3. A Civil Affair by Lois McMaster Bujold (#11 in the Vorkosigan Saga)

I picked this one to coincide with the end of my vacation and flight back, because I have learned that I struggle with focus on a flight and need fun and easy to digest page-turners rather than something that requires concentration.  The Vorkosigan saga has proven to be always enjoyable and fun to read, even when it does delve into some deeper issues.  I suspect we are nearing some kind of end of Miles' narrative, as here the big struggle is if he can successfully woo the woman of his dreams, with the implication that he will settle down and stay on Barrayar.  Though I guess he can have other adventures in his role as Imperial Auditor, it feels like his arc has reached a certain maturity.

After the events on Komarr, where Miles uncovered a conspiracy to destroy the solar satellite crucial to terraforming and accidently discovered the love of his life, he is now back on Barrayar, preparing for the imperial wedding.  Ekaterin Vorsoisson, the other important character from Kommar, is now a widow living with her aunt and uncle in the capital.  Miles desperately wants to marry her, but recognizes that she is still recovering from decades of psychological abuse in a stifling marriage.  More practically, he has to avoid anything that would encourage speculation that he had murdered her husband (the truth is buried in ImpSec censorship).  This is the main storyline, a very romantic adventure as Miles tries in his typical way to manipulate the situation to get his outcome, which of course blows up in his face.

Meanwhile, his clone-brother Mark returns from Beta where he was working out his own psychological issues and starting to nurture his gifts at business success.  He comes back with two major complications:  first, he is going out with Kareen Koudolka the daughter of a very conservative Vor family and second he has brought "butterbugs" and the brilliant but utterly impractical Escoban scientists who developed them.  The butterbugs are disgusting to look at it, but produce a very rich food from vegetable scraps.  Both these complications lead to lots of funny hijinks.

I think this is the book that got the comparison to Georgette Heyer. It is truly a romantic comedy and quite enjoyable.  There were just so many fun threads (the Lady Donna/Lord Dono battle for succession is so great) and it is fulfilling to get more depth in Bujold's rich world building of Barrayar society and history.  All the stuff with cousin Ivan and his mother and aunts is quite hilarious.  I can see why nerds would love this, because the male characters that get the best partners are not the jocks at all, but the deformed strategic genius and the overweight business genius.  Really fun and now I am torn whether I should take a break or jump right into the next one!