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Captivity Collection
Captured
**Ebook ban due to content!** Ebook can be purchased in my website, or some wide platforms including scribd, smashwords, Eden Books, b&n, etc. Check out my social media to stay up to date on legitimate platforms selling my book and not pirated copies. Paperbacks are available on Amazon and Etsy!
Love has never been enough within these walls
Alexzander
Every day feels the same. Beaten down, conditioned to hurt others, and unable to feel anything resembling love. My existence is a hollow shell of what it could be, until I find her.
The woman I capture turns my world upside down. She's unlike any victim I've taken before, and her will to survive leaves me intrigued. As I get to know her, I start to understand what's right and just how much of my life has been wrong. But I can't let her go, no matter how much I want to.
Ophelia's become my obsession, and I know that I'll do anything to keep her with me. Our bond is twisted and complicated, built on a foundation of captivity and control. It's not healthy, but I can't help how I feel.
She's mine, and I won't let anyone take her away from me.
Trigger Warnings: All, honestly. But… Non con between mcs, heavy non con scenes/discussions/pasts, abuse, dateline level captivity, stockholm syndrome, mention of CA and CSA, Familial SA (side plot point), alcoholism/substance use, throat f*cking, skull f*cking (actually), a REPULSIVE brother captor, another female captive (minimal interaction, no cheating between MCs once FMC is taken), murder, cum jar, cum eating contest, suicide, trauma bonding, some stalking, making checkers WEIRD.
**IF NEVER LET GO WAS TOO DARK FOR YOU, SKIP THIS!!*
Captured is a dual POV dark horror romance standalone novel with an HEA
Love has never been enough within these walls
Alexzander
Every day feels the same. Beaten down, conditioned to hurt others, and unable to feel anything resembling love. My existence is a hollow shell of what it could be, until I find her.
The woman I capture turns my world upside down. She's unlike any victim I've taken before, and her will to survive leaves me intrigued. As I get to know her, I start to understand what's right and just how much of my life has been wrong. But I can't let her go, no matter how much I want to.
Ophelia's become my obsession, and I know that I'll do anything to keep her with me. Our bond is twisted and complicated, built on a foundation of captivity and control. It's not healthy, but I can't help how I feel.
She's mine, and I won't let anyone take her away from me.
Trigger Warnings: All, honestly. But… Non con between mcs, heavy non con scenes/discussions/pasts, abuse, dateline level captivity, stockholm syndrome, mention of CA and CSA, Familial SA (side plot point), alcoholism/substance use, throat f*cking, skull f*cking (actually), a REPULSIVE brother captor, another female captive (minimal interaction, no cheating between MCs once FMC is taken), murder, cum jar, cum eating contest, suicide, trauma bonding, some stalking, making checkers WEIRD.
**IF NEVER LET GO WAS TOO DARK FOR YOU, SKIP THIS!!*
Captured is a dual POV dark horror romance standalone novel with an HEA
220 pages, Kindle Edition
Published January 1, 2023
729 people are currently reading
27156 people want to read
About the author
Lauren Biel
37 books4,702 followersLauren’s stories are often emotionally raw, with lots of twists and turns. She describes her writing as “where light meets dark”, which represents how her witty humor compliments the darkness in every story. Instead of trying to mold her writing to fit in a box, she chooses to be unapologetically herself. While her focus is on Romance with dark elements, subgenre is no constraint for her. The common theme in every book is finding love when you least expect it. She enjoys putting her characters through tribulations, allowing their triumphs to be that much more poignant. Make sure you have your seatbelts secured. It’s always a bumpy ride.
When she’s not working, she’s writing. When she’s not writing, she’s spending time with her husband, her friends, or her pets. You might also find her on a horseback trail ride or sitting beside a waterfall in Upstate New York. She has a pretty normal life, yet her stories are anything but.
When she’s not working, she’s writing. When she’s not writing, she’s spending time with her husband, her friends, or her pets. You might also find her on a horseback trail ride or sitting beside a waterfall in Upstate New York. She has a pretty normal life, yet her stories are anything but.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 2,502 reviews
May 13, 2023
this made my nauseous fr. like this put me off my buttery crumpet yall the thought of food— goodbye.
i am outta here. y’all stay safe though.
i am outta here. y’all stay safe though.
September 28, 2023
Still living with her drunkard father, Ophelia works at the diner in her backwoods town in order to put food on the table and squirrel away a few dollars here and there. The diner is also her escape, her safe space. That is until the Bruggar brothers “forget” to pay their bill before leaving.
When she wakes up chained in a filthy basement with a foul man wanting to do even more vile things to her, her only saving grace may be her captor with a hint of soul still left in his eyes.
“I forged my own way, even if it was still a sin-laced path.”
Despite the unconventional relationship, Ophelia and Alex have a deep understanding of one another, the type that can only be forged through reflected trauma.
Captured is a twisted and triggery dark romance that will leave you all kinds of fçuked up. I wouldn’t label it as pitch black, on my scale, but it toes some lines. Readers with any concerns or hesitation should heed the TW which can be found at the beginning of the book.
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Burn: 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥
Darkness: 🖤🖤🖤
Heat: 🌶️🌶️
Range of Emotions: 😩🤬😭😳😊
Ending: 💗 {HEA}
POV: 👫🏻 {Dual}
🗂 Genre: Dark Romance
✨ Tropes: Antihero, Enemies-to-Lovers, Family Saga, Jealous/Possessive, Kidnap/Captive, Touch-Her-and-💀
💋 Kinks: Degradation, Discipline/Punishment, Domination
⚠️ Warning: It’s definitely NSFW or with a kiddo by your side. In fact, I would highly recommend you read this one after dark to avoid side eye or awkward conversations.
🚩 Safety Squad: There are potentially triggering elements. If you have any hesitation, check the warnings before diving in. Otherwise, blind is best!!
📣 Type: Captured is a standalone.
🛑 Be Advised: My Goodreads shelves are … explicit in both senses. As such, they could be considered spoiler-y.
