the historical aspect of the book was more fleshed out than the romace, which isn't a bad thing! you could tell how much research the author put into 19th century mexican politics, which i appreciated. it did mean however, that the romace felt lacklustre at times, although i did find myself cheesing at times. but i'm a hopless romantic, i can get giggly over just about anything. both characters had strong personalities and development; in regards to ana maria, i liked seeing her come out of her shell, find courage to be herself, and mend her relationships with her sisters. the actual 'thriller' part of the plot doesn't really take place until the last hundred pages, and is sorted out quite quickly. all in all, aside from the political research, not much else was developed.