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Lethal Obsession #2
Caged
Christian St. James Davenport is a prisoner. He has spent his entire life imprisoned within a gilded cage; trapped by his parents’ wealth, by his own secrets, and by the fear of his abusive ex-lover, Dwight.
Lucca Renaldo is the darkly exotic, older man who will show Christian what it truly means to be free, but not before Dwight returns to reclaim what he believes is his.
Lucca Renaldo is the darkly exotic, older man who will show Christian what it truly means to be free, but not before Dwight returns to reclaim what he believes is his.
302 pages, Nook
First published September 27, 2010
7 people are currently reading
234 people want to read
About the author
Michele L. Montgomery
15 books78 followersI live my life believing. I believe that all of us can do anything we want to do. I believe that each goal we set for ourselves can be met if we strive to meet that goal, no matter what bumps we have to jump over to attain it.
I don't believe in fear I believe in the power of love.
Fear has the power to stop me, to control me and lead me to failure.
Love has the power to guide me over the most difficult of mountains with a smile on my face and a rush of warmth in my heart.
I'm a writer at heart, I love to tell stories and though most of what comes out of my imagination can appear a little off the beaten path, that's because it is.
Though all of my stories contain romance to a point, there's a lot more angst, D/s, sometimes off the wall characters who know love and romance doesn't always happen overnight and it can be a struggle to find the right person for them. So, if angst, drama, a bit of D/s mixed in with romance isn't your thing, then I probably won't be either.
I am bringing something different to the table with my stories and I hope you enjoy them.
If you'd like to get the know the characters from the Lethal Obsession series please visit and join: http://lethalobsession.blogspot.com/?...
You can also find me at: http://top2bottomreviews.wordpress.com/
I don't believe in fear I believe in the power of love.
Fear has the power to stop me, to control me and lead me to failure.
Love has the power to guide me over the most difficult of mountains with a smile on my face and a rush of warmth in my heart.
I'm a writer at heart, I love to tell stories and though most of what comes out of my imagination can appear a little off the beaten path, that's because it is.
Though all of my stories contain romance to a point, there's a lot more angst, D/s, sometimes off the wall characters who know love and romance doesn't always happen overnight and it can be a struggle to find the right person for them. So, if angst, drama, a bit of D/s mixed in with romance isn't your thing, then I probably won't be either.
I am bringing something different to the table with my stories and I hope you enjoy them.
If you'd like to get the know the characters from the Lethal Obsession series please visit and join: http://lethalobsession.blogspot.com/?...
You can also find me at: http://top2bottomreviews.wordpress.com/
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Displaying 1 - 29 of 29 reviews
October 31, 2010
Christian St. James Davenport has everything a young gay man could ask for. He has been raised in a very welcoming and affirming atmosphere, parented by two fathers who are in an openly gay married relationship. In many ways he has been spoiled and pampered by his affluent and often overprotective dads. Yet in spite of all Christian’s blessings, his life is still lacking something. He still yearns for something more, and the secret of this yearning is something he harbors deep within himself.
When Christian is in high school, he begins a relationship with another young man who taps into these unspoken desires. Dwight recognizes the truly submissive nature of young Christian, and it doesn’t take long for Dwight to claim the boy as his own. The relationship is short-lived, however, because Christian does not respond well to the abuse which the dominant Dwight likes to dole out.
Ultimately Christian meets and falls in love with Lucca, and the couple share a beautiful and mutually beneficial conventional gay relationship. Lucca is a bit older than Christian, and he provides his lover guidance and protection, but he is by no means his dominator or Master. In fact, Lucca has no idea that Christian craves these sorts of things. Lucca does not know that Christian longs for control and structure and that he possesses an innate desire to submit.
It is shortly after Christian’s twenty-first birthday that Christian’s life is drastically and abruptly changed forever. While on a shopping expedition with his father Nicholas, Christian is abducted by kidnappers and transported to an undisclosed location. He suddenly awakens and finds himself in a prison—a dungeon it appears, and his captor is none other than his ex-boyfriend Dwight.
Christian’s parents and his lover Lucca begin the process of locating their missing loved one. Diligently they launch a massive search effort, employing the help of government agents Tony and Ryan (who were introduced in Montgomery’s first novel, Tony and Ryan). In spite of their exhaustive efforts, they do not immediately track down Christian’s assailants, and thus they cannot determine the boy’s whereabouts. In fact, they don’t know if he is even alive.
Christian’s incarceration proves to be a harrowing experience. Sadistic Dwight keeps him imprisoned in a steel cage and unleashes unthinkable abuse upon the vulnerable young sub. He repeatedly beats and rapes him, deprives him of food and water, and subjects him to horrendous humiliation and torture.
In a climactic scene, Christian finally is rescued, by none other than his own lover Lucca. It would seem that at this point all would return to normal, and there would be a happy ending. Sadly, such is not the case, for at this stage the story is not even half over. Christian is devastated by the events he has endured. He doesn’t even seem to be the same sweet boy he was before the kidnapping. He suffers horrible flashbacks and nightmares, and he begins to rebel against the fathers who love him so dearly.
