| Title | : | Captive, Mine |
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | |
| ISBN | : | - |
| Language | : | English |
| Format Type | : | Kindle Edition |
| Number of Pages | : | 242 |
| Publication | : | First published February 25, 2015 |
I was prepared for what was coming — as prepared as one could be when vanishing into the U.S. Marshal’s Witness Protection Program.
I just wasn’t prepared for him.
For ex-Navy SEAL turned mercenary Lake Freeman, escorting Lily Cross into the Witness Protection Program was just another job — until a better offer came along. Lake couldn’t have cared less about the life he’d been hired to protect. After all, she was a part of the very organization that had cost him so much already.
At least he never expected to care.
But when forced into a decision he never thought he’d have to make, the mission became one of survival for himself and his beautiful charge. Lake knew that in order to protect her, he’d need to bring the feisty and unpredictable Lily to heel — he couldn't keep her safe if he couldn't keep her under control.
But that protective urge quickly turned into something else, something dark ... and his need to conquer, to claim, overrode all else.
He would keep her safe. He would keep her protected. But he would make her his, as well.
Now, all he had to do was figure out how to keep them both alive long enough to do it...
Publisher's Warning: Intended for mature readers. 18 and over only!
This is a MF BDSM romantic suspense. Themes include: graphic sexuality, pervasive D/s, exhibitionism, spanking, bondage, anal play and other BDSM activities. If such content might offend you, please do not purchase this book.
Word count: 66,328 words
Captive, Mine Reviews
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Publisher's Warning: Intended for mature readers. 18 and over only!
This is a MF BDSM romantic suspense. Themes include: graphic sexuality, pervasive D/s, exhibitionism, spanking, bondage, anal play and other BDSM activities. If such content might offend you, please do not purchase this book.
That just made me want to read it!!Well, if a dark and kinky romantic suspense with plenty of floggings, sensory deprivation, forced orgasms, anal play and very, VERY dubious consent is a problem for you, look away now. If like me, THIS TOTALLY FLOATS YOUR BOAT, then I think you would rather enjoy the SMUTFEST that is Captive Mine.
This book is seriously HOT and I mean SMOKIN HOT. I hardly knew what to do with myself the whole time I was reading it – the erotic scenes are done so, SO well. This is one to set fire to your Kindle and you need to make your sure your BOB’s are fully charged and at the ready!
As the blurb states, Lily Cross is daughter to an infamous drug dealer turned informer and is being taken to safety by the witness protection programme……… or so she thinks. After some pretty shifty double crossing, she and Lake Freeman (who honestly sounds like a geographical location not a hero but it's OK because we only call him Lake or Freeman or Sir!) hole up in the cabin in the woods to hide from the drug cartel who want to take Lily captive to keep her father from testifying.
Lake literally cannot keep his hands off Lily ……. or his leather strap or his handcuffs! He decides that this feisty princess needs to be brought to heel for her own safety. Pretty flimsy logic but hey – what the heck! As a plot device, it opens up some highly erotic and incredibly arousing scenes that I know a lot you are going to love. Mmmmmm!! Lake has a ‘good girl’s room’ and a ‘bad girl’s room’ and I think you can guess where Lily spends most of the book! After inspecting her intimately ‘in case she’s wearing a wire’, Lily has absolutely nothing left to hide from Lake and he embarks on a dazzling display of domination to ensure that Lily is now a ‘good girl’ and does as she’s told. For her own safety, you understand!
While this has a romantic suspense plot, it really is just background to the BDSM story of one man trying to claim his sub. It does help to lend a kind of ‘pressure cooker’ environment to the story and add to Lily’s fear as you always feel that this kinky little interlude is about to be cut short by the bad guys at any second. The book isn’t that long and I do think that, if this had been a full length novel, the romantic suspense plot would probably have been better fleshed out – it didn’t have quite the drama that I expected. But it’s all about the sex really – this is definitely a piece of erotic and highly kinky romance that is probably THE most arousing thing I’ve read in 2015.
I’ve read Natasha Knight before and I sincerely believe that she’s an underrated author and deserves more attention than she’s getting. She’s all about the spankings and erotic punishment and she combines them seamlessly with strong character development and great emotional depth and I’ve enjoyed everything I’ve read by this author so far. Trent Evans is a new to me author (why do I want to type Trent Reznor all the time?) but a quick look at his back catalogue shows me he’s an established erotic BDSM romance author. They work well together and it’s hard to see where Natasha leaves off and Trent begins although I suspect but don’t know that Lily’s POV is written by Natasha, while Trent provides that of Lake.
