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Under the Skin #3
Taken
It was just a prank I didn't want to be a part of. I never meant to hurt anyone, least of all Johann Weir. You wouldn't know that he sells literature for a living. He has these wild eyes—eyes that light something up in me—and he must be twice as big as I am, with strong, warm hands. Hands I try not to imagine everywhere.
He scares me. And thrills me.
But now the deed is done, and I have to face the consequences. He says he just wants to hold me here until the police come, but it's been hours and I'm still here.
Chained to a pipe in his back room like a prisoner.
The only person I have to talk to is Johann, and I tell him dark, shameful secrets—secrets that involve the metal around my wrist and him standing over me. But I can't stop. I need him to know everything. I need him.
Johann has his own secrets—ones he wants to tell me too. And more than anything, I want to listen. And maybe, before he sends me away, he'll punish me.
Just a little.
Just enough.
He scares me. And thrills me.
But now the deed is done, and I have to face the consequences. He says he just wants to hold me here until the police come, but it's been hours and I'm still here.
Chained to a pipe in his back room like a prisoner.
The only person I have to talk to is Johann, and I tell him dark, shameful secrets—secrets that involve the metal around my wrist and him standing over me. But I can't stop. I need him to know everything. I need him.
Johann has his own secrets—ones he wants to tell me too. And more than anything, I want to listen. And maybe, before he sends me away, he'll punish me.
Just a little.
Just enough.
99 pages, Kindle Edition
First published April 14, 2015
35 people are currently reading
615 people want to read
About the author
Charlotte Stein
112 books2,133 followersCharlotte Stein is the RT and DABWAHA nominated author of over fifty short stories, novellas and novels. When not writing deeply emotional and intensely sexy books, she can be found eating jelly turtles, watching terrible sitcoms and occasionally lusting after hunks. For more on Charlotte, visit: www.charlottestein.net
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 100 reviews
April 12, 2015
GODDAMMIT. Every time I read a Charlotte Stein book, everything I write sounds like garbage for a week. Okay. Full disclosure: Charlotte and I are email/twitter friends and I do *believe* we share a publicist. I promise that's not why I'm reviewing TAKEN, however - this is just me being compelled to rant? Yes, rant, about how much I loved it.
I mean, where do I begin? My heart was in my throat the whole time. I imagine the author just clutching at her chest as she writes the heroine's stream of consciousness - it's that compelling and deep and descriptive. I don't think one line of this book has ever been written anywhere else - and that's saying something considering there's at least a thousand published books in the world (kidding, there's probably more). The hero and heroine smoke pot together and it's glorious. More recreational drug use in romance, please! (also mostly kidding).
The hero, Han...I will be thinking about him for a damn long while. He's un-be-lievable. The way he speaks, the things he says ("I miss you even when you're here..."), his mannerisms. *blows kisses to the earth in general*
Anyway. Please read this book. It's really flipping great.
I mean, where do I begin? My heart was in my throat the whole time. I imagine the author just clutching at her chest as she writes the heroine's stream of consciousness - it's that compelling and deep and descriptive. I don't think one line of this book has ever been written anywhere else - and that's saying something considering there's at least a thousand published books in the world (kidding, there's probably more). The hero and heroine smoke pot together and it's glorious. More recreational drug use in romance, please! (also mostly kidding).
The hero, Han...I will be thinking about him for a damn long while. He's un-be-lievable. The way he speaks, the things he says ("I miss you even when you're here..."), his mannerisms. *blows kisses to the earth in general*
Anyway. Please read this book. It's really flipping great.
April 20, 2015
First, this cover represents nothing about this book. So disregard!
I read the first page of this book, and immediately cuddled into my couch a little tighter. Stein's voice, her characters and her erotic words make me happy.
The one I call the secret werewolf in my head - because honestly, that is what he looks like. He wears tweedy jackets with leather elbow patches and these tiny, wire-rimmed glasses, s he should seem harmless. But then you notice his black-as-pitch beard and his wild, dark hair and his eyes like twelve past midnight, and suddenly it doesn't feel that way at all.
Rosie and her friend like to visit this rare-book store, but the owner is kind of surly and yells at them if they touch first edition books, so they decide to get revenge. But they get caught vandalizing the store, and as Rosie watches her friend escape, she finds herself being dragged down to the basement of the store by the owner. The gorgeous, hairy, rugged, Johann.
Han didn't really mean to kidnap Rosie - he just wanted to restrain her while he called the police. But all of a sudden he looks down and he has her chained to his bed and he realizes he could be in a lot of trouble. He panics and then can't decide what to do, finally trying to free her, but of course he can't get the handcuff off. All the while this is happening, Rosie starts to realize she isn't going to be murdered or abused - that this man, this "werewolf" (because he is so hairy) is actually a huge softy with a great sense of humor. Han is SO embarrassed he overreacted and chained her up and then couldn't get the chain off. He is also SO embarrassed he is attracted to her. He is in his early thirties and looks upon twenty-four year old Rosie as too young for him. But Rosie knows what she wants - and she wants her werewolf.
He just looks big and hairy and rugged, like he spends his spare time climbing mountains in the dark, or was possibly enslaved in the sixteenth century by his vampire betters. I bet he had a long-lost love who burned to death, leaving him tormented and lovelorn and oh my God I really need to stop thinking like this.
I LOVE Charlotte Stein heroes. They are always so - big and hairy. And sex-crazed yet kind of awkward. Han does yoga and wears corduroy pants. And he likes to spank girls and he always thinks he is too kinky for them. But Rosie is vivacious and outgoing and wants every dirty thing that Han has to offer. He even starts to warn her of things he could do, and Rosie says - bring it!
"How about if I blindfold you and make you feel your way around harrowing obstacles until you find various parts of my naked body?"
"Oh my God."
"And that excites you too...all right. Is there anything that doesn't?" he asks, and though he packs a lot of incredulity int that one little sentence I can tell he really means it.
I also adore Stein's heroines. To start this book, Rosie goes through about every situation that could happen to her being chained to someone's bed. From being murdered to other crazy, and silly ideas. Once she sees that Han is actually a good guy, she torments him with her words and actions and it made me laugh over and over again.
Before we get to the sweaty sex, we have to get through their awkward first meeting, especially when Rosie has to use the bathroom while chained to a bed. It puts them in a close position
“I don’t think Stockholm syndrome happens so fast. Or because your kidnapper has a supernice ass,” I say, but I swear I do it only because he totally, totally does. The second he turns around it’s pretty much all I can see. The corduroy hugs the curve of it like an overexcited hand, and when he moves I swear I can see muscles bunching there.
He has muscles in his butt.
Is it any wonder I feel the need to comment?
I doubt I could stop myself if he begged me—a point that proves true a second later.
“Please do not look at my ass while I attempt to not listen to your underwear coming off,” he says, swiftly followed by me asking even more salacious things.
“Can you hear it sliding down my thighs?”
“No. All I can hear is the blood rushing in my ears.”
“They are cotton with Tuesday on the bottom.”
“Stop that. That is . . . not cool.”
“Which one? Talk of my underwear or your backside?”
“Both of them. Both of them are not cool.”
Coming in at just 100 pages, it's a quick read but very satisfying. For a blurb leading you to believe it's dark and dangerous, it's actually a very light and funny book. It's a stand alone as well.
