Rating:  Summary: A "How To" Book for Wife Abusers Review: The Hero is a pedophilic middle aged pervert who has the child of his first love groomed to be his wife pretty much from her birth. From the time she is fourteen he watches over her from afar, merely waiting for her to be old enough to marry. When the girl falls in love with another man and is about to marry him, the Hero kidnaps the girl, ties her up and RAPES her, for her own good of course, because how else will she give up hope for her own true love. The next night he rapes her again, and again the night after that. After that he - oh so reluctantly - whips her for "disobeying his orders." Frankly, at this point I was so nauseous I couldn't read any further. This is not love, or abiding passion, this is perverted obsession. It did not surprise me that the heroine fell in love with the Hero, or at least gave up the will to fight against him, because it is a sad but true fact that many women fall in love with or are brainwashed by their abusers and are incapable of leaving them. I was surprised that she did not attempt to commit suicide after the second rape(or was it the third - I lost count) when the Hero brings her to climax and she feels like a slut (her word), I certainly felt sucidal at that point.
The next time I dipped into the book, the heroine was being viciously gang raped, thus proving that the Hero's "ravishment" could not have been rape, because there was only one of him, and anyway he "loved" her. Also allowing the Hero to dish out his "punishment for raping another man's woman" - obviously its fine to rape one's own woman just not someone elses. To top it all off, there is a scene where the heroine feels filthy for having sex with her old boyfriend, and another attempted rape just in case you were pining away for more rapine.
What appalls me is that this was the rewritten version of the book. There was either a) the same amount of rape and attempted rape scenes which Coulter felt was acceptable to reissue, b)more rape in the earlier edition which she cut down to manageable proportions (a truly horrifying thought)or c)less rape which she for some unfathomable reason decided to expand upon.
Rating:  Summary: Unprepared for the violence Review: This is not Coulter's best novel. I can get past the kidnappping and of the main character and go along with that plot line, but I was totally unprepared for the violent rape of the main character by strangers. This is the only Coulter book that portrays this graphic violence, so it came as a shock. Beware this book.
Rating:  Summary: Emotionally disturbing book - 0 stars. Review: Unless you are into sadistic sex, don't read this book. Unless you enjoy being raped and beated by someone who "loves" you, don't read this book. Unless you get turned on when someone sexually violates you in every way possible, don't read this book.This is the second book I've read by Catherine Coulter. The first one was nothing like this piece of garbage. And, sadly, because of this experience, I will never read her again. In the first few chapters, Cassie is raped (by the HERO of the story-ha!), she is beaten with a belt (by the HERO), and is emotionally, psychologically, and sexually abused by this "hero." I was physically SICK after reading the rape. Imagine my horror when, only a few pages later, he is beating her with a belt. And acting like he was doing it for her benefit?! How sick, disgusting, and twisted! I cannot believe a woman author would write such trash. Obviously she has never been raped or abused in a relationship. She wouldn't find it so glamorous in real life, I suspect. I couldn't finish this book. Any woman who gets raped and then enjoys sex with her rapist is not a heroine I can relate to or root for. And any man who viciously rapes and then beats a woman is no man of my dreams. Read someone like Johanna Lindsey, Julie Garwood, or Teresa Medeiros. They are strong women authors who don't abuse their heroines.
Rating:  Summary: Very Good! Review: Yes I think there were a bit too many rape type scenes..BUT I think the author handled them well and the whole book was well written. I read all the reviews and thought I would not like this book but I did and found myself wanting more of the story even after reading Devil's Daughter. At first I was kind of annoyed that he could profess to love her so soon but by the end I was wishing he was calling me 'cara'. The book was more of an adventure for me having the setting in a different place..I am usually used to reading about regency times and balls etc..this adventure was described so detailed I want to go on vacation or just wish I was around...the book was so descriptive you do feel as though you are there with them..As for the parts that make you uncomfortable well it's just a book and I think the "rape" with the two main characters hardly qualifies and I think anyone who has actually been raped knows that was not it..... what was pretty gross was the gang one...
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