The heroine, Rose, is a young woman of good family who is forced into prostitution after her father's death in order to pay off his crushing gambling debts. She's also trying to shield her younger brother from the truth about their father and keep him in the style she thinks he should be accustomed to. While this might have put her in the too-good-to-be-true-martyr category, I think the author does a great job of making Rose a thoroughly believable and sympathetic character.The hero, James, is a wealthy merchant trapped in a loveless and cruel marriage. After being celibate through his 3 year marriage he breaks down and goes to a brothel, where he meets Rose. The two of them click, both physically and spiritually, and fall in love. Complications arise, of course, and it seems impossible that these two will ever have a future together.I absolutely loved James. He was a different kind of Regency hero. Strong, sexy, yet vulnerable too. I read this book in one night!