I've tried a several Catherine Coulter novels and all have the same theme: 1980's style bodice rippers where sex hurts (bloody, painful, rapist stuff), heroes are villainous cads, and heroines just take the abuse until they turn into abusers themselves.This book is no different. There's the incestuous relationship of Marcus and Josephine being 1st cousins. Marcus acting like a complete cad flaunting his mistresses and showing absolutely no regard for anyone besides himself. Love scenes that are abusive, painful acts of rape. And of course no story that could possibly resemble a love story.Why Coulter's books sell is beyond me. She writes like a masogynistic man insulting the feminine ideal of love. Her novels always make me feel sick.