This novel, second in the House of Rohan series, was very engrossing. The story has you drawn in wondering how the story is going to play out. It is not a light hearted novel by any means and a lot plain jane themes are developed in a very biting and at times cruel way. It sometimes didn't sit well with me.However, it just couldn't reconcile what a brat Adrian was. Nor the Charlotte's characterization. That whole premise didn't work for me. Even with the machinations of the unlikeable cousin, Adrian was an adult who made his decisions according. While his father may have been the founder of Heavenly Host, his father also suffered greatly to lead him down his path. However, Adrian had the benefit of charmed life and still was being a brat about it. Or his attraction to Charlotte and his cruelness. Again, I was able to forgive that with Frances due to his backstory but Adrian is just a jerk.
Still, despite that, you still want to read on and find out how the story plays out.