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Dark Tyrant
"Are you saying you own me?"
Samantha could hardly take it all in. How could her stepfather have fallen so deeply into debt that he'd bartered for more time with his only remaining asset--Samantha.
Yet had Alex Nicholas not purchased his old friend's contract before it hit the open market, Samantha would have been auctioned off to the highest bidder. Instead she was being forced to marry a man she would never even like,
Alex projected a raw virility that was almost electrifying. But he was not Samantha's free choice. And for that he would be made to pay!
Samantha could hardly take it all in. How could her stepfather have fallen so deeply into debt that he'd bartered for more time with his only remaining asset--Samantha.
Yet had Alex Nicholas not purchased his old friend's contract before it hit the open market, Samantha would have been auctioned off to the highest bidder. Instead she was being forced to marry a man she would never even like,
Alex projected a raw virility that was almost electrifying. But he was not Samantha's free choice. And for that he would be made to pay!
190 pages, Paperback
First published October 26, 1984
7 people are currently reading
172 people want to read
About the author
Helen Bianchin
380 books227 followersHelen Shirley was born on February 20 1939 in New Zealand, where she grew up, an only child possessed by a vivid imagination and a love for reading. She wrote stories for amusement in her early teenage years, and when she left leaving school, she took a secretarial job at a father-and-son legal firm.
At age twenty-one Helen joined a girlfriend and embarked on a working holiday in Australia, travelling via cruise ship from Auckland to Melbourne. Alas, no shipboard romance, as she spent all four days in her cabin suffering from sea-sickness! After fifteen months working in Melbourne, Helen and her friend bought a vehicle and took three months to drive the length and breadth of Australia, choosing to work in Cairns in order to fund the final leg of our journey to Sydney.
It was in Cairns that Helen met her future husband, Danilo Bianchin, an Italian immigrant from Treviso. He was a tobacco sharefarmer from the tobacco farming community of Mareeba. His English was pitiful, and her command of Italian was nil. Six months later they married, and Helen was flung into cooking for up to nine tobacco pickers, stringing tobacco, feeding 200 chickens, a few turkeys, ducks... plus killing, cleaning and cooking the same! Her knowledge of Italian improved, and there were hilarious moments in retrospect. Some of what she endured was cooking on a wood-burning stove, having no running hot water, a primitive shower and toilet facilities, washing uniforms for two soccer teams during the soccer season... floods, horrendous hailstone damage to tobacco crops, hardship, and the stillbirth of their first child. Then, to their joy, Helen's daughter, Lucia, was born. Three years later the couple returned to New Zealand, where they settled for sixteen years. During those early years, they added two sons, Angelo and Peter, to the family.
With multiple anecdotes of farm life in an Italian community to friends, the idea of writing a book occurred. A romance, set on a tobacco farm in Australia's far north, Queensland, featuring an Italian hero. Helen says, "the background was authentic, believe me!" However the hero was rich and owned the farm artistic license! It took her a year to complete a passable manuscript, typed on a portable typewriter at the dining room table. That first effort was deemed too short with insufficient detail. Helen rewrote it. This time it was considered too long with too much extraneous detail. She revised, then sent it to London. Four months later she received a telegram from Alan Boon (Mills & Boon) to say they intended to publish and a contract would be sent in the mail. It was the most wonderful news!
Helen wrote ten more books while living in New Zealand, then in 1981, her family resettled in Australia, on Queensland's Gold Coast. She has since published twenty-five more books. Today, with computer technology, the mechanics of writing are much easier. However, the writing process doesn't change. Helen says that she's having a good day if she can achieve 5 good pages, which she is likely to change, edit and rewrite the following day.
She loves creating characters, giving them life and providing a situation where their emotions are tested and love wins out. For her, the greatest praise is for a reader to say they couldn't put the book down... then Helen knows that she has achieved what she set out to do -- "create a moving enjoyable story which holds the reader entertained from beginning to end."
Helen's hobbies are tennis, table-tennis, judo, reading. She loves movies, and leads an active social life.
At age twenty-one Helen joined a girlfriend and embarked on a working holiday in Australia, travelling via cruise ship from Auckland to Melbourne. Alas, no shipboard romance, as she spent all four days in her cabin suffering from sea-sickness! After fifteen months working in Melbourne, Helen and her friend bought a vehicle and took three months to drive the length and breadth of Australia, choosing to work in Cairns in order to fund the final leg of our journey to Sydney.
It was in Cairns that Helen met her future husband, Danilo Bianchin, an Italian immigrant from Treviso. He was a tobacco sharefarmer from the tobacco farming community of Mareeba. His English was pitiful, and her command of Italian was nil. Six months later they married, and Helen was flung into cooking for up to nine tobacco pickers, stringing tobacco, feeding 200 chickens, a few turkeys, ducks... plus killing, cleaning and cooking the same! Her knowledge of Italian improved, and there were hilarious moments in retrospect. Some of what she endured was cooking on a wood-burning stove, having no running hot water, a primitive shower and toilet facilities, washing uniforms for two soccer teams during the soccer season... floods, horrendous hailstone damage to tobacco crops, hardship, and the stillbirth of their first child. Then, to their joy, Helen's daughter, Lucia, was born. Three years later the couple returned to New Zealand, where they settled for sixteen years. During those early years, they added two sons, Angelo and Peter, to the family.
