While the story itself was fascinating it was way too long. Every single character (I'm talking specifically about the really minor ones) got their entire life story told. This was so annoying especially when all they really contribute to the overall tale is a minor retelling of a personal encounter with someone in the Mayfair family. A lot of this stuff could have been condensed or just left out entirely. 
 I really hated Rowen from the beginning and she just got worse. Honestly I didn't like any of the characters. The story was also very depressing and just not my cup of tea. The best part in my opinion was the history of the Mayfairs.