Review: Captive In The Dark by CJ Roberts

Book: Captive In The Dark
The Dark Duet #1
Author: CJ Roberts
Dark Erotica, BDSM

Blurb:

Caleb is a man with a singular interest in revenge. Kidnapped as a young boy and sold into slavery by a power-hungry mobster, he has thought of nothing but vengeance. For twelve years he has immersed himself in the world of pleasure slaves searching for the one man he holds ultimately responsible. Finally, the architect of his suffering has emerged with a new identity, but not a new nature. If Caleb is to get close enough to strike, he must become the very thing he abhors and kidnap a beautiful girl to train her to be all that he once was.



Eighteen-year-old Olivia Ruiz has just woken up in a strange place. Blindfolded and bound, there is only a calm male voice to welcome her. His name is Caleb, though he demands to be called Master. Olivia is young, beautiful, naïve and willful to a fault. She has a dark sensuality that cannot be hidden or denied, though she tries to accomplish both. Although she is frightened by the strong, sadistic, and arrogant man who holds her prisoner, what keeps Olivia awake in the dark is her unwelcome attraction to him.



WARNING: This book contains very disturbing situations, dubious consent, strong language, and graphic violence.

This story draws you in right away. From the first page, you just want to know more and to keep reading. You will want to understand Caleb and you will worry for Livvie. You won't be able to help yourself. It's inevitable. Don't fight it, just read it. The character development was great - you learn about both Caleb and Livvie in stages, it's like peeling an onion. Beautifully done. The backstory was rich as well, with lots of twists and turns and details. 

Caleb is a complex character. He's, obviously, not a nice guy. He does some awful things and there are times when you will just hate him. But then there are times when you're just not so sure.. Is he really evil? Is he going to do all those awful things he promised? Can he stay true to his original mission or will he ultimately help Livvie get out of this deadly situation he put her in? You just don't know. You have to read it to find out. 

Livvie's character is no less complex. She starts out as a naive 18 year old who is thrown into every woman's worst nightmare - being abducted by a sexual predator, facing possible torture, not knowing what is in store for her. Knowing only one thing for sure - that she is in danger. What I really liked about Livvie is that while she's young and naive and scared, she was never annoying about it. There was never a moment where I was like, oh shut up already! Quit whining. Never, not one moment. And she had some serious cause to lose her mind and get all whiney and annoying. But she never did that. When she felt despair, it was compelling and I felt it right along with her. She had this quiet strength that she had to dig deep to bring to the surface, but she did that. She was smart and resourceful and did what she had to do to survive. 

Captive In The Dark is the first part of the Dark Duet, you have to read Seduced In The Dark to know how the story ends. This story was powerful, it was sexy and heartbreaking. It was the kind of story that makes you questions your sanity when you start to root for the most unlikely characters. It is the kind of story that draws you in and makes your heart pound with excitement and with fear. If you're looking for a story that will make you FEEL then I highly recommend it! Definitely five burning books, five stars, five whatever! That good. 

Purchase Link:

amazon

Skye Warren is in The Hot Seat Today!

Today I'm excited to launch my new interview section! Skye Warren was very brave and let me put her in The Hot Seat! *dum dum dum*

In case you've been living under a rock and don't already know about Skye Warren and her latest release, Wanderlust, here is a brief bio: 

Skye Warren writes unapologetic erotica, where pain and sex and love collide. She has been called “a true mistress of dark and twisted erotica” and her dark erotica series has reached the bestseller lists at Amazon and been a Night Owl Reviews Top Pick.

And, of course, you should check out my review of Wanderlust here. 

Here we go - in The Hot Seat with Skye Warren:

How did you come up with your pen name? Does it have special meaning or do you just like the sound of it?

Skye - Hi, Haydee! Thanks for having me.

I definitely have a bit of a fetish about the sky and open places. It sometimes comes out in my books but never more than Wanderlust, which is all about exploring. At the same time, dark erotica is about captivity, about dark spaces. A rabit’s warren that Alice falls into. So if I just so happen to transmit subconscious messages about the dichotomy of freedom, that’s cool. :-)

Haydee - This is sooo why I ask this question! I love finding out these things.