With multiple anecdotes of farm life in an Italian community to friends, the idea of writing a book occurred. A romance, set on a tobacco farm in Australia's far north, Queensland, featuring an Italian hero. Helen says, "the background was authentic, believe me!" However the hero was rich and owned the farm artistic license! It took her a year to complete a passable manuscript, typed on a portable typewriter at the dining room table. That first effort was deemed too short with insufficient detail. Helen rewrote it. This time it was considered too long with too much extraneous detail. She revised, then sent it to London. Four months later she received a telegram from Alan Boon (Mills & Boon) to say they intended to publish and a contract would be sent in the mail. It was the most wonderful news!
Helen wrote ten more books while living in New Zealand, then in 1981, her family resettled in Australia, on Queensland's Gold Coast. She has since published twenty-five more books. Today, with computer technology, the mechanics of writing are much easier. However, the writing process doesn't change. Helen says that she's having a good day if she can achieve 5 good pages, which she is likely to change, edit and rewrite the following day.
She loves creating characters, giving them life and providing a situation where their emotions are tested and love wins out. For her, the greatest praise is for a reader to say they couldn't put the book down... then Helen knows that she has achieved what she set out to do -- "create a moving enjoyable story which holds the reader entertained from beginning to end."
Helen's hobbies are tennis, table-tennis, judo, reading. She loves movies, and leads an active social life.
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Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews
October 31, 2015
Re Dark Tyrant - Not one of HB's best IMO, this one is her other trope (not evil stalker women in family dynastic marriage), but blackmail for sex/marriage. This book is actually a sorta prequel to Yesterday's Shadow as this couple appears as friends of the H in that book and ironically they seem to have more of an HEA there than in this one.
The h is about 20 and the H is 17 years older. She is a college student who is planning on a career in dance. Her stepfather dies owing a ton of money (supposedly) to the H and associates. The h is the payment for the debt - the H tells her she either marries him or she will be put to work as a prostitute as she was used as collateral to procure money. This is set in Australia, but I am pretty sure human trafficking is illegal there but the h never challenges this - or asks to see proof of the debt or any paperwork regarding the dead guy's estate.
I am inclined to think the H exaggerated and lied a lot about the state of things, but anyway no one around her seems to think she should want anything but to be the H's sex toy and broodmare. (One thing I really don't like about this period is the willingness for women who are supposed to be supportive of the h perfectly willing to pimp her out) The H even has her body cycle information so he can marry and bed her at the time most likely to impregnate her. Which he proceeds to do.
The H is a jerk and abusive, the h tries to fight back but there is 17 years between their ages and the H keeps her prisoner throughout the book, someone is always with her. She has no freedom, the people she is surrounded with keep harping on how lucky she is and the H openly flaunts his former (and probably current) conquests in their home. Eventually through repeated brainwashing, she thinks she loves him (more likely she just felt guilty about liking the sex so much IMO)
The H gets shot, (sadly not dying), the h miscarries and then decides she loves the H - she begs pathetically for his and he says he loves her ( he really just wants a toy and brood mare) and HEA. He pretty much treats her like an expensive call girl, he spends almost no time with her, go days with out seeing her, and because he bought her a puppy and a bunch of jewelry, we are led to believe this is a grand love affair.
Well, your mileage may vary, but I never liked this one even when it first came out and I like it even less on the reread. They have no relationship other than sex and pregnancy and the H could have cared less about the h. I think he had to get someone as young and naive as she was cause no other woman would have put up with his garbage or they would have had him arrested for trafficking, extortion with menaces, and assault.
This one doesn't read as a romance, it read as a tale of human bondage and pain. While usually I love the blackmail trope, this came too close to the very stark and sad reality of how those things usually work in real life when the very young and naive are exploited for profit and gain.
The h is about 20 and the H is 17 years older. She is a college student who is planning on a career in dance. Her stepfather dies owing a ton of money (supposedly) to the H and associates. The h is the payment for the debt - the H tells her she either marries him or she will be put to work as a prostitute as she was used as collateral to procure money. This is set in Australia, but I am pretty sure human trafficking is illegal there but the h never challenges this - or asks to see proof of the debt or any paperwork regarding the dead guy's estate.
I am inclined to think the H exaggerated and lied a lot about the state of things, but anyway no one around her seems to think she should want anything but to be the H's sex toy and broodmare. (One thing I really don't like about this period is the willingness for women who are supposed to be supportive of the h perfectly willing to pimp her out) The H even has her body cycle information so he can marry and bed her at the time most likely to impregnate her. Which he proceeds to do.
The H is a jerk and abusive, the h tries to fight back but there is 17 years between their ages and the H keeps her prisoner throughout the book, someone is always with her. She has no freedom, the people she is surrounded with keep harping on how lucky she is and the H openly flaunts his former (and probably current) conquests in their home. Eventually through repeated brainwashing, she thinks she loves him (more likely she just felt guilty about liking the sex so much IMO)
The H gets shot, (sadly not dying), the h miscarries and then decides she loves the H - she begs pathetically for his and he says he loves her ( he really just wants a toy and brood mare) and HEA. He pretty much treats her like an expensive call girl, he spends almost no time with her, go days with out seeing her, and because he bought her a puppy and a bunch of jewelry, we are led to believe this is a grand love affair.