Rating: B+
I read the first page of this book, and immediately cuddled into my couch a little tighter. Stein's voice, her characters and her erotic words make me happy.
The one I call the secret werewolf in my head - because honestly, that is what he looks like. He wears tweedy jackets with leather elbow patches and these tiny, wire-rimmed glasses, s he should seem harmless. But then you notice his black-as-pitch beard and his wild, dark hair and his eyes like twelve past midnight, and suddenly it doesn't feel that way at all.
Rosie and her friend like to visit this rare-book store, but the owner is kind of surly and yells at them if they touch first edition books, so they decide to get revenge. But they get caught vandalizing the store, and as Rosie watches her friend escape, she finds herself being dragged down to the basement of the store by the owner. The gorgeous, hairy, rugged, Johann.
Han didn't really mean to kidnap Rosie - he just wanted to restrain her while he called the police. But all of a sudden he looks down and he has her chained to his bed and he realizes he could be in a lot of trouble. He panics and then can't decide what to do, finally trying to free her, but of course he can't get the handcuff off. All the while this is happening, Rosie starts to realize she isn't going to be murdered or abused - that this man, this "werewolf" (because he is so hairy) is actually a huge softy with a great sense of humor. Han is SO embarrassed he overreacted and chained her up and then couldn't get the chain off. He is also SO embarrassed he is attracted to her. He is in his early thirties and looks upon twenty-four year old Rosie as too young for him. But Rosie knows what she wants - and she wants her werewolf.
He just looks big and hairy and rugged, like he spends his spare time climbing mountains in the dark, or was possibly enslaved in the sixteenth century by his vampire betters. I bet he had a long-lost love who burned to death, leaving him tormented and lovelorn and oh my God I really need to stop thinking like this.
I LOVE Charlotte Stein heroes. They are always so - big and hairy. And sex-crazed yet kind of awkward. Han does yoga and wears corduroy pants. And he likes to spank girls and he always thinks he is too kinky for them. But Rosie is vivacious and outgoing and wants every dirty thing that Han has to offer. He even starts to warn her of things he could do, and Rosie says - bring it!
"How about if I blindfold you and make you feel your way around harrowing obstacles until you find various parts of my naked body?"
"Oh my God."
"And that excites you too...all right. Is there anything that doesn't?" he asks, and though he packs a lot of incredulity int that one little sentence I can tell he really means it.
I also adore Stein's heroines. To start this book, Rosie goes through about every situation that could happen to her being chained to someone's bed. From being murdered to other crazy, and silly ideas. Once she sees that Han is actually a good guy, she torments him with her words and actions and it made me laugh over and over again.
Before we get to the sweaty sex, we have to get through their awkward first meeting, especially when Rosie has to use the bathroom while chained to a bed. It puts them in a close position
“I don’t think Stockholm syndrome happens so fast. Or because your kidnapper has a supernice ass,” I say, but I swear I do it only because he totally, totally does. The second he turns around it’s pretty much all I can see. The corduroy hugs the curve of it like an overexcited hand, and when he moves I swear I can see muscles bunching there.
He has muscles in his butt.
Is it any wonder I feel the need to comment?
I doubt I could stop myself if he begged me—a point that proves true a second later.
“Please do not look at my ass while I attempt to not listen to your underwear coming off,” he says, swiftly followed by me asking even more salacious things.
“Can you hear it sliding down my thighs?”
“No. All I can hear is the blood rushing in my ears.”
“They are cotton with Tuesday on the bottom.”
“Stop that. That is . . . not cool.”
“Which one? Talk of my underwear or your backside?”
“Both of them. Both of them are not cool.”
Coming in at just 100 pages, it's a quick read but very satisfying. For a blurb leading you to believe it's dark and dangerous, it's actually a very light and funny book. It's a stand alone as well.
Rating: B+
August 27, 2016
Believe it or not, I found this book to be a little dialed down for a Charlotte Stein novella. I mean, it is all there - dark and scary start with a spooky behemoth who has chained a wanna-be vandal in his basement. The blurb has overtones of punishment and deep secrets. The first half of the novel, where everything is still an unknown, is terrific, taut and original. And then it flattened out for me a little. At least for a Charlotte Stein ditty. So this book gets 3.5 rounded to 4 stars for the inspired stream of un-self-consciousness via Rosie and the delightfully twisty and quirky Han.
The quotable quotes in this one really tickled, which is unusual for a Stein novel. I won't quote any because that would be cheating, and do yourself a favor and stay away from spoiler reviews. You will enjoy this novella a lot more if you do.
Addendum: I made a handful of my highlights visible because they show the personality of this stalwart Stein heroine without being too spoiler-y. Enjoy.
The quotable quotes in this one really tickled, which is unusual for a Stein novel. I won't quote any because that would be cheating, and do yourself a favor and stay away from spoiler reviews. You will enjoy this novella a lot more if you do.
Addendum: I made a handful of my highlights visible because they show the personality of this stalwart Stein heroine without being too spoiler-y. Enjoy.
April 15, 2015
4.5 STARS
I don't want to lick this lovely edition of Great Expectations. But I will do it, in the name of hot sex.
Any day I read Charlotte Stein is a great day!
Johann (Han--like Han Solo, cool, right?)
Han is the big, burly owner of a bookstore. He's funny, sweet, loves to speak in hyperbole and has some serious ideas about how controlled he needs to be to keep himself out of trouble.
Rosie Callahan ("So basically the most adorable name ever")
Enter Rosie, college student who's definitely hanging with the wrong sort of people and who's really, really ready to make Han lose his precious self-control.
When Rosie's friend causes mischief in Han's bookstore, Rosie pays the price by becoming Han's prisoner, handcuffed to his bed downstairs.
Before you get too crazy about any non-con--this isn't what this is about. It's funny and sexy and they only person doing anything out of their comfort zone is Han.
Charlotte Stein really knows how to give us restrained heroes and wanton heroines. It's fantastic. You almost feel sorry for the poor guys for their inner battle.
He wants to talk. Most probably about me and my hair-trigger vagina. Nothing kills a lust daze faster than a hair-trigger vagina.
As much as this is so typical, amazing Charlotte Stein, I found some things were a little different. For one thing there was more dialogue from the hero than usual. And since Han was HILARIOUS, I can only say that was a very good difference. I loved their banter.
Also, I daresay that there was slightly less steam in this than a typical C.S. novel. But not by much!!! Don't get me wrong, this isn't something you want your grandmother or teenager to know you read. It's still beautifully filthy.
As usual I really wanted to highlight a ton of passages and I'm not going to bombard you with quotes, but this is too good not to include:
"Is it really that big a deal?"
"Having to stand over my captive while she pees? Yeah kind of a big deal. Usually comes with feelings of intense remorse and a lengthy prison sentence."
"Come on. You know that isn't going to happen."
"The remorse is already happening."
"Even though I don't mind one teeny tiny bit?"
Well, considering you probably have Stockholm syndrome."
"I don't think Stockholm syndrome happens so fast. Or because your kidnapper has a supernice ass," I say, but I swear I do it only because he totally, totally does.
They crack me up!
I don't want to lick this lovely edition of Great Expectations. But I will do it, in the name of hot sex.
Any day I read Charlotte Stein is a great day!
