Captive in The Dark by CJ Roberts

Synopsis: Caleb is a man with a singular interest in revenge. Kidnapped as a young boy and sold into slavery by a power-hungry mobster, he has thought of nothing but vengeance. For twelve years he has immersed himself in the world of pleasure slaves searching for the one man he holds ultimately responsible. Finally, the architect of his suffering has emerged with a new identity, but not a new nature. If Caleb is to get close enough to strike, he must become the very thing he abhors and kidnap a beautiful girl to train her to be all that he once was.

Eighteen-year-old Olivia Ruiz has just woken up in a strange place. Blindfolded and bound, there is only a calm male voice to welcome her. His name is Caleb, though he demands to be called Master. Olivia is young, beautiful, naïve and willful to a fault. She has a dark sensuality that cannot be hidden or denied, though she tries to accomplish both. Although she is frightened by the strong, sadistic, and arrogant man who holds her prisoner, what keeps Olivia awake in the dark is her unwelcome attraction to him.

WARNING: This book contains very disturbing situations, dubious consent, strong language, and graphic violence.

Date Published: July 20, 2011

Publisher: Self-published.

Series: The Dark Duet

No. of Pages: 267 pages

Date Read: June 2014

REVIEW:

Let me gather my thoughts first, I seem to have lost it somewhere in the book. I had to pause for a while to come back to my senses.

Okay. (Inhale, exhale)

That was a tough one! I don’t really know what exactly to feel. Should I feel enraged? Should I feel depressed? Should I feel happy?. It was all jacked up emotions plummeting inside me, and I kind of hate it and love it at the same time. This book cut me open letting me bleed with too much raw emotions I can barely handle. It feels like there is this heavy load placed in my chest that I just couldn’t get off me no matter how I want to. But one thing I am very certain of, this book is too heavy to bear. I had to catch my breath every single chapter, I gasped, my heart went into erratic beating, I was at the edge of my seat and at some parts I was speechless and dumbfounded. I was like Livvie who was too confused. And I swear, I have never felt such kind of roller coaster of emotions for the longest time. This book is anything but mediocre. This book CAPTIVATED me in a hundred different ways.

However I fully understand that this book is not easily for everyone, some may hate it with so much passion, some may love it like treasured jewel. On my part I am kind of in the middle, it was really a love-hate relationship. But what important was the book’s capability to suck you in, to engulf you into a wholly different world. I for one, felt really dirty the whole time I was reading it, but that was what made this book good, it can give you the weirdest of emotions yet you would still want to know what will happen in the end. And if I may add this book haunted me for days.
Now please, give me a happy book.

RATING: 

“Love. What the hell did that word even mean? It got tossed around so flippantly, by everyone.”

Advertisement

Consequences by Aleatha Romig : Book Review

Synopsis: Book #1 of the Bestselling Consequences series:

From New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Aleatha Romig comes a suspenseful thriller about secrets and deception, passion and love, choices and consequences.

Every action has consequences.

Waking in an unfamiliar bedroom in a luxurious mansion, Claire Nichols is terrified to discover that a chance encounter led her into the cruel hands of her abductor, Anthony Rawlings. Claire has no understanding of why she’s there, but it’s been made abundantly clear—she is now his acquisition and every action has consequences.

Learn the rules to survive.

Facing incomprehensible circumstances, Claire must learn to survive her new reality—every aspect of her livelihood depends upon the tall, dark-eyed tycoon who is a true master of deception. Driven by unknown demons, he has no tolerance for imperfection, in any aspect of his life, including his recent acquisition. Anthony may appear to the world as a handsome, benevolent businessman, but in reality Claire knows firsthand that he’s a menacing, controlling captor with very strict rules: do as you’re told, public failure is not an option, and appearances are of the utmost importance.

Captivate the captor.

To fit together the pieces of the puzzle, Claire must follow his rules. Will her plan work, or will Anthony become enthralled by Claire’s beauty, resilience, and determination, changing the game forever? If that happens, will either of them survive the consequences?

Nobody ever did or ever will escape the consequences of his choices.—Alfred A. Montapert

Date Published: August 5, 2011, 368 pages

Publisher: Xlibris Corporation

Date Read: May 2013

Series: Book 1 of Consequences Series

Dark. Twisted. Intelligent. Dragging. Disturbing

Let me start by saying that I was really looking for a book that will sweep me off my feet, rather the male character would. Honestly I just wanted a light read with not so heavy plot or drama and that would just leave me feeling good about life, love or everything in general. I just wanted to feel good. THIS BOOK DID NOT MAKE ME FEEL GOOD, not even in its simplest meaning or in its simplest form. Can I just say that I was angry the whole time I was reading it? I was seriously contemplating on throwing my e-reader or just grab something and just throw it and watch it shatter into pieces, just to be done with it. I even entertained the thought of not finishing the book, but I decided against it (obviously). well after all a half-finished book is a half-finished love affair. Do you even know that feeling that you are so mad about what was happening in it yet you still continued reading? Hoping all the madness would be somewhat vindicated in the end? Were any of my fury or madness vindicated? I don’t know. Maybe? But then I thought of the Afterward part of the book and I thought the madness was never vindicated. Okay I’d settled to halfly-vindicated. Maybe if I continue reading the next book TRUTH maybe then I would get the justice I deserve.

I was intrigued by the synopsis of this book accompanied by numerous great reviews here in Goodreads. Mind-fucked and mind-blown were just the two popular reviews this book had. Was my mind blown? A little, but I would like to give credits to myself that I somehow saw it (the twist and the ending) coming. This book reminded me of Gone Girl by Gillian Flynn, maybe if I had read this book first I would have been really shocked by the turn of events.

As I was reading the first few chapters I was reminded of the Fifty Shades Trilogy, all the while I thought it would just be like all BDSM and all that stuff, but I was proven wrong, yes the sub-dom part really played a part on the story, but it doesn’t revolved around it, the story is even deeper. The plot was well thought of, I would really commend Aleatha Romig on that. Everything that happened had its connection towards the end. And I really felt for Claire’s character. And can I just say too that internally I was creaming that Anthony is a Psycho? He really is and I really hate him. I say this book is effective because it was able to move me and draw out emotions, not all books can do that. A criticism though, I find the book too long, I thought there were some parts that can easily be dispensed with and also there were parts that I don’t know, maybe it lacked the proper description, especially the wedding ceremony itself, (oops spoiler sorry) I was hoping that the I dos and the vows will be described profoundly so as to make it vivid for one’s imagination. But all in all, I think it was a good read.

I need to get over the fury and madness I have in myself before proceeding to TRUTH. So if you like psycho-thriller or a twisted twist (eh?) this is definitely the book for you. But if you are hoping for romance, swoon-worthy male character or all the cheeseball stuff, I am so sorry put this book down and grab a YA novel instead.

Love is when one person knows all your secrets, your deepest, darkest, most dreadful secrets of which no one else in the world knows. And yet in the end, that one person does not think any less of you.