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cas_un_dra_reads's review
dark
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
keeley_k's review against another edition
dark
emotional
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
rellwood74's review against another edition
3.0
Yeah this wasn't nearly as good as I hoped. I skimmed a lot and got real tired of the Captain save-a-ho that the "hero" turned into. He fell in love in 2 weeks with a woman who kidnapped him and is being forced to turn him into a sexual slave that is to be sold off in 10 weeks. There is a lot of backstory with the woman and another man in the story, but really it didn't interest me.
I had hoped for a real no hope, kidnapping where the kidnapped guy cracked and ended up being sold. Not a guy who resists all attempts at behavior modification, goes from a virgin at seminary school to a sexual deviant in love with a mistress in two weeks. I wanted a true dark romance where the kidnapped person didn't have a chance and it stayed that way.
My bad.
I had hoped for a real no hope, kidnapping where the kidnapped guy cracked and ended up being sold. Not a guy who resists all attempts at behavior modification, goes from a virgin at seminary school to a sexual deviant in love with a mistress in two weeks. I wanted a true dark romance where the kidnapped person didn't have a chance and it stayed that way.
My bad.
jazminerees's review
dark
emotional
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
kaeliesreads's review against another edition
3.0
This book is very slow I didn't really like it, but I will probably continue with this series because I have heard the big gets better the further you go on
dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced
Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced
Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
parpacifica's review against another edition
1.0
Riddle me this: Who’s fucking sports jersey numbers are written in Roman numerals?
Can you imagine the sports broadcaster trying to put together the letters to figure out the numbers? “And uh…uhm… twenty-three comes in with the assist! Or is that Forty-five? Ah fuck it, ex I vee for the assist.”
I was really willing to suspend my disbelief because I wanted to read a gritty, raw novel.
This novel achieved on that account: it was intentionally disgusting and horrifying and left a sick pit in my stomach, and not only because of the story content. I respect that the author acknowledged the disgusting universe do sex-trafficking. I hate how she handled everything else. I’m not new to depressing kidnappy-Stockholm syndrome-ish stories, fuck every dark romance basically has Stockholm syndrome. But I felt like this was incredibly sappy and unrealistic for the dark setting it was placed it.
I hated how Josh fell into Stockholm syndrome so quickly for Liv (whose name is matches the Roman numeral numbers LIV on his jersey), considering she did nothing BUT KIDNAP HIM! She literally fucking kidnapped him, told him to shut-up and stripped him naked, and yet every time she touches him, his body warms up and he supposedly feels like she is so much deeper and sad than she lets on, so with his big boy Christian heart, he tries to find out why she is sad and falls in love with her.
One sec, lemme go grab my Gravol.
Josh kept fucking ogling her, pulling his own version of ‘traitorous body’ syndrome, and then fell head-over-ass for her after two conversations. It just felt like he had a saviour complex he was trying to fulfill.
On top of that, I hated the happily-ever-after. Josh was too well-adjusted after just being kidnapped, for my tastes. He was a teacher living with his ex-kidnapped, err… I mean girlfriend with no PTSD, living his best live, finally telling his parents to fuck-off…. All as if his kidnapping might have changed him for… the better ?
Like what the fuck? Oh wow so the only thing getting kidnapped does is give you the courage to chase your dreams? Forget any trust-issues or deep-routed trauma, especially while you date your fucking KIDNAPPER!?
Then there was the shitty redemption arc for Van which literally caused vomit to burn at the back of my throat. He hit Liv a few times, for no fucking reason and assaulted her, and she just forgave him because he had his own sad hurt boi reasons, which he revealed in a cliche, end-of-life tell-all reveal.
Ah fuck off with that shit. He clearly indulged in sadistically torturing Liv and Liv shouldn’t have forgiven him so fucking easily.
Can you imagine the sports broadcaster trying to put together the letters to figure out the numbers? “And uh…uhm… twenty-three comes in with the assist! Or is that Forty-five? Ah fuck it, ex I vee for the assist.”
I was really willing to suspend my disbelief because I wanted to read a gritty, raw novel.
This novel achieved on that account: it was intentionally disgusting and horrifying and left a sick pit in my stomach, and not only because of the story content. I respect that the author acknowledged the disgusting universe do sex-trafficking. I hate how she handled everything else. I’m not new to depressing kidnappy-Stockholm syndrome-ish stories, fuck every dark romance basically has Stockholm syndrome. But I felt like this was incredibly sappy and unrealistic for the dark setting it was placed it.
I hated how Josh fell into Stockholm syndrome so quickly for Liv (whose name is matches the Roman numeral numbers LIV on his jersey), considering she did nothing BUT KIDNAP HIM! She literally fucking kidnapped him, told him to shut-up and stripped him naked, and yet every time she touches him, his body warms up and he supposedly feels like she is so much deeper and sad than she lets on, so with his big boy Christian heart, he tries to find out why she is sad and falls in love with her.
One sec, lemme go grab my Gravol.
Josh kept fucking ogling her, pulling his own version of ‘traitorous body’ syndrome, and then fell head-over-ass for her after two conversations. It just felt like he had a saviour complex he was trying to fulfill.
On top of that, I hated the happily-ever-after. Josh was too well-adjusted after just being kidnapped, for my tastes. He was a teacher living with his ex-kidnapped, err… I mean girlfriend with no PTSD, living his best live, finally telling his parents to fuck-off…. All as if his kidnapping might have changed him for… the better ?
Like what the fuck? Oh wow so the only thing getting kidnapped does is give you the courage to chase your dreams? Forget any trust-issues or deep-routed trauma, especially while you date your fucking KIDNAPPER!?
Then there was the shitty redemption arc for Van which literally caused vomit to burn at the back of my throat. He hit Liv a few times, for no fucking reason and assaulted her, and she just forgave him because he had his own sad hurt boi reasons, which he revealed in a cliche, end-of-life tell-all reveal.
Ah fuck off with that shit. He clearly indulged in sadistically torturing Liv and Liv shouldn’t have forgiven him so fucking easily.
ernz_20's review
dark
emotional
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5