Even without reading the other books in the series, it was easy to follow the story and I could read it as a stand alone. I really liked how the story and the way of writing drew me into the timeframe of 1940's. At the beginning the characters were well described and all their relationships to each other - which made it easier to follow. I really enjoyed the writing style and the story and since I grew up in Austria, I could relate and imagine the Bavarian part of the book very well. It also had many interesting historic elements in it, which just added to the story in a positive way.
I usually also don't really enjoy a lot of sex scenes in books, but Mary Brooks did a great job with it - she didn't overdo it and didn't feel the need to explain every detail, which in my mind was a better choice.