When she wakes up chained in a filthy basement with a foul man wanting to do even more vile things to her, her only saving grace may be her captor with a hint of soul still left in his eyes.
“I forged my own way, even if it was still a sin-laced path.”
Despite the unconventional relationship, Ophelia and Alex have a deep understanding of one another, the type that can only be forged through reflected trauma.
Captured is a twisted and triggery dark romance that will leave you all kinds of fçuked up. I wouldn’t label it as pitch black, on my scale, but it toes some lines. Readers with any concerns or hesitation should heed the TW which can be found at the beginning of the book.
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Burn: 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥
Darkness: 🖤🖤🖤
Heat: 🌶️🌶️
Range of Emotions: 😩🤬😭😳😊
Ending: 💗 {HEA}
POV: 👫🏻 {Dual}
🗂 Genre: Dark Romance
✨ Tropes: Antihero, Enemies-to-Lovers, Family Saga, Jealous/Possessive, Kidnap/Captive, Touch-Her-and-💀
💋 Kinks: Degradation, Discipline/Punishment, Domination
⚠️ Warning: It’s definitely NSFW or with a kiddo by your side. In fact, I would highly recommend you read this one after dark to avoid side eye or awkward conversations.
🚩 Safety Squad: There are potentially triggering elements. If you have any hesitation, check the warnings before diving in. Otherwise, blind is best!!
📣 Type: Captured is a standalone.
🛑 Be Advised: My Goodreads shelves are … explicit in both senses. As such, they could be considered spoiler-y.
April 19, 2023
Ooooohhhhhhhhh BITCH.
How do I recap this book? It’s about a rapist, torturer, and kidnapper who has a heart, and the girl he captures feels like home to him.
Tbh I didn’t feel the romantic connection with the main characters, but I do see how they connected.
Take heed of the trigger warnings. I mean really. Some of it is disgusting. It’s not dark romance at all, it’s horror erotica. Know what you’re getting yourself into before proceeding.
If you’re the curious type and want to know exactly the things that went down, read below.
***SPOILERS***
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No seriously, I’m going to mention every horrible thing that happened. Last chance to turn away if you don’t want to know. So here goes:
- The book opens with these two brothers being taught to torture, rape, and kill women by their dad. Gunnir is 15 and Alex is 10 at the time.
- They both rape a prostitute, Sam, that they kidnapped, and keep her captive for months.
- MMC, Alex, decides he wants a girl for himself. He likes Ophelia, aka O, who is a waitress at a place he goes to. They knocked her out with a bat, she wakes up with chains attached to her & he rapes her.
- O attempts to kill Alex with the chain, he slams her against the wall, rapes her, slaps her.
- From O’s pov we learn her father has been raping her.
- Gunnir takes a hammer and hits Sams fingers to break them.
- Alex rapes O again
- Gunnir tries to rape O, she bites his hand with the one he has covered over her mouth, and then he punches her in the face.
- O is raped again by Alex
- Alex tells O to try to kill him so he can keep her in his room and away from Gunnir. She stabs him with a nail, he forces his dick into her mouth, makes her vomit and repeats it. He then chains her neck and drags her upstairs where she’s put in his room.
- Alex forcibly face fucks O (expect all of the SA at this point)
- Gunnir slashed and cut up Sams face
- THERE IS A JAR OF CUM GUNNIR JACKS OFF INTO 🤮
- O gets whipped on her back with a belt breaking skin making her bleed
- Gunnir makes her kneel on grains of rice, Alex then makes her suck his dick
- Stockholm syndrome is happening at this point from Os side. She sees Alex’s heart wanting to come through.
- Alex jacks off and comes while they’re playing chess and makes her lick up the cum he got on the board
- Gunnir peed all over O, then made Alex do it, too
- AND HERE’S WHERE I ABOUT CLOCKED OUT AND WENT TO VOMIT. 🤮🤮🤮 Gunnir makes both girls do a cum eating contest. Alex and him each cum on a saucer, and when that isn’t enough he goes to the fridge and take out his jar of cum and places 1/2 cup more on their plates. They have to lick it up and the loser gets branded. 🤢
- Sam dies by getting her neck snapped by Gunnir
- Gunnir fucks a skull. An actual skull. Their mothers skull.
- We learn O’s dad had started touching her when she was 8.
And that’s the end of the crazy shit. After that the questionable HEA starts. 😵💫
How do I recap this book? It’s about a rapist, torturer, and kidnapper who has a heart, and the girl he captures feels like home to him.
Tbh I didn’t feel the romantic connection with the main characters, but I do see how they connected.
Take heed of the trigger warnings. I mean really. Some of it is disgusting. It’s not dark romance at all, it’s horror erotica. Know what you’re getting yourself into before proceeding.
If you’re the curious type and want to know exactly the things that went down, read below.
***SPOILERS***
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
No seriously, I’m going to mention every horrible thing that happened. Last chance to turn away if you don’t want to know. So here goes:
- The book opens with these two brothers being taught to torture, rape, and kill women by their dad. Gunnir is 15 and Alex is 10 at the time.
- They both rape a prostitute, Sam, that they kidnapped, and keep her captive for months.
- MMC, Alex, decides he wants a girl for himself. He likes Ophelia, aka O, who is a waitress at a place he goes to. They knocked her out with a bat, she wakes up with chains attached to her & he rapes her.
- O attempts to kill Alex with the chain, he slams her against the wall, rapes her, slaps her.
- From O’s pov we learn her father has been raping her.
- Gunnir takes a hammer and hits Sams fingers to break them.
- Alex rapes O again
- Gunnir tries to rape O, she bites his hand with the one he has covered over her mouth, and then he punches her in the face.
- O is raped again by Alex
- Alex tells O to try to kill him so he can keep her in his room and away from Gunnir. She stabs him with a nail, he forces his dick into her mouth, makes her vomit and repeats it. He then chains her neck and drags her upstairs where she’s put in his room.
