Hold

Hold

3.95 of 5 stars 3.95  ·  rating details  ·  575 ratings  ·  49 reviews
Hold Zannie Adams Convicted by the Coalition of a minor crime, Riana is sentenced to life on a prison planet-no order, no safety, just a primitive hold filled with criminals vying for dominance. The only way Riana can survive is to give herself to the strongest man there in return for protection. By desperate instinct, she chooses a mysterious, handsome loner named Cain. S...more
ebook, 138 pages
Published November 2nd 2007 by Ellora's Cave (first published 2007)
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Community Reviews

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Dina
Gasp, this steamy novella from EC has a plot!!! Is it the end of the world as we know it? LOL!

From the book blurb:

Convicted by the Coalition of a minor crime, Riana is sentenced to life on a prison planet - no order, no safety, just a primitive hold filled with criminals vying for dominance. The only way Riana can survive is to give herself to the strongest man there in return for protection. By desperate instinct, she chooses a mysterious, handsome loner named Cain. She offers him her body and
...more
Caroline
At first I was like "OH NO, I think this will not have much of a plot and no realistic and believable character development because at first it went like Riana got convicted on some 'insignificant crime' then dropped off in the prison planet HOLD, someone advised her she must get the strongest guy to protect her form the 'horrible animals(prisoners)' at Hold but in exchange of that she must give the man she chose 'sexual pleasure and she saw Cain, they had like a 'mutual understanding' of some...more
Noelle
This is the first book by Zannie Adams that I've read and I'm not sure if I would read anymore. I know this is an erotic romance but there was just way too much sex and not enough story,imo. I never thought I would ever say that though. lol

This story takes place in the future and off planet. They are in another galaxy.

Riana (h) is an archaeologist and while on a dig, she trespasses on the wrong land and is arrested and thrown into the Hold. The Hold is the prison system where the prisoners are...more
Audrie Cruz-Sealey
Ok…first get past the cover…I think it is awful. I am thinking this is a cheesy erotic novel but it was in my recommendations so I thought I would give it a try.

This is totally an erotica but it has a really good story line…very interesting.

So this book is set in the future where there are many planets that are inhabited. In this galaxy…trespassing is the same crime level as murder. A crime is a crime. All prisoners go to a prison planet…All prisoners, male or female.

Riana is an archeologist wh...more
Obsessed with book smex
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.
Meagan
"Find the strongest man there. Give yourself to him in return for protection. It's the only way you'll ever survive."

When I bought this one I just needed something to stir me out of my reading funk and give me something different from my usual reads...and this one did just that.

"Convicted by the Coalition of a minor crime, Riana is sentenced to life on a prison planet-no order, no safety, just a primitive hold filled with criminals vying for dominance. The only way Riana can survive is to give
...more
Claire
Originally posted at http://clairesbookcorner.blogspot.com...

Hold is a Science Fiction Romance by author Zannie Adams and tells the story of Riana who has been convicted of a minor crime and is sentenced to life imprisonment on the prison plant Genus 6. The Hold as it is known is a prison located under the poisonous sea of Genus 6 where no one escapes from. The Hold is a mixed gender open prison with very few lockable cells. The prisoners are thrown together and fight amongst themselves for food...more
Carolyn F.
Wow, I've been on a run of really good books and this one is right up there, just ignore the cover.


In this future you are sent to prison for life for everything from trespassing to murder. Riana is sent because although she had permission to perform an archeological dig, she went outside the authorized area. She's told when she gets to the prison, where it's pretty much a dumping ground where the prisoners have control of their cells that she should find the strongest man she can and have him t...more
Paula
This story was so enthralling I couldn't even put it down. To finish reading the story was was almost an obsession it seemed. Of course when it did end I was disappointed because I didn't want it to end. Riana was told to give herself(as in sex slave) to the strongest guy in the hold for protection after being accused of committing a minor infraction of the company she worked for's rules and was thrown into their prison for life. She almost made the wrong choice but this big loner named Cain fou...more
Jacqueline
It was okay but I was somewhat disappointed. The sci fi element was not very strong. There was a lot of sex and I'm not against sex scenes in their place but here they overwhelmed the story. I think the author missed the boat on making the hold so dark. It was so stark and bare down there that there wasn't much for our hero and heroine to do so the story lacked any real action plot. I did like the realism of the hero going ahead and "doing" the heroine right off the bat instead of being some nob...more
Deb
The hero's character is by far the most intriguing. **spoilers** He's a good guy in a bad place, a prison hold. Makes me think of an apocalyptic world, but it's not. It's a survival of the fittest. Rena is a woman unprepared to deal with the horrible place she finds herself in. She will be dead in a weak if she doesn't find someone to be her protector. She choose Cain, the loner, and finds the man of her dreams--not at first. he may not seem like a good guy in the beginning. But he is.

