I picked this book up as I've always had a fondness for Ms Coulter's Sherbrook family. Even though the family is only tangently attached, I was hoping for a good read. It starts out well, but then the romance moves a little too quickly; I prefer a little more sexual tension & conflict before the romantic heroes decide they're right for each other. But then the novel turns into a weak attempt at a Patricia McKillip-like fantasy and loses the relationship development. The fantasy world nags at me like a sore tooth. The fantasy is random, meanders, makes no real sense, and simply falls flat. It's a rather simplistic yet nonsensical alternate world without real weight to it. I'm left feeling like I thought I picked up that wonderfully, rich Ghirardelli dark chocolate and ended up with the cheap, awful milk chocolate accidentally purchased at the dollar store...