Bad boys are the darlings of the romance industry, but readers will be hard pressed to find anything appealing about brooding Dillon Gaynor, the hero of Stuart's (A Stranger's Kiss, etc.) convoluted "romance." Not only does Dillon treat good girl Jamie Kincaid abominably when she arrives at his garage/home to retrieve the belongings of her deceased cousin Nate, but he forces her into having sex with him. Twelve years ago, he came dangerously close to having sex with Jamie after her high school prom. Instead, he passed her off to all-star student Paul, who raped her. Unbeknownst to Jamie, Dillon beat Paul within an inch of his life after he learned what happened and spent a year in jail as a result. Now Dillon feels that she owes him, and he's determined to keep her nearby, even if he has to hide her purse and slash her tires. Although Dillon only intends to show Jamie a good time, his methods of persuasion cross the line. When Jamie admits that she doesn't like being touched, his reply is, "Get over it." Jamie ultimately does, but it's clear she never had any choice. Meanwhile, Nate's supposed ghost watches and waits for his chance to kill them both. As twisted as the protagonists' relationship, this silly subplot fails to lend suspense or credibility to this troubling tale. (Aug.)