Well, your mileage may vary, but I never liked this one even when it first came out and I like it even less on the reread. They have no relationship other than sex and pregnancy and the H could have cared less about the h. I think he had to get someone as young and naive as she was cause no other woman would have put up with his garbage or they would have had him arrested for trafficking, extortion with menaces, and assault.
This one doesn't read as a romance, it read as a tale of human bondage and pain. While usually I love the blackmail trope, this came too close to the very stark and sad reality of how those things usually work in real life when the very young and naive are exploited for profit and gain.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 4, 2019
Distasteful story of a 16 year-old heroine who is “sold” by her stepfather to the hero to cover his debts. Heroine doesn’t find out about the debt until her stepdad dies three years later. Her step-aunt knew about it and hand-delivers the heroine to the hero in Sydney.
Everyone – I mean everyone from the hero’s servants, family, mother, sales clerks, OWs – think the heroine is a lucky girl for being sold to the hero and that’s he willing to marry her and not set her on a life journey as a sex worker.
Since the hero has no honor – he didn’t take on the debt for honorable reasons such as to protect the heroine – it’s hard to see how this is a romance. He wants her to give him an heir and times their wedding night for maximum fertility.
*shudder*
Hero is shot by an enraged stockholder and that begins the heroine’s softening toward the hero. Then she has a miscarriage and hero pretends he loves her so they can give it the ol’ college try again.
This sounds like it could have been a fun trainwreck, but as Boogenhagen said in her review, this is too close to human trafficking to be anything but depressing and sordid. Triggers: dubious consent/traumatic sexual encounters.
Everyone – I mean everyone from the hero’s servants, family, mother, sales clerks, OWs – think the heroine is a lucky girl for being sold to the hero and that’s he willing to marry her and not set her on a life journey as a sex worker.
Since the hero has no honor – he didn’t take on the debt for honorable reasons such as to protect the heroine – it’s hard to see how this is a romance. He wants her to give him an heir and times their wedding night for maximum fertility.
*shudder*
Hero is shot by an enraged stockholder and that begins the heroine’s softening toward the hero. Then she has a miscarriage and hero pretends he loves her so they can give it the ol’ college try again.
This sounds like it could have been a fun trainwreck, but as Boogenhagen said in her review, this is too close to human trafficking to be anything but depressing and sordid. Triggers: dubious consent/traumatic sexual encounters.
Read
October 6, 2019Hero is a pimp/sex trafficker is a new one.
Well this is interesting. Check the standard disclaimer verbiage versus the one HB uses in this book.
Standard:
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events, locales, and incidents are either the products of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.
HB's rather hyberbolic disclaimer. Methinks she doth protest too much?
All the characters in this book have no existence outside the imagination of the Author, and have no relation whatsoever to anyone bearing the same name or names. They are not even distantly inspired by any individual known or unknown to the Author, and all the incidents are pure invention.
Well this is interesting. Check the standard disclaimer verbiage versus the one HB uses in this book.
Standard:
This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events, locales, and incidents are either the products of the author’s imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.
HB's rather hyberbolic disclaimer. Methinks she doth protest too much?
All the characters in this book have no existence outside the imagination of the Author, and have no relation whatsoever to anyone bearing the same name or names. They are not even distantly inspired by any individual known or unknown to the Author, and all the incidents are pure invention.
August 29, 2023
Nope, no way they could love each other and not because of dubcon!
August 20, 2023
I give it 5 stars because it kept me reading. And it’s been a while since I’ve read a HP where I didn’t just skim (instead of read) many pages.
It’s real vintage. She’s been sold by her late stepfather to the rich, sexy, handsome H and she of course doesn’t agree. She is 19. He is 17 years older.
This is definitely not safe to read. The H is cruel, they are both very abusive physically and she is also verbally abusive. She bites him until he bleeds, she kicks him, she slaps him in his face, it goes on and on. It was disturbing.
A lot happens, but this is not a romance. Read this if you want to read a shocker.
It’s real vintage. She’s been sold by her late stepfather to the rich, sexy, handsome H and she of course doesn’t agree. She is 19. He is 17 years older.
This is definitely not safe to read. The H is cruel, they are both very abusive physically and she is also verbally abusive. She bites him until he bleeds, she kicks him, she slaps him in his face, it goes on and on. It was disturbing.
A lot happens, but this is not a romance. Read this if you want to read a shocker.
August 19, 2018
Wow. So definitely don’t go into this expecting a lovely, angsty romance with a feel good happy ending here. For me this book was very depressing. When we read the “blackmailed into marriage” trope in HPland it’s completely unrealistic, as it’s supposed to be - I mean, this is fantasy. The woman almost always fights back, but not really and by the time the hero gets his way, he either totally regrets his methods or the heroine is completely on board and it’s not really the blackmail becomes moot. This feels far more realistic in the sense that neither of these scenarios plays out. The hero is unapologetic, even at the end (and he has A LOT to apologize for) and the heroine is perpetually resentful of this blackmail - she is a sexual slave and broodmare and she knows it - right up until the final chapter. So it is impossible for me to read this as anything but a woman becoming complacent in an emotionally abusive marriage with the hero reigning triumphant over her.
