Tag Archives: kidnap

Featured

*REVIEW* – Broken Limits (The Limit Book 3), by Marissa Farrar and S. R. Jones

#RomanticSuspense #ReverseHarem #WhyChoose #DarkRomance

Blurb

It’s all fun and games…until someone gets hurt.

It was meant to be a game. A way of surviving and gaining some money, but somewhere along the line emotions got involved, and I lost all perspective.

They did too. No matter what they might like to pretend, those four troubled men got as swept up in the dangerous allure as I did. They pushed me to my limits and beyond, but I pushed them, too.
One of them couldn’t take it though, and our pact fell apart.

I ran. I ran fast and far but instead of running to safety, I raced straight into the arms of danger.
Who will save me now?

Are they missing me? Do my broken, messed up men think about me as much as I think about them?
My new captor thinks he holds all the cards, but my time on the island has taught me how to play his depraved games, and I will fight with all I have.

My Review

Action packed and emotionally intense conclusion – 5 stars!

Following on from the absolute doozy of an ending in the previous book, I was itching to find out what was in store for Honor and her men. I was not disappointed – Broken Limits is an action-packed and emotionally intense read which kept me on the edge of my seat. To gain maximum enjoyment from the read however, I recommend reading the previous books first.

In this, the final instalment in the trilogy, Honor finds herself held captive. She hopes that her men will realise she is missing and that they are able to rescue her before her old nemesis manages to enact whatever nefarious plan he has in mind for her. Throughout the series I have enjoyed how Honor’s character has grown in strength and it is this strength that is put to the test during the shocking events that play out.

I have also enjoyed the emotional journeys Honor’s men, Asher, Brody, Wilder and Rafferty, have gone on as they come to realise just what Honor means to them. In this book I just loved how they step up to the challenge of her disappearance, whilst grappling with a gamut of emotions and soul searching, including guilt, fear, and anxiety.

The plot is suspenseful and fast-paced, with scenes of violence, non-consent and references to abuse and I was itching for a HEA. It also contains a number of twists, as Honor’s past and that of her men converge before it reaches its satisfying conclusion.

Highly recommended for fans of the genre.

Purchase Links

Amazon UK

Amazon US

Author Links

Marissa Farrar

Facebook

S.R. Jones

Goodreads

Featured

*REVIEW* – RENT GIRL: A DARK MAFIA/CARTEL INTERRACIAL CAPTIVITY ROMANCE, BY NENIA CAMPBELL

#darkromance #interracial #mafiaromance #suspense #captiveromance

Blurb

(He was the one thing she couldn’t run from.)

Beatrice Arsenault has spent the last ten years running. She’s changed her looks and changed her name and lives her life off the books or under the table, constantly looking over her shoulder for the one person she knows is looking back.

(She’s the one thing he could never leave.)

Dominic Xiang is a name that strikes fear into the hearts of hardened criminals. He runs an empire of vice and blood, which he rules with an iron fist. But when he met Beatrice ten years ago, he had just enough of a heart left to break.

(If they don’t bury the past, they’ll bury each other.)

Now he’s found her again, and she’s dancing on the edge of his knife. Whether it cuts her ties or ends her life is all up to him . . .

My Review

Dark, intense and more than a little crazy! 5 stars

Rent Girl by Nenia Campbell is an unapologetic dark read containing Dominic Xiang, a hot but crazy villain with few if ANY redeeming qualities, and Beatrice Arsenault, a troubled heroine whom he sets his sights on. He is the LAST person she needs to be with but unfortunately for her, as soon as he notices her there is no escape. The phrase you can run but you can’t hide certainly came to mind when I read this book!

I love the dark romance genre which allows the writer and reader to delve deep into the psyche of bad men such as Dominic. His world is not a pretty one and this book contains scenes of violence, murder and abuse, not to mention morally questionable behaviour towards the heroine. Although I was shocked at some scenes and at times felt that Beatrice would be better off without Dominic, the author slowly but surely turned it round and as the story progressed my dark heart started cheering this complex couple on. I was SO immersed in the interplay between the couple and the wider characters and plot that I read it in little more than a day.

