[ OFFICIAL REVIEW ] 67 people found the following review helpful Trapped into an engagement she doesn't want, she tries to flee. She ends up in an even more dangerous situation. The scary stories told to keep the children in line have some truth. There is a man on the island that is even more powerful and dangerous than the myths. Will she survive the future he offers? Bianca is young and has been subjected to abuse when she tries to assert her own thoughts and desires. Her family is part of organized crime as are many of the families on the island. The nuns at her school are very controlling and delight in beating her for any transgressions against their ways. She is forced into an engagement with her sister's former fiance and wants a different life for herself where she can make her own choices. When she runs away, she ends up in a very difficult situation. A man has her under his control and demands satisfaction for trespassing on his land. He offers her an option but it will mean a very different life for herself. Gaius is a very powerful individual who has lived a long life. He dislikes the term vampire but he does have fangs and enjoy taking blood from his lovers and others who serve him. He enjoys mixing his bloodletting with sex and BDSM is part of his lifestyle. Gaius has lovers of both sexes as well. During his long life, he has had many wives and has a lot of children, grandchildren and other relatives that work for his various enterprises. He sees something in Bianca that appeals to him and wants her for himself. She is younger than he wanted but the opportunity is at hand when she trespasses on his land. He just hopes she can survive longer than his previous wives and lovers. The story is unusual in that it combines the world of organized crime with paranormal elements. I have read many mafia romances and paranormal romances and you don't often see them in the same story. It is definitely more of a paranormal romance with much more limited focus on the business activities. The author does a good job of setting the scene before we see the characters interact. The beginning of the story explains the origins of the island and how Gaius controls the entity. It also opens with his first introduction to Bianca when she is a child and explains his later interest in her. Without the setup, that first meeting would be viewed very differently. It is intense and disturbing in many ways but the background gives it more substance. It is a darker kind of romance. While Gaius does have feelings for Bianca, he is not the kind of man that is going to be an easy partner. He really enjoys BDSM and having multiple partners of both sexes. He enjoys combining pain with his sexual activities but does want his partners to enjoy the activities. She is a virgin when they begin their relationship and he exposes her to many new sexual experiences which she embraces once she overcomes her embarrassment and fear. Gaius hopes that Bianca will be open to exploring her sexuality with partners of both sexes but makes it clear that they are to be "pets" and not more. The book is a unique romance which mixes the world of organized crime and the paranormal world. The author has created intriguing characters. Bianca is a young, inexperienced woman who wants the opportunity to be in control of her own life. Gaius offers her the chance to have a very different life than the limited one the women of the island tend to have as daughters and wives. He has strong sexual desires that he likes to combine with bloodletting and is open to sexual experiences with both men and women. Gaius introduces her to a new world and Bianca really embraces the opportunity for new freedoms. It is a darker romance that allows the characters to have a different kind of relationship than is typically depicted in romance novels.

5 Stars: This is an amazing author who not only manipulates words with superior fashion but possesses the ability to stir even the most dormant of carnal desire. This book, although not my usual genre sucked me in and I found myself snared, hook line and sinker. It’s a must read, and although it’s erotic fantasy, it’s so much more…a swooning fall in love, make you squirm, fast-paced look (and feel) of bondage, pain, pleasure and that thin line of demarcation few have the courage to face. It’s naughty…it’s supposed to be and yet, in all honesty… I fell for Gaius Kane. What woman wouldn’t? A great author, a great read...one you won't soon forget.