"A Caress..." focuses more on Princess Meredith and her harem's relationships. The big bad thing doesn't come into play until about the middle of the book. Its defeat was anticlimatic.The book in general seems to set things up for the third book. I hope Ms Hamilton takes a break so that she can provide a fresh and suspenseful story in the third installment. Because "Caress" wasn't it. At the end of "A Kiss" I wanted to know what happens next - even though I feel Princess Meredith is just a revised version of the Anita Blake character from Hamilton's Vampire Hunter Series. However, at the end of "Caress" - I can't say that I care what happens.I'll keep my fingers crossed and wait very patiently (and hope it pays off) for the next book.