romancelibrary 's review for:

Hold by Claire Kent

4.0

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"I think you're the best thing in my life. And that goes for outside the Hold, not just in it."

Well, this was a pleasant surprise! I honestly wasn't sure what to expect from this one, but my bookstagram friends loved it so I decided to give it a try! So glad I made that choice! I've been trying out new romance subgenres this year, going outside my boundaries, and it just so happens that Hold is my first sci-fi romance (I will also argue that this is a dystopian romance, but I won't go into detail as to why).

Riana is an archeologist who makes a small mistake and ends up being sent to an underwater prison on some weird planet. There are no rules and guidelines directing the prisoners - they're just left to their own devices and there is no separation of genders. They call this prison the Hold. When she gets there, one of the guards advises her to offer herself to the strongest man in the Hold in exchange for protection because that's the only way she would survive. She offers herself to Cain, the hero, who ends up being such a great hero. There's obviously an unequal power dynamic at play here, but it works out well in the context, especially with Cain being such an incredible hero. He really surprised me; I didn't expect to love him as much as I did. He's a strong and silent guy who grunts a lot. He doesn't talk about his feelings easily, but it was awesome to see him slowly open up to Riana.

The story is told in third person, but only from Riana's POV. Despite that, I think we got a strong understanding of Cain and his feelings for Riana. I honestly love the relationship development in this story. It started off as a bargain, but then they started developing feelings for each other and it took time for them to open up to each other. I especially loved how Cain fell for Riana - the slight smiles, the possessiveness, and protectiveness. It was also pretty great how Riana initially only cared for Cain's well-being because he was her protector, but she eventually started caring for him in a genuine manner. I think everything happened at the right pace, making the relationship believable despite the unrealistic context.

Anyway, this was a short, steamy, and dare I say, romantic, read (that epilogue was just so darn sweet). And it's free on Kindle, so definitely check it out! Edit: it was free on Kindle, but doesn't look like it is anymore.