content note, for my review, and for the book: rape (multiple rapes, by multiple men, of multiple women, the majority of whom are murdered after?)

It has never taken me this long to read a romance novel before.

And this is not because I never wanted it to end.

No, it's because the first couple chapters are RELENTLESS in the abuse of the (17yo) main character, ranging from sexual assault to emotional manipulation, by both family members, strangers, and eventual lovers. I literally had to stop reading it a few times. I stayed up later to avoid reading it before bed. If the author wanted to inspire a visceral sense of disgust and fear in me, well, she succeeded.

These feelings of disgust were all the greater in part because our romantic hero? He's the (primary) rapist, who then the book slowly tries to redeem, mostly by showing that he's a good person (...maybe slave-owner, maybe not?) in other aspects of his life.

In some ways, the book gets credit for calling a spade a spade: both characters acknowledge it was rape. But then we have moments like this intimate scene in bed, close to their HEA, when I suddenly understand all these alpha male characters who get filled with rage and just need to SMASH.

Brandon: "I'm glad that bastard who thought of putting you [in a whorehouse] met his end. Otherwise I might be tempted to go back and wring his blasted neck. He got what he deserved for trying to rape you."

She looked at him slyly. "You were the one who raped me. What were your just desserts?"

He grinned leisurely. "I received my just rewards when I had to marry a cocky wench like you." "

WHAT. THE. ACTUAL. FUCK.

There are still moments, very close to their Happy Ever After, when he gives her an ultimatum (accept him or another rape, how pleasant for his wife/mother of his child, but y'know, men gotta men, apparently), and when she is afraid that he will hit her.

I have never felt so gaslit by a book before. He never apologizes, his regret always comes with conditions, and the book tries to convince us that we're supposed to care for him? Heather, I can understand why she falls in love with him; this 18yo girl has been through a LOT (mostly at his hands) and I can't help thinking what a therapist would have to work through with her. But the "voice" of the book overall made me distrust the narration, if that makes sense. I refused to suspend my disbelief, because, nope. That ship sailed along with the Fleetwood, way back in Chapter 1.

I understand that it was published when premarital sex was frowned upon and women's sexual desire was more complicated. And there are some interesting elements, like how sex is not a path to intimacy, the mc is pregnant for most of the book, and how in domesticity lies Heather's power, drawing on her mother-in-law before her. And honestly, in some ways, the sheer lack of character development is kind of a marvel (I'm a bit serious here - I'm surprised that the book maintains its energy considering that Brandon does not change. at all).

But it's not worth it. Do not read this book unless you're doing so to gain a sense of romance novel history - or, of current times, since, y'know, it is still in print...

For more discussions of the racism (side-eye), ugly/fat/etc villains (eye-roll), and more, I recommend Hannah's review.