5 stars I had a lot of trouble empathizing with Michael who is a rotten bastard of a person. Karma, of course, was likable and attracted people to her like flies on honey. All of this author’s heroines are spunky and sassy, but Karma is in a class of her own, adding incredibly courageous to the list of qualities she has. I found it easy to empathize with her and understand her actions, even when she waivers in her animosity toward Michael. As usual, the story is told from alternating POVs in first-person present-tense which drags the reader directly into the action and makes everything feel more urgent. Michael is sent to kill Karma as payment for a debt owed by her father, but when he sees her, he realizes she is the woman from his dreams and he decides to take her instead. He will not allow himself to feel anything for her and claims he has only decided to marry her to facilitate a business relationship with the Seven. Where have we heard this trope before? Meanwhile, Karma fights her growing attraction for Michael because she recognizes how twisted it is that she would fall for her kidnapper. I think one of the things that was most well done in this book was the depiction of Karma’s internal conflict between her attraction for Michael and her fear of him. She constantly struggles to tamp down on her empathy for him by reminding herself that he is the “monster” who kidnapped her. She tries to fight her own predilection toward the “perverted” things he likes, until eventually, she decides she is no longer going to deny who is. But the denouement of her struggle is best exposed when she literally reaches for his hand as she runs from him. Because the reader has been privy to her thoughts and feelings, her reaction makes sense and the reader feels sympathetic to her plight. Karma’s character is really well-developed and it’s easy to understand her. On the other hand, Michael is a sadistic dominant (who occasionally exhibits a glimmer of humanity) but doesn’t go as far as I feared he would. He has a line he won’t cross and one of the things he will not do is rape Karma. In fact, he won’t have sex with her until she begs him for it. So, although he is domineering and inflexible, with no discernible sense of humor (which I hope will change later) and definitely pushes the envelope in terms of talking dirty and getting in her space (sexual harassment—check), and although Karma sees him as a monster (a Beast to her Beauty—his nickname for her), he is not one to force himself sexually, which is a relief because there’s no danger of triggering any readers. Except those who may be triggered by a kidnapper who is constantly trying to seduce his victim. Oh, and lest I forget, he has a fascination with knives and that is disturbing. Ultimately, this is a story of some extremely conflicted characters placed in unusual circumstances and experiencing some unexpected and complicated emotions. As the editor, I have to admit I’m not quite sure how I feel about Michael at this point. I want to find something likable about him, but it’s hard. Karma, on the other hand, is an inspiring and memorable character and it’s easy to empathize with her and root for her. I’m looking forward to the next book in the series. July 20, 2021
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Elizabeth J ConnorWriter. Editor. Proofreader. Archives
September 2022
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