This is the first time I have read a book by Brenda Joyce and will not do so again. The heroine of this story is the most annoying woman ever. She cries all the time, and it is a an utter mistery to me why a men like Derek would be attracted to her. She is cold and mean to him. And yes, she was raised in a convent but come on! And how many times can someone get raped in the course of one book. This was somewhat disturbing. Let's just say the book was very disappointing.

it's hard to imagine not feeling sympathy for a heroine who has been ripped from her mother's love,thrown in a convent,brought to a foreign land and raped several times. in this book,however, it's not impossible. this heoine is absolutely annoying and one wishes she stayed in the convent.her rampant and total disgust of her own sexuality,perhaps somewhat understandable, makes one ask why would the hero put up with her time after time after time until almost the end of the book. this woman has some truly deep seated emotional issues which are not addressed as such and certainly given short shrift in thier resolving. i loved our hero but kept hoping for someone better for him! one can't help but wonder exactly what he does see in her either at the beginning or finally at the end of this violent book.

Yeah, she got kidnapped 3 times. I don't understand how anyone can emotionally survived being abducted 3 times. The first time, she wasn't raped, but still violated. The second time, she was raped. The third time, she was unharmed. The other major flaw that I had with the book is that the heroine should have realized her love for the hero sooner. Derek and Miranda were together for weeks and she wouldn't let him bed her. Come on, the guy went through hell for her and yet she withheld herself. I do agree with some other reviewers that Derek definitely deserve better.

The book is still a 3 star rather less even though of the flaws, because it did keep me wanting to finish reading it. It was frustrating at times, but I still enjoyed it when I finished the last page and wanted to read more in the Bragg series. So overall, I still recommend the book.

I've enjoyed a few of Ms. Joyce's novels, even the very un-PC "The Conqueror" but this one left me with a sour taste. With too much violence for a romance novel, at least for my tastes, and an unappealing heroine, by the novel's end I was left with a feeling of exhaustion rather than exhilaration.

WARNING: This is such a bad book I cringed all night. This could not be the same author that wrote "Velvet Fire" it was too horendous. This reads like a tragedy something Voltaire would dream up. How could this be romance? Where is the romance? Please do not get this book I beg of you, I wish I took the advice of the reviewer earlier on and saved myself the pain of reading it. Think "Devils Embrace" by Catherine Coulter - only MUCH MUCH MUCH worse.