- Alex forcibly face fucks O (expect all of the SA at this point)
- Gunnir slashed and cut up Sams face
- THERE IS A JAR OF CUM GUNNIR JACKS OFF INTO 🤮
- O gets whipped on her back with a belt breaking skin making her bleed
- Gunnir makes her kneel on grains of rice, Alex then makes her suck his dick
- Stockholm syndrome is happening at this point from Os side. She sees Alex’s heart wanting to come through.
- Alex jacks off and comes while they’re playing chess and makes her lick up the cum he got on the board
- Gunnir peed all over O, then made Alex do it, too
- AND HERE’S WHERE I ABOUT CLOCKED OUT AND WENT TO VOMIT. 🤮🤮🤮 Gunnir makes both girls do a cum eating contest. Alex and him each cum on a saucer, and when that isn’t enough he goes to the fridge and take out his jar of cum and places 1/2 cup more on their plates. They have to lick it up and the loser gets branded. 🤢
- Sam dies by getting her neck snapped by Gunnir
- Gunnir fucks a skull. An actual skull. Their mothers skull.
- We learn O’s dad had started touching her when she was 8.
And that’s the end of the crazy shit. After that the questionable HEA starts. 😵💫
April 18, 2023
the entire story is just gunnir unclipping his denim overalls. what the fuck kinda depraved wattpad shit did i just read. i hate myself but i hate manya even more
May 12, 2023
DNF at 45%: torture porn at it's most puke-enducing highs lows 🤮🤮🤮🤮
It's not even the triggers that made it unreadable. No, it's everything else outside of those triggers.
I know I joked once that every captor/captive features a hot rich guy who ends up showering the girl with his riches, but the author goes to the EXTREME opposite in this one.
- Did they have to be the shithole Podunk's imbeciles?
- Did they have to be one illiterate and the other barely literate as a contrast to the older brother, to show how much "better" the hero was because of it? 🤬
- Did the description of corpses, pigs eating them, the stench of rotting flesh was really necessary?
- Did the descriptions of piss, come, shit and unwashed bodies that filled the room bring something valuable to the story?
- Did the hero really had to be so beta the entire time that I read the book (almost 50%), he just had to come up with pathetic ideas of deterring the brother from the heroine, instead of killing him right away?
- even for torture porn, as it turned out to be the genre of this book, everything was done backwards🤷🏼♀️ the porn aspect of it sometimes felt as a backdrop, and the puke-inducing setting (piss, stench, dirt etc.) took center stage🤮
It's not even the triggers that made it unreadable. No, it's everything else outside of those triggers.
I know I joked once that every captor/captive features a hot rich guy who ends up showering the girl with his riches, but the author goes to the EXTREME opposite in this one.
- Did they have to be the shithole Podunk's imbeciles?
- Did they have to be one illiterate and the other barely literate as a contrast to the older brother, to show how much "better" the hero was because of it? 🤬
- Did the description of corpses, pigs eating them, the stench of rotting flesh was really necessary?
- Did the descriptions of piss, come, shit and unwashed bodies that filled the room bring something valuable to the story?
- Did the hero really had to be so beta the entire time that I read the book (almost 50%), he just had to come up with pathetic ideas of deterring the brother from the heroine, instead of killing him right away?
- even for torture porn, as it turned out to be the genre of this book, everything was done backwards🤷🏼♀️ the porn aspect of it sometimes felt as a backdrop, and the puke-inducing setting (piss, stench, dirt etc.) took center stage🤮
April 6, 2023
If you’ve read Lauren Biel before,you know she doesn’t shy away from the dark side in her stories.
Having read the blurb for Captured,i knew it was going to be as dark as Hitched,and i couldn’t wait for the opportunity to get the ARC on Booksiren.
What i got was a total mindf**k,one that comes with a long list of trigger warnings. Trust me when i warn you to read those before entering…..
When you still think this is your kind of story,i hope you’ll enjoy the ride.
I can safely say that, after catching my breath,i sure did!
It’s not an easy story to read,but even within it’s darkest moments,there is still some light.
Both Ophelia and Alexzander are damaged by life.
One being used and abused by an alcoholic father for most of her life.
The other conditioned to hurt women,to keep them prisoner and use them for his pleasure. And when he takes her,it doesn’t look good for her….
His brother Gunnir,who takes after their father the most,wants a taste of Alexzander’s new toy,too.
He was losing interest in the girl they already had as soon as he realized he couldn’t have the new one.
But Alexzander wants her for himself,and he’s prepared to go to great lenghts to make sure Gunnir doesn’t touch her.
Ophelia hates both brothers for taking her,but realizes that Alexzander is the lesser evil of the two.
So,even though she hates him for taking her,and raping her,she’s grateful for his efforts of keeping his brother away from her. And she’s grateful she got the “better” brother once she gets to know him a little better…..
But how long would it last until the hell she was in was going to get even worse?
Before the more evil brother got his hands on her,and broke her beyond repair?
This was a story that made me doubt my sanity.
Because there was so much wrong with it,and still i enjoyed it,too much.
There are no heroes in this one,only villains. And even though one is less….evil,it doesn’t mean he turns out to be good in the end.
The fact that he gets the girl he wanted,and manages to keep her,is because their broken pieces fit together.
Was it a wise choice on her part to stay with him?
In her eyes it was,and sometimes that’s enough…..
Having read the blurb for Captured,i knew it was going to be as dark as Hitched,and i couldn’t wait for the opportunity to get the ARC on Booksiren.
What i got was a total mindf**k,one that comes with a long list of trigger warnings. Trust me when i warn you to read those before entering…..
When you still think this is your kind of story,i hope you’ll enjoy the ride.
I can safely say that, after catching my breath,i sure did!
It’s not an easy story to read,but even within it’s darkest moments,there is still some light.
Both Ophelia and Alexzander are damaged by life.
One being used and abused by an alcoholic father for most of her life.
The other conditioned to hurt women,to keep them prisoner and use them for his pleasure. And when he takes her,it doesn’t look good for her….
His brother Gunnir,who takes after their father the most,wants a taste of Alexzander’s new toy,too.
He was losing interest in the girl they already had as soon as he realized he couldn’t have the new one.
But Alexzander wants her for himself,and he’s prepared to go to great lenghts to make sure Gunnir doesn’t touch her.
