Just Write, "Poor Self-Control" On My Forehead

Remember that, "if I go home, I'll get nothing done!" post yesterday?

I went home, I opened the Amazon box, and I said, "I'll read a little bit of the new Bujold."

Three hundred-odd pages later, I realized I'd screwed my sleep schedule for the rest of the week. Whoops!

Initial reactions: yep, it's a romance. Look at all those references to eye color and how fragrant people smell! I'm very glad I had the conversation with tessfawcett about tropes and entering into genre assumptions before I read this. Bujold's written a very likeable book, but not a very deep one. On the other hand, she found a natural break in the narrative, rather than ending on a gigantic cliffhanger, which I really appreciate. People more familiar with romance tropes than I: please discuss how tSK conforms to and/or subverts reader expectations in comments, or on your own space. Also, if someone who hasn't read the book yet could keep a running tally of how many times "beguiled", "beguiling", or an alternatively conjugated form of the word is used in the novel, I'd appreciate it.

Prediction for the conclusion of second book: ( spoiler-phobes, cover your eyes! )

Spoiler-phobes, you may now peek between your fingers. I've said my piece. Edit: However, there are now Beguilement spoilers in comments, so you may not want to peek too long, or at all.