The Heiress Effect (Brothers Sinister, #2) by Courtney Milan

I can't remember when I read my first Courtney Milan historical romance but I do remember enjoying it a lot. She has some of the most forward thinking, open minded characters in historical fiction. Her books are such a job to read and I always find myself falling in love with her words. I was fortunate enough to have access to almost the entire Brothers Sinister series through my library and went on to binge read the series. In the next couple of posts I'll share my thoughts on most of the books in this series!

This post features the reviews for the prequel novella and the first book in the series! I'll be linking the reviews to the rest of the series as I post them!

The Heiress Effect  | Brothers Sinister #2 | Courtney Milan Source: Library 

Miss Jane Fairfield can’t do anything right. When she’s in company, she always says the wrong thing—and rather too much of it. No matter how costly they are, her gowns fall on the unfortunate side of fashion. Even her immense dowry can’t save her from being an object of derision.

And that’s precisely what she wants. She’ll do anything, even risk humiliation, if it means she can stay unmarried and keep her sister safe.

Mr. Oliver Marshall has to do everything right. He’s the bastard son of a duke, raised in humble circumstances—and he intends to give voice and power to the common people. If he makes one false step, he’ll never get the chance to accomplish anything. He doesn’t need to come to the rescue of the wrong woman. He certainly doesn’t need to fall in love with her. But there’s something about the lovely, courageous Jane that he can’t resist... even though it could mean the ruin of them both.

While I had every intention of reading this book right after I finished the previous novella, I found myself disliking the novella so much I put off reading this book. However, now that I finished The Heiress Effect, I‘m incredibly upset with myself for waiting so long to read it. I loved every moment I got to spend with Jane and Oliver and the rest of the characters. This book left me rooting for all of the women and wanting to know more from all of them.

I want to begin by talking about how incredible all of the characters are in this book but especially the women. I have come to love all of the women that Courtney Milan rights. They are often strong and stubborn and flawed and perfect in every way that they are. The women in her books are aware of their flaws and are attempting to do the best that they can in the society that they live in. Jane and her sister Emily are no exception to this rule and I found myself wanting nothing more than the best for both of them. Jane feels so stifled by societal expectations and rules that she has to become the bane of society to save her sister. But even though she’s often too loud and boisterous, deep down she does love her outlandish gowns and her outspokenness. There were so many depths to her character and I loved watching all of them come to light.

Oliver, like many of Milan’s hero, isn’t without his flaws. He too has to challenge himself to be the best version of himself. It’s not an easy task and as the bastard son of a Duke, he’s had his fair share of grief. But it’s his drive and passion to do better—to become better—that really sets him apart from all of the previous men Milan has introduced in this series. Oliver knows the position society has placed him in and he respectfully disagrees with it. Even by the end of the book, after he has changed and grown as a cheater, he still has so much more room to grow. And that’s the lesson he learns that’s so powerful: he will always grow as a person and this is always a good thing.

Overall, I loved this book more than I thought. As much as this is a romance, it is just as much a story about two people becoming who they’re meant to be. Neither characters perfect—nor are they trying for perfection—but they’re constantly trying their best.