If I have any niggles with the book it’s that the suspense plot doesn’t quite achieve the dramatic conclusion I’d been expecting all along and there’s a whole lot of sex here (nothing wrong with that!) and it’s all bareback and neither one of them considers contraception and I just needed one small reference here. It’s an omission that always bothers me.
BUT – despite all of that, this is one highly kinky, deeply arousing piece of erotic suspense that I can recommend to anyone who enjoys this kind of darker romance. If dubious consent, captivity, power play, floggings, blindfolds, back door loving and multiple orgasms turn you on – then you NEED to read this book. I promise you, the heat is OFF THE CHARTS and it does exactly what it sets out to do!
4 uncomfortably turned on stars
Review copy courtesy of Natasha Knight with thanks
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DNF @ 61%
"Maybe I just like to keep pretty girls chained to my bed."
I'm not really too sure what I feel about Captive Mine, the premise of the story intrigued me, but I found myself wondering what I got my self into since the plot twist changed every other page in the beginning. The Heroine annoyed me, she came across as spoiled and insulent, almost like a child. I get having to fight, but it was almost like she was missing the common sense most have knowing when to fight and stay quiet. It's also super sad of me to say that I felt nothing (absolutely nothing) towards the Hero. I didn't know who he was, what he wanted or what his purpose was. I don't even think even he knew. There is some scenes that ride that fine rail of what is considered consensual, so be warned. Personally it wasn't the actions that made me throw in the towel, but my lack of excitement to want to know what happens next for the two. These are my own personal issues, it has nothing to do with the Authors style or skill. I would recommend reading it for yourself and draw your own conclusion.
ARC kindly provided by Shadow Moon Press, via NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review.
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3 Lame Plot Stars
This could of been a 5 star read if the plot was better. There was no reason for Lily to be Lake's prisoner! I mean there was a hint to the reason but nothing. He kept her locked up in a room and basically treated her like a sex slave pet only to set her free once the danger got near. Punishing her, spanking her, making her crawl around, feeding her while she was on her knees at his feet, whipping her and fucking her whenever he wanted. Just didn't make since to me. The ending was rushed and there was no action. It was just bla. The sex was sort of hot though:) lol -
I’m not going to go in to detail with this, since I DNF’d at 26% but I do want to explain what it was that held me back. The story itself felt a tad choppy and although I was still getting through it, what did it in was word choice.
Umbilicus
We have Lake Freeman, ex-military, now private security who doesn’t necessarily act on the right side of the law, especially since he is the kidnapper/hero of this story. So when he sees her and reflects on her body... I need his words. I need the character’s voice to match the character. Now, I am guessing even if you haven’t heard the word used, you can figure it out. It is a bellybutton or navel... That is what caused me to stop. I really could have chugged along even if the story hadn’t kept me glued to the pages, I really liked the theme of this and this particular genre is a favorite; but I was not able to gain any connection to who the characters were because although they behaved one way and were described another... they didn’t stay constant.
It might be overly picky – and maybe I should have pressed forward, but this was the second time when Lake used a term that just did not fit who he had been built as.
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This author is quickly becoming one of a kind!
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As this book starts, the 'what' is rather hot, exciting, and well written. The 'why?' Well, I'll let the MMC say it:"What had just happened in that guest room had no purpose. There wasn't a reason in the galaxy for what he'd done."
This is a dark tale of uninhibited, uncaring possession & discard that put my nerves through a cheese grinder. Clearly, I just wasn't shredded finely enough because the story then had the audacity to laugh at me via an ending that would've, could've, and should've been amazing.
The author has a fluid writing style and nicely constructed sentences that made it easy to turn the pages, which is what earned this book 2 stars. It's not a style issue that made this book rate low for me; my disgruntled review comes purely from lack of development and substance in both the characters and plot.
Starts Exciting
Lily is in a pickle because her dad is going to betray the mob with the FBI, which means she's stuck in WitPro. Dad sends a personal bodyguard, Lake, to her to ensure everything goes smoothly.
Twisty-turns happen that leave Lake and Lily alone in a cabin. These events are well done.
Up until the cabin, I was enjoying this book. I understood it and the characters. The ass spanking in the truck fit the story, the characters, and the scene. It seems Lake is trying to protect her and wants to get her attention, show who's in control. All's good.
