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3.49 AVERAGE
3.49 AVERAGE
This book was troubling for me. Too many emotions about it and they aren't all negative or positive. I think I'm just struggling with the fact that Caleb is doing the very thing that was done to him and after 12 years he's NOW having feelings about it. Hmm... I'll read the next one because I like to see how he redeems himself but I'm starting to think that maybe I'm just not a non-con/dub-con kinda girl.
Her chapters were first person, "his" were third person. Stick to one pov, this was annoying.
This is for the dark dark romance fans. Not for the faint of heart for sure.
So I'm supposed to sympathize with a rapist and a psychopath simply because he too was a victim and because apparently abusers are allowed to abuse innocent people without being responsible for their actions? Oh and am I supposed to actually encourage rape victims to fall in love with their rapists just because they could have been hurt worse?
NOPE. NUH-UH. NOT HAPPENING.
NOPE. NUH-UH. NOT HAPPENING.
errrr... I gave this a LOT higher rating than I thought? I genuinely expected to go into this book thinking I was going to hate it but it wasn't as horrifying as I believed.
As you may know, I don't typically read many dark romances as I find a lot of them triggering and I read this book deals with physical and sexual abuse and this is usually a huge no for me, but for some reason, the reviews compelled me to see what the fuss was about so I read it and now I'm not really sure what to rate this. On the one hand, I can see why people liked this, but on the other, this is a HARD book to read.
What did I like?
As weird as it may sound, I like reading books about kidnapping from both perspectives and this book had it. I thought Caleb off the bat was a misunderstood and mysterious person. I felt intrigued by him from the prologue and I think that's why I stuck around reading it more because he wasn't this typical stereotype I had in my head. I feel like he has been conditioned to do what he does and although his loyalties are so out of whack, for some reason, I could see this isn't what he wants - which of course doesn't make it okay. But I could understand him more from reading his chapters.
I thought Livvie was interesting. There is definitely more to her and I do wish she was a little more resilient than she was in her head because I feel like the entire book was her cowering to Caleb. I mean I don't blame her, he was hurting her, but she was so defiant in her head and it wasn't followed through in her actions which I just found frustrating.
HOWEVER...this book made me feel super uncomfortable at the same time. Although I could see what the author was trying to do, this book is graphic and I feel a stronger warning needs to be put in place. I find sexual and physical abuse very upsetting/personally triggering so reading this made me feel awful. Although I thought both characters were interesting, I didn't and don't believe in the romance. I could understand Livvie being attracted to Caleb but he was hardly even nice to her and there is a difference of wanting to sleep with someone and being in love with them which is what this book was: nonconsensual sex and beatings.
There was also no real plot. I mean there was enough there to keep me reading but I kept waiting for something to happen and nothing ever did and then it just ended and I was like ?????
I think there was a lot of build up for a whole lot of nothing and there was no character development for either of them.
I'm really trying hard to wrap my head around this. I didn't hate it, I squirmed a lot and I had to put the book down but I also could see the potential it had.
As you may know, I don't typically read many dark romances as I find a lot of them triggering and I read this book deals with physical and sexual abuse and this is usually a huge no for me, but for some reason, the reviews compelled me to see what the fuss was about so I read it and now I'm not really sure what to rate this. On the one hand, I can see why people liked this, but on the other, this is a HARD book to read.
What did I like?
As weird as it may sound, I like reading books about kidnapping from both perspectives and this book had it. I thought Caleb off the bat was a misunderstood and mysterious person. I felt intrigued by him from the prologue and I think that's why I stuck around reading it more because he wasn't this typical stereotype I had in my head. I feel like he has been conditioned to do what he does and although his loyalties are so out of whack, for some reason, I could see this isn't what he wants - which of course doesn't make it okay. But I could understand him more from reading his chapters.
I thought Livvie was interesting. There is definitely more to her and I do wish she was a little more resilient than she was in her head because I feel like the entire book was her cowering to Caleb. I mean I don't blame her, he was hurting her, but she was so defiant in her head and it wasn't followed through in her actions which I just found frustrating.
HOWEVER...this book made me feel super uncomfortable at the same time. Although I could see what the author was trying to do, this book is graphic and I feel a stronger warning needs to be put in place. I find sexual and physical abuse very upsetting/personally triggering so reading this made me feel awful. Although I thought both characters were interesting, I didn't and don't believe in the romance. I could understand Livvie being attracted to Caleb but he was hardly even nice to her and there is a difference of wanting to sleep with someone and being in love with them which is what this book was: nonconsensual sex and beatings.
There was also no real plot. I mean there was enough there to keep me reading but I kept waiting for something to happen and nothing ever did and then it just ended and I was like ?????
I think there was a lot of build up for a whole lot of nothing and there was no character development for either of them.
I'm really trying hard to wrap my head around this. I didn't hate it, I squirmed a lot and I had to put the book down but I also could see the potential it had.
dark
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Trafficking, Kidnapping, Gaslighting
Moderate: Stalking
Captive in the Dark, on the other hand, was much better. Okay, maybe not much, but it got three stars from me. I read this book after reading Nose Graze’s review of it from like a million years ago. I didn’t like it as much as she did, but I liked it well enough. The one aspect I really liked was Caleb. He was a pretty simple character with a dark past, but I liked how in the beginning of the novel when he was staking Olivia out as his captive, he recognized himself as a monster.
I also really liked how throughout the novel, Caleb knew what he was doing was wrong. He tried to keep Olivia from “catching feelings” per se, as well as himself, so it was easier to let her go for his revenge.
This novel was very, very dark, and quite strange (BDSM, I suppose), but all in all, yes, I enjoyed it. I even purchased the second book, Seduced in the Dark, right after finishing it.
Reviews also found at The Raging Reader!
Could she sense her life as she knew it hanging precariously in the balance? Could she feel his eyes on her? Did she have a sixth sense for monsters?
I also really liked how throughout the novel, Caleb knew what he was doing was wrong. He tried to keep Olivia from “catching feelings” per se, as well as himself, so it was easier to let her go for his revenge.
This novel was very, very dark, and quite strange (BDSM, I suppose), but all in all, yes, I enjoyed it. I even purchased the second book, Seduced in the Dark, right after finishing it.
Reviews also found at The Raging Reader!
dark
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
dark
Livvy couldn’t wait to leave home with everything that was going on, she didn’t expect it to happen so quickly with the stranger with the nice smile kidnapping her.
Caleb knew he didn’t have long he had to train the girl, he called kitten and have her ready for the auction, selling her into a life of slavery. Finally, then he can end the revenge that he’s been seeking for years.
When Olivia learns her fate and learns more about Caleb she knows she has to obey, if she doesn’t the fate will be worse than she can imagine, she sees another side to Caleb when they are alone in the dark and wonders if she can get him to keep her and not go through with the fate that’s in store for her.
Caleb knows there’s no choice there is no way he would be allowed to keep his kitten, he can’t see anyway out of this except to continue with the original plan and sell her to the enemy. Finally, Caleb finds out about his past, some truth he’s been seeking for a long time, this changes everything.