Lara: Book One Of The World Of Hetar
By Bertrice Small

For Lara, the half-faerie daughter of John Swiftsword, her beauty is a blessing and curse. To raise money for her father, she agrees to be sold to a Pleasure House, but it turns out that no one, either because they fear her faerie heritage or her unnatural beauty, is willing to bid on her. Instead, Lara is put on a trading caravan heading to the coastal kingdoms of Hetar. First sold to the Forest Lords, who sexually abuse her, Lara escapes to the Desert Kingdom, where a Shadow Prince introduces her to the arts of seduction and desire. When Lara finally reaches the Outlands and meets one of its leaders, Lord Vartan, she discovers her true destiny.

Small begins a new fantasy romance that does have a few of her signature elements - including a heroine whose sexual experiences involve other men beside the hero. It was a fairly simple fantasy novel - not too many main characters and it lacked detail. The world that Small draws is interesting, but there is not enough information or depth. And her euphamisms for private body parts is blah! I don't know whether or not I'll read the next one. It really is a bodice-ripper in disguise.