The top critical reviews rather sum up my thinking. It's a technically well-written book, on the Y end of YA, but I've just finished a fan fiction with a similar starting point (arranged marriage for the good of the lands) and the story of actually going through with the relationship and dealing with its outcome was, sadly, way more realistic for a fantasy royal, and enjoyably-told for this fantasy reader, than feistily running away and working in a pub for half the book, risking war for everyone else. 13/20