I can't believe this book was written two decades ago. It might as well have been written last year. That's how "current" this book is. I don't mean in terms of glaring pop references (though Madonna is mentioned! Good pick! She's still around), but the smut, the empowerment of the female lead...it's progressive literature. Especially considering this was written mid-90's. If you want to see a girl in dire circumstances, turn her life around, and become empowered...then this is the book for you. And I could easily relate to Faith - about wanting to go back to your hometown where everyone looked down at you, and wanting to prove yourself. Despite how successful some people get, I think there's that inner longing of wanting approval like a little kid, in all of us... 
 And Gray! He's a bit rough, and at times he grips Faith hard enough to leave a bruise (that isn't romantic), but I just took it with a pinch of salt. In other regards, he was a sizzling lead.