YMMV / Rose of Rapture

• Deliberate Values Dissonance:
  • Warrick repeatedly thinks of slapping Isabella around, and the book makes it clear he's done it to other women. But he never crosses that line in the with Isabella and domestic violence is portrayed as evil.
  • Isabella is shocked treatment of the animals in the king's menagerie, and bear baitings and cock fights are normal and the other characters think nothing of it.
  • Isabella is only fourteen when she marries Warrick, and she still behaves very girlishly at times. This is normal for the era. Caerllywel worries for her and scolds Warrick a few times, reminding him that she's extremely young.
• Nightmare Fuel: Beheadings are described in graphic detail more than once. Isabella is traumatized by seeing them.
• Spiritual Successor: The novel's interpretation of events is so similar to The Sunne in Splendour it practically qualifies as OC fan fiction.
• Values Dissonance: The presence of a Depraved Homosexual villain was standard in romance novels of the time, but it comes off very dated.
• The Woobie: Isabella's brother Giles just can't catch a break. His parents die. His Best Friend turns out to be a Jerkass. The love of his life gets honor killed by her family thanks to her involvement with Giles. Giles's leg gets broken and poorly set. He's clueless when targeted by an evil gay count. He's paralyzed as his beloved king dies. He's poisoned to death.