Quickly Morphs Into A Bad Porno
The sexual, mental, physical, verbal, and emotional abuse once they reach the cabin is a beast of perversion written with zero light. I can get down with perversion, but I like ...
That is a very clear paths to the character's thoughts. And I must have ...
That is some salvation for the characters, even if that's simply two like-minded F'd up people finding a match in each other's dark and light sides.
Sadly, the author doesn't give me either of those things to hold on to as I'm reading the bulk, core of this story. When it is given, it's just too late and too far forgone to ever ring authentic.
Just Get A Blow Up Doll
Lily initially comes off as bratty, spoiled, and smart-mouthed.
Then, she tries to be a fighter. Toenail clippers do not a weapon make...
Imagine coming at a bear with a plastic knife, poking a stick in a pit of Cobras, or driving through Compton idiotically screaming long live the KKK . <<<< Only to turn around and plead "I'm sorry" at every fucking turn because you keep doing lame shit to provoke, not escape danger. That's Lily's idea of fight.
Now some readers may view this shit as a subconscious call for the devil she enjoys (him hurting and screwing her.) I say bullshit because she's never experienced that devil before and she doesn't even know or trust the demon delivering it now.
Moving on...
About a third in, she turns...
The FMC becomes a stand-in-place character. She's just a mindless drone w/ alternating pleas for or against his abuse. No intelligent thought other than to occasionally ponder fleetingly how she could like and hate this shit and him simultaneously.
Bam, 82% and she suddenly goes from a kicked, mute puppy back to her snarky, whining, question-asking self. Uhm, okay this is character whiplash, not development and progression. It's the brittle Magic Shell without the smooth and rich ice cream...
Lake The Tormentor / King Of Orgasm
Lake starts off being a hero by default. Don't get excited, however, because this is basically a situation where he doesn't mind her hurt ... He just wants it to be by his hands and to the degree he feels is okay.
The 'why' of his abuse gets all muddled. It starts as - she's defiant; I shall teach her to follow orders. Never you mind he never lays the danger, expectations, or consequences out for her. No, he just decides, 'hey, I think I'll teach her to follow orders by turning her into a sex slave, and yippie, if we both get 50 zillion orgasms along the way.
Anyway...
While the author can write a hell'of'a sex scene, the emotional reactions and responses do not feel authentic in any way. The author carries the abuse to an extreme without giving the characters clear and meaningful voices.
In other words, I'm just not getting the character development that I need to be okay with him beating her, degrading her, and sexually assaulting her -nor- her being okay with it all.
And, it just goes on and on this way with no plot or character development for 70% of the story. It's an endless stream of the bitch needing to be "punished" and then fucked every five seconds. I need progress. I need the whys. I need to feel what the characters feel, not be given lame sporadic excuses like safety.
Oh hell...
There's a dead wife plot line here, and IMHO it's just sick and nasty to twist that shit up in this storyline and not even give it a understandable, meaningful, or resolved presence.
My final straw should've been
when he is holding her captive in a room with his dead wife's shit in it. When she plunders through it... (Like any fing sane person would do)... He blows a gasket and anally rapes her, which she eventually decides she enjoys. Did I mention he is all but starving her, making her wash with a bucket, beating her, leaving her tied up for extended periods, and leaving her in the (literal) dark? Do you see why character development might be important given the plot devices used here?
By 70%, she's still begging him not to "hurt her" and musing that she has Stockholm syndrome. Meanwhile, he views her as a "possession" that he owns to torture, fuck, and order about.
My last straw for this book getting more than two stars is when this mfer straps a dog collar and leash to her and makes her poop in the yard.
Nope, nada, fafingnito.. I'm done with trying to understand the characters.
Oh, Yeah, Mob Fuckers Are After US!
Around 75%, bam, suddenly the author, characters, and mice in the attic seem to remember that the plot here was that these bad fing mob peeps are after them. Cue the scramble to fortify the grounds and make plans for an exit.
Imagine watching a suspense movie, flipping over to Hustler, and then flipping back to the suspense movie to catch the last 10 minutes.
Did Someone Steal The Chapter Where Lake Got A Personality Transplant?
A chapter ago this mfer had a dog collar on her neck while demanding she shit in the yard... Suddenly, he's handing her a gun demanding she learn to protect herself.
Two chapters ago he was hurting her & enjoying the fear he elicited from her.... Suddenly, the gears have completely shifted:
Lily froze for a moment, and he saw something in those gorgeous eyes he realized he didn't like seeing anymore. Fear.
