Venom Readalong: Week 1

This month, I will be participating in the readalong for Venom by Fiona Paul, the first book in the Secrets of the Eternal Rose series. This week, I'm taking on questions pertaining to Chapters 1-8, and I will aim to be as spoiler-free as possible during these posts so as to not ruin the book for people who haven't read this story yet!

Venom is the story of Cassandra Caravello, a girl growing up in the elite class in Renaissance Venice. But despite her seemingly charmed life, she's felt trapped and alone ever since her parents died years ago. When Cass stumbles upon a murdered woman, she's drawn into the dark underside of the city of water, complete with courtesans, killers, and secret societies. She's also falling for Falco, a mysterious and mischievous street artist with a knack for finding trouble. But there's the murder to solve, and her far off fiance to consider...

This week's questions:
-What do you think of Falco so far? Do you trust him?
Well Falco is obviously the bad boy, which always makes me nervous (which can be a good or bad thing!). I don't think we know him well enough yet to decide if he's trustworthy - the boys with the bright blue eyes defintely likes adventure and living on the edge, but I think he also knows that sometimes he has to draw a line and say 'no.' Whether or not he knows how far he can go before things get dangerous, though...
-Thoughts on Siena?
Siena is Cass's ladies maid and I really like her so far. We haven't seen much of her yet, but a few scenes leave me believing that Cass underestimates what a valuable ally this girl will be to her adventures and investigation. I have hunch we can expect to see big things from her!
- Do you think that Cass is too accepting or not accepting enough of her position in society, or do you feel she is just accepting enough?
I think Cass struggles with what her position means in Venician society. She was born of a rank where there are certain expectations, but fulfilling them doesn't seem to always coincide with her spirit. She doesn't mean to be difficult, but she also wants to be herself. I'm not sure Cass realizes how fortunate she is to be a member of the upper class (even if at the lower end of it) because it affords her opportunities others don't have, even if those opportunities do feel like burdens sometimes.