Ophelia hates both brothers for taking her,but realizes that Alexzander is the lesser evil of the two.
So,even though she hates him for taking her,and raping her,she’s grateful for his efforts of keeping his brother away from her. And she’s grateful she got the “better” brother once she gets to know him a little better…..
But how long would it last until the hell she was in was going to get even worse?
Before the more evil brother got his hands on her,and broke her beyond repair?
This was a story that made me doubt my sanity.
Because there was so much wrong with it,and still i enjoyed it,too much.
There are no heroes in this one,only villains. And even though one is less….evil,it doesn’t mean he turns out to be good in the end.
The fact that he gets the girl he wanted,and manages to keep her,is because their broken pieces fit together.
Was it a wise choice on her part to stay with him?
In her eyes it was,and sometimes that’s enough…..
April 24, 2023
Straight to jail
April 21, 2023
Uhm. That was nauseating.
But I still liked it. *shrug*
But I still liked it. *shrug*
August 25, 2025
You can’t write a book about kidnapping, raping and keeping women hostage and call it a “dark romance”, this book should’ve never got written or published its fucking disgusting.
April 18, 2023
I think I need a therapist. This was so fkn crazy. I loved every second of it of course. Which says a great deal of my mental health I think lol
Well. What can I even say. Just make sure you’re a sk fk like me if you wanna read this extra dark w cherries on top tale lol
Poor Sam by the way. She was such a hero you know.
Ugh I almost threw up a few times also.
All in all I loved it. Enjoy the darkness.
Well. What can I even say. Just make sure you’re a sk fk like me if you wanna read this extra dark w cherries on top tale lol
Poor Sam by the way. She was such a hero you know.
Ugh I almost threw up a few times also.
All in all I loved it. Enjoy the darkness.
May 18, 2024
trigger warning before reading: mention of rape
•••••••••••••••••••••
where do i even begin?
okay, first of all, can we stop labeling books that literally romanticize rape as ‘dark romance’? i found this book under ‘horror erotica’ but this insn’t horror nor erotica. this is a story written by someone with a severe rape fetish. this isn’t even DC, this is straight up romanticizing rape.
the scenes depicted in this book are unnecessarily explicit. there are so many unnecessary scenes here that only a grotesque and traumatized mind could have possibly written. it was disgusting, insensitive and i had to skim past most of them if i ever wanted to finish this book. in retrospective, i should’ve DNF’d at 15%.
••• spoilers ahead •••
the entire book pissed me off. even the main character starts to romanticize the “little good things” her captor & rapist have done for her. and even when things start to get obviously “romantic” between the two, she keeps telling her that he still owns her, that he’s not a good man. that poor girl was already traumatized beyond repair and we’re suppose to accept that it turned into “love”. that girl didn’t have a chance and didn’t really have an opportunity at a better life. even after being “free” (not really) she felt her life was “better” with her captor/rapist than her starting over and healing. and we’re supposed to take that whack ass ending like a happy ending? what the fuck?
i need authors like this to understand what dark romance is about. what horror erotica is about. if you can’t differentiate dark romance from straight up rape fetish fest, then do your research. read some books, literally. and please go to therapy because this “book” is not it. the writing was terrible too. i’m so glad this book was removed because no one should be reading this. also, the book does NOT show trigger warnings before reading which is a big irresponsability from the author.
i could go into detail about how much i hate this, but i’ll leave you with this: i wish i could give her a zero but that’s not possible, so i’ll give you a one.
•••••••••••••••••••••
where do i even begin?
okay, first of all, can we stop labeling books that literally romanticize rape as ‘dark romance’? i found this book under ‘horror erotica’ but this insn’t horror nor erotica. this is a story written by someone with a severe rape fetish. this isn’t even DC, this is straight up romanticizing rape.
the scenes depicted in this book are unnecessarily explicit. there are so many unnecessary scenes here that only a grotesque and traumatized mind could have possibly written. it was disgusting, insensitive and i had to skim past most of them if i ever wanted to finish this book. in retrospective, i should’ve DNF’d at 15%.
••• spoilers ahead •••
the entire book pissed me off. even the main character starts to romanticize the “little good things” her captor & rapist have done for her. and even when things start to get obviously “romantic” between the two, she keeps telling her that he still owns her, that he’s not a good man. that poor girl was already traumatized beyond repair and we’re suppose to accept that it turned into “love”. that girl didn’t have a chance and didn’t really have an opportunity at a better life. even after being “free” (not really) she felt her life was “better” with her captor/rapist than her starting over and healing. and we’re supposed to take that whack ass ending like a happy ending? what the fuck?
i need authors like this to understand what dark romance is about. what horror erotica is about. if you can’t differentiate dark romance from straight up rape fetish fest, then do your research. read some books, literally. and please go to therapy because this “book” is not it. the writing was terrible too. i’m so glad this book was removed because no one should be reading this. also, the book does NOT show trigger warnings before reading which is a big irresponsability from the author.
i could go into detail about how much i hate this, but i’ll leave you with this: i wish i could give her a zero but that’s not possible, so i’ll give you a one.
May 12, 2023
Man this was next-level fucked up and extremely dark. This is a serious case of Stockholm syndrome for sure the only appealing thing initially about Alex was that he wasn’t his brother. Next to him, he looked so much better but that wasn’t actually saying much. Both brothers have been raised this way conditioned by their evil brute of a father into the men they now are. Their own mother was a captive too until she also died chained up like an animal. The only empathy Alex has been taught was by her and she died when he was ten. Now he carries on the family legacy of kidnap rape and murder.
He takes Ophelia after becoming fixated on her at the diner where she works. Ophelia’s life is far from good with a drunk abusive father and a shitty job but now it’s going to get a whole lot worse when Alex decides he wants her for his own. Now kept at the whim of a monster Ophelia will have to do what she must to survive even if that means embracing the lesser of two evils and the only thing standing in the way of a worse ordeal at the hands of Alex’s brother.