What inspired you to write dark erotica?

Skye - I have always been fascinated by sex and consent, by captivity and power. I could read dark and serious thrillers that delved into psychological games and redemption. Or I could read romantic erotica and BDSM played by the book. But I never found these elements together until dark erotica. Even now, it’s a small genre, but it’s growing fast.

Tell us something about you that is unexpected. 

Skye - I’m not sure if this is unexpected or not, but even though I write about dubious consent, there is no one who will fight for victim’s rights and fight against victim shaming more. I know some people see those as opposing views, like if I write about violence then I must condone it in real life. But real life victims have the least rights in a society where we aren’t allowed to talk about sex or explore taboo subjects. Dark erotica is more than just a “guilty pleasure” that we read in secret but disavow in the light. It’s an expression of intellectual and sexual freedom that wouldn’t exist in more oppressive societies.

Sorry I got a little serious there. I guess that was unexpected… :-)

When you're not writing, what do you enjoy to read?

Skye - Why, dark erotica, of course! I also enjoy more standard erotica, BDSM fiction, suspense, and romance. I will curl up with a lovely Regency and lose myself. It’s funny because both Annabel Joseph and I have a total crush on Carla Kelly. Her books are so sweet! And we are… very dirty girls :-)

How do you deal with negative reviews? 

Skye - The truth is, I mostly don’t read them. In fact, I try not to read too many positive or any kind of reviews at all, though the temptation to read a rave review still gets me. The reason why is because it puts my mind into a public state of mind. So when I then open up my manuscript and start typing, I’m also thinking about how people are going to receive this. What will reviewer X have to say about this? But that’s not the way to produce a good book, so I try to limit that. Don’t get me wrong, I’ll take praise any day of the week. But when we get into the nitty gritty of what plot point worked for her or her, that’s when I have to step back.

You have a new release out - Wanderlust, which I read, loved, and reviewed - how is Wanderlust different from your other works?

Skye - Wanderlust is my first dark erotica book outside my “Dark Erotica” series. The series has a thriller element that I personally love, but I enjoyed stepping away from that with Wanderlust. There are certain tense moments… but ultimately it’s more of a psychological character study than a suspense novel. And maybe a romance.

That part trips me up. How is Wanderlust different from my other books? It’s the first one where I didn’t use the “Romance” category in Amazon. Even though the emotional journey and connection between Evie and Hunter is SO vital to the book, I felt that the very real act of kidnapping precluded a romance genre designation.

You've said that Hunter is your darkest hero yet - did that make this book harder or easier for you to write? and why? 

Skye - This book was so easy to write for the first half. I enjoyed the hell out of it. Then I stopped. And realized everyone would hate, hate, hate this book. I mean, Hunter coerced her! He kidnapped her! Who could love this monster? But I finished it, still enjoying the act of writing but having serious trepidation about publishing this book. Unlike my past books, I scheduled no blog tour, really did no promotions at all. I just figured I’d gone too far and I had to be okay with that.

I released the book on a Monday. By Tuesday it was on the Amazon Erotica Bestseller list. Since then it has climbed up to #16 on that list. Many lovely reviews from amazing bloggers like Haydee, though she was my first ;-) And I’ve just been completely full of awe and gratitude. As an author, the most incredible thing is when readers see your vision and appreciate it for what it is, and that definitely happened here.

Haydee - Ooh, I was your first, that sounds so dirty! I kind of love it a little bit.

What was your favorite scene to write in Wanderlust? 

Skye - The motel scene. You know what I’m talking about if you read the book :-) It happens pretty early on.

Haydee - The scene that should come with a warning about keeping fresh batteries handy? Haha! 

Which scene was the least favorite to write?

Skye - The scene in the tent where Hunter tells Evie about a loss of friendship in his life. I think a good, true friendship can be as strong as a romance, a platonic version of true love, so the pain of losing it is very real.

