The main reason books are rejected, according to one of my colleagues who is in the business? Nothing happens.
The stakes in a story must always be high enough to make us care about the people, the information, the place.
But
some writers downplay conflict, protecting both readers and characters
from the mess and chaos. Ironically, this is quite dangerous! Unless
key conflicts come forward right away, something to drive the story and
create tension, there's little chance we'll keep reading.