What should the most beautiful woman in all of England do to thwart her fathers determination to marry her off:
1. Convince possible suitors that
A. That the firstborn son of your line will have webbed feet
B. That the full moon provokes murderous rage in every other generation of females in your line
C. Feign blindness
D. Paint spots on your visage, claim you have the pic and are barren.
And when you push your father to the end of his patience and he sets up a tournament with you as the prize, you cut your hair, blacken your teeth, and disguise all other attributes that you are lauded for.

Listen, this book firmly falls into old school romance. You have phrases such as “fragile cup of her womb already overflowed with nectar for him,” “the scalding bounty of her husbands seed””, and “the love of his lifetime spilled from his lions.”
However, I must admit to still being entertained by the lengths that Holly goes to to hide the beauty that has plagued her for all her life.
1995 me ate this prose with a spoon and enjoyed every bite. 2023 me acknowledges that there are issues but setting that aside, I enjoyed the beats of the story. The curse, the stubbornness, the determination.