Johann (Han--like Han Solo, cool, right?)
Han is the big, burly owner of a bookstore. He's funny, sweet, loves to speak in hyperbole and has some serious ideas about how controlled he needs to be to keep himself out of trouble.
Rosie Callahan ("So basically the most adorable name ever")
Enter Rosie, college student who's definitely hanging with the wrong sort of people and who's really, really ready to make Han lose his precious self-control.
When Rosie's friend causes mischief in Han's bookstore, Rosie pays the price by becoming Han's prisoner, handcuffed to his bed downstairs.
Before you get too crazy about any non-con--this isn't what this is about. It's funny and sexy and they only person doing anything out of their comfort zone is Han.
Charlotte Stein really knows how to give us restrained heroes and wanton heroines. It's fantastic. You almost feel sorry for the poor guys for their inner battle.
He wants to talk. Most probably about me and my hair-trigger vagina. Nothing kills a lust daze faster than a hair-trigger vagina.
As much as this is so typical, amazing Charlotte Stein, I found some things were a little different. For one thing there was more dialogue from the hero than usual. And since Han was HILARIOUS, I can only say that was a very good difference. I loved their banter.
Also, I daresay that there was slightly less steam in this than a typical C.S. novel. But not by much!!! Don't get me wrong, this isn't something you want your grandmother or teenager to know you read. It's still beautifully filthy.
As usual I really wanted to highlight a ton of passages and I'm not going to bombard you with quotes, but this is too good not to include:
"Is it really that big a deal?"
"Having to stand over my captive while she pees? Yeah kind of a big deal. Usually comes with feelings of intense remorse and a lengthy prison sentence."
"Come on. You know that isn't going to happen."
"The remorse is already happening."
"Even though I don't mind one teeny tiny bit?"
Well, considering you probably have Stockholm syndrome."
"I don't think Stockholm syndrome happens so fast. Or because your kidnapper has a supernice ass," I say, but I swear I do it only because he totally, totally does.
They crack me up!
April 24, 2015
Charlotte Stein has such a unique voice. In the Under the Skin series alone, she takes on darker tones effortlessly but she also does the angst quite well too. In TAKEN, she takes on another route and makes this one a little silly and awkward.
The heroine, Rosie and her friend have been annoying the crap out of this rare-book store owner, even going as far as vandalizing his store when Johann catches Rosie and drags her to the basement and chains her to his bed. It sounds a little bit silly but to be honest, Stein makes it that way. She refers to the hero as a werewolf which is hilarious because he is big and hairy and more than a little awkward. When he panics and realizes what he has done to Rosie, he tries to uncuff her and this starts a little tirade between the two. They speak about totally random things, things that normally make me roll my eyes and ask what is the point of all this, but Stein somehow makes it all work and the awakwardness between the two soon turns into something a whole lot like sexual tension. It’s brilliant actually what Stein is able to do here. I don’t think anyone else could have pulled it off as effortlessly as Stein can.
Since the book is just under a 100 pages, it’s one that I think will be good as a refresher. It’s different, silly but still very sexy. Stein writes some intriguing heroes that are worth reading about and TAKEN works well as a standalone too.
*ARC provided by publisher
May 20, 2015
I picked this up because it was reviewed highly by RT. It's a fun read and fairly short. If you like erotica, give it a try.
May 12, 2015
Pretty much any romance involving a kinky bookseller is always going to get my vote. And if it's by Charlotte Stein? Double vote! Can we vote twice? Whatever, I just did.
Taken, a recent offering by Stein, features Rosie Callahan, a young woman still in college, and Johann William Weir, a rare book dealer. In a prank-gone-wrong, Rosie is captured by the bookstore owner and chained up in his basement, a setup that sounds completely sinister and is actually totally comedic.
There's a lovely counterpoint in this book between the devilish elements of dark romance and the vulnerability, insecurity and humor both hero and heroine display over the course of the book. Both of these characters are more capable and better wrapped than they think they are, especially when it comes to each other. It takes this absurd situation to allow them both to unlock desires they either didn't know they had or weren't comfortable indulging. Plus there's an age gap here, which is my favorite thing in romance.
But the best part of Taken is just how slyly it references those 80s and 90s historicals that feature the kidnapping of the heroine by the hero. In those books, the heroine is often an innocent, but feisty young virgin and the hero an experienced, powerful Highlander or pirate or whatever. I loved the heck out of those books in high school and often find myself, to some degree, chasing that high when I dip into older historicals. But what worked for me at 17 isn't the same as what works for me at 36. Now the consent issues in those books bother me, keeping me from being as fully immersed in the story and the romance as I'd wish.
Taken captures all of that dark, powerful older man magic, but gives him to a heroine who is equally experienced and comfortable with her sexuality, if not everything about her looks. And while she is in theory chained up against her will, it's crystal clear from very early on in the story that she is way on board with every element of their quirky, unspoken and un-analyzed role-playing. It's the hero who is ambivalent about the things he wants, needing the heroine's push to indulge his darkest fantasies. It's the first time I've experienced a modern writer evoking the same feel of those barbarian encounters, never mind in a contemporary, without turning the heroine into a push-over or the hero into an ass. And doing it in a way that didn't conflict at all with my desire for the heroine's enthusiastic consent.
So the bottom line is that I adored Taken. It's a story with a new plot and an old feel, told in the inimitable style of one of contemporary romance's most interesting writers. It's even way more romantic than it had any right to be, what with the bubble baths and wine the and hacksaws and handcuffs. A thoroughly engaging, surprising and, of course, sexy read.
For a recipe for Honey-Pepper Salmon inspired by Taken, visit Cooking Up Romance: http://www.cooking-up-romance.com/201...
Taken, a recent offering by Stein, features Rosie Callahan, a young woman still in college, and Johann William Weir, a rare book dealer. In a prank-gone-wrong, Rosie is captured by the bookstore owner and chained up in his basement, a setup that sounds completely sinister and is actually totally comedic.
There's a lovely counterpoint in this book between the devilish elements of dark romance and the vulnerability, insecurity and humor both hero and heroine display over the course of the book. Both of these characters are more capable and better wrapped than they think they are, especially when it comes to each other. It takes this absurd situation to allow them both to unlock desires they either didn't know they had or weren't comfortable indulging. Plus there's an age gap here, which is my favorite thing in romance.
But the best part of Taken is just how slyly it references those 80s and 90s historicals that feature the kidnapping of the heroine by the hero. In those books, the heroine is often an innocent, but feisty young virgin and the hero an experienced, powerful Highlander or pirate or whatever. I loved the heck out of those books in high school and often find myself, to some degree, chasing that high when I dip into older historicals. But what worked for me at 17 isn't the same as what works for me at 36. Now the consent issues in those books bother me, keeping me from being as fully immersed in the story and the romance as I'd wish.
Taken captures all of that dark, powerful older man magic, but gives him to a heroine who is equally experienced and comfortable with her sexuality, if not everything about her looks. And while she is in theory chained up against her will, it's crystal clear from very early on in the story that she is way on board with every element of their quirky, unspoken and un-analyzed role-playing. It's the hero who is ambivalent about the things he wants, needing the heroine's push to indulge his darkest fantasies. It's the first time I've experienced a modern writer evoking the same feel of those barbarian encounters, never mind in a contemporary, without turning the heroine into a push-over or the hero into an ass. And doing it in a way that didn't conflict at all with my desire for the heroine's enthusiastic consent.