As I said this was totally insane and next level heed the triggers it’s pitch black yes it does have a HEA but the road there was brutal and I’m still not sure how much I actually like Alex. He’s equally as much of a monster as his brother is though he does recognise this fact.
This was like a runaway train I couldn’t get off and man can I just say MAYO OMG yuck. I didn’t so much enjoy this as was equally repulsed revolted and fascinated all at the same time. it was weird I just couldn’t stop reading definitely makes for some compelling and disturbing reading and only for those with a strong stomach.
Reviewed By Beckie Bookworm
https://www.facebook.com/beckiebookworm/
www.beckiebookworm.com
May 12, 2023
this is actually disgusting there’s no way in hell this shit can be romance when it looks like it was inspired by ed kemper and poughkeepsie tapes.
Read
April 18, 2023ew.
September 2, 2025
⌗┆ 1 star🪿₊ ˚!
and this is why dark romance gets a bad rep 😐(dnf)
and this is why dark romance gets a bad rep 😐(dnf)
July 23, 2025
UDPATED with additional read dates, plus extras.
This book is amazing. I think people focus so much on the dark parts of this book that they totally overlook the beautiful love story between Alexzander & Ophelia. Or maybe you just need to be a little broken to understand it?
Ophelia (waitress, victim of life) and Alexzander (no words to describe him) are like two flowers who are trampled on every day. They’ve never felt the warmth of the sun or experienced nourishment from the rain. They are two damaged souls with no one to guide them.
Ophelia has a strong spirit and despite the hell she’s lived in, she never gave up. Alex was raised by the devil himself. Thankfully, he was exposed to an angel for a brief time, and the light she gave him was stronger than all the darkness Satan tried to beat into him. That made him strong enough to be the anti-hero of this story. If you were raised by the devil and only had him as a role model, would you be able to find goodness within yourself? Would you know how to love?
Ophelia & Alexzander do get a wonderful HEA.
SEX: Don’t read this for the sex. End. Of.
LAUREN BIEL: I was truly blown away by the writing. Despite all the gore, her writing is excellent. I’m always amazed by the books she puts out.
TRIGGERS: I'm not going to spell them all out - there are plenty of other reviews out there to do that for you. Safe to say, this book has ALL. OF. THE. TRIGGERS. There are absolutely no lines that weren’t crossed in this book.
AUDIO: I bought the book and prefer to read it. I did listen to the audio. Jackson Rayne is our voice for Alex and he's not bad, but he doesn't make me want to listen. Brooke McAllister is our voice for Ophelia and she's good. I recommend reading.
PS. I loved this book so much that I purchased it. Plus, I love supporting authors who write outside the box. In a world of cookie cutter romance, I applaud those who are different.
This book is amazing. I think people focus so much on the dark parts of this book that they totally overlook the beautiful love story between Alexzander & Ophelia. Or maybe you just need to be a little broken to understand it?
“….. I won’t pretend you didn’t break me, but you’re also the one who put me back together again. Now you’re the glue holding all those pieces in place.”
“That’s crazy to me because you broke me as well. Ripped me apart and let the light shine through the cracks. You didn’t just put me back together, though. You rearranged everything before you did.”
Ophelia (waitress, victim of life) and Alexzander (no words to describe him) are like two flowers who are trampled on every day. They’ve never felt the warmth of the sun or experienced nourishment from the rain. They are two damaged souls with no one to guide them.
….I kept doing the things I hated because it was all I knew. And even knowing all this, she pressed herself against me because she believed I could be better. Even though a disease saturated my soul, she believed I could be healed.
Ophelia has a strong spirit and despite the hell she’s lived in, she never gave up. Alex was raised by the devil himself. Thankfully, he was exposed to an angel for a brief time, and the light she gave him was stronger than all the darkness Satan tried to beat into him. That made him strong enough to be the anti-hero of this story. If you were raised by the devil and only had him as a role model, would you be able to find goodness within yourself? Would you know how to love?
Alexzander emerged from the depths of hell and shielded me from the devil ….. People will wonder how I could lie with a demon, but demons are only fallen angels, and Alex fell pretty fucking hard. He was just willing to stand up again and live up to his name.
Ophelia & Alexzander do get a wonderful HEA.
SEX: Don’t read this for the sex. End. Of.
LAUREN BIEL: I was truly blown away by the writing. Despite all the gore, her writing is excellent. I’m always amazed by the books she puts out.
TRIGGERS: I'm not going to spell them all out - there are plenty of other reviews out there to do that for you. Safe to say, this book has ALL. OF. THE. TRIGGERS. There are absolutely no lines that weren’t crossed in this book.
AUDIO: I bought the book and prefer to read it. I did listen to the audio. Jackson Rayne is our voice for Alex and he's not bad, but he doesn't make me want to listen. Brooke McAllister is our voice for Ophelia and she's good. I recommend reading.
Somehow, she’d found freedom within captivity, but I found mine within her.
PS. I loved this book so much that I purchased it. Plus, I love supporting authors who write outside the box. In a world of cookie cutter romance, I applaud those who are different.
April 19, 2023
Excited to read this after positive reviews from GR friends. My favourite Lauren Biel read so far. It’s a little gross for my tastes, particularly the skull scene 😡👊🏼👺 as well as the jar scene 😖🤢🤮🤮 It’s erotic horror, but erotic in describing the nature of the horror, not in the steam/hot factor. Not dark sexy, just dark. Primarily interested by the plot and the characters.
I am also going to call it and say I am uncomfortable the hero was a serial rapist and accomplice to murderer of women. I think the author handled this as well as could be. I read this for the entertainment factor, less of the romance factor.
I am also going to call it and say I am uncomfortable the hero was a serial rapist and accomplice to murderer of women. I think the author handled this as well as could be. I read this for the entertainment factor, less of the romance factor.
May 17, 2023
I'm honestly ashamed to even have this on my marked read. I could write an actual review detailing what's wrong with this fucking mess, but I don't want to be the authors next publishing campaign (she also has a habit of commenting on reviews so..).
Read the other reviews if you wanna know why this book is hot garbage.
Read the other reviews if you wanna know why this book is hot garbage.
