It would technically have been 2.5 stars. It was mostly the heroine of the story, and how her romance unraveled that had me at odds. I confess it was my overriding tendency to want to bonk her over the head, because I've known my share of timidness from friends and it's just frustrating to see someone you care about treat his/herself in self-depricating ways. It was lovely to see her shine through everything though -- especially after I was finished with the trilogy itself.

Aidan, though a charming male lead & love interest, paled against the other heroes I've read of Roberts'. He's good, just not one of my favorites. The other important characters that played cameos in his and Jude's story, like Brenna, was ultimately what kept my interest and piqued my curiosity to the point of my need to know their stories and how they were meant to fall in love.