What can we expect to see from you next? and, of course, since we're all impatient - when?

Skye - I’ve had a free erotic romance story out, Beauty Touched the Beast, that has received the most requests for a sequel. I’m excited to finally deliver on that with a series of serials that will be released over the summer, starting with Beneath the Beauty at the end of May. If you haven’t read Beauty Touched the Beast yet, you can grab it free from Amazon here.

Then I have the final book in my Dark Erotica series due out at the end of this year. The hero of that is Carlos, who was the villain in the earlier books and is, according to everyone, irredeemable. So that will be fun :-)

Thank you, Haydee, for having me! And to you all for reading. If you want to hit me up, I’m on twitter here and Facebook here.


You can also follow Skye on Goodreads or check out her website here.

Blurb:

Can love come from pain?

Evie always dreamed of seeing the world, but her first night at a motel turns into a nightmare. Hunter is a rugged trucker willing to do anything to keep her—including kidnapping. As they cross the country in his rig, Evie plots her escape, but she may find what she’s been looking for right beside her.

Wanderlust is a dark erotic novel which explores dubious consent, captivity, and power play. Not intended for those uncomfortable with the subject matter or under eighteen.

Excerpt:

“The man over there has paid for your meal. He’d like to join you.”

I blinked, not really understanding. The gentleness of her voice unnerved me. More than guilt—pity.

“I’m sorry.” I fumbled with the words. “I’ve already eaten. I’m done.”

“You have food left on your plate. Doesn’t matter how much you want to eat anyway.” She paused and then carefully strung each word along the sentence. “He requests the pleasure of your company.”

My heart sped up, the first stirrings of fear.

I supposed I should feel flattered, and I did, in a way. He was a handsome man, and he’d noticed me. Of course, I was the only woman around besides the waitress, so it wasn’t a huge accomplishment. But I wasn’t prepared for fielding this kind of request. Was this a common thing, to pay for another woman’s meal?

It was a given that I should say no. Whatever he wanted from me, I couldn’t give him, so it was only a question of letting him down nicely.

“Please tell him thank you for the offer. I appreciate it, I do. But you see, I really am finished with my meal and pretty tired, so I’m afraid it won’t be possible for him to join me. Or to pay for my meal. In fact, I’d like the check, please.”

Her lips firmed. Little lines appeared between her brows, and with a sinking feeling I recognized something else: fear.

“Look, I know you aren’t from around here, but that there is Hunter Bryant.” When I didn’t react to the name, her frown deepened. “Here’s a little advice from one woman to another. There are some men you just don’t say no to. Didn’t your mama ever warn you about men like that?”

Purchase Links:

amazon

Barnes & Noble

All Romance

Review: Mafia Captive by Kitty Thomas

Book: Mafia Captive

Author: Kitty Thomas

Dark Erotic Romance, BDSM

Review copy provided by author in exchange for an honest review.

Anyone notice a dark erotica theme happening here? Yeah me too. I need to read something with rainbows and unicorns next. 

Blurb:

Faith Jacobson was in the wrong place at the wrong time. After witnessing a mob hit, she’s only moments from death when Angelo Raspallo decides to give his brother an unlikely gift.

Leo has avoided involvement with the family business, but it doesn't make him a saint. He’s troubled and ashamed by his darker sexual desires, one of which is to own a slave. But when his brother throws Faith at his feet, repainting the scenario to make Leo the hero rescuing her from certain death, his moral fortitude will be tested. If Faith were kinky, it would be easy to live out his fantasy, but she’s not—not even a little bit. Even the mildest spanking sparks terror in her that Leo can’t bear.

The gift soon becomes a burden as he fights with himself over how to handle the addition to his home. He could release her, but his brother doesn't do loose ends. The only thing keeping her out of the bottom of the harbor is Leo’s mercy. She’s like a beautiful piece of art he keeps in a glass case but can never touch. Is possessing her enough?