When Lucca tries to reunite with Christian, the boy rebuffs him. He will not even talk to the man who saved him, but instead Christian begins to go down a path of horrendous self destruction. He begins using drugs and partying, and he becomes incredibly promiscuous.
Finally, Paul and Nicholas, Christian’s fathers, reach out to Lucca, and they ask for his help. Lucca agrees to intervene, and he does so in a very dramatic way. He kidnaps the boy again!
Will Lucca be able to break through Christian’s resistance? Will he be able to convince the boy to open up to him? Will he be able to uncover the terrible secrets that Christian harbors within his heart? And most significantly, will he be able to be for the boy the Master that he truly needs?
Without pretense I admit that I am a personal friend of the author, Michele Montgomery. My opinion of her work, however, has not been affected by this relationship. This story is by far the most spectacular effort to-date on her part. It is a story which moved me emotionally, excited me, and kept me on the edge of my seat. The writing itself is a noticeable evolution from her earlier works. The prose is fast-paced, full of colorful and entertaining descriptions, and tempered with masterful subtlety.
Most impressively, though, Montgomery delivers vibrant characterization. Her characters are presented realistically, complete with flaws, and they are endearing, annoying, and authentic. Finally a female author dares to present gay male characters as gay males! Kudos to Montgomery! So often in mm fiction, the authors struggle so hard to avoid making their gay characters non-stereotypical that they seem to forget they are gay men. Newsflash: emotionally, socially, and even sexually, gay men often are far more similar to straight women than they are to heterosexual men.
In particular, I was taken by the character of Nicholas. He reminded me a great deal of Nathan Lane’s character in The Birdcage. He is emotional and overly dramatic, and Montgomery’s depiction of him was delightfully entertaining. I must admit that at times I wanted to reach right into the pages of that book and bitch slap him, but he definitely was REAL.
Additionally, I was pleasantly surprised by the fact that sexual orientation was utterly a non-issue in this story. Protagonist Christian did not struggle in the least with accepting who he was as a gay man. Having gay parents, his coming out was also a non-issue. Instead, Christian’s angst centered upon his identity as a sexual submissive.
I appreciated how concisely the author differentiated between a genuine, mutually-beneficial Dom/sub relationship and an abusive, one-sided relationship. This is a common misperception of the BDSM culture. Often D/s relationships are viewed as abusive, but in reality both partners have rights and responsibilities. Both have needs. Both achieve fulfillment and satisfaction in what their partner brings to the dynamic.
Finally, I must comment on the sex. Whoah!! What more can I say? It was electric! The love scenes were powerful and graphic, and the grand finale at the end of the book is perhaps the best BDSM lovemaking scene I’ve ever encountered.
Lethal Obsession is a must read! I can’t even come up with words to adequately describe how powerful and compelling it really is. Amazing…can’t wait for the sequel.
When Christian is in high school, he begins a relationship with another young man who taps into these unspoken desires. Dwight recognizes the truly submissive nature of young Christian, and it doesn’t take long for Dwight to claim the boy as his own. The relationship is short-lived, however, because Christian does not respond well to the abuse which the dominant Dwight likes to dole out.
Ultimately Christian meets and falls in love with Lucca, and the couple share a beautiful and mutually beneficial conventional gay relationship. Lucca is a bit older than Christian, and he provides his lover guidance and protection, but he is by no means his dominator or Master. In fact, Lucca has no idea that Christian craves these sorts of things. Lucca does not know that Christian longs for control and structure and that he possesses an innate desire to submit.
It is shortly after Christian’s twenty-first birthday that Christian’s life is drastically and abruptly changed forever. While on a shopping expedition with his father Nicholas, Christian is abducted by kidnappers and transported to an undisclosed location. He suddenly awakens and finds himself in a prison—a dungeon it appears, and his captor is none other than his ex-boyfriend Dwight.
Christian’s parents and his lover Lucca begin the process of locating their missing loved one. Diligently they launch a massive search effort, employing the help of government agents Tony and Ryan (who were introduced in Montgomery’s first novel, Tony and Ryan). In spite of their exhaustive efforts, they do not immediately track down Christian’s assailants, and thus they cannot determine the boy’s whereabouts. In fact, they don’t know if he is even alive.
Christian’s incarceration proves to be a harrowing experience. Sadistic Dwight keeps him imprisoned in a steel cage and unleashes unthinkable abuse upon the vulnerable young sub. He repeatedly beats and rapes him, deprives him of food and water, and subjects him to horrendous humiliation and torture.
In a climactic scene, Christian finally is rescued, by none other than his own lover Lucca. It would seem that at this point all would return to normal, and there would be a happy ending. Sadly, such is not the case, for at this stage the story is not even half over. Christian is devastated by the events he has endured. He doesn’t even seem to be the same sweet boy he was before the kidnapping. He suffers horrible flashbacks and nightmares, and he begins to rebel against the fathers who love him so dearly.
