Points to Alexis Hall for literally never once breaking character, including in the extra-diagetic material. Well done, spirit.

The thing (well, one of the many things) I love about Hall is that he is extremely good at interrogating tropes by *very strongly committing to them*.
This is not his first Ducal rodeo and, like all the other times he's written a historical romance novel about a Duke, the story is simultaneously about broody mcbroodicus falling in love and also asking "what it is that makes a person like this without making them fundamentally unbearable" and then writing a story that answers that question. He also doesn't pull punches in his descriptions, which makes for an interesting depiction of animal sacrifice that's just...there without any moralizing. But, again, committing to the bit.
And, finally, one of my favorite Hall tropes, that completely ridiculous and slightly over the top friend who you spend the entire time going "do...do they have any idea what's going on? Are they the ONLY one with any idea what's going on?"
Delightful.