Brett.

To me, there were things I disagreed with as the novel pulled to a close. The novel ended with Brett and Jacob being "together", but not really. I especially did not like how that would be the closest to which Brett and Jacob would get. 

There is much evidence that Jacob enjoys life more when he is away from Brett, minding other things, while when around Brett, Jacob readily drinks to his content. The fact that Jacob realizes that he is being strung along by Brett may prove his loyalty or may just be the fact that people want what they cannot get. Either way, evidence shows that Jacob is happier away from Brett (such as when he goes fishing). Brett may have an excuse for distancing herself from men when the relationship grows too strong, but to use her history (the abuse by Lord Ashley) as an excuse for such actions is not justified in the least, which is why I do not like how she always expects Jacob to be at her side when she is in need. I say her excuse is not justified because to be set on this path of constant swinging and stringing along different men is not reasonable. Sure, for a while, she may feel the need to distance herself in her (many) relationships, but to continue this trend based on one experience is not plausible because humans are adaptable. 

For Brett to be pulling Jacob into everything she does and be so passive about it just unnerves me. If I were to end the novel, I would have preferred closure: an ending in which Jacob and Brett establish larger boundaries because obviously, Jacob is incapable of being Brett's lover, so it would only be fair to Jacob that he not have to be her emotional support.