fairy quality that we are all familiar with in Sleeping Beauty. The inclusion of Daisy who likely has what we would call a developmental disability and the way she was presented was very well done.
If you are looking for a Sleeping Beauty tale, and even if you are not, this story has great chemistry, great mystery, and is truly magic.
I received an early copy through the publisher via NetGalley and this is my honest review.