The heroine, Nicholas, was extremely adorable. He's man in every sense, but still possess that “cute” quality which makes him an appealing character and the entire 464 pages is definitely worth reading. The girl, Dougless is equally appealing and has her strong points and I like the fact Jude didn't make her the perfect-as-angel character. She stays realistic and it took a while to see her true character. The characters' development is visible as the story progressed and this is very important to me to keep every page worth reading. As for the plot, Jude has managed to keep the story well-paced and thoughtful. The emotions are felt and the love between the two characters, most importantly, felt real. I don't think the book would have been as fun to read if the characters aren't so strong. This has become my favorite romance novel of all time (so far, anyway) and I've read it over and over. I never put this book back in the shelf when I was reading it. In fact, I was so drawn to the story I forgot to sleep!