I’m almost embarrassed to admit liking this book. Our heroine, Joanna, along with her card shark con man father, is on the South Coast of France when Vassos brings his yacht in harbor. Joanna and Vassos see each other across the harbor and are immensely attracted.
Sadly for her, Joanna’s dad likes her to help him out by acting all seductive in skimpy dresses when he plays cards and although she doesn’t like acting like a vamp she goes along with him. Unfortunately the last person she helped con was Vassos’ nephew who lost his fiancé and job because he lost so much at cards. Now Vassos is here for revenge.
The Highest Stakes of All is not your typical strong-alpha-obnoxious-domineering-male meets sweet-virginal-girl story although both characters fit those molds. However Joanna is a bit of a gambler herself since she NEVER – repeat NEVER NEVER NEVER – says ANYTHING when her dad (posing as her “uncle”) stakes her on his last hand with Vassos. Anyone who would sit there and watch without screaming her objections in this situation is herself a gambler, wouldn’t you say?
Things progress as we expect. Vassos has his minions take Joanna to his private Greek island (just how many Greek gazillionaires are there and how many private islands are there?) where she is to wait his pleasure. Of course Joanna is a virgin and has a very painful time when Vassos semi-rapes her (i.e., Joanna doesn’t fight him but she isn’t willing either).
The twist that makes The Highest Stakes of All work is that Vassos has a young daughter, probably four, who lives on the island in a separate house with her dead mother’s former maid as nanny. Vassos doesn’t believe she is his daughter and so rejects her (huh??) and does not allow Joanna or anyone else to go there, since after all he provides food and shelter and that’s enough for this unwanted child. Joanna ignores his edict and spends time with his little girl.
Eventually Joanna brings father and daughter together whereupon Vassos realizes he has behaved criminally and summons Joanna’s father to come get her. Dad comes with his new money-grasping wife who informs Vassos he owes and owes a LOT and tells Joanna not to worry because she can surely find a husband at the country club back in America, and if she is pregnant, well, that’s easily solved. This scene makes the book.
Here’s why this whole nonsense works for me:
- Joanna has a lot of character and isn’t willing to go along with Vassos even after she comes to love him.
- Vassos isn’t completely a jerk. He treats Joanna with great care and consideration, if you ignore the basic situation. He tracks down his nephew and forces him to admit the truth, that Joanna did not do anything beyond flirt and cajole.
- The interplay among the characters develops along with considerable emotion.
- The little girl adds rationality to the story and imbues Vassos’ complete turnaround.
- The side characters, especially dear old Dad and nasty wife, are great and add considerably.
- There are some almost-funny scenes, especially with new step-mom.
Here’s what sticks in my throat and won’t allow me to give this more than three stars:
- Rape is ugly.
- How do you fall in love with someone who forces you to sleep with them? Who cares how kind and gentle or good looking or engaging he is?
- Joanna was semi-complicit in the whole let’s-dupe-the-rubes con.
- Joanna never said NO WAY when dear old dad put her up as a stake
But the biggest negative is that as soon as Vassos abducts her, he tells Joanna that he will sell her on to someone else and make a hefty profit from her. Folks, that’s human trafficking, sex slavery and it’s obscene. Probably Vassos doesn’t mean it, but he said it and Joanna believed it.
So let’s go with 3 stars. I’d say 5 for the sheer fun, but subtract 1 for rape and 1 for sex slavery.
I borrowed the paperback from our state library lending system. Amazon has the comic book version of The Highest Stakes of All and the omnibus His Delicious Revenge which includes this novel and the standalone paperback is available on Thriftbooks. All Amazon links are paid ads.
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