When Lucca tries to reunite with Christian, the boy rebuffs him. He will not even talk to the man who saved him, but instead Christian begins to go down a path of horrendous self destruction. He begins using drugs and partying, and he becomes incredibly promiscuous.
Finally, Paul and Nicholas, Christian’s fathers, reach out to Lucca, and they ask for his help. Lucca agrees to intervene, and he does so in a very dramatic way. He kidnaps the boy again!
Will Lucca be able to break through Christian’s resistance? Will he be able to convince the boy to open up to him? Will he be able to uncover the terrible secrets that Christian harbors within his heart? And most significantly, will he be able to be for the boy the Master that he truly needs?
Without pretense I admit that I am a personal friend of the author, Michele Montgomery. My opinion of her work, however, has not been affected by this relationship. This story is by far the most spectacular effort to-date on her part. It is a story which moved me emotionally, excited me, and kept me on the edge of my seat. The writing itself is a noticeable evolution from her earlier works. The prose is fast-paced, full of colorful and entertaining descriptions, and tempered with masterful subtlety.
Most impressively, though, Montgomery delivers vibrant characterization. Her characters are presented realistically, complete with flaws, and they are endearing, annoying, and authentic. Finally a female author dares to present gay male characters as gay males! Kudos to Montgomery! So often in mm fiction, the authors struggle so hard to avoid making their gay characters non-stereotypical that they seem to forget they are gay men. Newsflash: emotionally, socially, and even sexually, gay men often are far more similar to straight women than they are to heterosexual men.
In particular, I was taken by the character of Nicholas. He reminded me a great deal of Nathan Lane’s character in The Birdcage. He is emotional and overly dramatic, and Montgomery’s depiction of him was delightfully entertaining. I must admit that at times I wanted to reach right into the pages of that book and bitch slap him, but he definitely was REAL.
Additionally, I was pleasantly surprised by the fact that sexual orientation was utterly a non-issue in this story. Protagonist Christian did not struggle in the least with accepting who he was as a gay man. Having gay parents, his coming out was also a non-issue. Instead, Christian’s angst centered upon his identity as a sexual submissive.
I appreciated how concisely the author differentiated between a genuine, mutually-beneficial Dom/sub relationship and an abusive, one-sided relationship. This is a common misperception of the BDSM culture. Often D/s relationships are viewed as abusive, but in reality both partners have rights and responsibilities. Both have needs. Both achieve fulfillment and satisfaction in what their partner brings to the dynamic.
Finally, I must comment on the sex. Whoah!! What more can I say? It was electric! The love scenes were powerful and graphic, and the grand finale at the end of the book is perhaps the best BDSM lovemaking scene I’ve ever encountered.
Lethal Obsession is a must read! I can’t even come up with words to adequately describe how powerful and compelling it really is. Amazing…can’t wait for the sequel.
October 6, 2010
Excellent book!! I loved the story, the characters, and I always love the way Michele Montgomery writes. And she always adds a unique sense of quality to the steamier scenes, but at the same time remains realistic.
April 15, 2011
The beginning started off promisingly enough. Although I thought that the parents were over the top - or at least one parent was - they were nevertheless quite amusing together. I don't really enjoy reading about effeminate and/or flamboyant gays in my m/m romances, but this parent was just so sweet and crazy (he was a total drama queen) and loved his family so dearly, I grudgingly liked him. I liked the first meeting between Lucca and Christian and Dwayne. I really liked the older-guy-younger-man dynamics, and Christian was so sweet. The "claiming" scene was hilarious. I liked Lucca up until the point when he said something that I thought should not have left his mouth, and I could not forgive him for it. It was understandable due to his frustration. It was a human thing to do. but it was something that would have (and did have) a psychological negative effect on Christian's recovery, something I thought that the author glossed over.
One of the main problems I had with the book was the portrayal of Christian in the beginning. Although he was almost 21 years old, he sounded and acted like an adolescent (or pre-adolescent) so it was really uncomfortable reading the sex scenes between him and Lucca who definitely sounded older. It didn't help that everyone treated Christian like a little kid, and that Lucca kept referring to him as "my boy". Although I've since learned that that is a term applied to male subs, when this is in addition to a character who sounds all of 12-years old, this only served to infantilize Christian even further. The author also did this with the other victims who were with Christian.
The second major problem I had with this book was my confusion over what Lucca was although this may partly stem from my lack of personal and factual knowledge about true BDSM lifestyle. At around 74%, the reader learns that Lucca had had training as a submissive. His "master" was helping Lucca find Christian and the author did a great job "showing" Lucca responding to his "master" as a sub. Then we find out later that Lucca had apparently been trained to be a Dom - that it was in his nature to be a Dom. Yet, the author failed to show this. None of what Lucca did with Christian seemed very Dom-like, to be honest. He basically ordered Christian around as a house servant which even I often did with my younger siblings.
