If this book weren't a romance, here's what would happen: Our protagonist Byrony learns to stand up to and leave behind all the people who try to control her, including her stepfather, ex-husband and dark lover Brent. But as this is a romance, she must stay with Brent no matter what - sigh. Once or twice, Coulter dangles the possibility of Byrony suddenly developing a character in which she makes plans to explode and leave everyone behind for a better life, which is why I kept reading, but she doesn't. Instead, Byrony is passed from one male possessor to another. Brent, who is a dark and troubled alpha hero who just can't understand why he's so attracted to the heroine, is just the least evil of them all, and he loves her. Love, in this case, equals verbal and physical abuse and a domineering impulse to subdue the heroine to his will. This should never equal "sexy times." Let's please disgard these devices for the future, OK people?
