Even though this is in no way a standalone -- the characters/plot make no sense without the first book -- it also doesn't "feel" like the first book in some way. This is no doubt in large part due to the Ronan POV chapters (Oh, Ronan, you scallywag). For the most part I liked it just as much as the 1st book, if for different reasons. My only complaint is the Gray Man character... (view spoiler)[he's a hit man, but Blue's mom is down with that? We're supposed to feel some kind of empathy for him because his brother was abusive, even though he murdered Ronan's father? Don't get me wrong, I usually do love a good "gray area" character (har har) and villain-ish stuff is cool beans, but in this case IDGI. (hide spoiler)]