I know I hold an unpopular opinion about this story, but I just couldn't bring myself to like it. Everything was just wrong for me. The dialogue, for one, was uninspiring. I had to grit my teeth at the writer's pathetic effort to be witty or funny. 
 "But you see, Miss Charingford, I must be a doctor before I allow myself to be a gentleman. I do not recall such a thing in order to hold you up for moral condemnation. I state it as a simple medical fact, one that would be relevant to further treatment. Certain female complaints, for instance--" 
 "Put it out of your mind. You will never treat me as a patient. Ever." 
 "Ever?" he asked. "So if you're trampled by a runaway stallion, you'd expect me to express my wholehearted regrets to your parents. 'No, no,' I will say. 'I couldn't possibly stop your daughter from bleeding to death on the cobblestones--my professional ethics forbid me to treat anyone who has unequivocally refused me consent.'" 
 Lydia gave him a firm nod instead. "That's exactly right. I would rather bleed to death than have your hands on me." She tucked her gloves under her arm and reached for her shawl. 
 He was still smiling at her. "I'll pay my respects at your funeral." 
 "I don't want you there. If you dare come, I'll haunt you in your sleep." 
 But that only sparked a wicked gleam in his eye. He took a step closer, forcing her to tilt her head up at an unnatural angle. He leaned over her, bending his neck. And then he whispered. 
 "Why, Miss Charingford." That smile of his tilted, stretching. "There's no need to wait until you're dead to visit my bed. In fact, I'm available right now, so long as we finish before--" 
 Uh... Was that supposed to be seduction? Wow. Way to go, Lothario. 
 Aside from the horrible writing, another thing I didn't like was the fact that Lydia and Jonas lacked chemistry. Their romance was not convincing and totally not natural. In Chapter 1, for example, Jonas just decided that he wanted Lydia after an argument. And then he put off all his plans for marriage and decided that he would wait for Lydia to fall for him. Um, what? Was that really a natural reaction of a man who had just been dissed by a woman, who, by the way, was soiled (pardon the term)? Bloody ridiculous, especially given the historical context. 
 This is my first Courtney Milan book, and I'm not particularly tempted to read more of her works.