Just got my ARC

Hawke stepped sideways to block her. "No."

If I recall correctly she does use some violence well mild violence ,think back don't want to spoil too much you will remember what she did to herself; but both her tone and the fact that she did not have a fit was I think the correct thing to do. Hawke would have only dismissed her reaction as a tantrum otherwise. The way she did it with quiet seething fury was the right tone and it made him realise towards the end of that conversation he had no rights over her.

As for Rose hmm well I think he had to go that far for him to come to the realisation he did. One thing I absolutely love was how when he made up his mind he pursued her with a single mindedness that made up for the earlier recalcitrance.

I do agree that he was very slow in really opening up to her or even trusting her she seemed to have to prove herself when she was already so badly tested and I felt that in the light of her earlier trauma and Ming that it really made me feel so much pain on her behalf and my heart really twisted at certain scenes. She did however stick to her guns in forcing him to give her everything .

I think Nalini though made the relationship work and you do not even notice the age gap. She earned her right to be with him and what was more even the extra responsibilities which others in the reviews I have read questioned because of her young soldier position dubiously but considering her training she outstripped others and in my opinion she was more than qualified to do it