I feel like Overruled by Fate really hit the nail on the head with how living as nobility - or within the world of the nobility - really was. Madeline is told she will be marrying a much older man - and she's lucky that he's a good man. Her feelings are not taken into consideration, because her father knows what's best for her. Only too late does she realize that her feelings for her childhood non-noblility companion are much more that she first believed.

Said childhood companion, Nathaniel, has known his feelings, but he also accepts his place and knows that nothing will come of them - at least he thinks he's accepted it. When Madeline's marriage is announced he goes off the deep end. And while I appreciate his feelings and need to drown his sorrows - his method of drowning said sorrows left me with a bad taste in my mouth for him. And he doesn't really improve much until the very end. While this was probably very historically accurate - I wanted I little bit more out of my hero than I got.

It took a long time for the HEA to appear. And I really appreciated that. It wasn't easy for this couple, but even when it was hard, the author found highlights and good things for them to be occupied with. There was plenty of pining for each other and scheming at times, and when the king makes an appearance I just felt awful for Madeline (but no spoilers so I can't tell you why).

There is plenty of intrigue, betrayal, plots and plans woven into the storyline that wrap around our main characters, forcing them to make hard decisions and sometimes take paths they wouldn't have otherwise chosen. When our couple does finally get together (this is a romance after all), it was sweet and touching. I felt like they had finally beat the odds stacked against them. A great story that has a feeling of epicness to it.