I love this book so much. By chapter two of The Devil Comes Courting, I was introducing Captain Greyson Hunter to the world as my new book boyfriend. By the end of the book I was curled in a fleece blanket crying and so happy that Greyson and Amelia finally pulled themselves together enough to stop being idiots and fully commit to each other. Courtney Milan is magical.
Greyson is looking for someone called Silver Fox who he wants to employ to create a telegraphic code for Chinese characters. What he finds is Mrs. Amelia Smith, the adopted Chinese daughter of British missionaries and the widow of a missionary. Amelia feels like she belongs no where, too Chinese to be British and too British to be Chinese. When Greyson looks at her, he sees a person with a mind that can change the world.
The Devil Comes Courting is a slow burn that cover a few years. Greyson and Amelia are apart a lot, but Milan makes it work. They find a way to stay connected over miles and time. Letters play a big role in this book in many ways, for many characters. Which is appropriate because Greyson is building a transpacific telegraph system that will allow people to communicate more easily. Greyson begins the story believing in Amelia when she doesn’t know how to believe in herself, and Amelia comes to believe in Greyson in a way that he doesn’t believe in himself.
The Worth Saga continues to be about people coming to believe that they are worthy. A world broken by racism, colonialism, war, sexism, and homophobia won’t allow people to be themselves. Amelia has been shoved into an identity that does not fit her and for which she will never be accepted. Greyson struggles with survivor’s guilt. In this book, Amelia experiences the bulk of the racism and it’s facets are sharp and subtle. As a Black British American man, Greyson factors how racism will impact his reception into his decisions as well.
As always, the Author’s Note at the end is almost as engaging as the book itself.
There are general and specific content warnings on Courtney Milan’s website.
I received an advance reader copy from the author in exchange for an honest review.