Author’s Note: Mafia Captive has more of a love theme than many other Kitty titles, though the work is still quite psychologically dark. Readers may also notice a “new adult” flavor as Faith is just out of college and trying to find her place in the world when she is thrust into Leo’s life and home.

Mafia Captive held me captive from page one through to the end. I could not put this book down. Kitty Thomas understands how to engage her audience and keep their attention. She also knows how to accomplish a good mind fuck. I did not expect this book to be a mind fuck, but the twist at the end and the prologue... it really messes with your head. I will say no more on that subject, you will have to read the book to know what I'm talking about. 

"To own a human being was the driving need that underscored everything else."

Faith is a young innocent who ends up being held captive by Leo through a series of unfortunate events. She witnessed Angelo off someone in an alley and instead of killing her, he decides to gift her to his brother, Leo. Both Faith and Leo are very interesting characters and there's quite a dichotomy going on with both of them. Faith, on the surface, appears weak because of her innocence, youth, and never ending fear. Underneath all that fear and angst, however, is an intellect and inner strength that surprises everyone, including herself. 

"Leo had hoped the reminder of his sin would keep him on the straight and narrow, but there were too many roads that wound around him, all leading into Hell."

We're all familiar with the saying "the road to hell is paved with good intentions." That's Leo in a nutshell. He makes decisions with the intention of causing the least amount of pain and damage and (you guessed it!) ends up causing a hell of a lot of pain and damage. Including to himself. He takes Faith from Angelo to save her life, but essentially puts her in a glass cage. Then he proceeds to make a lot of other bad decisions that I will not disclose, because it'll spoil it. I think you get the point, though... one bad decision leads to another and that leads to pain. But as flawed as Leo is and as many bad decisions as he makes, I couldn't hate him. His intentions were good. He was ultimately good. I did get the urge to slap him around, but I got cured of that pretty quickly. He's too good at devising punishments, and not just for others, but for himself, as well.

"Did a personal judgement on the value of one set of chemical reactions over another make one empirically better or more real than the rest?"

The source of most of the angst for both Leo and Faith is the sex - Leo is a Dominant and Sadist and will not compromise on that with his sexual partners. Faith is not a masochist and is terrified of what Leo might do to her. Throughout the book, we go through Faith's journey of self discovery where she learns what is important to her and what she is willing to sacrifice to have what she wants. And Leo's constant inner battle of right and wrong, guilt and pleasure, trying to be merciful while getting his needs met.

"Pleasure toys are for pleasure."

While the sex was a prevalent theme (source of the angst and most of the issues), this was not a sex heavy book. There was lots of drama and emotional upheavals and a great portrayal of the psychological journey that both Leo and Faith took throughout the book. The story flow was great and, as always, Kitty Thomas' writing was very good. I have a minor complaint about a scene at the end where Leo and Faith experience a pivotal moment together that is very significant for their relationship - I really wished that there would have been more detail there. I would have wanted it to be a slightly bigger deal, but that did not take away from my overall enjoyment of the book.  

"It had been forged in the fires of betrayal and redemption, of suffering and pleasure and secret moments below ground."

If I could choose one quote to summarize this book, this one would be it. There were all these things in the story, and more. Usually, when I finish a romance, I get the warm fuzzies. It's romantic and lovely and happily ever after. But this is Kitty Thomas, so, of course, I was left with many conflicting emotions at the end. I'll list them, but I won't tell you why I felt them, because (same as above) spoilers. I was relieved and happy and vindicated. Queasy, sad, and somewhat regretful. And, possibly, most importantly, hopeful.

So there you have it, ladies and gentlemen. Kitty Thomas never does simple, straight forward erotica. You have to think and feel things in order to enjoy her books. It's dark and conflicted, with a heavy dose of struggles. But it's also hopeful and realistic, with a splash of love. If you want a fulfilling reading experience, you know, a roller coaster that takes you through all possible emotions on the spectrum - go read Mafia Captive. 

Purchase Link:

amazon