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carosi's review
4.0
I wasn‘t sure until the end if Darius is what he says or if it is all a big mindfuck for Gray - it was great 😉 when do we get the next book?
charlottenw1's review
4.0
A dark MM romance with an added age gap.
I haven't read any of the other worlds that Cara has created, but I enjoyed reading about these main characters who obviously played a part in other books.
Gray's life changes instantly when he's kidnapped and thrown into an auction for some sick people's fantasies. Little does he know that Darius is there to play the game and get him out. Along the way, they both have to play the part without anyone else catching on. It's hard work while trapped on a boat for days.
The cliffhanger was so gripping, and I'm dying to see where it goes in the next book. Both characters have very strong and different personalities, but they match each other well. Darius let his guard down when it came to Gray, and Gray needed that guidance at times that Darius could offer. Gray had a very hot-headed personality that came to light a few times and seemed a bit drastic, but I enjoyed them both together and can't wait yo see where it goes.
I haven't read any of the other worlds that Cara has created, but I enjoyed reading about these main characters who obviously played a part in other books.
Gray's life changes instantly when he's kidnapped and thrown into an auction for some sick people's fantasies. Little does he know that Darius is there to play the game and get him out. Along the way, they both have to play the part without anyone else catching on. It's hard work while trapped on a boat for days.
The cliffhanger was so gripping, and I'm dying to see where it goes in the next book. Both characters have very strong and different personalities, but they match each other well. Darius let his guard down when it came to Gray, and Gray needed that guidance at times that Darius could offer. Gray had a very hot-headed personality that came to light a few times and seemed a bit drastic, but I enjoyed them both together and can't wait yo see where it goes.
bronwynheeley's review
3.0
huh, it is harder to write a review when you have at least something you liked or didn't like about it. this was just...this.
it was fine. I enjoyed it, I'm going to continue on straight away
it was fine. I enjoyed it, I'm going to continue on straight away
always_anxious's review
5.0
I loved this book but I was not prepared for what happened towards the end. I’ve been reading a lot of fluffy/low angst recently so I was in this delusional cloud that although this book is dark things would work out fine in the end, I was under that impression until the very last second where I was smacked in the face with the reality of the situation.
- - - - - - - - -
Hurt/comfort is my crack and this series does it well, I loved how It felt like Gray and Darius really NEEDED each other and I loved their HEA. My only complaint is that the relationship took a bit of a backseat to the traffic ring plot and since I mainly read for the romance, I started losing interest after they kept going after the incident with Jackie. I would’ve loved a book for the other guys, especially Cole.
- - - - - - - - -
Hurt/comfort is my crack and this series does it well, I loved how It felt like Gray and Darius really NEEDED each other and I loved their HEA. My only complaint is that the relationship took a bit of a backseat to the traffic ring plot and since I mainly read for the romance, I started losing interest after they kept going after the incident with Jackie. I would’ve loved a book for the other guys, especially Cole.
book_bermi's review
dark
emotional
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Oh man. This book is messed up. Definitely check your triggers because the subject matter in this book could be very hard to read for many people. That being said, holy wow what a whirl wind. This book was quite sad, terrifying, and disgusting. The depictions of human depravity are hard to read. It is also absolutely riveting, and gives you something to root for. Though this is a dark read, there is still a sense of hope throughout the novel that keeps the reader engaged. Darius and Grey have now cemented themselves in my heart forever. I cannot wait to find out what happens next! There is so much that happens here that the romance takes a back seat, but it’s still there.
The audio was well done! The only times I struggled were when there were flash backs in the story, and it made it very hard to keep up with what was real and what was not. I wish that was handled a bit differently to make it more clear, but perhaps the confusion was intentional.
The audio was well done! The only times I struggled were when there were flash backs in the story, and it made it very hard to keep up with what was real and what was not. I wish that was handled a bit differently to make it more clear, but perhaps the confusion was intentional.
alyssa_gale00's review
5.0
this book! man! why can't fictional characters be real?? lowkey didn't think I would vibe with a kidnapping romance but this was so good! Cara dee slays so much as a writer
bookish_notes's review
2.0
This review is also posted on my blog.
This was a too dark for me and not really my cup of tea until the very end. The content in this novel was too much. I quickly skimmed through the first 15% (don't ask me why I kept reading), but I will say that the last 30% of this book is satisfying and everyone gets what they deserve. And it was really the last bit that saved the book for me and has me open to reading the rest of the books in this series (there's supposed to be a total of five). I somehow keep stumbling upon books with human trafficking topics in romance books for some reason. It's probably the flashy covers and Amazon advertisements to be honest and I'm not sure how I feel about that.