"Jesus Christ, Lily l, I'm not going to hurt you."
Where is the character development to account for this change?
He unapologetically beats, rapes, and degrades her for 75%, but he calls her a princess at 83% and that ruffles her feathers. So..."I didn't realize you were so sensitive. I'm sorry, okay?
I'm not making this shit up people from ignoring tears of true pain -to- apologizing over calling her princess, and without a bit of reflection on it.
The physical and mental shift from sexual captor back to body guard takes place for the characters in a span of one neutral chapter, but the author does nothing to transition the readers there with them or prepare the reader for this dude going from sadist ringmaster to apologetic empathizer.
Whiplash doesn't even pinprick the surface of this bullshit. I digress~
Lily's Personality Transplant Clearly Didn't Work~
If the past 81% of this book was supposed to be so that Lily would follow orders, it's rather ironic that he gives her a simple command to go for a walk with him and this is the response...
• she asks why.
• she says she's afraid.
•he coaxes her with a hug.
• he reassures her and says follow.
• she makes it to the porch before he has to again tell her to follow.
• she's hesitant and he says follow a third time.
He gives a command for her to take a gun..
•why, she asks.
•take it, he says.
• she argues the merits.
• second time he tell her to take it.
• she narrows her eyes.
• third time he tells her to take the gun.
"Fuck you," she whispered.
He was glad she couldn't see his smile.
"Down, Lily. Christ do you ever fucking listen?"
I'd forgotten....
"Stay down! Do as you're fucking told for once in your life, will you? Fuck!"
But, please tell me wtf was even the point of all this 'yes, sir' 'no questions' or I beat and fuck your ass to submission All so that she will listen when he needs her to?
The Final 15%
The core of this book being devoid, mindless porn is even made worse in that the end could've been fabulous.
The end is suspenseful and you feel the angst of what will happen.
You finally get some character development in that they address their inner thoughts and have a time period of neutral ground to do it within - brilliant move by the author to add a truth to the story. So it pains me to say...
It's all just too late. The author gave so very very very very little in the core of the story that, as a reader, IDGAF by the time I do get what I craved.
Likewise, the ending scene brings a truth to the character's needs, desires, and a balance between feelings and actions. BUT, again, without something in the core of the story to connect the dots between point A of this starting and point Z where they end up...
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Was a big fan of the beginning of the book...but then towards to end, everything felt rushed. This would have been a much better book had there been more pages and more of backstory to these characters.
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First I have to thank
Christine for the rec because I wouldn't have notice this book if it wasn't for her recommendation.
Lily thinks she is going on witness program when her father decides to testify against one of his drug business partner. But Lake, the guy who is supposed to watch for her decides to do otherwise. He decides to keep her for himself.
At first, it's not clear what's Lake's intentions are. Is he a good guy? A bad guy? What has he to do with all this? We know Lily's father hire him to protect her but then why kidnap her?
Little by little, we see that Lake is not only there to help Lily but also to satisfy himself. He takes the opportunity to have lily at his disposal... or so you think
Yes I know this is all confusing but believe me confusing is the state where you will be when reading this. Even if we have both pov, Lake doesn't really confide himself. He is focused on his job but still he doesn't see how everything will fall into place
I read this like I watch an episode of one of my favorite TV shows. And after each chapter I wanted to know more and wasn't ready to drop it.
Lake is also a dominant man and he tries to train Lily to submit to him; no question asked. Regrettably, Lily is not really a girl used to do as she is told. She will learn in a bad way not to defy Lake.
Sometimes the sex scenes were disturbing because Lily is reluctant to Lake and his touch but he sees right through her and she ended liking it even when he punished her.
"I'll never want you Lake. Never"
"If I reach down to feel that pussy of yours, I'm going to find it soaking wet, aren't I? What do you think that says? I think it terrifies you to know your body wants what it wants. No matter what the mind says".
The writing style is captivating (I know what a way to choose my word :P ), the story unfold slowly and you get to discover the details throughout the entire book.
I loved the fact BDSM is never mentioned however it's clearly what's happening between our MC.
Maybe I'm use to read dark book, but the sexual parts neer seems forced even the most painful one.
Talking about sex, there's a LOT of it and trust me when I say you'll take more shower in a day than you ever have! And cold one I mean.
The book is pretty short ( near 200 pages) and at 75% I was wondering how everything to will fall into place. The ending seems a little rushed, maybe I expected more time for Lily to figure all out, to accept what happened to her but at the same time I had the ending I wanted.
