"Untouchable" by Sam Mariano
I read Sam Mariano's dark romance novel Untouchable a week ago and it was so amazing that I re-read it again yesterday to better understand it and enjoy it again.
This novel starts with Zoey Ellis, a poor and unpopular - but pretty - high school senior in a small Texas town that treats football like religion, being cornered in an otherwise empty classroom by three football players. One of them is a guy she reported to the authorities after he once grabbed her and groped her breasts. The other two are another player who seems eager for opportunistic rape, and the team captain, Carter Mahoney, who is not only worshiped by the town for his football prowess, but who is also the son of a wealthy and powerful family. The guy she reported was suspended from the team and they're trying to intimidate her into recanting her accusation so his punishment will be revoked.
They start with verbal, then physical intimidation, and then they strip off her top and bra and leer at her breasts and grope them. Rather than becoming hysterical, Zoey stays calm and makes rational arguments. Initially she refuses to recant her accusation and argues why it's actually good for the harasser to learn now, in high school when the consequences are low, why he has confirm to social standards.But eventually she's afraid enough that she agrees to tell the authorities she was mistaken.
Then Carter takes control of everyone in that classroom. He threatens Zoey with gangrape and even murder and then verbally manipulates both her and his teammate into believing that if Zoey "admits" she likes her harasser then it'll all stop. However, Zoe can't bring herself to lie, telling herself that even if it saved her in this moment, she'd have to deal with the consequences in the future. And her harasser, who doesn't have the stomach for real violence or rape but who's upset she rejected him, lets go of her and tells his team captain he can do whatever he wants with her.
The third football player is eager to rape Zoey, but Carter orders him to watch the door. Carter then terrorizes Zoey into sucking his dick to avoid a worse fate. After he comes, the football players all leave and she breaks down crying.
She stays home from school the next day, fending illness, not wanting to have to face them. But that evening Carter shows up at her house with soup and with supposed notes from their shared history class. Her mother is thrilled that *the* Cater Mahoney is interested in her daughter and welcomes him into their home.
Zoey is stunned that Carter wants to date her and the supposed history notes turn out to be a X-rated love letter, though he never he knew she existed before yesterday.
Over the next 400 pages, the author convinced me that Carter and Zoey are perfect for each other. They're only eighteen years old, and yet I'm convinced they'll stay together happily for the rest of their lives. They're both intelligent and self-aware enough to realize the odds of them connecting were slim and odds of them connecting with anyone else is much slimmer. Carter knows he's lucky to have found a beautiful, intelligent girl who not only forgives his initial sexual assault of her, but enjoys the rape-play sex they have together. Zoey loves being with a handsome, intelligent guy who makes her the center of his world and whose family's wealth and power is ultimately wielded for her benefit.
This is an exceptional romance. Zoey and Carter are not only physically attracted to each other but they're also intellectually intrigued by each other. They share witty banter and serious discussions even more than they share great sex. Even their faults compliment each other; Carter is psychotically jealous of anyone else he thinks she may be interested in and Zoey is consumed by the possibility of him cheating on her. They are perfect for each other and they know it.
I love the self-awareness of both the author and the characters. The initial sexual assault is not erased as the relationship develops. The characters never try to pretend it was not sexual assault. Carter never tries to deny it, and in fact he blackmails his father into paying Zoey's college tuition and convinces him they need to 'keep Zoey happy' so she doesn't tell anyone and cause a media scandal. And Zoey never stops trying to understand Carter or herself, no matter how many orgasms she gets out of their subsequent encounters. The epilogue ends with her as a psychiatry student - hoping to understand and treat abnormal people - and still blissfully together with Carter.
I read this novel twice online and I ordered a hard copy because I know I'll want to read it again.
Updated to add:
I just started reading this novel for the third time. It’s just so good. Yes, it’s dark. Yes, it’s non-con leads to romance. But the characterization is so good and the main characters and their interactions are so well-written that it works. I could write essays about this novel.
I love how the novel opens with Carter addressing Zoey as “princess” in a derogatory tone and uttering the following: “Oh, Zoey,” he begins, reaching out and touching my face. […] “If you’re looking for Prince Charming and I’m your best shot, you’re in a truly dire situation.” In that moment he’s a monster and she’s his prey.
And then he realizes he’s intrigued by Zoey and he likes her, and he begins to treat her like a princess and ultimately does become her Prince Charming and gives her a modern fairytale life.
