There might be the beginnings of a story here, buried under an avalanche of hand-wringing and saying the same thing, over and over, in every situation, always.
When I put myself in the shoes of the various characters, almost never do they make the simple logical choice. They seem to lack all deductive reasoning. Everyone is hidebound by tradition, until the instant it is convenient for them to break out of the mold.
Any book with two authors is a red flag for low-effort pap. This is no exception. Cannot recommend, but didn’t ask for a refund.