This book is...different. In a way. Yes, the "owner" is the love interest, but this is possibly the first time I've come across a book where the "owner" is actually a hired gun by the "slave's" family to bring him back home. The relationship is all a ruse. So that's a key difference and what puts this book in a murky grey area for me.
Trigger warnings for extremely graphic descriptions of physical abuse, sexual abuse, rape (mentioned), and torture of queer characters.
The book is very graphic, and unnecessarily so, I think. The story is about Gray, a guy who gets kidnapped off the streets and sold into a human trafficking ring that takes place on a ship out at sea. He gets sold at auction to the highest bidder - Darius. Gray has been through a lot at this point and it's been months since he was captured. Gray, understandably, doesn't trust Darius, especially not when Darius and Gray have to maintain appearances in front of the other people on board the ship.
This is where the story becomes a bit of a mindfuck because for a couple chapters you don't know if Darius can be trusted. The story is told entirely from Gray's POV and it's all mind games. Gray isn't in a good headspace after being put through hell and seeing stuff he never should have had to see. This definitely isn't the easiest book to read.
I don't know if you can call this a romance book. I think this book does end in a kind of HFN, but this is going to be a series with Gray and Darius for all the books in the series. However, the themes in this book are disturbing and gruesome and it's not really the right background for a romance, I think. Or at least, not for me. I really didn't care about whether or not Gray and Darius got together in this story, because the most important part was getting Gray off the ship. He had made friends along the way, or as much as one could make friends in that situation, and he wasn't going to leave the ship without saving all the other boys on the ship.
This story is intense and definitely isn't going to be for everyone. I like Gray, but Darius is still kind of a mystery to me. There's a lot about him and his past that we don't know about at this point. As long as the following books in this series aren't as dark or as disturbing as this one, I'll probably keep reading. I want to see Gray get home to his family, but it does seem like it's going to be a long journey for him before he makes it back home if there's four more books left. Hopefully, the rest will be somewhat lighter reads.
This was a too dark for me and not really my cup of tea until the very end. The content in this novel was too much. I quickly skimmed through the first 15% (don't ask me why I kept reading), but I will say that the last 30% of this book is satisfying and everyone gets what they deserve. And it was really the last bit that saved the book for me and has me open to reading the rest of the books in this series (there's supposed to be a total of five). I somehow keep stumbling upon books with human trafficking topics in romance books for some reason. It's probably the flashy covers and Amazon advertisements to be honest and I'm not sure how I feel about that.
This book is...different. In a way. Yes, the "owner" is the love interest, but this is possibly the first time I've come across a book where the "owner" is actually a hired gun by the "slave's" family to bring him back home. The relationship is all a ruse. So that's a key difference and what puts this book in a murky grey area for me.
Trigger warnings for extremely graphic descriptions of physical abuse, sexual abuse, rape (mentioned), and torture of queer characters.
The book is very graphic, and unnecessarily so, I think. The story is about Gray, a guy who gets kidnapped off the streets and sold into a human trafficking ring that takes place on a ship out at sea. He gets sold at auction to the highest bidder - Darius. Gray has been through a lot at this point and it's been months since he was captured. Gray, understandably, doesn't trust Darius, especially not when Darius and Gray have to maintain appearances in front of the other people on board the ship.
This is where the story becomes a bit of a mindfuck because for a couple chapters you don't know if Darius can be trusted. The story is told entirely from Gray's POV and it's all mind games. Gray isn't in a good headspace after being put through hell and seeing stuff he never should have had to see. This definitely isn't the easiest book to read.
I don't know if you can call this a romance book. I think this book does end in a kind of HFN, but this is going to be a series with Gray and Darius for all the books in the series. However, the themes in this book are disturbing and gruesome and it's not really the right background for a romance, I think. Or at least, not for me. I really didn't care about whether or not Gray and Darius got together in this story, because the most important part was getting Gray off the ship. He had made friends along the way, or as much as one could make friends in that situation, and he wasn't going to leave the ship without saving all the other boys on the ship.
This story is intense and definitely isn't going to be for everyone. I like Gray, but Darius is still kind of a mystery to me. There's a lot about him and his past that we don't know about at this point. As long as the following books in this series aren't as dark or as disturbing as this one, I'll probably keep reading. I want to see Gray get home to his family, but it does seem like it's going to be a long journey for him before he makes it back home if there's four more books left. Hopefully, the rest will be somewhat lighter reads.