Desire Has No Mercy

• Author: Violet Winspear
• Publisher: Harlequin Presents #300
• Year: 1979
• Setting:
• Amazon Listing: Desire Has No Mercy - out of print

Reader Comments

Desire Has No Mercy is a luridly titled work of some distinction. Daughter of wealth and privilege Julia comes to a casino to beg the owner to allow her sister's gambling debts to be destroyed. Julia's sister is engaged to a prominent man who will break the engagement if he learns of her debts.

Julia comes face to the face with the hard bitten but dynamic casino owner, Rome De Mario. He is handsome, powerful and charismatic, but mocks her while recalling their tortured past. Rome was a poor son of a maid for Julia's family and they share memories of lonely childhood spent gazing across the divide. Julia is humilated yet her family pride makes her demand the IOU's from Rome. He barters sex with Julia for the debts, and she angrily agrees, scornfully submitting to Rome's sexual advance.

Julia comes in contact with Rome again months later. The cool and poised Miss Van Holden is pregnant, and threatens to abort the child. Rome persuades her to marry him instead and quickly takes her away to his homeland fortress, Campania,Italy. Rome's interest in having a child contrasts with Julia's disgust at the situation. Rome attempts to make the best of things but Julia scorns him again and again as the child grows. Both are trapped by pride and desire.

Julia lashes out at Rome once too often, accusing Rome of deliberately allowed the sister to run up the debts to gain contact with Julia, whom he wanted to humilate to gain revenge on the Van Holdens. 

Just as her feelings waver he leaves, and they re-unite in a touching affirmation of love as the baby is born. Julia and Rome can finally belong to each other, as their childhood eyes promised.