Leave me, leave the memories. Let them lie. What you think you want isn't what you'd find. Let time swallow me up, erase me from your mind, free you from what cannot be.
~ARC provided by publisher for an honest review~
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The worst book I read this year PERIODTT...... well next to Brutal Rapture and Fall of Troy. I honestly finished it cause the sex was HAWT 🥵 until he started treating her like a pet *shudders*
I love myself a good captive/captor story, like they are the BEST when done right, but, when you have two of the most insufferable characters for the hero and heroine it sucks the soul right out of the book.Lake the hero and Lily the heroine were AWFUL!!!
Lake the supposed antihero
I love my antiheroes, and one of the reasons I love them is because they are self-aware and don't act like they are doing terrible things for the greater good. Lake here is a very pathetic excuse for antihero or hero of any kind. He is an ex-navy seal turned mercenary who initially kidnaps Lily to hand over to her father's enemies to get revenge on her father. Somewhere along the lines he decides against that and instead holds her captive to "protect her" and himself from her father's enemies. He takes her to his remote cabin, and this is where things really go south. The second they get to the cabin he starts treating her like shit and justifies his treatment as trying to "protect her". He punishes her, he keeps her tied up, makes her crawl, beg, and forces her to have sex with him all under the guise of "PROTECTING HER" only to let her go when she is in real danger towards the end of the book. Like whattt??? I would have respected Lake a whole lot more if he was like "Imma do whatever the hell I want because I am a selfish SOB and you can't do anything about it". That would have been more in like with the anti-hero mindset and also he wouldn't come off so sleazy. He kept saying how she has to learn how to obey him and submit to him and how that is the only way they are going to make it out alive? Yeah sure, cause some how forcing your dick in her is totally KEY to both your survival.
Lily
If I hated someone more than Lake it was Lily. OMG the lack of common sense in this woman was unbearable!! Lily through out the entire book was so annoying, I couldn't even properly feel bad for her and what Lake was putting her through. She started off really bitchy in the beginning, and just kept going down hill from there. After Lake takes her to his cabin all she does is whine and stupid shit that gets her into more trouble with Lake. It is hard to believe that this woman could survive in the outside world, she lacked the most basic common sense and self preservation skills. Lily would literally do everything Lake told her not to do and then get punished by him, its like she didn't have the brain power to comprehend that she wasn't in a position to keep pissing him off.
The Plot
LOL what plot? Majority of this book was Lake obsessing over Lily's assI kid you notLily doing something stupid, Laking punishing her for it and having sex with her, and then leaving her all tied up, and rinse and repeat.
The Chemistry
Again LOL what chemistry? I guess there was a little when they were getting it on, but other than that, there was no chemistry and NO CONNECTION! Both characters were lacking too much in depth to have any sort of intimacy between them that wasn't physical.
What a waste of time 🤦♀️ ~~~ -
A Little Different Take On The Captivity Theme
'Captive, Mine' is a story about a drug dealer's daughter, Lily, who is set to enter witness protection before her dad testifies against a drug lord. When the man hired by her dad to protect her double-crosses him, then decides he'd rather keep Lily for himself, everything in Lily's life takes a turn for the worse.
Lake goes from hired protector to kinky captor in a flash. Poor Lily is in for a rude awakening. Her feistiness and stubborn nature made for a defiant captive and Lake enjoys nothing more than teaching her a lesson.
If you've got a spanking/lashing/whipping fetish, this might be the book for you. Lily's bottom really got worked over in this book. Lake had a definite preference for a welted, reddened and/or bruised butt.
This book contains scenes of dubious consent, rape and abuse. Read the author's warning disclaimer...they really meant it. If you enjoy books with this type of content, as I do, then this book is a good option. If not, steer clear.
I have to say that I liked this book, but I didn't love it. The sex was hot, but did seem very repetitive after a while. I also never felt any type of emotional bond with either Lake or Lily, which is the primary difference between an okay book and a great book, to me. Since I never felt any meaningful connection, I wasn't especially vested in the story. They could live out a HEA, or get captured by the drug lord and murdered, and I'm not sure I would have cared one way or the other.
Overall, I give it 3 stars. It was a good, quick read with steamy sex. It is alright for passing some time between other books, when you're looking for a book that isn't too emotional or consuming. If you're suffering a book hangover, this may be a good choice for you. -
Let me introduce you to the star of the story ...
