This novel is about Dawn Uxbridge who, it turns out, is an elemental and a protector of the environment. Yes, Dawn cleans up! Who knew?! She doesn't know this of course, having been raised in isolation because of her poor health. When her parents die in, she's told, an accident, she's required for the first time in her life to fend for herself. Her only skill is with plants in the small garden she tended at home, but now that she's losing the home because of her father's debts, she has to find employment elsewhere. In a desperate last bid, she applies for the post of gardener at the estate of Lord Jasper Seton. She gets the job. As the story grows like a well-tended garden, Dawn and Jasper slowly grow closer, and in a twist, Dawn also grows closer to the woman who's vile history is at the heart of the estate's problems.
The estate is in bad shape and seems to have a growth of poisonous vine enveloping much of it, but Dawn sets herself to revitalizing the garden as she learns much more about her nature and also the nature of Jasper. Yes, he's the inevitable muscular love interest, but in this case, despite his broad chest and strong arms, it wasn't actually so bad. This novel surprised me because I have tried twice and failed to find any redeeming values in Exley's writing. I normally would not have picked up a third work of hers, but the book description intrigued me, and this novel was actually very different from her other work that I've read, and much better-written, so maybe the third time really is a charm. The book drew me in from the start and occupied my attention, providing entertainment and fascination to the end. It was not without problems, though!
There were some issues with the writing. For an employer who has Dawn as his employee, Jasper takes far too many liberties with her, especially given the period the novel is set in, which is the late nineteenth century. Their behavior is at times scandalous for the era, but that's offset somewhat by the nature of their relationship, and who they are as elementals. One thing which jumped out at me though, was that shortly after Jasper has inappropriately kissed Dawn the following exchange takes place. He says, "It would appear we have much to discuss. Over dinner if you will join me. I will have the maids draw you a bath, and if I may be so bold, I will lay out a dress for you to wear." If I may be so bold?!! Really? That felt a bit much after he'd already kissed her without even asking.
A little later, Dawn was served what was described initially as 'broth' but was shortly after revealed to have meat and veg in it and was described as 'soup'. It was unnecessarily confusing. Broth typically means the liquid remnant after having boiled something solid, whereas soup is the whole thing. There was the usual YA-style ignorance over anatomy as this author used the term 'bicep' to describe the biceps brachii on the upper arm: "Her exploring hand continued up over a bicep" and later, "She revelled in the shape of muscles under skin and ran her nails along a bicep." Technically there is a 'bicep', but it's not the bulge in the arm that this author means. It's one of two attachments of that muscle to the bone on the shoulder end of the biceps. I doubt that's what Dawn was fondling. Later I read, "His teethed nipped her skin." This is definitely a case where two 'ed's are not better than one. Note the word 'reveled' above is the English spelling, and so is correct.
Those were relatively minor issues. The big problem is - and here's a spoiler - that at one point Jasper is raped by the villainess, and this isn't the first time. She does it on this specific occasion for Dawn to witness it and thereby try to break them up, and it almost works because for some reason, Dawn goes off on Jasper, victim blaming! Why she does this I do not know because she saw the whole thing and it makes zero sense that she would mistake his being deliberately snared and rendered helpless, and taken advantage of, for his participating willingly. This could have been much better written - like having Dawn encounter these two at the end of the rape when, if written properly, Dawn might have mistaken it for the conclusion of a consensual liaison.
When Dawn and Jasper finally consummate their relationship, Dawn behaves so unrealistically that it spoils the whole thing. Anyone who knows me or has read any of my work knows that I'm far from being any sort of a fan of shy, retiring females, but for me, for this particular character in these circumstances, this was written badly. She's nowhere near the reserved type she's been consistently portrayed as, and it reads like a betrayal of the character and cheapens her. Exley should perhaps avoid writing sex scenes and overly long romantic interludes, but aside from that, I enjoyed the story overall, and I'm not willing to condemn it for some mistakes like this. Maybe other readers will not find them as bad as I did, but overall, I thought the story was good, and I commend it as a worthy read.