The third major problem I had with this book was the author's use of BDSM as a way to "fix" victims of abuse of the type that Christian suffered. Somehow, I don't think that is quite what BDSM is about.
One of the main problems I had with the book was the portrayal of Christian in the beginning. Although he was almost 21 years old, he sounded and acted like an adolescent (or pre-adolescent) so it was really uncomfortable reading the sex scenes between him and Lucca who definitely sounded older. It didn't help that everyone treated Christian like a little kid, and that Lucca kept referring to him as "my boy". Although I've since learned that that is a term applied to male subs, when this is in addition to a character who sounds all of 12-years old, this only served to infantilize Christian even further. The author also did this with the other victims who were with Christian.
The second major problem I had with this book was my confusion over what Lucca was although this may partly stem from my lack of personal and factual knowledge about true BDSM lifestyle. At around 74%, the reader learns that Lucca had had training as a submissive. His "master" was helping Lucca find Christian and the author did a great job "showing" Lucca responding to his "master" as a sub. Then we find out later that Lucca had apparently been trained to be a Dom - that it was in his nature to be a Dom. Yet, the author failed to show this. None of what Lucca did with Christian seemed very Dom-like, to be honest. He basically ordered Christian around as a house servant which even I often did with my younger siblings.
The third major problem I had with this book was the author's use of BDSM as a way to "fix" victims of abuse of the type that Christian suffered. Somehow, I don't think that is quite what BDSM is about.
October 10, 2010
This was an amazing story; emotional, angst-filled, horrifying in parts, and sweetly endearing. I was captivated by the protagonists’ love for one another and their determination to get their happily ever after.
Christian St.James Davenport and Lucca is-so-hot Renaldo (Ok, it’s possible that is not the name the author came up with, but it’s the one I’m giving him.) meet when Christian is just 16 years-old and Lucca is 23. For two years, they pine after one another, falling a little more in love all the time, until Chistian’s 18th birthday, where, with a little nudge from Christian’s fathers, Lucca finally makes a move.
The two spend a few years blissfully in love, until shortly after Christian’s 21st birthday, he’s kidnapped by an ex-boyfriend, Dwight, who was actually the boy Christian was dating when he first met Lucca. That boy is now a man, filled with rage, bitterness and a very warped sense of what a D/s relationship should be. Christian is thrown into a room, filled with cages containing young men, much like himself, who were kidnapped, lied to, or mislead into being the play things of Dwight and his brother, Evan.
For a good portion of the first half of this book you are taken through the torment and humiliation Christian and the other men trapped with him endure at the hands of Dwight and Evan. You’re also shown the sorrow, helplessness and determination Lucca experiences in his fight to free the man he loves.
Lucca does find Christian, but by the time he gets there it’s almost too late. Christian heals physically as anyone would, but as so often is the case in real life, his mental and emotional health take much longer to recover. It’s a long battle back for Christian and I cried for his character more than once during this book, but Lucca steps up when Christian is falling apart and slowly and determinedly puts his pieces back together for him. In the end, theirs is a relationship formed of trust, love and unwavering faith in one another.
This isn’t an easy read by any stretch of the imagination, but it is an incredible one and one well worth reading.
Christian St.James Davenport and Lucca is-so-hot Renaldo (Ok, it’s possible that is not the name the author came up with, but it’s the one I’m giving him.) meet when Christian is just 16 years-old and Lucca is 23. For two years, they pine after one another, falling a little more in love all the time, until Chistian’s 18th birthday, where, with a little nudge from Christian’s fathers, Lucca finally makes a move.
The two spend a few years blissfully in love, until shortly after Christian’s 21st birthday, he’s kidnapped by an ex-boyfriend, Dwight, who was actually the boy Christian was dating when he first met Lucca. That boy is now a man, filled with rage, bitterness and a very warped sense of what a D/s relationship should be. Christian is thrown into a room, filled with cages containing young men, much like himself, who were kidnapped, lied to, or mislead into being the play things of Dwight and his brother, Evan.
For a good portion of the first half of this book you are taken through the torment and humiliation Christian and the other men trapped with him endure at the hands of Dwight and Evan. You’re also shown the sorrow, helplessness and determination Lucca experiences in his fight to free the man he loves.
Lucca does find Christian, but by the time he gets there it’s almost too late. Christian heals physically as anyone would, but as so often is the case in real life, his mental and emotional health take much longer to recover. It’s a long battle back for Christian and I cried for his character more than once during this book, but Lucca steps up when Christian is falling apart and slowly and determinedly puts his pieces back together for him. In the end, theirs is a relationship formed of trust, love and unwavering faith in one another.
This isn’t an easy read by any stretch of the imagination, but it is an incredible one and one well worth reading.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 25, 2012
The writing's kind of...bad... The plot's all over the place and the characterization is rather erratic. Which is a big shame since the blurb sounded rather interesting-ish, too...