LILY'S ASS
From the moment that Lake uncovers her 'bubble' butt, he becomes completely fascinated with it. He says, ”I’d never have guessed you were hiding an ass like this. Little thing like you?” … and I waited with bated breaths to learn her secret. Because really ... Being a girl of the big bottom variety myself, I would like to learn this magic trick that allows a girl to conceal her big booty.
But, alas … there was no magic, no secrets, no tricks that I could add to my girl’s guide book to looking skinny … no, just a story about a dude who likes a woman’s ass. Oh, and he’s kidnapped her … there is that story line as well. (but I got too caught up in all the ass talk). -
Trent Evans and Natasha Knight as a mash up is reader's fantasy come true. Both authors write deliciously depraved kinky stories. In Captive, Mine, the kink is good; the characters are bad. Bad in not a good way. Lily Cross is a drug lord's daughter. She is used as collateral to make sure her father will be used against Terrence Randall in court. Lake Freeman is the man who is hired to protect Lily from being used against her father.
The kink in this story is good. Restraining and especially gagging of Lily is great. The dub-con and disciplining of Lily is also great. Lake as an aggressor forcing Lily to behave is all good. So why did this story just rate okay for me? Because Lily is a sniveling annoying twit. She keeps making the wrong choice over and over and rather than take her punishment, she whines and promises she won't do it again. Insert eye rolling. Lily is so annoying I kept wishing she would be strangled to death or killed. The erotic scenes were sabotaged by her incessant shallow musings. Everything about Lily grates on my nerves which is why I didn't enjoy this book as much. If I can't like the main character, I have a hard time enjoying it. What is weird is how she suddenly becomes so competent at the end of the book. Not believable at all.
Lake as a tormented kidnapper just didn't make sense to me. I must have missed why this was such a big deal for him. His back history with his wife is fine, but it didn't pull all together for me to care. There was little chemistry between Lake and Lily. The authors write it as if they are so enthralled with each other, but I didn't feel it. The plot felt muddled and honestly, I really just wanted to read about the erotic dub-con scenes between Lily and Lake. So when Lily kills my arousal with her inane behaviour, it disappointments me. I wanted to jump in and beat some sense into Lily.
This is a darker theme than some of the other books by these two authors. I do wish they would go darker without the guilty angst. Because their descriptions are vivid and the story pace is good. Their dub con scenes can be so erotic too. For those who enjoy a bratty female get taken to task, this is the book for you.
*provided by
NetGalley -
This is a great read for lovers of BDSM books. The twisted plot, ultra hot erotic scenes, and main characters, make this book a page turner right from the beginning. I could not put it down! Keep in mind that this is not for the faint of heart at all!! It is raw, dirty, hard! The sex in Captive, Mine has lots of pain and tears and the story presents some very disturbing situations of captivity and domination. The book is very well written, the character development is beyond satisfying, the story has depth.I was pleasantly surprised!
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Lake did kinda just kidnap Lily
wasn't sure if he really had done that before, he did have a Bad Girl Room
pretty much set up.
He was methodical and brutish in his training
Lake just kinda in his mind decided it was
okay to keep Lily for himself..in his defense he did protect her.
good plot, well written
Bring me the Strap!!! OUCHY
HEA, stand alone. -
3.5 STARS
The story of Lily, who is going into witness protection because of her father, and Lake, the man her father hired to protect her. However, Lake's intentions are as noble as it would seem..
Quick fast-paced read. Tied up a little too quickly, considering what/who they are running from.
There is graphic sex in this book, some of which is non-consensual..LOTS of speaking. -
I am a fan of dark romances and romantic suspense, but this story did not work for me. The story lacked depth, and there was little plot or character development.
There was not enough danger or suspense for this to be classified as a romantic suspense. We know they are on the run, but are they really? They are holed up in a cabin for most of the story, then them being "found" lasts for a few minutes before they are off and saying goodbye to one another.
And let's talk about what happened at the cabin. A lot of BDSM activity leaning very heavily toward the sadism side. I didn't buy Lake's reasons for Lily's training and punishment. Lake came across to me as a horrible person who liked to hurt and humiliate her. I almost abandoned the book when she was leashed and made to use the bathroom outside like a dog.
For a dark story to work, at least for me, there needs to be a strong emotional connection, or a complete redemption of the male character. The lack of character development killed in this regard. There was potential, we know Lake has a dead wife who he lost to drugs. But she was only briefly mentioned. The author could've done more delving into Lake's psyche, connected his dead wife to his need to punish Lily, or something. But we never really learn why Lake does what he does. It was a huge disappointment.