So the set up is that Samantha’s stepfather dies leaving behind a lot of debt. Her “friend” Sophie takes her on a “vacation” to Sydney, where she meets Alex Nicolaos, her “savior” from financial ruin. It seems that Samantha’s stepfather, in an attempt to pay off his debt, sold Samantha to the highest bidder. At least with Alex, dearest stepfather was able to negotiate for marriage instead of prostitution. When Samantha suggests that as a better alternative, Alex offers to fund her new business venture right then and there. So, without speaking to an attorney or more deeply weight the pros and cons of declaring bankruptcy, Samantha decides that if she must sell herself, at least she’ll be living in luxury. Sophie, this supposed friend of Samantha’s, who actually works for Alex, encourages Samantha to be realistic and look at what a good situation she’s found herself in. Sophie seems to honestly believe that a man who would buy an unwilling wife and force her into compliance is a “good situation” since he could have left her to the rapist masses that would otherwise have bought her sexual service. I guess that’s what counts for decent in this corner of HPland. And if this is what counts for friendship, Samantha is better off alone.
So Alex and Samantha marry posthaste so he can begin trying to conceive his son. It helps then that he’s been tracking her fertility cycles, arranging her gynecology appointments for the past months (without her knowledge and with the help of her “friend” Sophie) and learning all he can about her biology. In this he steps into the creepy, as well as asshole territories. He takes her to bed. By definition, their first few times are definitely rape, though more of the forced seduction variety. Alex is insistent and attempts to be seductive, Samantha fights back, claws away, bites, whatever...until she stops fighting and enjoys it. But afterwards of course she knows nothing but humiliation. So it’s a great start to their marriage. And in the meantime, Alex is sneering, scornful and ensures that Samantha knows she her place.
I wondered that Samantha didn’t find herself wishing for Alex’s death after he’d gotten shot. After all, it would have solved all her problems. She’d be free of this man controlling her, “giving her lessons” in her own sexuality/raping her and on top of that, she’d have inherited all his money, so she’d be debt free, able to continue her education and live the life she’d wanted. But apparently it only took her a week to become so dependent on him that she found herself despondent by the thought of his death. He’s quite the emotional manipulator. This version of emotional abuse is subtle, but all the signs are there. Samantha is isolated from all but the “approved” friends. She never interacts with anyone outside of his immediate family, the household servants, Sophie or the puppy he bought her. She’s constantly expecting retribution or some sort of punishment, be it verbal or sexual and she’s constantly gauging his moods for some hint of how to react. 20 pages from the end, from their HEA, this interaction, a kiss, pops up and is quite telling about their relationship...their future.
It was evocative, yet undemanding, and after the initial moment when she had instincitively withdrawn, she began to relax, aware that Alex was in an amenable mood -- this time.
It is also pretty telling that after the miscarriage, for which she feels a combination of relief (she didn’t really want the pregnancy in those terms) and guilt, her only desire is to GET AWAY from her husband. She manages two weeks of holiday under the stipulation that she takes “her friend” of course. And while she is away from her husband, she finds some former joy and cheerfulness, a lightening of the spirit. Go figure. It’s also at this point that she realizes she’s missing her husband and lusting for him, so she must love him. So she goes home and battles his sneering, scornfulness and risks humiliation to tell him of her love. Turns out though, he loves her too...though he doesn’t actually say the words “I love you.” He calls her “my love--my life” and that’s all she gets for finally subverting herself completely and giving herself over into his care. In no other way does he make himself vulnerable to her or show remorse for her torment. And without his POV, I am more likely to suspect that he is simply continuing his emotional manipulation by claiming to love her. And by doing so, she accepts her role as his possession and the expectations that she behave in a certain way. He gets to feel validated by her adoration rather than have her hatred. He has finally won what he wanted from her all along - a docile, compliant wife whose world revolves around HIM. I’m confident that he’ll get tired of her utter devotion and be sleeping with his secretary in no time.
So unfortunately, this didn’t even have the trainwreck angstiness that so often amuses me. This just depressed me. For all that Samantha was pretty feisty and had some good put downs and arguments throughout this story, by the end, she’s lost that spirit. I don’t get the impression that she’s a woman in love and over the moon about it. It may not seem obvious, but I get the impression of a woman who has been beaten down by life and has decided to just accept what she’s got. I get the impression of a woman who has no idea what to do with herself if her husband isn’t telling her exactly what she should be doing. A woman who has become so comfortable in her prison that the thought of leaving it is terrifying, so she’d rather remain a prisoner. Better the gilded cage she knows. Do yourself a favor and give this one a pass.
So the set up is that Samantha’s stepfather dies leaving behind a lot of debt. Her “friend” Sophie takes her on a “vacation” to Sydney, where she meets Alex Nicolaos, her “savior” from financial ruin. It seems that Samantha’s stepfather, in an attempt to pay off his debt, sold Samantha to the highest bidder. At least with Alex, dearest stepfather was able to negotiate for marriage instead of prostitution. When Samantha suggests that as a better alternative, Alex offers to fund her new business venture right then and there. So, without speaking to an attorney or more deeply weight the pros and cons of declaring bankruptcy, Samantha decides that if she must sell herself, at least she’ll be living in luxury. Sophie, this supposed friend of Samantha’s, who actually works for Alex, encourages Samantha to be realistic and look at what a good situation she’s found herself in. Sophie seems to honestly believe that a man who would buy an unwilling wife and force her into compliance is a “good situation” since he could have left her to the rapist masses that would otherwise have bought her sexual service. I guess that’s what counts for decent in this corner of HPland. And if this is what counts for friendship, Samantha is better off alone.