Oh, god. All it is is a bunch of pseudo-drama. There are Narm moments all over the place and it just...
“No! No! Not my baby! You take it back; do you hear me? There’s just been some sort of mix up. Nicholas and Christian went out together tonight, James. They’ll be home any minute now; you’ll see. Sure, they’re a little late, but you know how traffic is this time of year. Are you sure I can’t get you something? If Nicholas comes home and sees you empty handed, he’ll have an absolute fit. You know how he is about those things.”
Narm! Narm! Narm!
And honestly, I thought Lucca was going to be a BA...
And oh, god. Sebastian and Joshua. That part was h-h-horrible. L-l-laborious to r-r-read.
It's too...blatantly stated. Like a book proposal more than an actual book. Everything's out there, but it doesn't flow together in a logical conclusion sort of way.
And then, too much wangst. Too much.
This has sent me past bored and straight into annoyed.
Oh, god. All it is is a bunch of pseudo-drama. There are Narm moments all over the place and it just...
“No! No! Not my baby! You take it back; do you hear me? There’s just been some sort of mix up. Nicholas and Christian went out together tonight, James. They’ll be home any minute now; you’ll see. Sure, they’re a little late, but you know how traffic is this time of year. Are you sure I can’t get you something? If Nicholas comes home and sees you empty handed, he’ll have an absolute fit. You know how he is about those things.”
Narm! Narm! Narm!
And honestly, I thought Lucca was going to be a BA...
And oh, god. Sebastian and Joshua. That part was h-h-horrible. L-l-laborious to r-r-read.
It's too...blatantly stated. Like a book proposal more than an actual book. Everything's out there, but it doesn't flow together in a logical conclusion sort of way.
And then, too much wangst. Too much.
This has sent me past bored and straight into annoyed.
March 30, 2011
This was a tricky one for me to rate. It's well-written, but it felt a bit disjointed in spots and I thought the ending fell flat. Still, I have to say I enjoyed it, so I've given it a 4 stars. It had all the elements I love in M/M slash romance - angst, great sex, and plot.
MILD SPOILERS FOLLOW
MILD SPOILERS FOLLOW
July 15, 2011
Caged brings forth characters seen in small glimpses in other parts of the Lethal Obsessions series and shows another side to them all while giving an all too real, and chilling look into torture and the after effects of living with PTSD.
Michele Montgomery writes of post traumatic stress disorder with a candor and realism that is poignant and chilling.
The characters are real, and heart breaking. While this is not a genre that I typically read Michele brings the characters to life in a compelling way. With writing like this Michele may suck me in to the BDSM reading yet!
Michele Montgomery writes of post traumatic stress disorder with a candor and realism that is poignant and chilling.
The characters are real, and heart breaking. While this is not a genre that I typically read Michele brings the characters to life in a compelling way. With writing like this Michele may suck me in to the BDSM reading yet!
July 15, 2011
I'm giving this a 4.5 rounded up to 5. There are faults but in all there's so much good stuff that makes up for the occasional head hopping mid paragraph and the start which is so saccharine sweet and goes on for so long, that if I hadn't been assured it got better, I may not have finished it. But I persevered and am glad I did.
And the good thing? It sets up at least two more books, so I'm looking forward to Brent and Carl's story and Josh and Seb's.
This is a dark book, but ultimately fulfilling.
And the good thing? It sets up at least two more books, so I'm looking forward to Brent and Carl's story and Josh and Seb's.
This is a dark book, but ultimately fulfilling.
October 27, 2012
Angsty and not very evenly written
Warning: This review might contain what some people consider SPOILERS.
Rating: 5/10
PROS:
- I’m a sucker for large, masculine, protective men, and Lucca fits that description perfectly. Plus, he’s rich, successful, dominant, and amazing-looking. What’s not to love in a hero like that? And his former Dom comes into the story about halfway through and turns out to be an older, slightly more stern version of Lucca. He’s yummy, too. (In fact, Lucca has a whole squad of friends who are all hot, gay, tough, and kinky. Totally unrealistic, yes, but what a delightful fantasy.)
- I’ve read quite a few BDSM novels, but never have I read one in which the sub is quite as big a handful as Christian is. He’s angry, he’s insolent, he’s confused. It’s exhausting sometimes to watch Lucca fighting for control over him, but I also found it captivating.
- This book definitely doesn’t brush past the action and suspense scenes. The part of the story when Christian is in captivity is well developed. There are also a lot of scenes that depict tough love, and while the characters’ actions aren’t exactly fun to read about, they are certainly admirable.
CONS:
- I didn’t believe in Christian’s desire to be such a hardcore submissive. He and Lucca play around a bit at the beginning of the story with bondage and spanking, but there’s absolutely nothing said about any deep-seated desire Christian has to be treated like a sexual slave.