The book has two timelines, one after the couple first meet and the other ten years later when Beatrice’s luck runs out and Dominic, intent on revenge, finds her once again. Dual timelines do not always work for me, but I found it done really well here and it helped illustrate how the dynamics between the couple changed over time and how they grew as characters.

Beatrice finds herself held captive and consumed by Dominic for much of the read and is revolted by his world. The author does an excellent job of showing us just how deep this revulsion goes. I loved how despite being powerless she stood up to him as much as she could. I enjoyed her character growth and Dominic’s realisation that perhaps she means more to him than he thought.

Just how far will Dominic go when it comes to punishing Beatrice for her deceit? Has he ANY capacity for forgiveness, love, or redemption? Will Beatrice ever be more than the rent girl/whore she sees herself? Can she love a monster? What will happen to her once he grows tired of her, especially given how he deals with his enemies and those who get in his way… These questions and more buzzed around my head during the read.

I couldn’t turn the pages fast enough as the book approached its finale, and I was a quivering mess as various chickens came home to roost for the couple. I loved the ending. It was just perfect.

Recommended for fans of the genre.

Purchase Links

Amazon UK

Amazon US

Author Links

Facebook

Twitter

Goodreads

by

*REVIEW* ~ Shattered Hearts (Bad Blood, book 1) and Broken Minds: A Dark Romance (Bad Blood Book 2), by Marissa Farrar

#darkromance #romanticsuspense #eroticromance #revenge

Book Blurb

She’s the daughter of the man I hate most in the world…

For almost ten years, I’ve been waiting to exact my revenge.

Ten years to allow her to blossom from a child to a woman.

Ten years in which I’ve grown a million-dollar business and built a powerful body to match.

And now my wait is over.

I’ve kidnapped her. Taken her. Made her mine, just as her father did to others before her.

With her sexy body, fierce mind, and sharp mouth…

The one thing I did not expect was to fall for her.

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/42377087-shattered-hearts


Book Blurb

My father is a serial killer.

I didn’t think it possible to hate a man more than I hated him.
That was until the night a different man kidnapped me.
Now I know hate on a whole different level…
Hayden Vale might be rich and devastatingly handsome, but he’s also cruel and dangerous, and he has me handcuffed in the basement of his home on his private island.
He claims to hate me, but I’ve had a taste of him now and I know how he looks at me – with dark desire in his eyes.
He has a plan to use me to get revenge on my father, but what if I manage to use him first…

Get the second book in this brand new dark romance series!

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/42380644-broken-minds

My Review

Compulsive and heart-rending dark romance ~ 5 stars

I loved the premise of this series. After downloading and virtually inhaling the first book, I quickly purchased and read the subsequent instalment. I’m a huge fan of dark romances as I adore the conflict and tension between the protagonists and the journey they embark on as an individual and subsequently as part of a couple. This series certainly has conflict and tension in spades as Hayden, the hero (or rather the anti-hero) abducts Jolie, the heroine in a twisted tale of revenge.

I found the abduction scene and what happened to Jolie chilling and very well done. The reader is kept on their toes with the events that ensue. Hayden is a dark and damaged man. He has no misgivings about using  Jolie to encourage her serial killer father to break out of prison so that he can enact his revenge upon him for the murder of his mother. Indeed, he holds Jolie partly responsible and despises her with a passion.  For Jolie’s part, although she is revolted by what her father has done, she is naturally terrified as to what will happen to her at the hands of this desperate individual who is using her as a pawn to lure her father.

Jolie is certainly in a desperate position – escape from Hayden, who has spent a decade planning his plan for revenge, seems impossible. There are plenty of page-turning and harrowing scenes and I also enjoyed how Hayden and Jolie reflect upon their respective roles as captor and captive and also finding out how the actions of Jolie’s father, a serial killer, cruelly impacted on their lives…

Jolie resolves to use the sexual attraction that exists between them  to help her escape – she has no other option. Jolie is a strong woman and I admired her strength, bravery when faced with the situations Hayden puts her in. Hayden is torn between attraction and hate for his captive and I loved how little by little he comes to see her as a person whom he starts to develop feelings for.

Will Hayden go ahead with his twisted plan of revenge and avoid going to prison himself for his actions? Will he seek to persuade Jolie to have a future with him or does he sees her as purely collateral damage in his quest for revenge? Could Jolie even contemplate a future after all he has subjected her to and plans to do?

