First time reading this author. This seems to be the 2nd book in a series but I didn't know that and don't think it affected things. It mentions the people from what would be the 1st book (An Arrangement of Sorts) but it isn't as though the story cannot stand on its own. It was an interesting concept to take nobility who have been raised for marriage and the titles they will hold much later in life and have their whole upbringing revolve around that. Also an interesting concept of being 5 years into marriage before you actually get to know your spouse. Believable and different story all at the same time. The supplemental characters are interesting without being distracting, the story is clean from love scenes while at the same time showing falling in love, and I felt their relationship had depth and wasn't just surface appearances. I wanted to see Katherine's father in the story more, he isn't really mentioned after the very beginning. I liked all the "secret" interests of the main characters that showed the human side to being nobility.