- Some of the story’s most important conversations are told rather than shown. Here’s an example: “He explained, in a calm but authoritative voice, the truth of what it meant to be a submissive, or what it meant to give over control of oneself and to place complete trust in a Master.” I wanted to actually SEE this discussion take place--not just to hear what Lucca thinks the “truth” about submission is, but also to see Christian’s reactions to the subject.
- A couple of secondary plots come to the forefront at different points in the story (one involving Christian’s parents, and another involving Lucca’s former Dom, Carl). I became just as interested in these stories as I was in the central conflict, but both of the secondary plotlines simply disappear about 70% of the way through, with nothing but a brief “here’s what happened on that account…” at the very end.
- Many scenes contain multiple POV shifts, which makes it difficult to tell whether you’re seeing something happen from one character’s perspective or another. The main reason these shifts were so jarring to me is that there’s no pattern to them: it’s not like one paragraph is from Character A and the next is from Character B. Sometimes there are 10 paragraphs from A, one from B, 3 more from A, 6 from B, and so on.
Overall comments: This is not the sort of book I typically go for.But I have a friend who delights in making me read “messed up” stories like this one, probably so I can share in her anguish once she’s read them. This book certainly has the angst: it shows a ton of painful moments and very few successes in the process of Christian’s recovery. As a result, the ending felt extremely tenuous to me. The book does end well; I just wasn’t crazy about the overall story or the writing, which I found uneven and inconsistent.
Warning: This review might contain what some people consider SPOILERS.
Rating: 5/10
PROS:
- I’m a sucker for large, masculine, protective men, and Lucca fits that description perfectly. Plus, he’s rich, successful, dominant, and amazing-looking. What’s not to love in a hero like that? And his former Dom comes into the story about halfway through and turns out to be an older, slightly more stern version of Lucca. He’s yummy, too. (In fact, Lucca has a whole squad of friends who are all hot, gay, tough, and kinky. Totally unrealistic, yes, but what a delightful fantasy.)
- I’ve read quite a few BDSM novels, but never have I read one in which the sub is quite as big a handful as Christian is. He’s angry, he’s insolent, he’s confused. It’s exhausting sometimes to watch Lucca fighting for control over him, but I also found it captivating.
- This book definitely doesn’t brush past the action and suspense scenes. The part of the story when Christian is in captivity is well developed. There are also a lot of scenes that depict tough love, and while the characters’ actions aren’t exactly fun to read about, they are certainly admirable.
CONS:
- I didn’t believe in Christian’s desire to be such a hardcore submissive. He and Lucca play around a bit at the beginning of the story with bondage and spanking, but there’s absolutely nothing said about any deep-seated desire Christian has to be treated like a sexual slave.
- Some of the story’s most important conversations are told rather than shown. Here’s an example: “He explained, in a calm but authoritative voice, the truth of what it meant to be a submissive, or what it meant to give over control of oneself and to place complete trust in a Master.” I wanted to actually SEE this discussion take place--not just to hear what Lucca thinks the “truth” about submission is, but also to see Christian’s reactions to the subject.
- A couple of secondary plots come to the forefront at different points in the story (one involving Christian’s parents, and another involving Lucca’s former Dom, Carl). I became just as interested in these stories as I was in the central conflict, but both of the secondary plotlines simply disappear about 70% of the way through, with nothing but a brief “here’s what happened on that account…” at the very end.
- Many scenes contain multiple POV shifts, which makes it difficult to tell whether you’re seeing something happen from one character’s perspective or another. The main reason these shifts were so jarring to me is that there’s no pattern to them: it’s not like one paragraph is from Character A and the next is from Character B. Sometimes there are 10 paragraphs from A, one from B, 3 more from A, 6 from B, and so on.
Overall comments: This is not the sort of book I typically go for.But I have a friend who delights in making me read “messed up” stories like this one, probably so I can share in her anguish once she’s read them. This book certainly has the angst: it shows a ton of painful moments and very few successes in the process of Christian’s recovery. As a result, the ending felt extremely tenuous to me. The book does end well; I just wasn’t crazy about the overall story or the writing, which I found uneven and inconsistent.
June 4, 2013
This book was great. I love a sweet romance. This started out that way. The characters were very well developed. I like a book where I can feel like I become the character. About a third way through, I wished I didn’t feel it so much. My first hard core Bdsm..The story was very well written and drew you right into the plot. I couldn’t stop. I read all night. I cried and cried and flinched. Just when I thought it was ending, another twist.
I love great sexy romance, chilling suspense, and lots of twists. I got it all in one. The story gets dark, but It was a rude awakening to me that life isn’t all Cinderella story’s. It is dealing with the bad hands we get dealt and some get very bad hands.
