When I was younger I read many harlequin novels, most of which seemed to follow a standard pattern. There was always the strong powerful disturbing man and the young inexperienced confused woman and usually a second man who was kind friendly companiable. This second man was usually blond with blue eyes while the first one usually had dark hair and piercing grey eyes. Whereas the woman liked the company of blue-eyes she would eventually always end up with piercing-grey-eyes in a HEA. In between there would be a couple of obstacles. Sometimes this would be a second woman (blond bitchy older) who thought she should be the one to get together with piercing-grey-eyes. But of course grey-eyes likes the innocent young woman better and she can't help noticing that his kisses are much better than those of blue-eyes, so all is well that ends well. Harlequin heroines usually never stood a chance against the more experienced sensual sexual heroes and found themselves succumbing to the hero's kisses, powerless and helpless against the ensuing whirlwind of emotions. They usually fight the domineering ass until the bitter end when the heroine finally understands and has come to love the finer qualities of the hero. Or to make 150 page story short: the novels follow a standard pattern.

This harlequin stood out from the usual, that is, it's an over-the-top harlequin.

Leon is even more overbearing than the standard harlequin male hero. He is one scary character without any of the redeeming qualities that harlequin heroes also used to have (principles, morals).
Tara is basically harrassed, kidnapped, abused, sexually assaulted by Leon.
Tara finds herself unable to even fight Leon. He snaps his fingers and she complies. She is helplessness and powerlessness to the extreme. The few fits of petulance that she manages are pathetic (cutting up a lovely dress with nail scissors to spite him?).
He claims to be her master, forcing her to act like his submitting slave.
Isn't it obvious that they belong together?

Harlequin novels never described sexual acts other than kisses, and in this case it's a lucky thing for the author, for the wedding night (somewhere halfway through the book) would have probably been impossible to write.

And yes, I loved this book for its over the top qualities.
There is an atmosphere of threatening tension between hero and heroine throughout the book. This tension is released either in physical punishment/abuse or in sexuality. Even in the latter case it has the feel of punishment.
The story pushed buttons I probably didn't even know I had way back when I was a young girl.

Edit 2012-dec-12: If you're thinking of reading this one as an introductrion to bdsm, please don't, it will give you the wrong idea, please find a novel by author Cherise Sinclair first. ( )