The amount of historical research in this one is impressive. As a romance, however, I didn't really feel it. There wasn't much chemistry between the leads, although I absolutely loved their friendship. There were also just too many side characters and plots to keep track of over 400 pages - the subplot about a stolen snuff box could easily have been cut with no detriment to the rest of the book. This book seemed to oddly straddle the line between a sumptuous and detailed period novel, a la Sarah Waters, and a light-hearted romance, and I don't think it necessarily should have tried to do both. Still, I read it all in one day, so I can't say that I didn't enjoy it, just that it's not going to go on the re-read list alongside its predecessor.