He has decided to keep his sex life impersonal and businesslike, hiring a series of mistresses for healthy sums of money until he tires of them and leaves them with a generous severance package and a nondisclosure contract.
Arianna Harlow is a young woman in desperate need of a job – her mother was badly injured in a car accident coming to pick her up from a party where she’d gotten drunk, and she has dropped out of college to care for her. She sees Palazzo’s ad in the paper, and applies for the job, not knowing what she’s getting into. When she finds out, however, she refuses – but Rafe is intrigued and will not take no for an answer. The erotic tension between them is intense, but she isn’t willing to be a servant, a toy, or a piece of property. Can she hold out against his passionate advances? Can he keep his feelings clear, cold and professional despite a treacherous heart which can’t give up entirely on love?
If your tastes run to psychological dominance-submission stories, this is a good one. There is little, if any, physical violence, but there is a great deal of emotional and sexual manipulation to add spice to the story. The book even ends on a teasing note in the middle of the story, making the reader wait for a sequel for resolution. The eroticism is intense without being too unrealistic, and the characters’ motivations, while somewhat melodramatic, are likewise believable. Rafe’s family, and Ari’s mother, are charming and appealing characters who add personality to the stories, and give the couple a substantial background.
This is not a book for teenage readers – not just because of the sexual explicitness of the book – nor for those who are recovering from emotional abuse, as it may contain unpleasant triggers. Rafe’s behavior occasionally seems a bit stereotypical, almost as though it’s taken straight from The Godfather, without the Mafia involvement. His controlling behavior (not only of his potential mistress, but also of his sisters) may annoy or downright anger anyone who isn’t turned on by it, but that is, of course, a matter of taste. The emotions occasionally tilt over into melodrama, but that’s not atypical of the genre.
If you enjoy an erotic battle for control between two well-matched opponents, this may be a good book for you. (But if you’re impatient, and can’t wait to see the ending, wait for the sequel to be out before you read this one.)
Reviewed by Catherine Langrehr for IndieReader