A Civil Campaign

The latest book in Lois McMaster Bujold's Vorkosigan series,
subtitled "A comedy of biology and manners". Miles Vorkosigan
is in love with the beautiful widow Ekaterin Vorsoisson and is
striving to make her his Lady Vorkosigan, but Ekaterin wants never to
marry again after her bad experiences with her first husband, so
Miles is attempting to court her without letting her know it. Mark
Vorkosigan is in love with the warm and outgoing Kareen Koudelka,
and they have spent a year together as students on Beta Colony, but
her family disapproves of him, since they are traditional
Barrayarans and Mark is a clone and has been having Betan therapy
for mental problems. There are also subplots involving butter bugs
and Barrayaran politics.

Nominated for a 2000 Hugo Award in the best novel category. Bujold also won in 1991 for The Vor Game, in 1992 for Barrayar, and in 1995 for Mirror Dance. She was nominated in 1997 for Memory.

The book is dedicated as follows:

For Jane, Charlotte, Georgette and Dorothy - long may they rule.

Bujold is referring to Jane Austen, Charlotte Bronte, Georgette Heyer and Dorothy L. Sayers. The style, plot and characterisation of A Civil Campaign contain a number of oblique references to this set of authors, including the title itself (One of Georgette Heyer's most famous books is A Civil Contract)