The School for Brides - Cheryl Ann Smith There were so many things wrong with this book, yet I wanted to finish it. I understand it was a DNF for many. First of all, there was a lot of talk about courtesans, however, at least 2 characters in this story and one who you might want to say started the major event in the story, were mistresses. Historically, courtesans are women who have one protector/sugar daddy but also entertain other men. They are for luck of a better word free agents. The women in this story were mistresses. At least, two lived in homes their protector provided and the heroine did become the hero's lover. Even had that arrangement continued, at best/or better worse, she had been a mistress.
While I believe the nobility did get away with murder in that time period and had the power to ruin, I do not believe that they had the power to turn events like the acceptance bastard children of mistresses (again, called wrongly courtesan) into the talk of the ton, regardless of what tall tales were being told and if those bastard children turned out to be the offspring of nobility.
I am tempted to read the sequel The Accidental Courtesan but for now, I will make only a note a keep it on my maybe to buy list.