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astudyinsass's review against another edition
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.0
I have come to expect a little bit of dubious consent in historical romance written in the 1980's, but this was simply too much for me. The male lead was very unlikeable and I kept wanting the female lead to just escape her own story and leave. The couple has sex maybe eight different times in this book and in at least 6 of those the heroine explicitly tells the guy to stop and he continues. If you're an avid historical romance fan, this might be for you. There was an interesting mystery at the start, but it's solved within the first 70 pages and everything after that is just uncomfortable interactions between the two leads. This was not a book worth my time and I plan on never opening it again.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Domestic abuse, Rape, Sexual content, Child abuse, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Sexism, and Sexual violence
kittykolb's review against another edition
2.0
This book is the perfect example of “Your Kink Is Not My Kink” but that’s still okay. The book was published in 1992, and shows its age. If your kink is men talking down to women and dubious consent, then this is the book for you. If you like enthusiastic consent, this book may raise so many eyebrows you’ll need to pencil more in. The other thing that set my teeth on edge was the point-of-view shifts. Coulter hops briefly into the heads of minor characters and back out, when surely there must be some other way to explore their feelings and motivations.
Otherwise, the plot was intriguing and I liked the ending. I just cringed at most of everything in between.
Otherwise, the plot was intriguing and I liked the ending. I just cringed at most of everything in between.
redstepper's review against another edition
2.0
This is closer to 2.5 stars for me. I liked the idea of this book and of course I loved the ending. The main reason I did not enjoy this book was because of the lead male character. I understand that he has to be stubborn and brutish to deal with a hellion like her, but he didn't have to be so mean and and rude to her all the time. I liked the banter I loved him making her mad to get her to talk but when he knows she has been used and abused by so many men, why would you treat her the same way they did? I have read better books by this author, but it is still decent.
olive2read's review against another edition
1.0
This is a rape story - pure and simple. Reader beware! Forcing her to take it cuz it's good for her and you love her makes it no less rape. Bewildering really - the first book in this series was misogynistic but only mildly, this one is blatant. Ugh and painting him to be such a sympathetic character, an upstanding guy truly - loves and rescues children for gods' sake - and the bullshit about how normally he's such a good lover but she gets him so hot that he has to be brutal with her. Is that victim blaming supposed to be sexy in some way? He has total power over her, it's even kind of played up as a joke since clearly he'd never abuse that power - except when he constantly does, of course. Then she can't help but be totally in love with him - her saviour. Total tripe and insulting.
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