Just how horrible a reading experience this was for me? I have a massive headache just remembering this shit pile enough to write a review. Out of the twenty-three chapters, I quit somewhere in the middle of chapter twenty, so I am calling this read. 

There are no highlights, no one redeeming thing about this novel.

Reasons for Hate:

1. The writing needs an editor in the worst way. Not just a copy editor (although a C.E. should charged double for working on this), but a story editor to kill about 9/10ths of the characters in the story. Too much characters being horrible to each other and not one plot line to speak of. Needed another editor to cut down on some long-ass winded sentences that took up an entire paragraph.

Also the writer thinks she is clever with her dialogue and "insights" into heterosexual relationships borne out of manipulations and game-playing of the Regency era - more like badly written erotica set in Regency England.

2. The Characters:

Dutton - Man from the title is an idiot and has very aggressive views of sex that lead to what we now call Rape Culture.

Anne, Lady Staverton - TSTL who thought she was clever but kept making things worse among the characters. She had her sights set on making Dutton her lover, then dumping him. She was way in over her (empty) head. I wanted to punch her in the throat throughout reading. Never ending sequence of changing eye colors - first it was grey, then emerald green (to go with her red hair of course!), then hazel, then pewter, then I gave the fuck up caring.

Sophia - half-English, half-Native American courtesan who rose through the ranks and married a titled man who left her a widow. Now she is back in London and ready to find her next prey, er husband. Anne's mentor.

Elizabeth Grey - Native American niece of Sophia and the human punching bag for London's high society matrons, widows, and virgins. The abuse she took was ridiculous.

George Grey - Native American nephew of Sophia and a "good" Native American, who knew, appreciated, and displayed English manners. He was the cute Beatle. Didn't stand up for his sister ONCE. In fact, often he was part of the pile-on.

Bunch of Bitches (Jane, Eleanor, Louisa, Penelope, Toni, Bernadette, half the fucking city) - they gossiped and hated on each other. Way too damn many of them. Absolutely no need for any of them in terms of plot or character development.

Bunch of Sad Sacks (Ruan, Riathby, Quinton, the other half of the fucking city) - they gossiped and talked about horses. Way too damn many of them. Absolutely no need for any of them.

3. There was no other plot line other than Anne getting Dutton into bed so she could have sex with him then throw him out and ignore him until he begs her to love him. Ditto Sophia/Ruan. Elizabeth was supposed to go after Mr. Prestwick, but she was not having any of this English society shit. Bunch of the other female characters were horny/lonely and into manipulations and game-playing.

4. The non-stop racism directed toward Elizabeth Grey/Native Americans. Seriously, this author gave us both macro-aggression and micro-aggression on the racism thing. Even her brother and Sophia threw her and their race under the bus in order to look more appealing to the English. Fuck all of them.

5. This "storyline" was about the length of a novella or short story. A full length novel with this flimsy "storyline" was a tedious bore at best and rage inducing at worst.

Needless to say, I will never read anything by this author again. This is a prime example of erotica dressed up in a historical time period being promoted/sold as historical romance. 0 stars.