An Impossible Impostor

Ugh. 🙄 Once upon a time I was a teenager who had yet to be steeped in the well-worn, time-wasting, conflict-generating tropes of romance novels. In the decades since, I have had my fill. Which is why I was so profoundly annoyed to encounter them in a beloved historical mystery series with a romance subplot between characters I consider too smart to get caught up in this BULLSHIT. My only consolation is that I don't see Raybourn getting away with pulling this crap in more than one book in her series. I will happily read the next to help wash this triteness out of my brain. For those wishing to spring to the book's defense regarding the quality of the mystery/caper, know that I skimmed the second half and read the denouement because I could not stand watching these characters make these ridiculous decisions. Please, please let the next one not involve cliches I flee by skipping pages.