So the bottom line is that I adored Taken. It's a story with a new plot and an old feel, told in the inimitable style of one of contemporary romance's most interesting writers. It's even way more romantic than it had any right to be, what with the bubble baths and wine the and hacksaws and handcuffs. A thoroughly engaging, surprising and, of course, sexy read.
For a recipe for Honey-Pepper Salmon inspired by Taken, visit Cooking Up Romance: http://www.cooking-up-romance.com/201...
April 15, 2015
"He reads things to me in German, then chuckles over the fact that I ever thought it would sound amazing. I have to explain to him that my heart kind of wants to eat his face, after hearing him saying ich and liebe and dich."
Asdfghjkl.
That's it.
That's my genuine reaction to this entire book.
I have to repeat myself again:
Stein doesn't write Meet-Cutes. Stein writes Meet-Weirds.
This entire series proves my point.
I really didn't expect Han and Rosie when I read blurb- she breaks into his bookstore and he chains her to a pipe until police comes?
It screams of some pseudo foreshadowing D/s projecting some psychological turmoil or ....whatever.
I was wrong.
You see... Johann is this huge, burly, shaggy man (werewolf in hiding) who is also flustered and nerdy and it makes him... like, the most adorable creature to try to prank to. And whatever comes out of his mouth just makes him more and more bonkable.
It's no wonder Rosie doesn't want to be unchained once she gets to talk to him.
Comparing to previous two installments, Taken was lighter in tone and funnier. Still about messed up people, but their mess is not as angsty. :) Half of the book is one giant foreplay with words and nerd references that made my geek heart stutter in delight.
Stein is particularly quirky writer whose special flair for writing erotica with weird yet lovable characters isn't everyone's cup of tea. I have her on my autobuy list simply because in genre that rarely works for me, she seems to be one author who always does. I am totally digging this meta flirting she writes.
Minor quibble I had with this one (and I guess it's more restriction of short format) is that her female character (narrator) simply seems to be overly excitable and arousable in moments, where slower burn would better work, imo. :)
Recommended.
April 3, 2015
Just finished reading Taken and I'm staring at my cursor wondering how do I put into words how to describe this book. Hmmmm....? It certainly wasn't what I expected from the blurb. I thought I was going to get a psycho thriller. Something scary, something wickedly delicious. I mean he has her 'Chained to a pipe in his back room like a prisoner' so it should be scary and possibly Stockholm Syndrome-ish. Right? Nope. Oh I have it now.
Cuckoo, erotic, romance.
Taken reads quick and the plot and dialog move fast. Mainly because Rosie is a rambler. Be prepared for that. Filled with her humorous rambling antics, we get to experience her thoughts as she goes from reluctant conspirator of a prank to captive to horny lover. Johann, or just Han, is her 'captor' for lack of better word although I think of him more as a uptight closet Dom. Uptight because he doesn't want to have these thoughts and feelings of wickedness. And what a reluctant fight he puts up, against Rosie and himself. But slowly, she breaks him down and when she does things heat up interestingly. There's not many twist to this story but it sure is a fun ride as Rosie has a tendency to creatively over-exaggerate (UNDERSTATEMENT!) her thoughts and feelings. As Han begins to capitulate to Rosie's words, you can see he has just as creative and sexually wicked as she is. That translates into there's light BDSM action. The ending is sweetly delicious and very satisfying.
Taken is a great naughty fun story and a great read to pass an hour or two.
I received this book from the JeepDiva for the express purposes of an honest review. The opinions and rating of this review are solely mine and in no way was I compensated.
Stars - 3.5, Flames - 3
Cuckoo, erotic, romance.
Taken reads quick and the plot and dialog move fast. Mainly because Rosie is a rambler. Be prepared for that. Filled with her humorous rambling antics, we get to experience her thoughts as she goes from reluctant conspirator of a prank to captive to horny lover. Johann, or just Han, is her 'captor' for lack of better word although I think of him more as a uptight closet Dom. Uptight because he doesn't want to have these thoughts and feelings of wickedness. And what a reluctant fight he puts up, against Rosie and himself. But slowly, she breaks him down and when she does things heat up interestingly. There's not many twist to this story but it sure is a fun ride as Rosie has a tendency to creatively over-exaggerate (UNDERSTATEMENT!) her thoughts and feelings. As Han begins to capitulate to Rosie's words, you can see he has just as creative and sexually wicked as she is. That translates into there's light BDSM action. The ending is sweetly delicious and very satisfying.
Taken is a great naughty fun story and a great read to pass an hour or two.
I received this book from the JeepDiva for the express purposes of an honest review. The opinions and rating of this review are solely mine and in no way was I compensated.
Stars - 3.5, Flames - 3
April 3, 2015
So hawt, durty, sexy, wicked, and surprisingly humorous.
![Profile Image for ᑭᑌᑎƳᗩ [Punya Reviews...].](/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fi.gr-assets.com%2Fimages%2FS%2Fcompressed.photo.goodreads.com%2Fusers%2F1572968006i%2F3840999._UX200_CR0%2C33%2C200%2C200_.jpg&w=128&q=75)
April 20, 2015
My review contains spoilers and they're mostly my thoughts as I went with the book... for more, visit Punya Reviews...
Taken, a novella, is the book 3 of Charlotte Stein’s Under the Skin series. I got interested in this series when I hosted a blog tour for the author. This series is also my first try at this author’s writing.
From what I’ve seen, the books in this series don’t connect at all... at least where the characters are concerned. The theme varies but there are always these dark elements that are dealt with in each book.
I read book 1, Intrusion, couple of month ago. It was an intense story of two psychologically damaged people who were the victim of kidnapping at one point of their lives. And that is only a part of their ordeal. While Beth has somewhat picked up the pieces of her traumatic experience and moved on with her life, Noah couldn’t because his scars ran deep. Both physically and psychologically. They were neighbors for years, yet Noah’s reclusive living had made sure that Beth was a stranger... until one day, when she had to knock on his door. And when they find each-other, it didn’t feel like something rash or unwanted. Oh their connection, physical and emotional, was awkward at first but somehow, both Noah and Beth ended up filling the void in each-other that both were harboring ever since their experiences.
TBH, I thought the writing style was full of redundant, convoluted sentences. I don’t mean to be harsh but I had a pretty tough time keeping my focus because I had to re-read over and over again to get the meaning of certain paragraphs. It just didn’t work all that well, until, to be fair to her, the story got so intensely emotional that I was completely glued to it. In the end, I enjoyed it.
Hadn’t had a chance of reading book 2, Forbidden. But Taken was given to me as a part of another blog tour, so I decided to dig in. Unfortunately, I can’t say I enjoyed it.
This story revolves around the scrumptious captor-captive theme, a favorite of mine and should’ve pushed all my right buttons. But it didn’t. Apart from the writing that was still not my cuppa, this time, even the story couldn’t keep me hooked. When I finished, I had no idea what to think, feel and what to put in my review.
