Three years after Blackfoot, Annabel is sent to finishing school, where she and her new friend Isabella get up unexpected -- and sometimes unexpectedly dangerous -- adventures. (There is more to it than that, but I’m avoiding mentioning any spoilers for Blackfoot.)

Annabel and Isabella are an utterly delightful combination. I enjoyed their friendship, and the way Annabel renegotiates her relationship with Melchior. The latter relationship is important and, given their history, not exactly straightforward, and I thought Gingell handled that deftly.

My only quibble is that Annabel’s adventures with Isabella are so lively and so much the focus that other parts of Annabel’s school experience -- like classes and classmates -- began to feel a bit too vague and misty by comparison. I thought the story would have been strengthened if there had been just a tiny bit more about those, especially as her classmates are ultimately important. But like I said, quibble. Nothing close to a major complaint.

“A change of maids is in order, one feels,” Isabella said. “How do you think that girl Jess would feel about doing your corsets?”
“Does she know how to lace corsets?”
“Very likely not, but she can sit down to a nice cup of tea while I lace them. So long as we have the appearance of respectability, there’s no need to have the real thing, I think.”
“That should be your motto,” Annabel said. ( )

I accidentally read these out of order- read #1 and then #4, and now #3. So I spent the first bit confused about the cat and castle but eventually got enough back story that it didn't matter. It was highly enjoyable to read about the mc of #4 as a young lady secondary character first introduced in this book. The mc of this book is a little too naive to be believable but since I didn't get to know her in book #2 yet, maybe her background really does make it make sense. Or maybe I've just forgotten what it's like to be a young woman who is insecure, inexperienced and doubtful around men. Nevertheless I had a lot of fun reading the story and am looking forward to going back in time with book #2. ( )