Having read Katherine, and loved it, I was anxious to begin reading this one, especially after all the good reviews it's gotten. Unlike Katherine, the heroine is not the least likeable. I kept on reading thinking it had to start living up to its hype. It never did. The history was probably the best part of the book but I wasn't looking for a history lesson. Very hard to understand how so many people liked it enough to give it 5 stars.