We love a good childhood best friends to ENEMIES (but secretly not) to maybe lovers? The Antiquarian’s Object of Desire is whimsical and swoony. It’s an adventure you won’t want to miss. Keep reading this book review of The Antiquarian’s Object of Desire for my full thoughts.
Summary
Magical-antique experts Amelia Tarrant and Caleb Sterling have been best friends forever, although lately each has begun secretly wishing for more than friendship. But when rumors about their relationship spread, they’re forced to fake being enemies to protect their reputations and keep their jobs.
The resulting arguments spark havoc across Oxford University, and when they cause an explosion while fighting over a magical antique, it’s the final straw for their exasperated faculty head. He dispatches them to a job in Cumbria where even they can’t get into trouble.…
Which proves just how wrong one man can be. In a stormbound old manor house, Amelia and Caleb face magical mayhem and rampaging ghosts that make the previous havoc look mild in comparison. Most troublesome of all, though, is the secret of how they feel about each other. When it comes to tackling deadly antiques, hiding the truth in their hearts could destroy them for real.
Review
(Disclaimer: I received this book from the publisher. This has not impacted my review which is unbiased and honest.)
Childhood best friends is my kryptonite, but I didn’t even realize I had a thing for fake rivalry. As in, we actually are BFFS but have to pretend to hate each other and yell at each other. It’s fun, whimsical, but also tender. What happens when we have to pretend to hate someone, when we can’t be together, and what happens to our reputation? Because for Amelia, having an enemy labels her as ‘difficult’ and so she has to wonder is the disgrace, the ‘notoriety’ enough to make this all worth it? Their feud has real consequences stemming from this fears, but when does that stop becoming worth it? The Antiquarian’s Object of Desire is a fantastic look at magical objects and the havoc they can cause.
I loved seeing their friendship history and being able to see both of their perspectives is delightful. We see the ways in which they are both falling for each other and he is SO in love with her. Definitely both have feelings but he falls hard so fast and first. The Antiquarian’s Object of Desire is swoony with a capital S, but it’s also about how she confronts the sexism against her. The ways their animosity has impacted her life and the way she is talked down to throughout the book. Amongst all of these hurdles, can they even make this into something real? Is it worth trying? Their yearning is combustible as Amelia has to figure out if she can find a place to be herself, one where she is valued.
Find The Antiquarian’s Object of Desire on Goodreads, Storygraph, Bookshop. org, Blackwells, & Libro. fm.