The Curvy Bookworm

It is dark, dramatic and extremely spicy, but it also explores several taboo themes that will not work for every reader.

I really did enjoy this book though. That’s for sure.

A very important content warning

Before going any further, this is definitely a book where checking the full trigger warnings is essential.

The central relationship involves a stepmother and stepson, although she is younger than him, alongside themes of dubious consent and non-consent. The book also contains other potentially distressing sexual and emotional content.

Some of these tropes fall well outside what I would usually choose to read. Surprisingly, they did not stop me from enjoying the book altogether, but there were moments that made me uncomfortable.

This is not a romance to go into expecting healthy relationships, gentle courtship or morally uncomplicated characters.

What is Unseen about?

Set in Victorian London, the story follows Evangeline Brimworth, the daughter of a baron whose family has fallen into financial difficulty.

Her future becomes a bargaining tool, and she is expected to marry a significantly older man to restore her family’s position.

Evangeline has no intention of accepting her fate quietly. However, her attempts to escape become increasingly complicated by her new stepson, Azriel Caine, a mysterious and possessive man who knows more about her than he should.

What follows is a forbidden and deeply unsettling relationship shaped by power, obsession, manipulation and desire.

My thoughts

I actually liked this book more than I expected to.

The opening was particularly strong. It established the tension quickly (I mean the very first chapter involves her killing her very old husband) and introduced the central conflict immediately, which made me want to know what would happen to Evangeline.

R.D. Baker is also a very good writer. The descriptions are vivid without feeling overly heavy, and the scenes have a theatrical quality to them.

I could picture the rooms, the clothing and the characters’ movements so clearly that it often felt as though I were watching a dark period drama unfold in real time.

That sense of atmosphere was probably my favourite part of the book.

The historical setting

The historical element gave the story more depth than a dark romance set in the modern day might have had.

Evangeline lives in a world where women have very little control over their money, reputations or marriages. Her family’s circumstances leave her vulnerable, and the expectations placed upon her help explain why escape is so difficult.

The setting also makes the secrecy and scandal surrounding the central relationship feel more dangerous.

I would have happily read even more about the historical world around the characters, because the setting was one of the strongest parts of the story for me.

A romance built around taboo themes

The stepmother and stepson dynamic is not something I would usually seek out.

Even with the age difference making the situation slightly different from what the label might initially suggest, it remains deliberately taboo. She initially was married to his much older father, he’s a few years older than her and she should have been married to him initially, but that’s by the by. The relationship is built around an imbalance of power, manipulation and possessiveness.

The dubious-consent and non-consent elements were harder for me.

I knew this was a dark romance, so I did not expect the relationship to be particularly healthy. However, there is a difference between enjoying a morally grey character and feeling uncomfortable with the way certain boundaries are handled.

The spice level

The spice level is high.

This is not a slow-burn romance that gives you one restrained scene near the end. The sexual content is frequent, explicit and closely tied to the darker power dynamics within the relationship.

Readers who enjoy intense, taboo romance will probably find plenty here. Anyone who prefers softer romance or who is uncomfortable with coercive themes should approach it carefully.

Why it lost a star

The book began so strongly that I initially thought it might become a five-star read.

I was hooked by the atmosphere, the historical setting and the quality of the writing. As the story continued, it started to lose that initial pull.

I still thought it was a good book, but I did not finish it with the feeling that I wanted to re-read it again any time soon.

For me, a five-star book is usually one I cannot stop thinking about and already know I will reread. Unseen was compelling, but I am not sure I would return to it.

My final verdict

Unseen is a well-written, atmospheric and extremely spicy historical romance that is unafraid to explore taboo and uncomfortable territory.

R.D. Baker’s writing pulled me into the story immediately, and the vivid historical world often made me feel as though I were watching the drama unfold in front of me.

However, the stepmother and stepson relationship, alongside the dubious-consent and non-consent themes, means this book requires serious trigger warnings.

I enjoyed it, I appreciated the writing, and I am glad I gave it a chance. And I definitely

My verdict: A vivid and intensely spicy historical romance that is compelling, well written and undeniably dark.