I did feel sorry for Lily, but I never connected to her. I only felt sorry for her pain and humiliation. This was a classic Stockholm story-line, without sufficient detail to make me understand why she fell for her captor.
At the end, I wish I would've stopped reading when she was crawling around on the leash. I was just hoping that SOMETHING was gonna happen to improve the story.
I would not recommend this book to those who are bothered by reading about sex with sadistic tendencies including, but not limited to, severe strappings, extreme humiliation, and anal punishment. If that's what floats your boat (and I don't judge) then you will probably enjoy this book much more than I did. I would recommend it to Tiffany Reisz fans. I would not recommend it if you look for an emotional connection in these books, similar to what we see in Aleatha Romig's dark romances. -
**I was provided with a review copy from the publisher through Netgalley**
This one ticked all the boxes for me. Non-con captive stories are my favourite kind of dark romance and this one was a winner.
Lake was dark, twisted and oh so yummy. He was definitely sadistic but still protective. I really enjoyed his punishments, they weren't truly original but they were hot and effective.
I didn't really like Lily at all. she was a massive brat and had the self preservation instincts of a pea. Seriously, she could have saved herself a world of trouble if she wasn't so freaking slow to learn her lesson.
I really enjoyed this dark, kinky romance. -
Wow, Wow, Wow!
If you're looking for a typical flower and candy romance this is not it. This is a hot, steamy, rough romance and you better hang on for this wild ride! I loved the suspense and the danger that Lake and Lily were facing but I loved the relationship that grew between them even better. This is one Hot love story and the ending was outstanding! -
I skimmed a lot of this… some of this was okay. I’m
Not into books with constant belting, spanking ,strapping and whipping. It just makes me want to head but t the H, knock him out and tie him up and give him a dose of his own medicine. I labored through this one though, the ending was the best part. -
BDSM/captive story with a little mob thrown in. Storyline is strong but doesn't get in the way of either the character development or the steamy sex. Love Trent Evans...masterful to say the least. HEA.
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Oh no. h getting leashed and peeing outside like a dog was offensive. Will stay away from these authors if they see that as acceptable behaviour.
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3.5 STARS
I haven’t read a dark or even BDSM book in quite a while, and I was itching for a good one. Anything dark was my mainstay for a very long time, and if it had kidnapping…. well, that was just an added bonus! I was hoping to bring some sexy and kinky back with this one.
I wanted my come back book to wow my pants off. While this one didn’t wow me like I really wanted, I did have my nose in it every chance I got. It was like a car accident, I couldn’t help but want look. For a short little number, this sure packed a punch. Yes, it was hot, sexy, kinky, and everything in between; it even gave me the tingles from head to toe, but this was sort of like an oreo cookie for me. My favorite part is the outside cookie, but I’m not partial to the middle. The book - I really liked the beginning and the end, but the middle wasn’t necessarily my favorite.
I had a hard time with Lake. Usually I fall in love or at least like (or even sympathize with) the captor, but this time…. nope. Not until the very end did I like him. Yah he did some deliciously wicked things, but I just really didn’t care for him. So, the authors did something right to get me to keep coming back especially when I didn’t necessarily care for the MC.
The POV from which a story is told isn’t usually a big deal to me, but in this case I think it’s worth mentioning. The delivery of the POVs was different. I was a bit confused a first. Why? Well, the book started from Lily’s POV which was delivered in the first person. Ok, normal enough, right? I’m reading, then, all of a sudden it switches to a third person narrative. I sat there confused for a bit before I realized it had switched to Lake’s POV but was being told in the third person. I have never read a book that switched between first and third person. I’m not even sure whether I liked or hated the fact. It was just…… different. Sometimes it was hard for me gain my bearing when the POV changed. It was like I stepped out into the sunlight and needed a minute for my eyes to adjust. If Lake’s POV had been done in the first person, it would have been more a personal view and I probably would have connected with him better.
I LOVED THE ENDING!!! And, I hate to even say it, but I would have preferred no epilogue. Usually I like them. An epilogue gives me closure and puts my mind at ease. But this time... I liked where the story ended on its own and would have preferred to leave the rest up to my imagination. -
Holy Hell… This is one of the HOTTEST f-ing book I’ve ever read! It’s so good!
“Yes, he was doing this. He was going to teach her — and she was going to learn, whether she wanted to or not. And he was going to enjoy it.”