July 5, 2025
0 stars
what the honest fuck was this shit? they just publish anything nowadays.
update: apparently this book got banned. which is great, considering it was nothing more than t0rture p0rn dressed as horror romance
what the honest fuck was this shit? they just publish anything nowadays.
update: apparently this book got banned. which is great, considering it was nothing more than t0rture p0rn dressed as horror romance
October 27, 2025
What the fuck did i just read
April 20, 2023
This one was a hard book for me to like, and it wasn't the triggers nope. I felt like Alex wasn't alpha enough for me. Even if he did horrible things to people and to Ophelia the way he let his brother treat him made me see him as a weak person.
Let's start from the beginning Alex and his brother are extremely evilish and take woman and use them. Alex is alittle different he doesn't like sharing the same hole it grosses him out. So he uses his brothers idea to get himself his own girl and he knows the perfect girl since he's been stalking her.
He kidnaps O and first night he does rape her she does fight him off but it doesn't work. He explains to her why he's taken her and tells his brother not to touch her. The brother doesn't fk her but he touches her even when he was told not To. This is where Alex should've made it more clear what would happen if he kept touching her. He would get mad but nothing.
Ophelia does few times try to fight back and tried to kill him so I was proud of her for that. The more time they spent she slowly started to somewhat fall for him even if he told her not to. And we see her be punished few times by the brother because he knows Alex is falling for her more and more. I was just sad it took him this long to finally stand up to the brother.
Angst, om drama (the psycho brother), sorta cheating (look at the triggers), drama, sexy times, no virgins manwhoreish
Recommend-maybe
Cover-⭐️⭐️⭐️
Heat level-🌶🌶🌶
Prologue
Push away from h
Non con between mcs
heavy non con scenes/discussions/pasts abuse
Tiny FF scene (kissing)
Dateline level captivity
stockholm syndrome
mention of CA and CSA
Familial SA (side plot point)
alcoholism/substance use
throat fucking
No condom
skull fucking (actually)
REPULSIVE brother captor
Water sports (H didn't enjoy this)
another female captive (minimal interaction, no cheating between MCs once FMC is taken he does get a BJ before.)
murder
cum play
Suicide
trauma bonding
Some stalking
making checkers WEIRD
Hea
Epilogue
Let's start from the beginning Alex and his brother are extremely evilish and take woman and use them. Alex is alittle different he doesn't like sharing the same hole it grosses him out. So he uses his brothers idea to get himself his own girl and he knows the perfect girl since he's been stalking her.
He kidnaps O and first night he does rape her she does fight him off but it doesn't work. He explains to her why he's taken her and tells his brother not to touch her. The brother doesn't fk her but he touches her even when he was told not To. This is where Alex should've made it more clear what would happen if he kept touching her. He would get mad but nothing.
Ophelia does few times try to fight back and tried to kill him so I was proud of her for that. The more time they spent she slowly started to somewhat fall for him even if he told her not to. And we see her be punished few times by the brother because he knows Alex is falling for her more and more. I was just sad it took him this long to finally stand up to the brother.
Angst, om drama (the psycho brother), sorta cheating (look at the triggers), drama, sexy times, no virgins manwhoreish
Recommend-maybe
Cover-⭐️⭐️⭐️
Heat level-🌶🌶🌶
Prologue
Push away from h
Non con between mcs
heavy non con scenes/discussions/pasts abuse
Tiny FF scene (kissing)
Dateline level captivity
stockholm syndrome
mention of CA and CSA
Familial SA (side plot point)
alcoholism/substance use
throat fucking
No condom
skull fucking (actually)
REPULSIVE brother captor
Water sports (H didn't enjoy this)
another female captive (minimal interaction, no cheating between MCs once FMC is taken he does get a BJ before.)
murder
cum play
Suicide
trauma bonding
Some stalking
making checkers WEIRD
Hea
Epilogue
April 3, 2023
❗️⚠️ Read the entire trigger warning list before diving into “Captured” (link listed below). If you have any triggers whatsoever, this may not be the book for you. BUT if you’re triggerless like me and think “the darker, the better,” dont sleep on Lauren Biel’s work! You won’t regret it! ⚠️❗️
We meet our MMC, Alexzander Bruggar, as a child playing Checkers with his mother. Except this scene is not all that it seems — there are female screams coming from down the hall and a chain rattling from the wall to his mothers neck. His brother, Gunnir, is in the same room where the screams are coming from with The Man, his monster of a father, carefully creating a mini-monster out of Gunnir. Years later, our FMC, Ophelia, has caught the attention of Alexzander… but for all the wrong reasons. In an attempt to have a toy that is “just his,” Gunnir helps Alex kidnap Ophelia from her diner job and chain her in the (very disgusting) basement of the Bruggar brothers. Gunnir lost his humanity many, many years ago but Alex still has a fragment of who he was before he became the devil he is today. Unfortunately, his brother and this lifestyle is all he knows and getting out isn’t an option. Until her. Will Ophelia be his ticket out of this despicable lifestyle? Do the flecks of humanity Alex shows Ophelia give her hope? These two have both been held captive their entire lives — but how far will they go to protect the others humanity?
Lauren Biel does no wrong in my eyes. Period. I fell in love with “Hitched” and I have been a BIG fan ever since. Biel opened up my world to a trope that I never knew I was a sucker for — the darkest, most f#cked up trauma bonded HEAs ever written. “Captured” is by far my darkest read from Biel but that doesn’t mean it was anything less than excellent. It was grimy, uncomfortable, deplorable and ABSOLUTE perfection. Her genre of writing isn’t for everyone — with trigger lists longer than the Nile River — but for those of us with no triggers and enjoy hanging out in complete darkness, “Captured” is another must read!
