One does not read Eva ibbotson for novelty of plot or character. One reads her because she is the best at what she does. She writes sweet, fun, meticulously researched and elegantly told (albeit amazingly predictable) young adult romances. This is another example of her doing what she does best and i very much enjoyed her storytelling, her fine turn of phrase and her attentive ear to what makes a character become vividly real in one short sentence. Her prose is gorgeous and, for someone like me, with a soft spot for fluff, the romance is fun too.