The Headmistress

Before I get into specifics about this book, I'll say upfront that it is a more than five star read and everybody should put this at the very top of their to-read list. Go do that and then come back. lol But seriously - when I read Milena McKay's debut The Delicate Things We Make, I was very excited about her talent. The book was so well written, smart and had such a strong story that I had a feeling this new writer was going places. This release proves I wasn't wrong. The Headmistress is amazing. It's an age gap, ice queen romance with a bit of a mystery in the mix. When I say ice queen, I'm talking about one that the great Lee Winter herself would be proud of. After a mind-blowingly hot sexual encounter with a woman at an education conference in the Big Apple, Sam Threadneedle returns home to finish out the school year at the remote island where she teaches at an all-girls private school. Just a few short months later, she is stunned when the school's board of trustees brings in a new headmistress to save the school from ruin and she is none other than the strikingly gorgeous woman she hasn't been able to get out of her head since. Magdalene Nox blows in like a storm and Sam and everyone else at the school is terrified by the changes that lie ahead. Sam is trying to reconcile that this woman who is going to decimate her beloved school is the same one she shared such a passionate night with. And it's not easy. Nox has a reputation for "squeezing institutions dry" with…

I honestly don't know where to begin reviewing this book. I've been grappling with what I want to say about it other than "STOP WHAT YOU'RE DOING AND READ THIS BOOK NOW!" I'm absolutely in awe and I don't know how to move on with my life. This is the first book that I've read by Milena McKay and I'm so incredibly happy I've found her works. McKay's writing is absolutely enchanting. She captivates you from the very first page and doesn't let go. The characters are wonderfully complex and have so much depth. I saw someone refer to Melina McKay's "narrative poetry" and it hit so hard. Her writing is so heartfelt and poetic. I was absorbed in this novel. I could literally feel the air on the cliffs, see the centuries-old school with its corridors, dorms, and rooms, and hear the winds that carry secrets around Three Dragons. I could go into the story specifics, which admittedly are incredible but I'm just so obsessed with how I FELT about this book. I can't get over it. I'll never get over it. I don't want to get over it. This was absolutely a literary experience that altered my brain chemistry. If you're an audiobook listener, Abby Craden narrates this book and does the most incredible performance bringing them to life. She masterfully narrates these characters and it adds an additional immersion to the story that I cannot recommend enough. If you have the opportunity to listen to this book, 100% do it. 10/10 would recommend.