It is amazing to me how Biel is able to tell these gut wrenching, horrifying stories but somehow find the light in the darkness. Alex and Gunnir were groomed murderers and r@pists by their father, and even though Gunnir has zero hope of becoming human, Alex did. Introducing a character like Ophelia to Alex, who has an ugly past herself, was smart of Biel. She isn’t an innocent porcelain doll and if she had be written that way, the story would never get to the HEA it gets to. Biel excels at developing morally gray characters into people who essentially “rise from the ashes,” even if they’re not perfect. You could argue the Stockholm Syndrome is why there is a HEA, but I disagree. The depth of these characters goes beyond that, and Biel does an excellent job of making sure humanity trumps depravity.
I recommend “Captured,” and all of Lauren Biel’s books, to all my dark romance readers. ESPECIALLY if you have met Lex and loved him 😅
Rating: 5/5 ⭐️
Spice: 2.5?/5 🌶️
Tropes:
⛓️ Dark Romance
⛓️ Captor/Abduction
⛓️ Multiple POV
⛓️ Taboo Romance
⛓️ HEA
Triggers:
💥 Scenes of sexual assault
💥 R@pe scenes throughout
💥 Mentions of child neglect and pnysical abuse
💥 Graphic torture scenes
💥 Intense captivity
💥 Alcohol/substance abuse
💥 Stockholm Syndrome
💥 Trauma bonding
💥 M^der scenes
— for a full list, visit: https://laurenbiel.com/trigger-warnings/
We meet our MMC, Alexzander Bruggar, as a child playing Checkers with his mother. Except this scene is not all that it seems — there are female screams coming from down the hall and a chain rattling from the wall to his mothers neck. His brother, Gunnir, is in the same room where the screams are coming from with The Man, his monster of a father, carefully creating a mini-monster out of Gunnir. Years later, our FMC, Ophelia, has caught the attention of Alexzander… but for all the wrong reasons. In an attempt to have a toy that is “just his,” Gunnir helps Alex kidnap Ophelia from her diner job and chain her in the (very disgusting) basement of the Bruggar brothers. Gunnir lost his humanity many, many years ago but Alex still has a fragment of who he was before he became the devil he is today. Unfortunately, his brother and this lifestyle is all he knows and getting out isn’t an option. Until her. Will Ophelia be his ticket out of this despicable lifestyle? Do the flecks of humanity Alex shows Ophelia give her hope? These two have both been held captive their entire lives — but how far will they go to protect the others humanity?
Lauren Biel does no wrong in my eyes. Period. I fell in love with “Hitched” and I have been a BIG fan ever since. Biel opened up my world to a trope that I never knew I was a sucker for — the darkest, most f#cked up trauma bonded HEAs ever written. “Captured” is by far my darkest read from Biel but that doesn’t mean it was anything less than excellent. It was grimy, uncomfortable, deplorable and ABSOLUTE perfection. Her genre of writing isn’t for everyone — with trigger lists longer than the Nile River — but for those of us with no triggers and enjoy hanging out in complete darkness, “Captured” is another must read!
It is amazing to me how Biel is able to tell these gut wrenching, horrifying stories but somehow find the light in the darkness. Alex and Gunnir were groomed murderers and r@pists by their father, and even though Gunnir has zero hope of becoming human, Alex did. Introducing a character like Ophelia to Alex, who has an ugly past herself, was smart of Biel. She isn’t an innocent porcelain doll and if she had be written that way, the story would never get to the HEA it gets to. Biel excels at developing morally gray characters into people who essentially “rise from the ashes,” even if they’re not perfect. You could argue the Stockholm Syndrome is why there is a HEA, but I disagree. The depth of these characters goes beyond that, and Biel does an excellent job of making sure humanity trumps depravity.
I recommend “Captured,” and all of Lauren Biel’s books, to all my dark romance readers. ESPECIALLY if you have met Lex and loved him 😅
Rating: 5/5 ⭐️
Spice: 2.5?/5 🌶️
Tropes:
⛓️ Dark Romance
⛓️ Captor/Abduction
⛓️ Multiple POV
⛓️ Taboo Romance
⛓️ HEA
Triggers:
💥 Scenes of sexual assault
💥 R@pe scenes throughout
💥 Mentions of child neglect and pnysical abuse
💥 Graphic torture scenes
💥 Intense captivity
💥 Alcohol/substance abuse
💥 Stockholm Syndrome
💥 Trauma bonding
💥 M^der scenes
— for a full list, visit: https://laurenbiel.com/trigger-warnings/
February 1, 2025
I originally picked up this book because everyone in one of my book groups said it was the most dark and fucked up book they’ve ever read. Personally I didn’t have the same reaction. I absolutely LOVED it! I thought it was dark and fucked up but also cute and had me giggling and kicking my feet over how sweet the MMC is by the end 🧡
April 21, 2023
nothing romantic about this. so disgusting it made me physically ill. p.s - the author definitely didn’t tw necrophilia.
June 1, 2023
Idk what fresh hell this shit was but I think it was the most fucked up shit I have ever read in my LIFE. Three stars because the Author can truly paint a scene and concoct a story and I love her writing style.... minus 2 stars for the come jar... I'll never eat mayo again...
December 14, 2023
Wow I was in a slump for a min & THIS def pulled me out of it! It’s almost like… disgusting & scary af, but you can’t look away since you’re “captured” with what’s happening.
September 9, 2023
Rating: ⭐️⭐️/5
Spice: ⚠️🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️.5/5⚠️
*Note: Practically all spicy scenes are non con in this book. Venture with caution and this in mind. Read TW list.*
What To Expect:
✔️ Stockholm syndrome
✔️ Horror erotica
✔️ Stalking
✔️ Non-con
✔️ Somehow, a HEA
✔️⚠️Major TWs⚠️
This was certainly a book that I read 🙂
-3⭐️s because I can’t get past the romanticisation of both r*pe and Stockholm syndrome in this book between the MMC and FMC… imo it shouldn’t have been a HEA at all… a better ending would’ve been the FMC killing the MMC and running off into the distance traumatised but ✨free✨. How TF they end up together is still beyond me but I guess she’s so messed up mentally that it does make some sense. What he did is unforgivable though, regardless of his circumstances. Still a 2⭐️ because there was a decent plot and it kept me engaged.
