I wasn't surprised by the plot since the romance was featured prominently on the back cover blurb.

Gregory had to make it a romance too, which ruined it. (Although I'm glad she got the incest out of her system early in her career, 'cause that was a tad creepy.) If this book was JUST historical fiction, it would've been trashy, a bit melodramatic and pretty dang fun to read. In general, her books are smutty and fun. I like Philippa Gregory a lot - she reminds me of a historical Jackie Collins. Words can't describe how annoying this book was (although I'm willing to try). But I found the characters too irritating and undeserving of more of my time.

And I know even less about 1780s Bristol, the sugar trade or rum.But I abandoned this after 370 pages out of 500 - so close to the end and yet I did not want to spend more time wasted on these insipid, fearful characters so bent on destroying their own lives.I wanted to like this I know very little of the topic and feel that I should know more. Only after watching Amazing Grace did I know anything about William Wilberforce and the abolitionist movement here in the UK only after watching and reading The Help did I really know anything about racial politics in 1960s southern USA, plus drawing on reading To Kill a Mockingbird at school (and I'll admit to still not knowing very much). They overpay for a house, over-furnish the house, all under the resentful eye of Josiah's maiden sister.I know very little about slavery, at any point or place, really. Once married, they find themselves dependent on sustaining a particular sort of lifestyle in order to keep moving upwards. 'He did not know that for the first time and painfully, Frances was feeling emotions stir and warm into life.'Josiah Cole needs cash and a socially connected wife.

A respectable trade book