The author's writing style drew me in from the very beginning. But what I thought would be a whirlwind unlikely momentary excitable affair, turned into a humdrum romance novel. Quite disappointing since it had so much potential to be something more. While I enjoyed the witty banter, the story ended up falling flat and I found myself dragging my feet to finish the book. I think it would've met it's potential had it been a reflection of a youthful experience Scott had that did not last but taught him much and matured him. The author gave you enough characterization to understand why such a sought after European countess would go for a younger inexperienced American, however I just couldn't buy into the relationship as something long lasting. It being well written would have merited 4 stars but the story progressively fell from 5 to 2 stars, so I met in the middle with a 3 star decision and a dissatisfied disappointed reader. Such a shame!