Real lust...more
A.C. Nixon
This book was darker than most, but it truly sucked me in. Set a futuristic prison planet where it's every inmate for herself; what's a girl to do? Find the strongest man there and have him protect you. Our heroine Riana is forced to make her choice within a few seconds of her arrival if she plans to live through the night.

After her decision, we watch her deal with it's consequences. It was interesting that this story was from her p.o.v. without any concrete insight to Cain's feelings until the...more
Janna
Nov 15, 2009 Janna rated it 4 of 5 stars
Shelves: sf, m-f
I’m not a regular reader of futuristic or scifi romances, so reading Hold was a rare experience for me. I let a few blogreviews seduce me to try this book and I must admit that it wasn’t a bad read, really not bad at all! The story is situated on a prison planet, were Riana is sentenced to because of a minor crime. Prisoners are always sentenced for life in this futuristic world and life on the prison planet is very primitive where only the fittest can survive. Life is especially hard on women a...more
Sara
This was a very interesting read for me. It went beyond an erotic romance novel. It showed what happed when there is a total breakdown of rules and society amongst people. When we are forced to live like animals and only the strong survive. It was chilling to believe that people can degrade to that level of depravity.
The story line between Cain and Riana was intense and very hot. I understood Riana she was only trying to survive and Cain was her means of survival. Lucky for her he treated her go...more
Elaine
I didn't know quite what to expect when I found this book floating around on my Kindle, acquired months ago. I read it without checking on the plot.

Far ahead in the future, Riana, an archaeologist is given a life sentence for trespassing, to be served on a planet Genus 6, in "The Hold" where the authorities throw criminals together, in a kill or be killed type of dangerous environment. She is warned to find the strongest male and give herself to him for protection.

She spots Cain, who appears to...more
Baywin
I'm pleasantly surprised. I found this book on the 'read' bookshelf of the SFR group. EC sometimes comes out with titles I enjoy - Anne Calhoun's "Liberating Lacey" comes to mind. This one did not resonant as strongly with me emotionally, but it was well done all the same.

The plot is one I've seen before in Alianne Donnelly's "Blood Moons" what with the whole idea of a romance developing within the confines of a prison cell. It's been a while since I read "Blood Moons" but from what I can recall...more
Starry
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.
Melanie
Apart from being too short (I would have loved to read more!!) I thoroughly enjoyed this little book. While 'Hold' is most definitely classified as erotica, this story actually had, well a story to go with all those deliciously naughty bits.

There's no prologue to give us any background on the characters, instead Zannie Adams throws us directly into a futuristic sci-fi tale of a defenseless woman, Riana, being dropped off on a harsh prison planet to serve a term of life-sentence for a petty crime...more
Krows Solitude
Firstly I really dislike short stories. I feel cheated on anything less than 200 pages, Hold was quite a bit less than that, but its summary really grabbed me so I made an exception. I'm glad I did.

As short as it was it was absolutely the right length. There were parts I would call raunchy and vulgar, yet they were necessary to convey the horror and desperation of the scene. There were no wasted words and descriptions, the characters were believable and raw and the way they behaved reacted was b...more
Nina
I really liked this book, even though I don't often read futuristic. The hero is head over heels, protective, caring and hot. It's a novella with a HEA. the story: the h gets thrown in jail after a minor offense in a future society. She seeks out the strongest man she feels drawn to in order to trade sex for protection. They become caring companions as well as hot lovers. There is no privacy in this dungeon type jail, so be prepared for some voyeurism.
Vanessa Jaye
4.5. I have quibbles, and was actually going to give this a 3.5 but the story/characters have really stayed with me, enough that i started re-reading it. The prison setting is unique for a romance and something I didn't realize was a hook for me.