So Alex and Samantha marry posthaste so he can begin trying to conceive his son. It helps then that he’s been tracking her fertility cycles, arranging her gynecology appointments for the past months (without her knowledge and with the help of her “friend” Sophie) and learning all he can about her biology. In this he steps into the creepy, as well as asshole territories. He takes her to bed. By definition, their first few times are definitely rape, though more of the forced seduction variety. Alex is insistent and attempts to be seductive, Samantha fights back, claws away, bites, whatever...until she stops fighting and enjoys it. But afterwards of course she knows nothing but humiliation. So it’s a great start to their marriage. And in the meantime, Alex is sneering, scornful and ensures that Samantha knows she her place.
I wondered that Samantha didn’t find herself wishing for Alex’s death after he’d gotten shot. After all, it would have solved all her problems. She’d be free of this man controlling her, “giving her lessons” in her own sexuality/raping her and on top of that, she’d have inherited all his money, so she’d be debt free, able to continue her education and live the life she’d wanted. But apparently it only took her a week to become so dependent on him that she found herself despondent by the thought of his death. He’s quite the emotional manipulator. This version of emotional abuse is subtle, but all the signs are there. Samantha is isolated from all but the “approved” friends. She never interacts with anyone outside of his immediate family, the household servants, Sophie or the puppy he bought her. She’s constantly expecting retribution or some sort of punishment, be it verbal or sexual and she’s constantly gauging his moods for some hint of how to react. 20 pages from the end, from their HEA, this interaction, a kiss, pops up and is quite telling about their relationship...their future.
It was evocative, yet undemanding, and after the initial moment when she had instincitively withdrawn, she began to relax, aware that Alex was in an amenable mood -- this time.
It is also pretty telling that after the miscarriage, for which she feels a combination of relief (she didn’t really want the pregnancy in those terms) and guilt, her only desire is to GET AWAY from her husband. She manages two weeks of holiday under the stipulation that she takes “her friend” of course. And while she is away from her husband, she finds some former joy and cheerfulness, a lightening of the spirit. Go figure. It’s also at this point that she realizes she’s missing her husband and lusting for him, so she must love him. So she goes home and battles his sneering, scornfulness and risks humiliation to tell him of her love. Turns out though, he loves her too...though he doesn’t actually say the words “I love you.” He calls her “my love--my life” and that’s all she gets for finally subverting herself completely and giving herself over into his care. In no other way does he make himself vulnerable to her or show remorse for her torment. And without his POV, I am more likely to suspect that he is simply continuing his emotional manipulation by claiming to love her. And by doing so, she accepts her role as his possession and the expectations that she behave in a certain way. He gets to feel validated by her adoration rather than have her hatred. He has finally won what he wanted from her all along - a docile, compliant wife whose world revolves around HIM. I’m confident that he’ll get tired of her utter devotion and be sleeping with his secretary in no time.
So unfortunately, this didn’t even have the trainwreck angstiness that so often amuses me. This just depressed me. For all that Samantha was pretty feisty and had some good put downs and arguments throughout this story, by the end, she’s lost that spirit. I don’t get the impression that she’s a woman in love and over the moon about it. It may not seem obvious, but I get the impression of a woman who has been beaten down by life and has decided to just accept what she’s got. I get the impression of a woman who has no idea what to do with herself if her husband isn’t telling her exactly what she should be doing. A woman who has become so comfortable in her prison that the thought of leaving it is terrifying, so she’d rather remain a prisoner. Better the gilded cage she knows. Do yourself a favor and give this one a pass.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 3, 2023
Trying to look through a positive perspective, I think HB was trying to relay a message of practicality in marriage when the h doesn't seem to realize her "luck" in getting a very eligible bachelor. However I was very disturbed to realize that the heroine is really/actually forced to accept this man/H as her husband and there was nothing romantic about it because she is infact very unhappy. I couldn't blame the heroine for acting like a spoilt and repulsive child because she feels violated most of the time, nonetheless i could not like her either. Moreover, my initial impression of the hero was that of a predator eyeing the young heroine like she is a good piece of meat . H is a downright lecher trying to live a respectable life in my opinion and the wedding night was deplorable- i'm not a fan of violent love-making or brutal kisses that damage inner mouth tissue and cause blood in the mouth- at all! And of course the verbal exchanges between the leads are almost always difficult and ugly. Honestly, i couldn't find romance anywhere but lots of sex and a reconciled ending
February 17, 2021
"It isn't your virginity I want," he dismissed with cruel inflexibility. "Your youthful body in my bed to use whenever I feel the need, to receive my seed and bear my children-sons, if the good gods are willing."
Be warned, "Dark Tyrant" reads like a contemporary bodice-ripper. At 16, the heroine was unknowingly sold to the much older hero. He has paid for her entire existence for three years (clothing, housing, education, etc.) and is now ready to collect her for marriage. Hero has manipulated the heroine into an isolated situation, and while she puts up some fight, in the end she doesn't have much choice but to submit to his plans.
1 star romance, but 4 star bodice-ripper.
