Two Minute Review: Her Every Wish by Courtney Milan

Title: Her Every Wish

Author: Courtney Milan
Genre: Historical Romance
Series: The Worth Saga #1.5
Pages: 117
Published: March 29, 2016
Source: borrowed library
Rating: 2/5

Crash has never let the circumstances of his birth, or his lack of a last name, bother him. His associations may be unsavory, but money, friends, and infamy open far more interesting doors than respect ever could. His sole regret? Once lovely, sweet Daisy Whitlaw learned the truth about how he made his fortune, she cut him off.

Daisy’s father is dead, her mother is in ill health, and her available funds have dwindled to a memory. When the local parish announces a Christmas charity bequest to help young people start a trade, it’s her last chance. So what if the grants are intended for men? If she’s good enough, she might bluff her way into a future.

When Crash offers to show her how to swagger with confidence, she knows he is up to no good. But with her life in the balance, she’s desperate enough to risk the one thing she hasn’t yet lost: her heart.

Six months ago, Daisy and Crash were in love. Then, minutes after the first physical act, it all fell to pieces. Now Crash, a charming and genial but low-born scoundrel, is trying to turn legit with London's first velocipede shop and Daisy, the poor, flower selling, best friend from Judith's book, has entered to win a 50 pound prize at the local parish to open an emporium of women's goods.

You don't see a lot of historical romances from the POV of England's lower class of the Victorian era, and there's a reason for that. The reason is it's sad. It's sad to see Daisy struggle to keep coal in the stove and her mother bed ridden with rheumatism before 50. It's sad to hear Crash's story of his slave grandmother throwing herself overboard to escape her rapist and her (and his mother's) eventual turn as a dockside prostitute. He's proud of his lineage of strong women, and after hearing about them, I am too, but it's still sad. Romance novels are a type of fantasy, and let's be honest, most people's ideal life includes financial security. Even after the HEA where both leads get their shop, I had trouble fully relaxing into it.

I like Daisy well enough, both in this novella and in Judith's book. She's sweet, a dreamer, but when it comes time to grind, girl puts her boots to pavement. I never felt I really understood Crash and his roguish background and how it meshed with his beloved aunt and his bicycle shop. He's laid back and easy tempered to the world, but there's an irascible edge, (which we're coming to,) seemingly reserved just for Daisy that I didn't like. Crash's mix of Caribbean, Indian, and maybe Chinese or French or is it Portuguese? definitely lends the book a diverse air not found in other Victorian romances, as does his casual bisexuality, but it's not enough to overcome the big mis.

After having sex, Crash tells Daisy he's going straight, casually relating a tale of a time in his youth that he stole. Daisy, having strong English morals, is already feeling extremely conflicted about giving away her virginity without a marriage on the horizon. She's justifying it to herself. She loves Crash and that can't be wrong. And Crash is a good person, so being together is a good thing. But she knows stealing is wrong. But Crash is a good person and he doesn't steal any more - ergo still good. So she tells Crash she forgives him. Crash, not looking for absolution, becomes upset and Daisy can't understand why. She's thoughtless and privileged and hurtful and that's wrong, but it's the kind of romance novel wrong between two leads that I could move on from. Crash however, makes a conscious decision to hurt Daisy the way she's hurt him. He tells her she is a waste.

"Very well. Do do you want me to forgive you for your mother? She'll be a burden, that's for sure. Shall I forgive you for working in a shop? I know you flirt with the men who come by. ... I forgive you the fact that you were raised to think yourself better than you are. ... I forgive you your impertinent and umwomanly desire to be more. ... I forgive you your utter ignorance in bed," he had continued, "and your maidenly qualms. Hell, I'll forgive you your very existence in return. Even though, as these things are reckoned, you are a complete waste of a woman."

You could write me 150,000 words after that and I would never be able to ship the h/h. There can be no HEA for these two. No amount of groveling, no delightful banter about tea and pastries and orgasms can pull back those words. It doesn't matter that Crash teaches Daisy to keep her head high and to push away insults, because his would already be in her heart and in mine. I can't believe any ending for this couple that doesn't see Daisy and the relationship destroyed by the shards of doubt he's put in her heart. For her to not only forgive him, but apologize first is utterly false. Some bells you can't unring, not even a romantic fantasy.