Rosie, a college student, gets into trouble when she and buddy, Marnie, go to set fire in one of the bookshops nearby. Oh, it was Marnie’s idea and she tagged Rosie along, who went with her obediently, all the while noting why they shouldn’t be doing it. But Marnie is pissed at the owner of the shop who insulted her in some way and is determined to ‘teach him a lesson’.
Wait a minute, a college student in her early 20s is planning to commit arson just because the owner insulted her... REALLY? Do they even have brains? And what of Rosie? How could she even go with that crazy nutcase and not report her for that psycho behavior?
While I was contemplating this, they set the fire. Though not big, it gets the shop owner’s attention. After that, while Marnie skips off happily (by that I mean runs away like the coward she was), Rosie gets caught as the owner just grabs her, throws her on his big shoulders and marches inside the shop, locking them inside.
Just the two of them.
From there, it should’ve been a great story. Johann, or Han, whose ancestry I couldn’t decipher but maybe of German descent, takes Rosie directly down to the basement... where he also lives and chains her up (not inhumanely BTW, I don’t want anyone to think of him as a monster or something, because he wasn’t) to his bed. Soon it becomes apparent that it was a case of ‘accidental’ kidnapping because Han did what he had to in the heat of the moment, without any intentions of hurting Rosie at all. He already has a criminal past and had done time. He’s now very much reformed, with trying to eke out a living from his bookstore. Yet, everything would be ruined if Rosie is set free and reports him.
Oh and yes, Han loves to read too, so not just a bookseller for a living but an avid reader as well.
Did I mention that he’s HUGE to look at, way over 6’ (I got all the impression from Rosie’s very unreliable POV so bear with me); tall, muscular, big hands, tight butt... with an overall hairy body. :p I’m not big on too hairy men but Han was something else entirely. His is a dark sense of humor, especially when it comes to his own ‘faults’ and what he deems are his ‘imperfections’. The reasons why Rosie shouldn’t be panting after him the way she already was since the moment he chained her to the bed. Very self-deprecating, if I may say so. Yet, he was adorable in an odd way. I liked him instantly and missed his POV in the whole story. Seriously, I would’ve preferred that!
Why I said is that since page I we get Rosie’s incessant ramblings about every freakin’ thing, which at one point, Han becomes the center of. Her monologues, dialogues, whatever was there, were full of confusing remarks. And they were the most annoying thing to get through! Regrettably, the story itself was told from her POV, so there was no escaping it. I didn’t get her at all and lost interest in her pretty much after page 3. She wanted to have sex with Han the moment she clapped her eyes on him and that was her target throughout.
Reluctantly, at one point, Han admits his proclivities. Bondage turns him on more than anything but he thinks it’s wrong to like it so much so he keeps his urges under leash, more or less. He definitely doesn’t want Rosie to get embroiled in it, and him, though he also wanted her a lot. He sets her free the next day, hoping she’d escape... yet secretly hoping she’d return. It could’ve been the recipe for such a sexy little story, had it not been for Rosie’s crazy blabbering. God, she gave me headaches! I could barely even make out the story outline. The author did an excellent job on her character but I’m sorry to say that Rosie was all wrong for me.
So in the end, for me, it just turned out to be the story of a horny college student trying to seduce a little older, a bit stuck up bookshop owner and succeeding in her quest. Nothing intense with some underlying meaning or something open-ended for me to contemplate upon.
The epilogue was rather poetic but if I compared it to rest of the story, it made no sense. Rosie simply can’t think that way IMO, or Han’s literary influence may have rubbed off on her? Who knows. I loved how she called him her ‘wolf’. Finishing off the review in hopes that you find the connotation when you read it. I just wish I could believe in it. 3 stars.
I received this ARC, courtesy of Avon Red Impulse, via edelweiss as a part of Taken Blog Tour (April 2015), which didn’t influence my review and rating in any way.
Taken, a novella, is the book 3 of Charlotte Stein’s Under the Skin series. I got interested in this series when I hosted a blog tour for the author. This series is also my first try at this author’s writing.
From what I’ve seen, the books in this series don’t connect at all... at least where the characters are concerned. The theme varies but there are always these dark elements that are dealt with in each book.
I read book 1, Intrusion, couple of month ago. It was an intense story of two psychologically damaged people who were the victim of kidnapping at one point of their lives. And that is only a part of their ordeal. While Beth has somewhat picked up the pieces of her traumatic experience and moved on with her life, Noah couldn’t because his scars ran deep. Both physically and psychologically. They were neighbors for years, yet Noah’s reclusive living had made sure that Beth was a stranger... until one day, when she had to knock on his door. And when they find each-other, it didn’t feel like something rash or unwanted. Oh their connection, physical and emotional, was awkward at first but somehow, both Noah and Beth ended up filling the void in each-other that both were harboring ever since their experiences.
TBH, I thought the writing style was full of redundant, convoluted sentences. I don’t mean to be harsh but I had a pretty tough time keeping my focus because I had to re-read over and over again to get the meaning of certain paragraphs. It just didn’t work all that well, until, to be fair to her, the story got so intensely emotional that I was completely glued to it. In the end, I enjoyed it.
Hadn’t had a chance of reading book 2, Forbidden. But Taken was given to me as a part of another blog tour, so I decided to dig in. Unfortunately, I can’t say I enjoyed it.
This story revolves around the scrumptious captor-captive theme, a favorite of mine and should’ve pushed all my right buttons. But it didn’t. Apart from the writing that was still not my cuppa, this time, even the story couldn’t keep me hooked. When I finished, I had no idea what to think, feel and what to put in my review.
Rosie, a college student, gets into trouble when she and buddy, Marnie, go to set fire in one of the bookshops nearby. Oh, it was Marnie’s idea and she tagged Rosie along, who went with her obediently, all the while noting why they shouldn’t be doing it. But Marnie is pissed at the owner of the shop who insulted her in some way and is determined to ‘teach him a lesson’.
Wait a minute, a college student in her early 20s is planning to commit arson just because the owner insulted her... REALLY? Do they even have brains? And what of Rosie? How could she even go with that crazy nutcase and not report her for that psycho behavior?
While I was contemplating this, they set the fire. Though not big, it gets the shop owner’s attention. After that, while Marnie skips off happily (by that I mean runs away like the coward she was), Rosie gets caught as the owner just grabs her, throws her on his big shoulders and marches inside the shop, locking them inside.
Just the two of them.
From there, it should’ve been a great story. Johann, or Han, whose ancestry I couldn’t decipher but maybe of German descent, takes Rosie directly down to the basement... where he also lives and chains her up (not inhumanely BTW, I don’t want anyone to think of him as a monster or something, because he wasn’t) to his bed. Soon it becomes apparent that it was a case of ‘accidental’ kidnapping because Han did what he had to in the heat of the moment, without any intentions of hurting Rosie at all. He already has a criminal past and had done time. He’s now very much reformed, with trying to eke out a living from his bookstore. Yet, everything would be ruined if Rosie is set free and reports him.
Oh and yes, Han loves to read too, so not just a bookseller for a living but an avid reader as well.
Did I mention that he’s HUGE to look at, way over 6’ (I got all the impression from Rosie’s very unreliable POV so bear with me); tall, muscular, big hands, tight butt... with an overall hairy body. :p I’m not big on too hairy men but Han was something else entirely. His is a dark sense of humor, especially when it comes to his own ‘faults’ and what he deems are his ‘imperfections’. The reasons why Rosie shouldn’t be panting after him the way she already was since the moment he chained her to the bed. Very self-deprecating, if I may say so. Yet, he was adorable in an odd way. I liked him instantly and missed his POV in the whole story. Seriously, I would’ve preferred that!
