Taking It All

This discomfiting exploration of a troubled marriage wraps up Banks’s Surrender trilogy (Letting Go; Giving In). Chessy and Tate have been married five years, but for the last two, Tate’s focus has been solely on his work, leaving Chessy craving not just his dominance in the bedroom but any attention at all. As they begin trying to salvage their relationship, a trip to their favorite sex club ends in catastrophe. Tate, who was supposed to be watching over helpless Chessy, steps away to take a business call, and another man takes the opportunity to rape her. The drama is more intense than in the previous entries in the series, but with little suspense. While readers may not see anything redeeming in Tate beyond his renewed devotion to his wife, Chessy adores him, and there’s no question of her leaving. The sex scenes are hot, but their juxtaposition with moments of rage and distress is disquieting. Underdeveloped characters and uneven pacing make for an weak conclusion to a trilogy that started with so much promise. (Aug.)