Both books end on a cliff hanger and I was impatient to find out what happened next! A great read for fans of dark romance who love damaged heroes and heroines.

Reviewed by Tina Williams

Purchase Links

Amazon UK Amazon US

Amazon UK Amazon US

Connect with the Author

Goodreads
Blog
Facebook

 

 

by

*ARC REVIEW* ~ Taken by the Desert Sheikh (boxed set), Mel Teshco, Cathleen Ross and Christina Phillips

#erotic #romance #kidnap #desertsheikh #arrangedmarriage

Blurb

Three Sheikh brothers, three virgin brides…
The Grand Vizier has a plan to save Qutum…
To prevent a war…three royal brothers must wed

My Review ~ 5 stars

Politics and passion unite in this series of hot romantic reads

I loved this collection of contemporary reads featuring three sexy alpha sheikhs and their reluctant brides. The brothers may have had a western education but the blood and passion of their desert ancestors runs hot in their veins and heats up the pages! Each couple have their own unique journey and differences to settle before their respective HEA is assured as they navigate the complex politics and customs of the brothers’ homeland and the challenges of arranged marriages. I had a lot of fun reading the collection and recommend it to readers who enjoy tales of alpha men and strong females!

Stolen by the Sheikh by Cathleen Ross

London interior designer, Lilly Jones has the perfect job. When she lands an account to do up a mansion in Kensington and an old fort in Qutum, she can’t believe her luck. What she doesn’t know is that she is the piece of the puzzle that will prevent a war. When the commanding and sexy Sheikh Jamal El-Amin pays her bridal price, Lilly refuses to believe it means they are married, but it is legal in Qutum. Lilly must decide to escape or stay.

My Review

Designer Lily is thrilled when she secures a commission to redesign the luxury London home and Qutum fort. However, she feels betrayed when she realises that her client is non other than Sheikh Jamal El-Amin and it has all been an elaborate ruse to trap her into a marriage she does not want. Despite her attraction to him she does not take kindly to being deceived. She resolves to escape, not wanting to remain a prisoner in a country that does not recognise women’s freedoms. Why has she been chosen as his bride? When secrets from her family’s past come to light she may have to reconsider her stance. Will she stay or go? It’s a sexy and entertaining fast paced romance which I lapped up.

Lilly and Jamal are well suited. Lilly is a modern and spirited young woman and Jamal committed to modernising his country’s social agenda. Politics dictates that he seeks Lilly out to marry, putting him in  a situation that goes against his values. However, once he sees Lilly he knows she is perfect for him and he want her like no other woman before, yet he has a battle royal on his hands to convince her to stay!

The Sheikh’s Rebel by Mel Teshco

As the daughter of an indulgent sheikh, Amber Al-Fayed has had everything her heart desires, including a western education. But her perfect life is shattered when insurgents try to overthrow her country, killing Amber’s mother in a mortar attack and forcing Amber and her father into battle. Now Amber will do anything she can to reclaim control…even if that means marrying Zafar El-Amin, a wealthy and formidable neighboring sheikh. Except Zafar isn’t quite as separated from the conflict as she believes.

This is another romantic and passionate read. I loved Amber, the heroine, who is one strong and sassy lady committed to protecting her homeland, so much so that she has been living the life of  soldier to help combat the insurgents who killed her mother. Betrayed by one of her advisors she is stunned to find herself in the hands of Zafar El-Amin, sheikh of a neighbouring country. Rather than dishonour her as she fears, Zafar offers her marriage, which he says will help protect her homeland. Amber will do anything to secure peace for her country and as she finds herself wildly attracted to Zafar she believes the liaison will not prove to be much of a hardship.

However, when evidence comes to light that Zafar is more involved with the insurgents than he led her to believe, she feels betrayed. What future can they have when trust has been compromised? Zafar who is used to being in control finds he has one very angry bride on his hands and their future looks bleak. Another read where I was rooting for the couple’s HEA.

The Sheikh’s Reluctant Princess by Christina Phillips

He claimed her body, but can he capture her heart?

