The Highest Stakes of All (Harlequin Presents, No 2992)
Author:
Genres: Literature & Fiction, Romance
Book Type: Mass Market Paperback
Author:
Genres: Literature & Fiction, Romance
Book Type: Mass Market Paperback
Helpful Score: 1
I actually read the large print version, which has its own ISBN. But because I found the book so disturbing, I'm posting my review here on the regular version as well.
Although scheduled for release late April, I found a copy this week at Half Price books. Ugh! Where to start. The entire premise was offensive. Set in the 1975, Joanna is an 18/19 year-old naive girl traveling with her gambler father for the past year since her mother's death. He lets all assume she's his plaything and dresses her to distract the other players. Vasso (rich Greek playboy) "wins" her in a game as part of a revenge plot. Carts her off to his island against her will, telling Joanna she's there to satisfy him in bed as long as he chooses and then he'll sell her for a "handsome profit" once he's finished with her. On the island, he doesn't treat her much better and all the servants are unsympathetic as they think the revenge justified. Naturally, she falls in love with him and - at the very end - he's remorseful and in love with her.
I just couldn't get into a plot with such an unlikeable male character, stupid female character and then to have the whole premise basically set on kidnapping and human trafficking was way outside my sense of romance.
Although scheduled for release late April, I found a copy this week at Half Price books. Ugh! Where to start. The entire premise was offensive. Set in the 1975, Joanna is an 18/19 year-old naive girl traveling with her gambler father for the past year since her mother's death. He lets all assume she's his plaything and dresses her to distract the other players. Vasso (rich Greek playboy) "wins" her in a game as part of a revenge plot. Carts her off to his island against her will, telling Joanna she's there to satisfy him in bed as long as he chooses and then he'll sell her for a "handsome profit" once he's finished with her. On the island, he doesn't treat her much better and all the servants are unsympathetic as they think the revenge justified. Naturally, she falls in love with him and - at the very end - he's remorseful and in love with her.
I just couldn't get into a plot with such an unlikeable male character, stupid female character and then to have the whole premise basically set on kidnapping and human trafficking was way outside my sense of romance.
