Page-turner. 
 And what's utterly messed up? It's depraved in every way imaginable. 
 It follows the story of 18-yo schoolgirl Lacey, who is prostituting herself to keep her family afloat, paying off their bills and debt, and also saving up for future college tuition. Her reasoning? It makes loads of money, rather than working a minimum wage job and she doesn't want to be indebted to the government by taking out a student loan. It was the most silliest reason I'd ever heard of -and normally I'd throw the book at her - but I sensed a darkness within her, which is explained later. That's what kept me reading. Lacey has a drug addict mother who performs "tricks" for highs and an awful brother called Dante, whom couldn't care less about her as a human being except seeing her as a cash cow through her prostituting. Throughout the novel, Lacey feels the urge to "mother" them and be overtly protective, which to a well-balanced outsider doesn't make sense at all, because they clearly give shit about her. Why was she protecting their horrible asses so much? She's an intelligent girl, that's hoping to get into medical school, yet she values herself so cheaply... 
 And essentially she is a character with non-existent self esteem and I cried for her terribly. 
 Knox is the darkest lead I've read to date. He's a psychopath. He abuses Lacey (in exchange for Dante's life), but I didn't blame Lacey for any of her reactions - she alternated by hating him, and drowning in her arousal whenever he debased her. Believe it or not, some people are turned on by their degradation. She is aroused by being degraded and defiled and desires it even. 
 However, the clear point I'd like to make is the abuse isn't 
 romanticized 
 . 
 You see it for what it is - brutality. You see Lacey sobbing and hating him, but you also see her getting aroused. You see the complexity of her burdens. She wants him/desires him but it's all about how she views herself - and as a reader you are more understanding and not hating every character in the story, except maybe the mum and Dante, and all her lame schoolmates. 
 But Knox... 
 Man he is a dark lead. 
 I don't see him the lead of a romance novel. 
 What they have between them is not romance and doesn't pretend to be (again, that pisses me off so much in other novels), but an ugly representation of their need for each other and man...it's hard to take in, but mindbogglingly compelling. It leaves on a tremendous cliffhanger, which I will definitely read. 
 It's not for the faint-hearted. You are warned.