This is not a dark romance… this is horror erotica for sureee… there is no romance to be seen in this book. The MMC is not kind, chivalrous, lenient or decent just because he abuses the FMC less (in comparison) to his brother with the other captured girl. He still regularly r*pes her whenever he wants to. That can never turn to romance idgaf however anyone spins it…
There were so many messed up things that happened in this short book… (don’t even get me started on the mayo jar/coke bottle sitch) or the “party” 🥲 or the bath or the 💀💀💀… I can’t even. There were more non con scenes in this book than I have brain cells left after reading it.
Read this if you want to test your limits. I will say, this is not the darkest thing out there but it does come close and I can see why it got banned on kindle.
Spice: ⚠️🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️.5/5⚠️
*Note: Practically all spicy scenes are non con in this book. Venture with caution and this in mind. Read TW list.*
What To Expect:
✔️ Stockholm syndrome
✔️ Horror erotica
✔️ Stalking
✔️ Non-con
✔️ Somehow, a HEA
✔️⚠️Major TWs⚠️
This was certainly a book that I read 🙂
-3⭐️s because I can’t get past the romanticisation of both r*pe and Stockholm syndrome in this book between the MMC and FMC… imo it shouldn’t have been a HEA at all… a better ending would’ve been the FMC killing the MMC and running off into the distance traumatised but ✨free✨. How TF they end up together is still beyond me but I guess she’s so messed up mentally that it does make some sense. What he did is unforgivable though, regardless of his circumstances. Still a 2⭐️ because there was a decent plot and it kept me engaged.
This is not a dark romance… this is horror erotica for sureee… there is no romance to be seen in this book. The MMC is not kind, chivalrous, lenient or decent just because he abuses the FMC less (in comparison) to his brother with the other captured girl. He still regularly r*pes her whenever he wants to. That can never turn to romance idgaf however anyone spins it…
There were so many messed up things that happened in this short book… (don’t even get me started on the mayo jar/coke bottle sitch) or the “party” 🥲 or the bath or the 💀💀💀… I can’t even. There were more non con scenes in this book than I have brain cells left after reading it.
Read this if you want to test your limits. I will say, this is not the darkest thing out there but it does come close and I can see why it got banned on kindle.
October 16, 2025
This book was absolutely HORRIFYING! I loved it :)
Please check trigger warnings; this book is not for everyone. However, if you're looking for a twisted horror/erotic love story riddled with triggering NC scenes that will thoroughly disturb you... look no further!
If I were going to describe this book without spoilers, I would say it was like a graphic episode of Law & Order from the victim and perp's perspective... except Olivia and Elliot never find them. In fact, Benson and Stabler aren't even in the show.
Cross that with the eating/gross-out challenge of Fear Factor and you have this book.
Notable scenes that I will never be able to scrub free from my brain:
1) The mayo scene
2) The shower scene
3) The Skull Scene
Thank you, Lauren; I will forever cherish these nightmares. 🥲🤣
I'm glad there was...somewhat of a happy ending? It was happy, right? I was happy with it at least haha.
Anyway, all jokes aside, I enjoyed the read, however - I am depraved. If you are not into horror/dark romance or are triggered by themes of NC, sexual, emotional, and/or physical abuse this is not the book for you!
Read with caution!
Please check trigger warnings; this book is not for everyone. However, if you're looking for a twisted horror/erotic love story riddled with triggering NC scenes that will thoroughly disturb you... look no further!
If I were going to describe this book without spoilers, I would say it was like a graphic episode of Law & Order from the victim and perp's perspective... except Olivia and Elliot never find them. In fact, Benson and Stabler aren't even in the show.
Cross that with the eating/gross-out challenge of Fear Factor and you have this book.
Notable scenes that I will never be able to scrub free from my brain:
1) The mayo scene
2) The shower scene
3) The Skull Scene
Thank you, Lauren; I will forever cherish these nightmares. 🥲🤣
I'm glad there was...somewhat of a happy ending? It was happy, right? I was happy with it at least haha.
Anyway, all jokes aside, I enjoyed the read, however - I am depraved. If you are not into horror/dark romance or are triggered by themes of NC, sexual, emotional, and/or physical abuse this is not the book for you!
Read with caution!
April 5, 2024
I had no business liking this book as much as I did. Please check your trigger warnings with this one. This rec is for SEASONED dark romance lovers. You need more than just salt and pepper.
All I’m saying is that he chains her up in his basement and does vile things to her. 💀
This book is a novella. It’s more on the horror side of dark romance. Lauren wrote the characters so well that even though we knew both men were evil you couldn’t help but gravitate towards one more. Alex over Gunnir any day of the week.
The mayo scene wasn’t awful but THE SKULL SCENE. WTF GUNNIR NOOOO. What a wild ride.
All I’m saying is that he chains her up in his basement and does vile things to her. 💀
This book is a novella. It’s more on the horror side of dark romance. Lauren wrote the characters so well that even though we knew both men were evil you couldn’t help but gravitate towards one more. Alex over Gunnir any day of the week.
The mayo scene wasn’t awful but THE SKULL SCENE. WTF GUNNIR NOOOO. What a wild ride.
August 10, 2023
Genre: Romantic Horror
Type: Standalone
POV: First Person - Dual
Rating:
Life had not been easy for Ophelia, but she had a plan for a better future. Unknown to her, Alexzander Bruggar had his own intentions that could change the course of their lives.
This book came highly recommended by dark lovers, so I was eager to jump into it. Unfortunately, it was a struggle to keep my attention. I needed more depth and intensity. I couldn’t feel anything for the main characters. It shouldn’t be the case considering the past and present situations the characters had to endure.
We never put our mouths on them like that. But Ophelia was so pure, and I wanted to devour her innocence and swallow every drop.
I did appreciate the ambiance described, which added to the horror aspect. Two memorable scenes managed to steal my attention. While the tub scene excited me, the contest scene made me wish I didn’t have to eat right after.
Captured is a story of surviving trauma. It might appeal to readers looking for romantic horror.
⛓️🔪⛓️ . . . (F)BR with Twinsie CC . . . ⛓️🔪⛓️
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