Be warned, "Dark Tyrant" reads like a contemporary bodice-ripper. At 16, the heroine was unknowingly sold to the much older hero. He has paid for her entire existence for three years (clothing, housing, education, etc.) and is now ready to collect her for marriage. Hero has manipulated the heroine into an isolated situation, and while she puts up some fight, in the end she doesn't have much choice but to submit to his plans.
1 star romance, but 4 star bodice-ripper.
August 1, 2018
Soy amante de los clichés... ¿se nota? jaja amo los matrimonios por contrato donde al final triunfa el amor
April 16, 2021
Are you saying you own me?"
Samantha could hardly take it all in. How could her stepfather have fallen so deeply into debt that he'd bartered for more time with his only remaining asset--Samantha.
Yet had Alex Nicholas not purchased his old friend's contract before it hit the open market, Samantha would have been auctioned off to the highest bidder. Instead she was being forced to marry a man she would never even like,
Alex projected a raw virility that was almost electrifying. But he was not Samantha's free choice. And for that he would be made to pay
Samantha could hardly take it all in. How could her stepfather have fallen so deeply into debt that he'd bartered for more time with his only remaining asset--Samantha.
Yet had Alex Nicholas not purchased his old friend's contract before it hit the open market, Samantha would have been auctioned off to the highest bidder. Instead she was being forced to marry a man she would never even like,
Alex projected a raw virility that was almost electrifying. But he was not Samantha's free choice. And for that he would be made to pay
October 18, 2020
Sometimes I think the purpose of a Harlequin romance is to make you feel something. It doesn’t matter if it’s angst, anguish, anger or happiness. The story is not the important thing in the end. It’s great when you like the characters and the plot but that doesn’t always happen because there’s so much repetition and similarity between stories. If your emotions are stirred just a bit, the book is a success in its way.
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December 7, 2024“Tirano Sem Coração” é uma obra que coloca em cena a complexa e angustiante jornada emocional de Samanta, uma jovem que se vê imersa em uma situação desesperadora após a morte de seu padrasto, Dominique. A narrativa começa com Samanta lidando com a ansiedade e o peso das obrigações familiares, forçada a enfrentar a triste realidade financeira que seu padrasto deixou. A sua sensação de impotência se intensifica ao ser recebida por um advogado insensível, que apresenta as dívidas devastadoras que Dominique deixou. A partir dessa situação, Samanta se encontra em um dilema ético e emocional, sentindo-se como uma mercadoria, sacrificada em nome da resolução dos problemas do padrasto. A decisão de viajar para Sydney com sua amiga Sofia representa uma tentativa de fuga e autoconhecimento. No entanto, essa mudança de ambiente acaba por levar Samanta a Alex Nicolaus, um homem sedutor que promete abrir as portas de um mundo novo para ela, mas que, ao mesmo tempo, a pressiona a cumprir um compromisso financeiro em razão das dívidas de Dominique. A revelação de que está atrelada a uma promessa de casamento faz Samanta se sentir prisioneira, criando um efeito de possessividade em Alex que provoca dúvidas e conflitos profundos. O livro aborda temas como o patriarcado, a autonomia feminina, e as consequências do trato comercial das relações. Samanta constantemente se vê debatendo-se entre suas próprias ambições e a pressão que Alex exerce sobre ela, criando um clima de sedução e hostilidade que permeia suas interações. Cada compra que ela realiza para o casamento se tornava uma arena onde sua dignidade e vontade se confrontavam com as expectativas impostas por Alex. A ambiguidade de seus sentimentos – atração e aversão – reflete uma luta interna que muitas mulheres enfrentam ao tentarem se afirmar em meio às normas sociais. A relação entre Samanta e Alex evolui, passando por momentos intensos de conflito emocional, especialmente quando ela se sente forçada a aceitar um papel que não deseja. Esse jogo de poder é uma referência clara aos impactos do casamento por conveniência, onde Samanta busca entender sua identidade em meio à opressão que Alex representa. As reviravoltas da trama levam a confrontos significativos, mostrando como a luta interna de Samanta não é apenas contra Alex, mas também contra o que ele simboliza em termos de controle e opressão. Após um momento traumático em que Alex é atingido por tiros, Samanta é confrontada com um novo sentimento por ele: a afeição, que parece contradizer sua raiva e resistência. O cenário do hospital e a fragilidade de Alex colocam em jogo a vulnerabilidade de ambos e revelam os sentimentos conflitantes que predominam em sua relação. A presença dele, mesmo em estado fragilizado, ainda exerce um poder sobre Samanta, intensificando sua confusão emocional. O círculo de ciúmes e inseguranças que se forma implica uma crítica ao mundo em que o amor, ao mesmo tempo em que é libertador, também pode se tornar fonte de dor e aprisionamento. O jogo sutil entre amor e posse é um tema recorrente, especialmente quando Samanta tenta entender o que realmente significa estar ao lado de alguém que a faz sentir-se assim. A luta interna de Samanta é pontuada por momentos de revolta e a necessidade de reafirmar sua autonomia. Mesmo nas interações cotidianas com Alex, a tensão entre a paixão e a hostilidade gera um ambiente de intensidade emocional. Ela começa a questionar os desejos que a cercam, contemplando o significado por trás do casamento que se aproxima. Essa autorreflexão se intensifica após a perda do bebê que esperavam, que a força a encarar seus próprios medos e a fragilidade de suas esperanças. Neste caminho de sofrimento e questionamento, Samanta se sente uma marionete nas mãos de Alex, fazendo dela uma figura que luta por sua identidade perdida em meio ao caos. A luta interna dela ressoa com o desejo de diversos leitores que já sentiram a pressão da sociedade em relação às suas escolhas. No clímax da narrativa, onde discussões acaloradas trazem à tona sentimentos reprimidos, Samanta se dá conta de que a relação que construíram é insustentável, e que precisa confrontar Alex sobre o que sente. Essa decisão não é meramente uma manifestação de força, mas também de vulnerabilidade, mais uma camada que Bianchin habilmente explora ao elaborar os complexos matizes emocionais de seus personagens. “Tirano Sem Coração” é uma obra que destaca não apenas a luta de uma mulher contra a opressão, mas também a complexidade dos relacionamentos humanos e a autodescoberta. Através de Samanta, os leitores são convidados a refletir sobre o poder que as relações amorosas podem exercer e a importância de reivindicar a autonomia pessoal. A narrativa de Bianchin é envolvente e poderosa, tocando em questões que vão além das páginas do livro, e incentivando reflexões sobre escolhas, amor e a busca pela própria identidade em meio às expectativas de um mundo que muitas vezes não é inócuo. Este é um livro que provoca emoções e reflexões duradouras, fazendo valer a pena cada página lida.
