5 Words: Family, love, society, spying, deception. 
 My experience with this author has been a little hit or miss so far, it always seem to be either one extreme or the other when it comes to what I thought. So when this one was so-so I was a little surprised and decided it was a success overall. 
 When it comes to the characters, Julia and Langdon are undoubtedly the main cast - all of the other characters don't have much depth or characterisation. I think the most prominent example of this is Phoebe, Julia's cousin and companion since childhood, who is all at once loyal and vain and romantic and shallow and good and disloyal and vapid... He character didn't make sense as the story progressed and it felt like the author hadn't decided what she was like. One minute she's a lovely young woman reminiscent of Jane Bennett from Pride and Prejudice, the next she's barely a character at all, more a shadow, and then she's vapid and vain and shallow. 
 I did like the story. I liked the intrigue and how Julia was thrown into her role of spy. I liked that it took time for the story-line to develop. She wasn't a spy at the beginning, she was just a girl living with relatives, with few prospects and a deep love for her cousin. I loved how she made mistakes and tried so hard, even with such dire consequences. 
 What didn't sit with me so well was the religion in this story. Whereas in other books by this author it is to be expected and not only fits with the plot but is an integral part of the setting, the religious references in this story didn't seem to fit the setting or plot so much. It felt a little bit preachy. 
 I received a copy of this for free via NetGalley for review purposes.