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A few thoughts about all three books, I just can't stop seething long enough to write a proper review

I read all three books because I was hoping that the Claire I glimpsed on the end of book 1 was the real Claire, determined, strong, self-reliant and finally  found her true self after months of physical and mostly mental abuse and brain washing.

Sadly, it turned out that the meek creature who just laid there and took it was in fact the real Claire. If only I had realized that in the beginning, I wouldn't have wasted my time and frustrated myself for nothing .

Romig keeps telling us how strong Claire is, and how Tony loved her for her strength and 'smart mouth' *snort*, yeah right.

The message she tries to send is so wrong, she basically says that Claire is strong because she adapts to her new situation *raises eyebrows* and finds ways to be happy there.

How about this

• "If you hold a woman captive long enough, she will eventually love you"

• "If you find yourself in dire straights, don't fight them, just go with it" This is a quote that stuck with me, I'm just going to leave it here. “It is no measure of health to be well adjusted to a profoundly sick society.”

• "You can't achieve anything in life unless there is a strong man (preferably in love with you) to do them for you" First it's Tony, then John her Brother in law, then it's Harry, then it's the PI. She is useless on her own, think about it.

She is a good person because she strikes a friendship with the woman who keeps praising her captor and declaring him a good man, and urging her to just go with it.

And also this is a romance apparently because after he rapes her repeatedly and taunts her with footage of the rape, after he beats her into a 2 weeks coma, 'his touch intoxicates her'.

So, no. There is no strength in Claire. Her actions speak for themselves. submitting to abusing and romanticizing your rapist are not things I associate with strong women.

Emily who stands up for Claire is portrayed as the big bad witch.

Claire is annoyed at how her sister doesn't like Tony, I mean who doesn't like Tony? He's hot and everyone knows that is the only thing that matters, well besides being filthy rich. But Romig doesn't use that to redeem him, it's not like she keeps throwing his wealth in our faces and detailing the brands he buys Clair, or the jewelry, or the cars and shopping trips for at least one third of the book.

Claire was an active participant in her captivity. She had numerous chances to escape, she didn't seize them,just because she was told not to. The author doesn't even bother to try to explain how she rationalized that.

Even worse is book 2

Claire has her dream life and she willingly throws it away to be with Tony. At this point I just thought, you know what you deserve what you get. I kept reading because I hoped she would snap out of it, she didn't.

How can you go from planning revenge to swooning after him, have some self respect dammit!

Book 3: the plot is all over the place, an attempt to redeem Tony by making him go through hardships so we would feel sorry for him, and again poor Emily is the bad guy, because she still hates him. Emily is the only character I can relate to actually.

P.S:

If you qualify the relationship of Tony and Claire as a love story, I'm sorry we can't be friends.