October 22, 2024
Well, it had its good points, but it sure started out a bit unsettling, with the 19-year-old h being set up by a family friend/mother figure to fulfill a bargain her late stepfather made with the H, a wealthy alpha who agreed to save step pop's business in exchange for his daughter! He was being kind, it seems, because she was apparently going to be offered to the highest bidder, whoever that may have been, and not necessarily for marriage, which is what the H offers, since he wants a son and heir. Love, or any emotions at all beyond lust, are not necessary.
This sounds more like something from the 19thc or a Middle Eastern country! The whole thing's pretty ridiculous, and so was the scene where the h (understandably) rebels against the situation she's being coerced into but takes it too far when the H tells her that she'll have no money, no home, and no means to pay her college tuition, she smart mouths that she'll take up the world's oldest profession. She should have known better, as the H proceeds to demonstrate what that might entail, and things get a bit rough. The whole scene gives you a "YECK!" taste in your mouth.
So does another scene, where the h decides to rebuff the H's advances by biting him and he pulls her hair, then when she later bites him again, he reciprocates! All the while, of course, she's telling him how much she hates him, and he's telling her he doesn't care, as he just wants a trophy wife who'll soon have a baby in her womb!
Such a romantic honeymoon!
You would think, considering her young age, that the H would have given her time to adjust and get to know him, maybe tried being friendly, dated her for a while (rather than just a quick sightseeing tour) and then gotten married, instead of rushing things. I guess it never occurred to him???
Soon (thank you God), we get past that hostile biting nonsense and the two of them seem to have a sort of armed truce going, and then his being in the hospital after being shot (that whole incident wasn't given enough attention) awakened her to her real feelings for him, but this gets sidelined by him being jealous of his younger brother, and her being jealous of both his secretary and one of his former girlfriends.
For some reason, the author decides to have her get pregnant, only to lose the baby. It didn't make sense, because while this led to her taking a trip back to her old neighborhood to visit friends and discover how much she missed and loved the H, that could have been done without the miscarriage as an incentive for her to need time away. The whole thing just seemed cruel.
There were two scenes, one toward the beginning of the book and one near the end, that show how feelings can change your perspective. At first, when she was in snark mode over the impending marriage, she told him she didn't like the idea of marrying someone who was old enough to be her father (at 37 to her almost 20, that was possible). Later, when they've declared their love, he admits the age difference concerns him a bit, and she declares she doesn't think that matters at all! Is love blind, or does it make you see things more clearly?
It's not the best by far, but I've read worse. It's one of those books you can take or leave.
This sounds more like something from the 19thc or a Middle Eastern country! The whole thing's pretty ridiculous, and so was the scene where the h (understandably) rebels against the situation she's being coerced into but takes it too far when the H tells her that she'll have no money, no home, and no means to pay her college tuition, she smart mouths that she'll take up the world's oldest profession. She should have known better, as the H proceeds to demonstrate what that might entail, and things get a bit rough. The whole scene gives you a "YECK!" taste in your mouth.
So does another scene, where the h decides to rebuff the H's advances by biting him and he pulls her hair, then when she later bites him again, he reciprocates! All the while, of course, she's telling him how much she hates him, and he's telling her he doesn't care, as he just wants a trophy wife who'll soon have a baby in her womb!
Such a romantic honeymoon!
You would think, considering her young age, that the H would have given her time to adjust and get to know him, maybe tried being friendly, dated her for a while (rather than just a quick sightseeing tour) and then gotten married, instead of rushing things. I guess it never occurred to him???
Soon (thank you God), we get past that hostile biting nonsense and the two of them seem to have a sort of armed truce going, and then his being in the hospital after being shot (that whole incident wasn't given enough attention) awakened her to her real feelings for him, but this gets sidelined by him being jealous of his younger brother, and her being jealous of both his secretary and one of his former girlfriends.
For some reason, the author decides to have her get pregnant, only to lose the baby. It didn't make sense, because while this led to her taking a trip back to her old neighborhood to visit friends and discover how much she missed and loved the H, that could have been done without the miscarriage as an incentive for her to need time away. The whole thing just seemed cruel.