Why I said is that since page I we get Rosie’s incessant ramblings about every freakin’ thing, which at one point, Han becomes the center of. Her monologues, dialogues, whatever was there, were full of confusing remarks. And they were the most annoying thing to get through! Regrettably, the story itself was told from her POV, so there was no escaping it. I didn’t get her at all and lost interest in her pretty much after page 3. She wanted to have sex with Han the moment she clapped her eyes on him and that was her target throughout.
Reluctantly, at one point, Han admits his proclivities. Bondage turns him on more than anything but he thinks it’s wrong to like it so much so he keeps his urges under leash, more or less. He definitely doesn’t want Rosie to get embroiled in it, and him, though he also wanted her a lot. He sets her free the next day, hoping she’d escape... yet secretly hoping she’d return. It could’ve been the recipe for such a sexy little story, had it not been for Rosie’s crazy blabbering. God, she gave me headaches! I could barely even make out the story outline. The author did an excellent job on her character but I’m sorry to say that Rosie was all wrong for me.
So in the end, for me, it just turned out to be the story of a horny college student trying to seduce a little older, a bit stuck up bookshop owner and succeeding in her quest. Nothing intense with some underlying meaning or something open-ended for me to contemplate upon.
The epilogue was rather poetic but if I compared it to rest of the story, it made no sense. Rosie simply can’t think that way IMO, or Han’s literary influence may have rubbed off on her? Who knows. I loved how she called him her ‘wolf’. Finishing off the review in hopes that you find the connotation when you read it. I just wish I could believe in it. 3 stars.
I received this ARC, courtesy of Avon Red Impulse, via edelweiss as a part of Taken Blog Tour (April 2015), which didn’t influence my review and rating in any way.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 12, 2023
Rosie and Johann (Han)
Novella
This one was a bit weird for me. He catches her and her friend trying to vandalize his antique book store. The friend gets away, she ends up cuffed to his bed in the basement. And she is basically turned on; while he is trying not to be. He is torn between being mortified by doing this and his growing attraction for her. He’s a big hairy dude with a former criminal record.
There are some sweet scenes where she states she has finally found one of her own species. They got some kinky bdsm things going on. But they also have bubble baths, wine, and reading books out loud to each other.
Novella
This one was a bit weird for me. He catches her and her friend trying to vandalize his antique book store. The friend gets away, she ends up cuffed to his bed in the basement. And she is basically turned on; while he is trying not to be. He is torn between being mortified by doing this and his growing attraction for her. He’s a big hairy dude with a former criminal record.
There are some sweet scenes where she states she has finally found one of her own species. They got some kinky bdsm things going on. But they also have bubble baths, wine, and reading books out loud to each other.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 21, 2015
Some authors have a truly distinctive voice. I'd definitely place Charlotte Stein in that category. Her intense storytelling and offbeat characters, amplified by phrasing that almost veers into stream-of-consciousness, definitely stands apart from much of what I read. I've enjoyed a few of her works in the past, but wasn't quite sure her
Under the Skin
books would be quite my brand of fantasy. However, when I saw Heather Stanton's DIK review of Forbidden, I knew I had to jump in. Taken is by turns goofy and intense, and the final product is unforgettable.
As the story opens, readers will think they have stumbled into some dark and perhaps about-to-get-kinky suspense. Rosie, a college student who needs to rethink her choice of friends, has come to a rare books shop with a friend and they start a little fire. The mastermind gets away, but burly shop owner Johann ("Han") grabs Rosie and before she knows it, she's handcuffed to a bed in the basement.
And then suddenly, everything somehow changes. Instead of dark suspense, we get social awkwardness and glimmers of humor as Rosie and her captor banter with one another. I'll be the first to admit that it's odd, but something about their awkward earnestness and flirtation blends with the edginess of the situation to create an oddly sweet story.
This is a partial review. You can find the complete text at All About Romance: http://likesbooks.com/cgi-bin/bookRev...
As the story opens, readers will think they have stumbled into some dark and perhaps about-to-get-kinky suspense. Rosie, a college student who needs to rethink her choice of friends, has come to a rare books shop with a friend and they start a little fire. The mastermind gets away, but burly shop owner Johann ("Han") grabs Rosie and before she knows it, she's handcuffed to a bed in the basement.
And then suddenly, everything somehow changes. Instead of dark suspense, we get social awkwardness and glimmers of humor as Rosie and her captor banter with one another. I'll be the first to admit that it's odd, but something about their awkward earnestness and flirtation blends with the edginess of the situation to create an oddly sweet story.
This is a partial review. You can find the complete text at All About Romance: http://likesbooks.com/cgi-bin/bookRev...
May 1, 2015
I think Zooey Deschanel's imaginary little sister is starring in this not-actually-all-that-dark novella. I miss Stein's grownups - no one does lustful angsty humor better, but the balance is starting to feel off.
April 23, 2015
This was old school Charlotte Stein. Weird and super sexy (or let's just say filthy). Loved it!
April 13, 2015
We’ve all had them, those pleasant fantasies where Brad Pitt runs into you at the day spa and refuses to allow you leave until he’s given you a full mani and pedi, or aliens that look like Chris Evans abduct you for a ménage a cinque, or a hot wookie forces you to accompany him to ballroom dancing lessons…
You know, whatever blows your hair back.
But I can’t imagine any other author getting away with such an outrageous plot (and making me like it) as that in Taken, especially in such a short romance (ten chapters). The plot of Taken is essentially that of a young woman falling for her ‘accidental’ captor, and the ‘capture fantasy’ is alive and well here, albeit a modern version where both adults are aware of what’s going on psychologically and why it’s turning them on, and both are also aware of the risks and understand the concept of consent.
In case you’re young and sheltered (in which case, boy, are you on the wrong website) a ‘capture fantasy’ involves a woman or a man (but more commonly a woman) kidnapped or held against their will and subject to the wicked will of their captor.
Yes, kids, that’s a thing. A submission and dominance kind of thing (although earlier romance novels never explicitly acknowledged that).
In the romantic version, captor and captive end up living happily ever after, or at least happy for now, while the non-romantic version looks and smells a lot like rape (albeit some fantasy version of that). It’s a trope that goes waaaay back –think of all those historical novels where maidens are captured by pirates, sheiks, clansmen, highwaymen and almost anyone else with a penis. And yet the trope also has a bazillion contemporary faces, both in speculative fiction (where many a handsome alien or dragon shifter takes a captive) and erotic romance, where the fantasy is often explicitly discussed and the scene negotiated.
My personal preference is for stories where consent is explicit and communication about fantasies takes place before any ambitious enactments, so I was glad that Taken fell into that category. I’m not a fan of bodice rippers anymore (though I was in my teens and will passionately defend them against any haters) and while I’ve tried erotic romances in which the boundaries of consent are pushed or disregarded (e.g. Wanderlust) I find them too disturbing to enjoy. So I was pleased that the ‘capturing’ in Taken was accidental, and that the captor was an unwilling one.
