Review by Kayleigh
Series Name: Love’s Academic, # 3
A delightful romp that wraps up a beloved series.
Favourite Quote:
A kiss is almost never just a kiss. All through the ages it has been the sealing of a contract, a moment of letting go, the proof of devotion, a betrayal— and a thousand other profundities that can be pecked on a cheek or applied to someone’s lips, occasionally with the tongue serving as an exclamation mark.
Book Synopsis:
Magical-antique experts Amelia Tarrant and Caleb Sterling have been best friends forever, although lately each has begun secretly wishing for more than friendship. But when rumors about their relationship spread, they’re forced to fake being enemies to protect their reputations and keep their jobs.
The resulting arguments spark havoc across Oxford University, and when they cause an explosion while fighting over a magical antique, it’s the final straw for their exasperated faculty head. He dispatches them to a job in Cumbria where even they can’t get into trouble.…
Which proves just how wrong one man can be. In a stormbound old manor house, Amelia and Caleb face magical mayhem and rampaging ghosts that make the previous havoc look mild in comparison. Most troublesome of all, though, is the secret of how they feel about each other. When it comes to tackling deadly antiques, hiding the truth in their hearts could destroy them for real.
Review:
India Holton has, in my opinion, been writing some of the most intelligent and interesting historical fantasy romance on the market, and The Antiquarian’s Object of Desire continues to reinforce my belief. The third in her Love Academics series, we revisit Oxford University, where we rejoin Amelia Tarrant (whom we’ve met in the prior books) having an argument with Caleb Sterling. This being an India Holton book, there is magic and explosions during this argument. It seems that Amelia and her best friend Caleb were caught in a compromising situation, and in order for Amelia to keep her job, they’ve decided that being enemies will take the pressure off of them. The only problem? The two are helplessly in love with each other, but both are too afraid to ruin the friendship to say something.
Fake hating is a new trope for me, and I freaking loved it! Caleb and Amelia are such funny and wise characters in everything except their own relationship. Amelia has grown up in an overachieving, very British family, where her emotions were seen as a failure to rise to the family name. She’s spent years trying to make herself the perfect image her family craves, so they’ll be proud of her, and no matter how hard she tries, she seems to miss the mark.
Caleb is a survivor who, through his own intelligence and perseverance, clawed his way out of poverty and is now one who indulges in the nice things within his reach: nice clothes, food, and drink, and happily uses his charm to get what he wants. But back when they were both children, they met and instantly fell under each other’s spell. While trying to prove their mutual hatred to the dean of their program, they are sent on a mission to catalogue magical objects at a remote manor house. However, as many romance readers know, anger and desire walk a fine line, and no matter what Caleb and Amelia do, sparks keep flying (in some cases, literally).
I love this whole series, and watching Amelia, who has been the youngest of her family and always a bit of the underdog, come into her own, was a delight. Amelia is often the smartest person in the room, but because she’s a woman in a man’s world filled with misogyny and inappropriate behaviour, she is always on the defensive. Through her journey with Caleb and her growth, she learns her value, leading to some very touching and empowering moments.
Caleb is the ultimate book boyfriend here: he’s a little vain and ditzy as well as intelligent and deeply, deeply in love with Amelia. She’s been it for him his whole life. He’ll follow her anywhere and is always first to defend her, but is also wise enough to understand the importance of letting Amelia also rescue herself. There are some scenes that had me kicking my heels in pleasure at how damns sexy his unwavering support of her is.
Mixed within this swoony and oftentimes hilarious duo is, of course, the classic India Holton mix of villains, slapstick comedy and a ridiculous magic system that has teaspoons causing explosions, ghosts searching for missing objects, and a gaggle of secondary characters that will have you kicking up your feet in delight at their bonkersness.
This was the perfect conclusion to the series, and I loved, loved, loved the ending that let us peek at the whole gang one last time.
Thank you, Berkeley Publishing Group, for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.