Now a little about the story. Nicholas and Paul have the love we all crave. Pretty much perfect. They have been together since high school. Their son Christian is a handful, but they are also the perfect parents. Well very loving parents, and very rich. Christian wants for nothing. He meets Lucca a hot Italian architect when he is only 16 and involved with Dwight. Dwight seems very possessive and see the attraction between Christian and Lucca. He threatens Lucca, hat if he takes his boy he will kill them both. Lucca and Christian eventually move in together and have a very perfect hot loving relationship. Christian starts acting strange when Dwight starts showing back up, but is able to convince his parents and Lucca he is fine. Right after Christians 21st birthday, he is out with his father Nicholas, they had ditched the hired security men. Nicholas is shot and Christian is kidnapped. Things get very bad for Christian. Lucca calls in his close friend that was a former lover and also his Dom,Carl, to help find Christian.
Who took Christian and why? Does Nicholas survive? Do they find Christian? If they do will he be the same? Can Lucca forgive Christian for the lies he finds out he was told or not told in this case if he finds him. Will their love be the same? Do Lucca and Carl reunite?
I’m not gonna tell ya! You will have to read the book. Believe me you won’t be sorry!
Recommendations: If You like sweet romance and Hot man love, really hot characters, Dark plots. I will warn ya the scenes with the boys being held hostage has lots of torture, but you do get a good insight into the world of master and Slave. There is some really sexy Bdsm between some of the characters that was just melting hot.
I love great sexy romance, chilling suspense, and lots of twists. I got it all in one. The story gets dark, but It was a rude awakening to me that life isn’t all Cinderella story’s. It is dealing with the bad hands we get dealt and some get very bad hands.
Now a little about the story. Nicholas and Paul have the love we all crave. Pretty much perfect. They have been together since high school. Their son Christian is a handful, but they are also the perfect parents. Well very loving parents, and very rich. Christian wants for nothing. He meets Lucca a hot Italian architect when he is only 16 and involved with Dwight. Dwight seems very possessive and see the attraction between Christian and Lucca. He threatens Lucca, hat if he takes his boy he will kill them both. Lucca and Christian eventually move in together and have a very perfect hot loving relationship. Christian starts acting strange when Dwight starts showing back up, but is able to convince his parents and Lucca he is fine. Right after Christians 21st birthday, he is out with his father Nicholas, they had ditched the hired security men. Nicholas is shot and Christian is kidnapped. Things get very bad for Christian. Lucca calls in his close friend that was a former lover and also his Dom,Carl, to help find Christian.
Who took Christian and why? Does Nicholas survive? Do they find Christian? If they do will he be the same? Can Lucca forgive Christian for the lies he finds out he was told or not told in this case if he finds him. Will their love be the same? Do Lucca and Carl reunite?
I’m not gonna tell ya! You will have to read the book. Believe me you won’t be sorry!
Recommendations: If You like sweet romance and Hot man love, really hot characters, Dark plots. I will warn ya the scenes with the boys being held hostage has lots of torture, but you do get a good insight into the world of master and Slave. There is some really sexy Bdsm between some of the characters that was just melting hot.
May 23, 2012
Well, what do I say.. The beginning was all sugar and spice, and a little over the top for me...but very sweet, and I could feel where it might go in the future. But when it got there, I felt a little, I don't know, yanked into the darkness from all the sweet.
And then the last third of the book, well.. I felt like Lucca was a little clueless, and he tended to give up too easily for me.. like his life had been all sunshine and roses, and he didn't seem comfortable with really 'knowing' what was going on in Christian's mind. Their latter relationship felt more like a brat/top scenario, then a D/s one for me.
The story did bring to my mind that relationships that we assume are 'perfect', and that could never break, well, not always the case... the words we say, the premise that what we believe is true is all an illusion, etc. What does it mean, when we say 'for better or for worse'? Does anyone ever think through what 'unconditional love' is?
Anyway, not bad overall, and I can see potential for the author, especially since I received it as a free-read. Someone else had noted, though, that a good editor would have helped in the way this felt too heavy/light in the different portions of the book, and maybe would have given some comments to elaborate on areas that were skipped over, and I tend to agree. Pretty good book though. It did pull me in enough to want to see where it ended :)
And then the last third of the book, well.. I felt like Lucca was a little clueless, and he tended to give up too easily for me.. like his life had been all sunshine and roses, and he didn't seem comfortable with really 'knowing' what was going on in Christian's mind. Their latter relationship felt more like a brat/top scenario, then a D/s one for me.
The story did bring to my mind that relationships that we assume are 'perfect', and that could never break, well, not always the case... the words we say, the premise that what we believe is true is all an illusion, etc. What does it mean, when we say 'for better or for worse'? Does anyone ever think through what 'unconditional love' is?
Anyway, not bad overall, and I can see potential for the author, especially since I received it as a free-read. Someone else had noted, though, that a good editor would have helped in the way this felt too heavy/light in the different portions of the book, and maybe would have given some comments to elaborate on areas that were skipped over, and I tend to agree. Pretty good book though. It did pull me in enough to want to see where it ended :)
did-not-finish
October 17, 2012Really odd. We meet the protagonist when he's 16, though he acts more like 10 years old, giggling at his abusive boyfriend's antics. Then we re-meet him at age 21, where he acts more like an immature giddy 16 year old. Then he is kidnapped, and 1) he thinks to himself they might as kill his lover and parents because they'll be so sad without him, therefore better off dead, and 2) the other kidnapped slaves have to patiently explain that "Masters" tell them what to do and no, they don't have consent. I understand needing time to adjust, or rebelling, but it was like he couldn't grasp the concepts. Very odd, and also disturbing, like reading about a child, which is why I have to stop reading regardless of the stated age.
