Cedric loves me, I know he does. He loves me.

This is the mantra that keeps Chloe alive, that helps her forget Cedric's increasingly cruel behavior. Never mind the insults and screams, never mind the bruises and unsettling sexual demands. Because when he takes her in his arms, she is close to understanding love, sure she will never again feel abandoned. So she gives up saying "no," because only "yes" will grant her respite, and a taste of the love she yearns for. But when Cedric's verbal abuse, contempt and emotional instability become as painful as his physical abuse, she has to face the question: capitulate completely or survive?

This Is Bullshit, Not a Love Story follows the highly-ritualized acts of a Spanish bullfight to depict the downward spiral of Chloe's life, a juxtaposition that draws the reader into the darker side of human nature. An emotional thriller, this page-turning debut novel by Nicole Kranz is a gripping portrait of a narcissistic pervert and his victim.