The high-strung Belle has left behind her heroine era, and the drama-prone Rufus has left behind his Sir Horley Comewithers era. Together they embark on the worst elopement kidnapping elopement in history (per Belle, it’s not vainglorious to claim that when it’s true), and what ensues is a meditation on friendship, love, sexuality, identity, self-discovery, society, and home in a way that only Alexis Hall can do it. There’s a meet-cute with a highwayman just responding to a personals ad; Belle’s dalliance with Sir Horley’s theologically-inclined jilted fiancé; a wayward, thieving steward who just needs some kink, care, and tenderness; and through it all, the rock solid foundation of trust and support Belle and Sir Horley Rufus start to build for themselves.
When I heard they were going to be the pairing, I was giddy with delight. When I read the last line, I was giddy with delight. I’m on record with Sir Horley stealing my heart in the first book, and Belle lowkey having the best background arc in the second. There was rich soil to till there, and still Alexis Hall surprised me at every turn. I’ve yearned for YEARS for a friendship to get the full romance novel treatment, not as something inferior or less interesting or a detour on the way to romance, and he delivers that in fabulous spectacular extraordinary fashion.
If anything, this third book is the necessary capstone to the rest. Something Fabulous is quite focused and selfish; Something Spectacular embraces a larger, weirder family; Something Extraordinary asks what that even means and bares its heart to the world.
I was lucky to get an ARC, so I can’t add my usual wall of quotes until it’s published in December. But I will be re-reading then, and if the first two books are any indication, for many times to come, whenever I need belly laughs and a balm for my soul.
P.S. Reading this back to back with Liars, I can’t help noting how it deconstructs the entire patriarchal shambles and arms its various lovers with knowledge, agency, and solidarity. When one can’t yet change the system, that’s the way to prevent misery and abuse. A starker contrast there couldn’t be, both of them telling a different side of the truth.
P.P.S. Peggy and Orfeo’s (and Bonny’s) adorable terror of an offspring makes an appearance and gets told she’s “something important” by Belle. If that becomes a fourth installment in the future about the second generation of Delanceys and Tarletons, I am here for it.
ARC kindly provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.