Just how ‘accidental’ can handcuffs be, I hear you ask.
Well, Johann, owner of a bookstore (and right there we know this hero is gonna be alright because he owns and runs a bookstore) catches Rosie’s almost-friend trying to start a fire in his store but captures Rosie instead of Marnie (the world’s worst friend). He intends to hold Rosie in the basement just long enough for the police to arrive—before realizing that since he has a rap sheet the fact that he’s locked a young woman in his basement might not work out too well for him. He then panics and makes the situation worse by handcuffing her to a bed so he can leave her there while he thinks about his predicament. But when he calms down and returns to unlock the cuffs and free her, the key breaks off in the lock.
Don’t you hate that?
Stein does more than just get away with this plot, she does a great job with it considering how easy it would be for the hero captor to come across as creepy and sleazy. Instead he comes off as adorably overwhelmed, both by the heroine and their situation, and his own awkwardness.
I could keep talking like this until the end of time. He just told me that his favourite book in the store is a rare edition of Grimms’ Fairy Tales where the wolf in Red Riding Hood has an erection, which is awesome for two reasons. The first is that he quite clearly loves the old gruesome versions of the stories with everyone getting their feet cut off and strangling themselves with hair. And the second is his awkwardness when he realizes he just said erection to me.
I fully enjoyed Rosie’s needling banter and inner monologue, which manages to be innocent and wicked at the same time, and frequently hilarious. (Don’t ask me about the hair-trigger vagina.)
"Unintentionally filthy things are still waiting around every corner, just waiting to spring on us when we least expect them. He thought he was just innocently talking to me about books—the saftest subject there is.
Then bam, suddenly we have a rampant cock right in the middle of it."
And…
"I was starting to think he really might be that one—you know the guy you read about in romance novels who just gets you and sees you want a spanking before you know you do—and it’s kind of a letdown to think he might not be."
Given the capture fantasy element, the gradual unfolding of the couple’s relationship (and exploration of kink) is unexpectedly sweet, as is the level of concern they show for one another's welfare. Since I prefer romances where the characters treat one another well, I found that satisfying and was happy with the ending for the two characters (unique as they are).
I think this is one of the more unusual books by Charlotte Stein that I’ve read, both due to the way she turns the capture fantasy on its head by creating an unwilling, concerned captor, and the way she’s uses language to dramatic effect. Examples:
"Your cardigan alone screams my dick is bigger than your arm."
And:
“Why do you want to sit down?”
“Oh I don’t know. So we can share stories, talk about old times, learn little details about each other the way people usually do before they turn into angry bears in heat.”
And:
"…in the absence of sex, everything somehow becomes sex. It’s like sex rushes in to fill the sex void."
Yes, this book is different but I love different, and I know there are plenty of other romance readers out there who do too. I always read Charlotte Stein for the amazing language she uses, so if you're a word lover you'll get this book.
P.S.
If you decide to go ahead and read it, make sure you look up the name Francis Dolarhyde (if you don’t already recognize it) so that you’ll get the joke that’s neatly slipped in somewhere in the middle of the book.
You know, whatever blows your hair back.
But I can’t imagine any other author getting away with such an outrageous plot (and making me like it) as that in Taken, especially in such a short romance (ten chapters). The plot of Taken is essentially that of a young woman falling for her ‘accidental’ captor, and the ‘capture fantasy’ is alive and well here, albeit a modern version where both adults are aware of what’s going on psychologically and why it’s turning them on, and both are also aware of the risks and understand the concept of consent.
In case you’re young and sheltered (in which case, boy, are you on the wrong website) a ‘capture fantasy’ involves a woman or a man (but more commonly a woman) kidnapped or held against their will and subject to the wicked will of their captor.
Yes, kids, that’s a thing. A submission and dominance kind of thing (although earlier romance novels never explicitly acknowledged that).
In the romantic version, captor and captive end up living happily ever after, or at least happy for now, while the non-romantic version looks and smells a lot like rape (albeit some fantasy version of that). It’s a trope that goes waaaay back –think of all those historical novels where maidens are captured by pirates, sheiks, clansmen, highwaymen and almost anyone else with a penis. And yet the trope also has a bazillion contemporary faces, both in speculative fiction (where many a handsome alien or dragon shifter takes a captive) and erotic romance, where the fantasy is often explicitly discussed and the scene negotiated.
My personal preference is for stories where consent is explicit and communication about fantasies takes place before any ambitious enactments, so I was glad that Taken fell into that category. I’m not a fan of bodice rippers anymore (though I was in my teens and will passionately defend them against any haters) and while I’ve tried erotic romances in which the boundaries of consent are pushed or disregarded (e.g. Wanderlust) I find them too disturbing to enjoy. So I was pleased that the ‘capturing’ in Taken was accidental, and that the captor was an unwilling one.
Just how ‘accidental’ can handcuffs be, I hear you ask.
Well, Johann, owner of a bookstore (and right there we know this hero is gonna be alright because he owns and runs a bookstore) catches Rosie’s almost-friend trying to start a fire in his store but captures Rosie instead of Marnie (the world’s worst friend). He intends to hold Rosie in the basement just long enough for the police to arrive—before realizing that since he has a rap sheet the fact that he’s locked a young woman in his basement might not work out too well for him. He then panics and makes the situation worse by handcuffing her to a bed so he can leave her there while he thinks about his predicament. But when he calms down and returns to unlock the cuffs and free her, the key breaks off in the lock.
Don’t you hate that?
Stein does more than just get away with this plot, she does a great job with it considering how easy it would be for the hero captor to come across as creepy and sleazy. Instead he comes off as adorably overwhelmed, both by the heroine and their situation, and his own awkwardness.
I could keep talking like this until the end of time. He just told me that his favourite book in the store is a rare edition of Grimms’ Fairy Tales where the wolf in Red Riding Hood has an erection, which is awesome for two reasons. The first is that he quite clearly loves the old gruesome versions of the stories with everyone getting their feet cut off and strangling themselves with hair. And the second is his awkwardness when he realizes he just said erection to me.
I fully enjoyed Rosie’s needling banter and inner monologue, which manages to be innocent and wicked at the same time, and frequently hilarious. (Don’t ask me about the hair-trigger vagina.)
"Unintentionally filthy things are still waiting around every corner, just waiting to spring on us when we least expect them. He thought he was just innocently talking to me about books—the saftest subject there is.
Then bam, suddenly we have a rampant cock right in the middle of it."
And…
"I was starting to think he really might be that one—you know the guy you read about in romance novels who just gets you and sees you want a spanking before you know you do—and it’s kind of a letdown to think he might not be."
Given the capture fantasy element, the gradual unfolding of the couple’s relationship (and exploration of kink) is unexpectedly sweet, as is the level of concern they show for one another's welfare. Since I prefer romances where the characters treat one another well, I found that satisfying and was happy with the ending for the two characters (unique as they are).
I think this is one of the more unusual books by Charlotte Stein that I’ve read, both due to the way she turns the capture fantasy on its head by creating an unwilling, concerned captor, and the way she’s uses language to dramatic effect. Examples:
"Your cardigan alone screams my dick is bigger than your arm."
And:
“Why do you want to sit down?”
“Oh I don’t know. So we can share stories, talk about old times, learn little details about each other the way people usually do before they turn into angry bears in heat.”
