One time period back (Georgian), which makes the focus on clothes quite fun. It's a bit like Les liaisons dangereuses but without that snake the Marquise de Merteuil (although Villiers runs along Valmont's lines, he's not truly an awful person).

Lots of literary references. Roberta's father does declaim terrible poetry. The one serious drawback is that there were almost too many characters in this book so it pulled attention from the central story of Roberta and Damon.

I am wondering how many books it will take before Gemma and Elijah get their reconciliation.