The last thing Tariq El-Amin wants to do is marry, but duty is everything and his country requires an heir. A political marriage is all he expects–until he hunts down his unwilling bride and duty becomes pleasure. But he soon discovers Princess Sofia has no intention of being a meek and obedient wife, and Tariq must make a tough choice if he wants to win the heart of his reluctant princess.

Sparks certainly fly between Tariq-El-Amin and Princess Sofia. They get off to far from a stellar start. Sofia is an independent young woman and has her future mapped out and it certainly does not include a husband, especially one from a country where women’s rights fall far behind those in the West and where her sole purpose is to be little more than a brood mare for her aristocratic husband. I enjoyed the growing relationship between the couple, as they navigate their differences and there are some super hot passionate scenes!

Yet although the couple are most definitely compatible in the bedroom Tariq’s behaviour  in his homeland is far from Sofia’s liking and the couple have a lot of soul searching and compromising to do if their relationship is to last. Can Tariq change his ways or will he lose his new bride? Their romance is far from plain sailing and I definitely enjoyed their journey as Sofia chafes at the controls Tariq puts on her and Tariq seeks to both accommodate her and protect her from harm, whilst ensuring that his people love and respect her as much as he does.

Reviewed by Tina Williams

Please note that an ARC of this book was given to me for the purpose of a fair and honest review.

Connect with the Authors

Mel:        Facebook    Twitter

Christina: Facebook    Twitter

Cathleen: Facebook   Twitter 

Purchase Links

Amazon      Amazon UK

 

by

*REVIEW* ~ Along Came The Rain, by Alison R. Solomon

#suspense #psychological #thriller #womensfiction #lesbian

Blurb

Wynn Larimer would be the first to admit she has a bad memory and that lately it’s been getting worse. But that doesn’t explain how she has ended up in jail, accused of kidnapping two teenage foster kids. Now she’s in the fight of her life to clear her name. Her burning question: who has framed her and why?
Wynn’s partner, Barker, is hanging by an emotional thread. Not only are the missing girls her social work clients, but to make matters worse, her beloved Wynn seems to be losing her mind. How can she ensure the girls are brought to safety while dealing with a partner who is increasingly scattered?

Wynn and Barker must race to uncover the truth before Wynn is charged with a serious crime that could imprison her for years. But what will happen to their relationship when both discover things about each other that will change their lives forever?

My Review

Twists and turns a plenty ~ 4 sand a half stars

There’s twists and turns a plenty in this page turning psychological thriller from Alison R. Solomon. It is the author’s debut novel and she has done an excellent job in creating a suspenseful read which kept me on my toes and guessing until the end.

Wynn is shocked when she is accused of kidnapping two teenage foster children. There is no question of her innocence in her own mind. However, when the police produce a series of evidence which points to her guilt, she begins to feel a net closing in on her, a net of someone else’s making. Can she prove to them and to her partner Barker that she had nothing to do with the crime? With issues round her memory loss that appear to be worsening she battles against the odds to gather evidence that the police may have overlooked as the fate of the girls hangs in the balance. Meanwhile her partner Barker, a social worker to the two girls, struggles to prove Wynn’s innocence whilst maintaining her own and Wynn’s sanity.

Barker and Wynn are a loving couple: Barker a social worker, well thought of by her colleagues and clients, and Wynn the homemaker  trying to get her jewellery making business off the ground. They have a good life together but will their relationship survive? Has Wynn been framed and if so why? In the course of their efforts to uncover the truth revelations about their respective pasts come to life and they will have to live with the consequences, that is if they can prove Wynn’s innocence and keep her out of jail.

I was gripped as Wynn struggles to clear her name whilst grappling with her own issues around memory loss. The author tackles this issue in a knowledgeable and sensitive way as she does with other issues explored in the read: dementia, memory loss, mental health, abuse and aging. The trials and tribulations of the foster system are also explored in the book and again this is done in a knowledgeable and insightful fashion.

The novel is cleverly written, with different POV and timelines and I was totally gobsmacked at how the plot unravelled. Recommended for lovers of a suspenseful read.

Reviewed by Tina Williams

Please note a copy of this nook was given to me by the author for the purpose of a fair and honest review.

Amazon UK  Amazon US

Connect with the Author

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/15095074.Alison_R_Solomon