Books like The Courtesan and the Samurai

I wanted to like this book. After all, I preordered it a year ago and waited and waited waited for it to grace my mailbox... so it's with some disappointment that I write this.The Courtesan is Hana. In the beginning her husband is leaving for war and she wields a sword to defend her home. I thought, "Oh goody, a chick with balls!" Not really... She is terribly naive and ends up permitting some strange woman to sell her into prostitution. And well... I'm all for making the most of a bad situation, but this chick ends up actually liking her new profession. I didn't like this partly because I don't like the damsel in distress bit and partly because I think the whole geisha thing is overdone. The Samurai is Yozo. His parts are full of ships sinking, war strategies, and fights. Basically: testosterone. Naturally, his parts didn't interest me all that much. Nevertheless: my number one complaint: This was supposed to be a forbidden romance. I picked this up hoping for something along the lines of The Scarlet Kimono. However, the Courtesan and Samurai don't even meet until page 295! Just not for me.