After a quiet, solitary childhood, Katherine's understanding of mutual love and commitment hadn't completely formed when she met and married her first love. To her handsome, clever Steven Flynn was perfect. And in Katherine he saw a partner he could shape and mold into the polished but meek and compliant wife he wanted.
With Katherine at his side, Steven has achieved success as an international attorney. The illusion of her perfect life cracks when she meets a frightened young woman, recently immigrated to the U.S. to become a model. This is the first clue that Steven is involved in something illegal and and horrifyingly unconscionable.
Gradually, Katherine's innocence peels away, It is interesting to watch her begin to evolve from a compliant wife, who has shaped herself to meet her husband's often cruel demands, to a courageous young woman. What really works here, though, is the author's knack for building suspense and her sense of pacing. Once you've become absorbed in this novel, it's likely to give you knots in your stomach.
This plot-driven novel is a quick, suspenseful read, and it's the first in a series. There are several explicit sadomasochistic sex scenes. I wouldn't consider them "hot" -- they're used, in an effective and rather disturbing way, to offer insight into these characters and their relationship. Anyway, I thought I'd mention it in case it puts you off reading this novel ... or in case it sweetens the deal. :-)
