OMG this is such a compelling story!. I preferred this to Caine's Reckoning, largely because of the heroine, who is spunky, arrogant, and likeable, but the plot was also very creative: a woman prized for her virginity by an evil outlaw desperately tries to lose it to spite him. Unfortunately, but really fortunately, Sam is more honorable than his reputation allows, and also has no intention of letting said evil outlaw get his thieving little paws on her. Great stuff. However, I think what I enjoyed most was how beautifully written this story was. There were hints of it in Caine's Reckoning, but the way the story evolves, how the pace of the story continually picks up, faster and faster without you even realizing it, and how the lush prose just pulls you right in, had me reading so fast I hardly blinked! I have to say that the author is particularly good at writing the steam scenes, which were so hot I thought my kindle was starting to smoke between my trembling fingers. Sigh.