This book seemed to be light on the fantasy and relied much more heavily on the romance. I was intrigued by the concept of the term 'Winner's Curse' and that was what initially led me to read this book. 
 I did appreciate Kestral's character and hope to see some more development with her in the future - she definitely has her flaws, and while she struggles immensely with physical combat, her senses are sharp and she is a queen at strategizing. There is a particular scene that I absolutely adore, in which we see her cunning and wits come out when physical combat just won't save her. 
 This was a pretty easy read, but I had to force myself along at points because for a majority of the book, we are privy to massive amounts of gossip, high society balls, and attempting to read one another (I'm looking at you, Arin and Kestral). Once we hit the last bit of the book, the pace picked up, and there was a little more action. The section of the book was, by far, my favourite piece and I was finally drawn in fully. 
 The author writes beautifully - the dialogue is strong, and there are a few scenes in the beginning of the book that maintained my interest and are the reasons why I decided to continue this book. There is clear talent and skill in her writing. The world building was interesting, and my hope is that it will develop further in the sequel, as will the politics of this new world. 
 I definitely didn't have that emotional, heart-breaking reaction to finishing a book when I read the last words. So for me, this is a definite 2 stars.