The Auction

Kincaid (the London Ruthless series) titillates in this rocky erotic romance. Vigilante billionaire Lincoln Knight, 42, has spent 18 years picking off members of the Brotherhood, the criminal syndicate that killed his sister, and rescuing the women they sell at auction. Twenty-one-year-old Imogen DeMotta is one such woman, the orphaned daughter of a notorious traitor to the Brotherhood. Motivated by a mysterious connection to her family, Lincoln bids on Imogen, unwilling to let her fall into crueler hands before he can save her. He whisks her to his mansion, essentially imprisoning her in a gilded cage. Kincaid doesn’t shy away from the power imbalance and consent issues inherent in the premise, but nor does she dig into them enough to be truly satisfying. Imogen comes to trust and lust after Lincoln somewhat too easily, while Lincoln’s struggle to resist their connection grows repetitive. Imogen is so sheltered and naive as to verge into the “born sexy yesterday” trope: she knows nothing of culture or technology; she’s confused by the definitions of feminism and rape; Lincoln even has to show her how to insert a tampon. Meanwhile, the reveal of Lincoln’s link to her past doesn’t land as a twist because of the choppy way his backstory is meted out. The cliffhanger ending is a somewhat more successful shock—and there’s plenty of spice and angst leading up to it. This is best suited for dark romance diehards. (Apr.)