*sighs* this started out exactly up my alley: bonkers bananas with a zebra stampede, a degu roaming a Scottish Castle on its little lonesome, a zany spy/stolen blueprint/tracking down a degenerate brother plot. And for the first…30% or so I was all in! But much like Ne’er Duke Well (which I DNF’d), I grew bored. Like listen, I get that Vasti isn’t writing like bodice ripper romances and I don’t expect more grit in a rom-com, but I needed Arthur to have some personality trait other than A Very Nice Man. He was very nice…and very boring. And I really needed to see these two on page together spending time with each other not chasing down his brother. We’re told they spend a week in each other’s company getting to know each other while plotting how to find his brother. Then BAM we’re making googly eyes at each other and I felt zero chemistry. But because we don’t actually *see* that time together I’m not convinced they actually know anything about each other besides Arthur Is Nice and Lydia Likes Politics. 

I did appreciate Lydia’s social anxiety on page! Throwing up in potted plants? Me in every social situation ever. Relatable!

This just wasn’t for me (and I’m starting to think I only enjoy Vasti’s work in novella format?).