September 20, 2012
All I can say is ...WOW! This is a really gritty story and incredibly written. The central characters are extremely moving, and have a deapth I found very moving, I got caught with tears in my eyes constantly! The author gets across to the reader how emotional and physical damage currupts but also that love has a way through if you try and want it badly enough. The crime /thriller element of the story goes way beyong in highlighting it. The sub characters also play out beautifully and are fantastic in their individual way too. Its very graphic but again incredibly written and comes across with purpose. Going to follow this author with interest, you have to read this.
September 14, 2011
I wish that I had done a little more research before purchasing this book. I'm not into hardcore BDSM. Therefore, for me this book was too much! I found it very difficult to believe that Christian would be willing to engage in a D/s relationship with Lucca after the horrific experience he went through. I finished this book, but I definitely did not enjoy it and wouldn't recommend it to anyone. I gave it a 2 rating only because it was written well---lack of errors that I normally find with books of this genre.
December 17, 2016
I loved this book. I can't remember the last time I cried so much in a book. Heart wrenching, well written, hot sex, dom/sub, slave, angst (lots of angst) and one of my most favorite things is when a mistreated slave is rescued and rehabilitated.
This book makes me believe in soul mates. A truly wonderful read.
Lucca is a lovable Dom, Christian is a lively man who lives in the moment and you will not get enough of him. Christian's parents are "the" role model for all parents. The love they have for each other and their child is second to none.
This book makes me believe in soul mates. A truly wonderful read.
Lucca is a lovable Dom, Christian is a lively man who lives in the moment and you will not get enough of him. Christian's parents are "the" role model for all parents. The love they have for each other and their child is second to none.
November 8, 2010
3.75 Stars
I found this book to be very disturbing and it took me several tries before it was finished. This book is not for the faint of heart. It's dark. It's scary.
Subject: What would happen if your loved one was kidnapped into the world of sex trade/slave? How would you find them and what condition would they be in if you did?
Beware: This book contains very graphic torture/sexual abuse scenes.
I found this book to be very disturbing and it took me several tries before it was finished. This book is not for the faint of heart. It's dark. It's scary.
Subject: What would happen if your loved one was kidnapped into the world of sex trade/slave? How would you find them and what condition would they be in if you did?
Beware: This book contains very graphic torture/sexual abuse scenes.
January 18, 2012
What happen?! It had potential until Christian was kidnapped, his parents b*tches at each other for being at fault (while one acted like a teenager with the silent treatment), and the lover running mad to the FBI's/ ex-lover for help. It was way over dramatic for my taste...like Christian's attitude after he was rescued. Seriously....what a freaking brat. You know it's bad when you dislike the main character who was beaten, raped, and humiliated.
January 12, 2012
I am so disappointed in this book!! I wasted my one Amazon Prime borrow on this....grrrr!! I thought it had such great potential. I like the story line. But it read like a really bad soap opera. It was beyond melodramitic, cliche and offensively sterotyipcal in places. I wanted to love the charaters...I tried but thier creator just didn't do them the justice they deserved. Sorry Author...
January 30, 2012
Loved this book. I could barely put it down. The middle is not for the faint of heart. It was some heavy 'slave' training but it was so part of the story that it wasn't out of place. I went through many emotions from happy, to sad, to outraged and back to happiness with hot Lucca stepping up to the plate to save his boy. Definitely, a favorite of mine. I look forward to more in the series.
September 24, 2012
This one was decent. The storyline was well done with the nastiness happening in the first half followed by the aftermath for the rest of the book. I did not like some of Lucca's actions at the cabin. I was ready at points to put the book down and not finish...personal opinion on people trying things they aren't sure of with someone else's psyche. Touchy subject for me. Hence the 3 stars.
September 28, 2011
I could not put this book down. I kept thinking it was a bit odd that they never sought professional help for the mental trauma, but I was glad to see they found a way to address and cope with it. I'm looking forward to reading more of Michele's work.
October 25, 2015
2011 Rainbow Awards Honorable Mention (5* from at least 1 judge)
April 18, 2015
How sad is it that I only liked Christian, after the kidnapping. Before that, he and his parents were just too annoying.
August 22, 2011
Вот прямо иллюстрация на тему "как не надо писать БДСМ". И даже нон-конные части книги не доставляют совершенно.
January 7, 2012
What a ride...
Want to read
January 2, 2012Free Kindle Book 1/2/12. On my PC.
Want to read
May 30, 2012*Graphic Violence Shelf*
December 14, 2013
Wow, that was bad.
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