Unraveled by Courtney Milan

I'm just going to post a few thoughts and quotes from this truly fabulous book. 

~~Smite Turner.  He is the type of  tortured soul that you just want to hug but he refuses to let anyone in due to his childhood and the circumstances suffered from his crazy mother.  His reasons for keeping all that fresh and foremost in his mind will make you tear up and love him all the more and see him as a wonderful, different, type of hero

~~Miranda Darling.  Daughter of actors and fluent in disguises, she becomes a central part of the Patrons scheme against magistrates.  She is strong, courageous and the perfect balm for Smite.  She does not pity him when he reveals his secrets.  She does not shun him when he tries to shut her out.  She accepts Smite for who he is and does not try to change him, which is refreshing.   Is it Miranda Darling or is it Miranda comma Darling?  Only Smite knows for sure...and makes sure to tell her she will know the difference. 

~~Brotherly and family love.  It was wonderful to see more into the depths of the Turner brothers.  Together, Ash, Mark and Smite suffered so many different, deep emotions that wove together to form a complex story that won't leave your mind anytime soon.  In Unraveled we finally get the last few pieces of the back story and get to watch Smite attempt to mend ways with his brothers.  But he has a 'sentimentality quota' of half an hour a day so it is interesting to see how he finally reveals what he has had buried for so many years.

~~The Patron.  This added a nice bit of mystery and suspense to the novel and added in some wonderful secondary characters.  The Patron protects women and children from the unsavoryness of the lower class but it comes with a price and when Miranda gets a chance to be free, it does not exactly work out like she hoped.  I truly did not see the reveal of who the Patron truly was until almost the end and I was a bit surprised so that is always a bonus.

Overall, I loved this heart-warming, heart-breaking book!  You will love Smite and all his flaws because they make him him.  You will love Miranda and her flaws as together they are complete yet still flawed.  This book is going to make you sigh, hope, and cry.  Its going to get you upset (I mean, really Smite--I wanted to knock him upside the head once) and its going to make you smile.  It is a truly fabulous ending to a really remarkable series from a very obviously talented historical writer.  I truly felt like I was there...in the court, in the streets and in their homes.   This is one simply breathtaking book that you do not want to miss!  5 stars

Some quotes that just signify this book in my opinion:

  “I see very little difference,” he finally said into the quiet. “My life is duty. Essentially.” Miranda wasn’t certain if she hurt more for him or for herself. “What part of your duty am I?” He squeezed her hand. “You’re the ray of sun at the center of the storm.” 

“I'm not broken,' he repeated. 'Although at the moment...at the moment, I may be coming a bit unraveled.” 

 “You're perfectly right. There's no two ways about it. When you leave, it will slay me.” 

Turner series
Best read in order to truly understand the depth of emotion but Unraveled can be read as a stand alone