There's a a lot of sexxoring going on and I can see why some readers are disappointed the plot might not have progressed as much as they'd hoped because of it, but I was okay with it, even if I did agree to a point.
Netanella
Thank you, Ms. Adams, for writing this book! In my humble estimation, a near perfect futuristic erotica with all the right elements - fluid writing skills, romantic alpha male who's not an ass, spunky heroine who's neither stuck up nor stupid, solid plot line reminiscent of "escape from new york", a futuristic world that's not simply a backdrop for the sex, and of course steamy hot sex scenes that are neither too graphic nor too stilted.

Awesomesauce all around.
Carisa
The premise of this novella seemed different, a new author for me, well, I just went for it not expecting much for an erotic story, and it turned out to be a very nice read, in spite of the lack of hero POV and the easy getaway.
HERO was protective and introverted but is difficult to categorize since the reader never gets into his thoughts or his past.
SCENES/CONTENT: many/erotic
GENRE/TONE: futuristic/drama
LENGHT: 128 pages
Mara
I'm pleasantly surprised. Once in a blue moon an Ellora Cave imprint has actually a plot (well, more than usually present in erotica ).

I enjoyed this title, even if the story is something I read in other futuristic romance books, like Dark Solstice.

Thanks Melanie for the review.
S&M’s Book Obsessions
First let’s get past the cover together that’s making this book look like a cheesy erotic novel….

WOW…. That was way better than I thought it was going to be. This novel starts off violent and gets very dark at times. That being said, I don’t want to push you away if you’re not into dark but this is still very much a romance book. The hero is the dark, sexy, and dangerous loner that everyone stays the fuck away from. The heroine is very likable and stronger than I expected her to be. The story ha...more
K
4.5 stars

Pretty darn near perfect with the exception of the author's tendency towards repetition and the highly unbelievable breakout scenario. I still loved it and enjoyed the unique premise unlike I've read before. The characters were likable and believable. Cain is one yummy gamma male. I recommend reading this one if you're looking for a quick, hot read.
Sandra
I really enjoyed this novella, it reminded me of the beginning of the second Chronicles of Riddick movie. But be forewarned, it's more Erotica than Sci-Fi Romance. The science fiction element is very light and really just to set up this prison world they are on. I liked the realistic and gritty quality both to the the Hold itself and to their relationship. Cain wasn't the perfect selfless alpha hero, which I loved. I did feel like some of the ending was a little too easy though. (view spoiler)[T...more
SubterraneanCatalyst  ; I Will Always Read
Brutal and gritty and at first I was not liking that atmosphere. It reminds me of the prison from The Chronicles of Riddick. I liked both Riana and Cain and their interaction felt honest and realistic. This is a simple but good story. Only caveat is that it was too short (my usual issue with shorter books/stories).
Starapple
This was good. I really liked it a lot as it ticked many of my boxes. Difficult situations, space (Universe), doom and gloom, some hot erotica, action.... Yay!!!

Good story line, good plot. I felt like I was there taking part. Feeling connected to the characters.

Good stuff.
Stacey
Loved this one! Total alpha hero with a heroine who was tough and did what she had to do. Loved the slow build of feelings and the action at the end was well written. Very good if you are looking for a romance in a completely different setting.
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Sci-Fi Romance: Nov BOM: Hold by Zannie Adams 34 44 Nov 22, 2011 10:44am  
Hold (Kindle Edition)
2885331
Zannie Adams writes, reads, caters to her chocolate-brown cocker spaniel, and watches cooking shows on television. She has lived in eight different states, had far too much graduate-level education, and generally done her best not to settle down. She has been writing novels all her life, but only recently did she begin to write erotic romances--a genre that has allowed her to explore her love of b...more
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