Fairytales were dark as fuck before they became Disney-ified. I think this novel is reminiscent of a fairytale.
This novel starts with Zoey Ellis, a poor and unpopular - but pretty - high school senior in a small Texas town that treats football like religion, being cornered in an otherwise empty classroom by three football players. One of them is a guy she reported to the authorities after he once grabbed her and groped her breasts. The other two are another player who seems eager for opportunistic rape, and the team captain, Carter Mahoney, who is not only worshiped by the town for his football prowess, but who is also the son of a wealthy and powerful family. The guy she reported was suspended from the team and they're trying to intimidate her into recanting her accusation so his punishment will be revoked.
They start with verbal, then physical intimidation, and then they strip off her top and bra and leer at her breasts and grope them. Rather than becoming hysterical, Zoey stays calm and makes rational arguments. Initially she refuses to recant her accusation and argues why it's actually good for the harasser to learn now, in high school when the consequences are low, why he has confirm to social standards.But eventually she's afraid enough that she agrees to tell the authorities she was mistaken.
Then Carter takes control of everyone in that classroom. He threatens Zoey with gangrape and even murder and then verbally manipulates both her and his teammate into believing that if Zoey "admits" she likes her harasser then it'll all stop. However, Zoe can't bring herself to lie, telling herself that even if it saved her in this moment, she'd have to deal with the consequences in the future. And her harasser, who doesn't have the stomach for real violence or rape but who's upset she rejected him, lets go of her and tells his team captain he can do whatever he wants with her.
The third football player is eager to rape Zoey, but Carter orders him to watch the door. Carter then terrorizes Zoey into sucking his dick to avoid a worse fate. After he comes, the football players all leave and she breaks down crying.
She stays home from school the next day, fending illness, not wanting to have to face them. But that evening Carter shows up at her house with soup and with supposed notes from their shared history class. Her mother is thrilled that *the* Cater Mahoney is interested in her daughter and welcomes him into their home.
Zoey is stunned that Carter wants to date her and the supposed history notes turn out to be a X-rated love letter, though he never he knew she existed before yesterday.
Over the next 400 pages, the author convinced me that Carter and Zoey are perfect for each other. They're only eighteen years old, and yet I'm convinced they'll stay together happily for the rest of their lives. They're both intelligent and self-aware enough to realize the odds of them connecting were slim and odds of them connecting with anyone else is much slimmer. Carter knows he's lucky to have found a beautiful, intelligent girl who not only forgives his initial sexual assault of her, but enjoys the rape-play sex they have together. Zoey loves being with a handsome, intelligent guy who makes her the center of his world and whose family's wealth and power is ultimately wielded for her benefit.
This is an exceptional romance. Zoey and Carter are not only physically attracted to each other but they're also intellectually intrigued by each other. They share witty banter and serious discussions even more than they share great sex. Even their faults compliment each other; Carter is psychotically jealous of anyone else he thinks she may be interested in and Zoey is consumed by the possibility of him cheating on her. They are perfect for each other and they know it.
I love the self-awareness of both the author and the characters. The initial sexual assault is not erased as the relationship develops. The characters never try to pretend it was not sexual assault. Carter never tries to deny it, and in fact he blackmails his father into paying Zoey's college tuition and convinces him they need to 'keep Zoey happy' so she doesn't tell anyone and cause a media scandal. And Zoey never stops trying to understand Carter or herself, no matter how many orgasms she gets out of their subsequent encounters. The epilogue ends with her as a psychiatry student - hoping to understand and treat abnormal people - and still blissfully together with Carter.
I read this novel twice online and I ordered a hard copy because I know I'll want to read it again.
Updated to add:
I just started reading this novel for the third time. It’s just so good. Yes, it’s dark. Yes, it’s non-con leads to romance. But the characterization is so good and the main characters and their interactions are so well-written that it works. I could write essays about this novel.
I love how the novel opens with Carter addressing Zoey as “princess” in a derogatory tone and uttering the following: “Oh, Zoey,” he begins, reaching out and touching my face. […] “If you’re looking for Prince Charming and I’m your best shot, you’re in a truly dire situation.” In that moment he’s a monster and she’s his prey.
And then he realizes he’s intrigued by Zoey and he likes her, and he begins to treat her like a princess and ultimately does become her Prince Charming and gives her a modern fairytale life.
Fairytales were dark as fuck before they became Disney-ified. I think this novel is reminiscent of a fairytale.