I have to say this one was miles better than the first novel. I absolutely LOVED it. The characters were different and exciting, and the story gripping from the very first page. It had just about anything: love, intrigue, humour... 
 The one negative aspect I find about most historical romances is their simplicity. I often find myself imagining lots of possible plot twists and paying attention at little details so as to discover what I can be missing, only to realize the answer is pretty much a given, there's no element of surprise. 
 Still, you need to know what you're in for, and this is a romance novel. Yes, there is action involved but it ultimately is about the journey, not the destination. That being said, this was wonderfully written, as usual, and you really gotta admire the research Ms.Foley puts into these novels. Lucian's will be big shoes to fill ;)