text: The plot of this book was interesting, and it could have been a good book. Unfortunately, it wasn't. The main problem for me was that the hero is dispicable, and the heroine has absolutely no self esteem! Even many of the the secondary characters are weak, miserable people!
  
  The story starts when the hero finds himself drawn to the heroine even though he considers her a "dirty little nobody". Once she gets a makeover and is actually beautiful, he begins pressuring her to become his mistress even though she is an innocent marriageable female by regency standards. Because she is the daughter of a "cit", he can't imagine why she has any reservations about the deal. He says charming things to her like "how much do you think your virginity is worth anyway". Now that's romance! 
  
  Meanwhile, even though she is unbelievably insulted by the hero many times, she finds herself drawn to him too. For me their relationship was sort of like an abuser and his victim. She never stood up for herself, and you felt sorry for her.
  
  Of course the plot twist involves a mystery about her parentage... only its not really a mystery because almost everyone knows the hero is a Dukes granddaughter, including her. In fact just about the only one who doesn't know is the hero, which provides the dilemma. He would of course be willing to marry her if only he knew she really wasn't a nobody!
  
  Will anyone tell him? Will he wise up and offer to marry her even though she isn't good enough for him? Will she give in to her desires and become his mistress since he doesn't think she is good enough for him to marry? Of course it all works out, and he actually proposes to before he finds out she actually is good enough for him. Ugh!!!
  
  This could have been a good book if the "mystery" had been handled better, and the characters were written differently. As is, it is a sad regency tale
  