I enjoyed the first book but as I thought, once space was given to really flesh out the plot and characters, we got some great storytelling in this one. We get some more background on Sebastian and Jocelyn since this is somewhat of a prequel, which is great. Loved Anthony and Phillipa. Phillipa especially since she's not the usual type of romance heroine. I also loved how some topics and details weren't writing in the typical recency romance style. There's a happily ever after here but more realistic. There are consequences for their actions which is how the world works. Fortunately, those consequences are leading me (and hopefully other readers) into anticipating the next book.