There were two scenes, one toward the beginning of the book and one near the end, that show how feelings can change your perspective. At first, when she was in snark mode over the impending marriage, she told him she didn't like the idea of marrying someone who was old enough to be her father (at 37 to her almost 20, that was possible). Later, when they've declared their love, he admits the age difference concerns him a bit, and she declares she doesn't think that matters at all! Is love blind, or does it make you see things more clearly?
It's not the best by far, but I've read worse. It's one of those books you can take or leave.
October 10, 2025
La verdad es que no me ha gustado NADA el libro, yo sé perfectamente que en los harlequines suelen hacer a las mujeres inseguras, y que dicen una cosa pero piensan otras ya y tal, pero en este libro fue un total exceso.
Es decir, me estás diciendo que según se enamoraron después de que todo el libro se la pasó diciendo te odio, y enojándose nomás por verlo, me pregunto, en qué momento surgió el amor, cuando (y dicho por sus propias palabras), te violó?, cuando te obligo a besarlo, etc, es decir se los juro que las últimas dos páginas fue de “romance” el resto, según lo que narra nuestra protagonista es básicamente asco hacia su marido, y entonces pienso, ¿como eso de un segundo a otro se convirtió en amor?
Terrible, se los juro.
Normalmente en los harlequines, vemos un poco de estos dramas causados por las inseguridades y malentendidos, pero en buena parte del libro vemos momentos de unión, de romance, que puedes alcanzar a percibirse bien en la lectura que se están enamorando, en esta en ningún momento sientes eso, y nomás de un segundo a otro ella dice : si hubiera venido a verme me le hubiera echado a los brazos, pero cuando la recibe en la entrada de su casa, le dice que anduvo de fiesta y casi casi que ni se acordó de él.
Ay no me cayó muy mal la protagonista, y pues el otro tampoco es que fuera muy de mi agrado pero tal vez no le agarre tanto odio, porque no leía sus pensamientos todos tantos sin sentido.
En fin, no lo recomiendo.
Es decir, me estás diciendo que según se enamoraron después de que todo el libro se la pasó diciendo te odio, y enojándose nomás por verlo, me pregunto, en qué momento surgió el amor, cuando (y dicho por sus propias palabras), te violó?, cuando te obligo a besarlo, etc, es decir se los juro que las últimas dos páginas fue de “romance” el resto, según lo que narra nuestra protagonista es básicamente asco hacia su marido, y entonces pienso, ¿como eso de un segundo a otro se convirtió en amor?
Terrible, se los juro.
Normalmente en los harlequines, vemos un poco de estos dramas causados por las inseguridades y malentendidos, pero en buena parte del libro vemos momentos de unión, de romance, que puedes alcanzar a percibirse bien en la lectura que se están enamorando, en esta en ningún momento sientes eso, y nomás de un segundo a otro ella dice : si hubiera venido a verme me le hubiera echado a los brazos, pero cuando la recibe en la entrada de su casa, le dice que anduvo de fiesta y casi casi que ni se acordó de él.
Ay no me cayó muy mal la protagonista, y pues el otro tampoco es que fuera muy de mi agrado pero tal vez no le agarre tanto odio, porque no leía sus pensamientos todos tantos sin sentido.
En fin, no lo recomiendo.
April 27, 2024
Just gross. I wanted to rewrite the book where she gets a lady lawyer who points out that this guy has no legal standing whatsoever, neither do any of the illegal loan shark people. Then the lady lawyer, who is a young widow with kids, hires her as a nanny while helping her to go to school part time. The H falls passionately in love with the not at all glamorous lady lawyer, who tells him right where to put it. Her saint of a dead husband would not have wiped his shoes on icky H. After much lifestyle and personality makeover, as well as endless grovelling by the H, LL agrees to be his wife. Someone please write that book.
November 18, 2018
Bueno para pasar el rato c:
January 16, 2020
Al mejor postor
January 13, 2020
1 estrella porque no puedo poner menos
"Deberías agradecer que no te doy la paliza que mereces"
"Dejaras los estudios cuando te cases conmigo"
*le agarra bruscamente el rostro y le hace daño porque CENÓ con el hermano*
*Ella no está de acuerdo con tener relaciones pero el la obliga a hacerlo lo que claramente es una violacion *
Es solo una de tantas estupideces que tiene este "libro"
No perderé el tiempo escribiendo sobre lo malo que es y no recomiendo EN LO ABSOLUTO.
"Deberías agradecer que no te doy la paliza que mereces"
"Dejaras los estudios cuando te cases conmigo"
*le agarra bruscamente el rostro y le hace daño porque CENÓ con el hermano*
*Ella no está de acuerdo con tener relaciones pero el la obliga a hacerlo lo que claramente es una violacion *
Es solo una de tantas estupideces que tiene este "libro"
No perderé el tiempo escribiendo sobre lo malo que es y no recomiendo EN LO ABSOLUTO.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 30, 2013
Decently written novel but not one of the best I've read by Helen. The hero was kind of a self serving asshole most of the time, thinking he was holier than.
October 6, 2014
5 estrellas. Me encantan las historias que empiezan asi .... por obligación.
March 19, 2016
Fácil lectura pero ambos se complican tanto la vida, pero en fin
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February 25, 2017Intense. Loved every moment of it.
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