La princesa descalza (The Barefoot Princess) Book

Forget setting women back a decade. The Barefoot Princess sets women back into the stone age.
I hated it.
I would have/could have/should have quit reading a few chapter in but I started it late at night and quickly fell into a sleep deprived cycle of wishing to put it down, realizing if I put it down I would not pick it back up again, stubbornly determining to finish despite my annoyance, and feeling a sleep deprived desire to set it down and go to bed. But then I would not pick it up in the morning...
I kept thinking it could not get worse. But it did.
The hard part is the book contained enough potential to make me think an actually decent story lay under the surface. The heroine starts off strong and admittedly remains rather spit-fire throughout. And her name is Amy! How could I resist...
In general I enjoyed the characters. (Except the Marquess of Northcliff. Him I want to murder.)
Also, the overarching story about three, abandoned princesses piqued my curiosity. It wove a fairy tale that held my imagination long enough to make me curious and want more. Only my deep hatred for the rest of this book prevents me from putting the other two on hold.
But I did hate the rest of this book. I hate the romance. I hate the stupid, stupid plot contrivances that keep the couple apart and reunite them at the end. I hate the generic, semi-Regency world. Most of all I hate, hate, hate the hero main male of this story.

Spoilers to follow.



Let's talk about the stupid Marquess. He gets kidnapped and spends the next 6+ whatever days lusting after his jailer. Then he tries to rape her but gives her "pleasure" (*gagging*) and when she threatens to call someone, says she wasn't struggling hard enough so no one would believe her. He lies and manipulates her for more sexual favors and then FORCES HER INTO MARRIAGE. And more than marriage but parenthood, if the conclusion is to be believed. Now you say, 'she secretly loved him!' I say "NO. HE LITERALLY TIES HER TO A CHAIR TO KEEP HER FROM RUNNING AWAY AFTER SHE MARRIES HIM." Their entire relationship is a power struggle and he uses brute, vulgar force to get everything he wants.
"The Barefoot Princess" is aptly named. After being dragged into marriage by a virtual caveman, we leave Amy figuratively barefoot and literally pregnant, chained to a man who not only manipulated her, but tried to rape her and let's go back to the part where he forces her to stay.
I'm disgusted beyond words and really wish my sleep-deprived self had just gone to sleep.