The story was good, but another reviewer commented that the time period could have been set anywhere, which is pretty much true, excepting the idea of the necessity a female companion.

I wasn't sure whether this was supposed to be a romance or a mystery- but it tried to be both. Maybe it was meant to be a coming-of-age story? In any case, the twist at the end was good, although strange given how much Monty was built up to be a good guy. I didn't much care for Celestria, but I felt more sorry for her than anything else.

I wish more could have been spent with the family - I liked Julia and even the grandmother was endearing (toward the end).

The author bounced back and forth with the narratives, providing a lot of points of view - but I liked it. I'd read more of her novels, probably.