the main antagonist was cartoonishly villainous for no reason, the romantic relationships just happened without rhyme or reason (or depth!), the social changes were…emotionless?

So, Follett as usual?
Pillars of the Earth were eintertaining enough to forgive things that I grow to hate in historical fiction (good guys having social mores out of XXI century (unless they do want to expose the newborn because reasons) and bad guys being some sort of caricature). But all his books repeat the same tropes wihout novelty.