It’s smoking hot, every single one of your fantasies hot. A captive BDSM book, which is my personal favorite as I love BDSM/forced scenes that are not based in sex clubs or anything consensual. No, I love a good, hero forces the heroine into all types of sexually uncomfortable, torturous and delicious situations. I love a forceful, rough, treats a woman like he owns her hero.
Lake was just what I needed.
The story of Lily and Lake is a romantic suspense BDSM captive story of PERFECTION. The blurb essentially gives the gist of the plot away, Lily’s father is going to testify against Terrence Randall, one of the most ruthless drug traffickers in North America. Because she can be used as leverage, she has to go into the U.S. Marshal’s Witness Protection Program. Lake Freeman is a mercenary and former Navy SEAL who had his family taken away by Lily’s father’s organization. His job is to escort her until a turn for the worse and plans change.
The forefront of this story is the passionate erotic sex between Lily and Lake. I don’t think I can truly capture in my own words how HOT this masterpiece of orgasmic literature is.
This is my first book from Natasha Knight and my second from Trent Evans. His erotic writing style is so unique and guaranteed to be smoking hot.
The book is written in both first and third POV. It seems that the third person POV, which is written in Trent’s signature style which takes us through Lake’s perspective. Lily’s is told in first person POV. They both blended perfectly. I loved that the authors wrote the story this way. I’ve never read a book written this way before.
If you’re like me and love a dominant hero who forced a heroine to submit while giving her multiple orgasms, then enjoy. -
DNF @ 41%
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Dark.. But a different kind of dark. A new to me author and I’ve never been more pleased to have picked this book to read. I have to be honest I actually almost stopped reading it, Lily got on my nerves so bad, I was way done with her and I wasn’t out of the 3rd Chapter yet. I thought Lake should have been up for saint hood.
A young woman who is for all intent purposes daddy’s princess. Spoiled, stubborn, mouthy and used to getting what she wants. The whole princess thing is about to come to a abrupt end, Lily will find herself on the run... Sins of the father, they say.
For Lake an ex seal with this last contract, he’s done and glad of it. Now all Lake needs to do, to finish this contract is to get a daughter of a informant to the safe house.
It only took a few seconds in each others presence for Lily to act the brat and for Lake to let her know who’s in charge.
When Lily’s continued defiance and willfulness becomes too much for Lake, especially in the situation they are in, he has to teach her to mind somebody, soon the better.
The scenes were wonderfully written, expressing the BDSM elements, the mystery and danger. The main characters personalities you could almost feel their emotions, the inner fight with their-selves on a few occasions was a plus, almost perfect length and flowed well. I look forward to hopefully reading more from the writers. I do recommend it and sure you will enjoy. -
DNF at 55%
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Well ok, the guy kidnapped her to saver her, but after that he was a complete asshole. Not only did he rape her, spank her, frisk her, completely humiliated her, he kept justifying it by saying she asked for it just because she was wet. Does the concept of Consent completely elude Natasha Knight?? And to top it all off he has been hurting the girl claiming that she disrespected him. What did he even do to earn her respect? Kidnap her, cuff her, hurt her, sexually abuse her. Thats some list.
This is not BDSM where both consent to that kind of a relationship. This is rape. Plain and simple. -
4 Scorching Hot Stars! This is truly a dark erotic romance. For a book that comes in under 200 pages, it packs a lot. The story was well told, fast paced without feeling rushed and giving enough detail to not leave the story lacking. The sex is highly erotic & very descriptive. There is BDSM. This story's focus is more on the relationship between the two MC's. Everything else takes a backseat.
All in all, it was very engaging. I look forward to reading more from this author. -
Listening (audio) to Lake was scary but...sexy, he was determined to get Lily to do as he said. Lily did indeed get her fair share of punishment, but there was times that I thought she didn't deserve it. All in all good story and I recommended this book or audio. I have read the e book but listening to it brings out a whole different feeling:))
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I took a chance on this book. Wish I hadn't. Stupid & pointless. This is just a sicko abuse story. Physical & emotional abuse & torture & rape disguised as "dark love story" crap.
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This was good but a little odd. The h was annoying , a feisty spoilt brat who's father is a drug Lord turned state witness so she has to into witness protection. Things go wrong and the H saves her only to treat her as a dog, keeps her in darkness, whips her and starves her.. aww the sign of true love!?
Somewhere along the plot they seem to fall for each other.. nothing will make you fall for someone more then them starving you and dictating when you can wash. I just didn't get this one
