Wow, I really loved this. Ironically found it on a "rape romance" thread but there is no rape, it's a consensual bargain, and you can't read as many HPs as I do if you have a problem with those! I've been waiting to read this story since seeing Escape From New York some 30 plus years ago. It's the ultimate futuristic horror fantasy, a woman dropped in a brutal prison finds a protector by offering herself in exchange. Hero doesn't look like a young Kurt Russell, more a Vin Diesel type but that works for me, and the book was a bit honest about the lack of hygiene making the oral scenes a little rough for me (I guess I'm used to all these stories ignoring the actual impact of no soap!) It's a short read and there could have been more relationship growth detail, but there was just enough. And of course the rancher hero couldn't have had a very good technical plan so they really lucked out with the checkup thing. But it was completely gripping, the author actually had me feeling the feelings, including the terror, of the heroine which is what it's all about for me, and had a fairly believable HEA. Worth being a zombie today to have stayed up for it. Oh, and I actually loved that heroine became a little aroused by the physical stimulation of another man (all for a good cause) and hero's resulting jealousy. I'm so tired of all the heroines with frozen nerve endings until the hero magically electrifies them! What it's about: A female archeologist is sent to an ultra-mega-supermax prison for a crime that amounts to standing in the wrong place. The prison amounts to a lawless warren of caves run by the prisoners themselves, so the official charged with dropping her into the prison advises her to find the strongest man there and offer himself to him, or there's no chance she'll survive. The heroine immediately hooks up with a snarly badass who swaps protection for sex.And guess what, this book is so much more entertaining than you are currently imagining.Pros:*The plot is pretty bare-bones - the heroine wants to survive, and if possible escape from the prison - but it ticks along quickly. I never felt bored or like skipping pages.*The sex is pretty sultry. I mean, for what it is, it's quite well-done.*The sex is an exchange, yes, but it's also consensual. The heroine is making a conscious decision to swap the one thing she has for the one thing she values most (staying alive). The author is able to depict this exchange in a way that certainly makes clear that this isn't a romantic relationship, at least not in the beginning, but it isn't creepy. Nobody is taking advantage of anybody else. (I found it impressive that the author was able to pull this off.)*For a character who doesn't say much, the hero actually manages to be somewhat memorable and sympathetic. He isn't just a giant side of sullen beef as so many heroes in this type of book are, he manages to exist in your brain as a person while reading.*The female lead is not weak. She just knows the reality she's in and what she needs to do to survive, but she's a tough lady, while also being a normal woman who is terrified and freaked out. I appreciated that.*The quality of the prose is quite good. No clunky bits or awful dialog.Cons:*This will not bother every reader, but there's a repeated element of exhibitionism and being watched.*In my ideal world, maybe the plot would have been more complex and intricate. But this is such a minor thing I should probably not even include it! Really it's probably that I would have loved to have the love story unfold more, which is just my inner greedy reader coming out.The bottom line: I know the premise sounds kind of silly, but it somehow all comes together in a way that really works for my brain.
What do You think about Hold (2007)?
I'm a little ashamed by how how much I liked this... Not sure what that says about me.
—crystal
No liky...Din´t see the plot anywhere and hated the characters from the begining...
—Lex
wow...i'm suprised, but i really enjoyed this book!
—shereen
