“My family has always been predictable that way—taking power from those too weak to keep it.”

The novel introduces Julian by showing him killing a rival suitor for Yasmin’s hand. The prologue’s reflection on the abusive situation he grew up in provides backstory for key attributes of Julian’s character: his ambition, his need for control, and his philosophy that power is for the taking.

“She’ll be its ruin. She’ll be my ruin. Unless I become the man she marries.”

In the enemies-to-lovers trope that guides the romance arc, Julian initially sees Yasmin as a threat. His calculations early in the novel lead him to consider marriage as the means to achieving his ambition. The fake betrothal, arranged for access to Sultans rather than mutual affection, turns into real affection—another cherished trope of the romance novel.

“I’m under no illusion that Baba is an upstanding citizen. His morals are flimsy at best and nonexistent at worst.”

Although she is not directly a criminal, Yasmin doesn’t condemn acts that are cruel or illegal, inured to this behavior by her understanding of the tactics her father (whom she calls Baba) has used to build and maintain his business. This flexible moral stance will allow her to understand, accept, and fall in love with Julian.