And:
"…in the absence of sex, everything somehow becomes sex. It’s like sex rushes in to fill the sex void."
Yes, this book is different but I love different, and I know there are plenty of other romance readers out there who do too. I always read Charlotte Stein for the amazing language she uses, so if you're a word lover you'll get this book.
P.S.
If you decide to go ahead and read it, make sure you look up the name Francis Dolarhyde (if you don’t already recognize it) so that you’ll get the joke that’s neatly slipped in somewhere in the middle of the book.
July 5, 2024
3.5/5 rounding down
Dang this was one of those books that was almostttt there. While the plot it pretty unbelievable, and it was instant lust/love it still kinda worked. I liked both characters and thought they had great banter. Unfortunately the ending was super rushed. It was slow burnish (lots of pinning but not a lot of touching) and we only see them really together once. Then a third act break up at past 90% mark 🙄🙄 and then final relationship talk. I just don't like a slowburn when there isn't enough payoff and it doesn't really work with instalust.
Still pretty hot and it's a fast/short read you could finish in an hour or two and I do recommend it
Dang this was one of those books that was almostttt there. While the plot it pretty unbelievable, and it was instant lust/love it still kinda worked. I liked both characters and thought they had great banter. Unfortunately the ending was super rushed. It was slow burnish (lots of pinning but not a lot of touching) and we only see them really together once. Then a third act break up at past 90% mark 🙄🙄 and then final relationship talk. I just don't like a slowburn when there isn't enough payoff and it doesn't really work with instalust.
Still pretty hot and it's a fast/short read you could finish in an hour or two and I do recommend it
January 11, 2021
My favorite in this series--though definitely not as dark as the other two.
Book 1 "Intrusion" : serial killer survivors
Book 2 "Forbidden": exorcism survivors
Book 3 "Taken": a not really a kidnapping kiddnapping--maybe closer to a forced proximity?
The exchanges between these two characters were delightful and absolutely adored the hero--a giant hairy booklover.
And really, please ignore all covers for this book: every single one I have seen is a travesty. A Travesty.
Book 1 "Intrusion" : serial killer survivors
Book 2 "Forbidden": exorcism survivors
Book 3 "Taken": a not really a kidnapping kiddnapping--maybe closer to a forced proximity?
The exchanges between these two characters were delightful and absolutely adored the hero--a giant hairy booklover.
And really, please ignore all covers for this book: every single one I have seen is a travesty. A Travesty.
did-not-finish
January 1, 2025DNF @ 19%.
The MMC is a burly bookstore owner who catches two would-be arsonists in the act and captures one (the FMC) by chaining her to his bed, then he freaks out about the accidental kidnapping. She is 5% freaked, 15% amused at how cute he is acting, and 80% lusting for him.
Even though the premise was pretty bonkers, I wanted MORE bonker-y. I also wasn’t a fan of the FMC’s inner monologue… probably it needed to be more bonkers.
The MMC is a burly bookstore owner who catches two would-be arsonists in the act and captures one (the FMC) by chaining her to his bed, then he freaks out about the accidental kidnapping. She is 5% freaked, 15% amused at how cute he is acting, and 80% lusting for him.
Even though the premise was pretty bonkers, I wanted MORE bonker-y. I also wasn’t a fan of the FMC’s inner monologue… probably it needed to be more bonkers.
May 8, 2017
Charlotte Stein is a great author if you're looking for something a little sexy and bizarre. This book is no exception. The hero in this case came across as a complete weirdo. He manages to capture the heroine when her and her friend try to burn his bookstore down, and as to wait for the police he decided to handcuff her to his bed. Not as kinky as it sounds. Anyway, he freaks instead when he realizes what the situation must look like and then proceeds to take his sweet time in freeing her. Like I said, bizarre. I wouldn't call this one of Stein's better books but compared to the others in this series, I'd say it was the best one. I couldn't even finish the first and the second was so weird it made me a little uncomfortable, although the writing was probably on par with this one.
Overall I wouldn't recommend this particular series.
Overall I wouldn't recommend this particular series.
November 14, 2024
Whole story is bonkers and so are the MCs. Loved it. Basically all the inner thoughts of the FMC and tbh she’s so real for lusting after her accidental captor.
He’s hairy, funny, caring, owns a book store, does yoga, smokes pot, braids hair. Take me Han.
He’s hairy, funny, caring, owns a book store, does yoga, smokes pot, braids hair. Take me Han.
July 3, 2015
I'm a fan of Charlotte Stein's writing. She can take me so deep into a character's head with a very unique voice that is all her own. She does that again with Rosie in Taken. The story is told from her point of view, and we get to know her very intimate thoughts -- especially how she's feeling about the very hairy Johan, or Han as she calls him. There's sparks flying between these two from the very start.
But for every stab of attraction between them, Han has his own reservations about moving forward and it's up to Rosie to figure out how to handle his quirks and reasons. There's a very refreshing take on BDSM involving control that I really liked.
It took me a while to read Taken. Charlotte Steins words can be so rich that I could only take them in small portions, especially when she goes deep into the characters thoughts. It's not a story that I guzzled down -- it's more like fine chocolate I savored over a few days. That's a very different reading experience for me and I'm not quite sure how I feel about it.
The last 25% of Taken is phenomenal. A roller coaster ride that builds you up, starting with a super sexy scene, and then plunges you down into some definite angst until the coaster gets back to the platform and dumps you out. Just a fabulous reading experience.
Overall, this is a strong story with a lot of heat and unique voices from the two main characters. While I thought the build-up to the big event was more cerebral than exciting, I absolutely loved the ending. Nicely done.
ARC provided for review.
This review also appears on my blog at:
http://redhotbluereads.blogspot.com/2015/04/reviewtaken-by-charlotte-stein.html
But for every stab of attraction between them, Han has his own reservations about moving forward and it's up to Rosie to figure out how to handle his quirks and reasons. There's a very refreshing take on BDSM involving control that I really liked.
It took me a while to read Taken. Charlotte Steins words can be so rich that I could only take them in small portions, especially when she goes deep into the characters thoughts. It's not a story that I guzzled down -- it's more like fine chocolate I savored over a few days. That's a very different reading experience for me and I'm not quite sure how I feel about it.
The last 25% of Taken is phenomenal. A roller coaster ride that builds you up, starting with a super sexy scene, and then plunges you down into some definite angst until the coaster gets back to the platform and dumps you out. Just a fabulous reading experience.
Overall, this is a strong story with a lot of heat and unique voices from the two main characters. While I thought the build-up to the big event was more cerebral than exciting, I absolutely loved the ending. Nicely done.
ARC provided for review.
This review also appears on my blog at:
http://redhotbluereads.blogspot.com/2015/04/reviewtaken-by-charlotte-stein.html
April 22, 2015
I've been a Charlotte Stein fan for ages. I love her stories, but most of all, I love her voice. If I had to label it, and I'm hesitant to do that, I'd call it a roller coaster ride through the subconscious. One of Stein's gifts is the ability to delve so deeply into her character's minds that readers feel as though they're right there with the narrator. It's more than deep point of view, it feels like we're sharing space in the character's head. Very few people can pull that off, and Stein does every single time.
Stein's characters are all wildly unique - and they're compelling. Rosie is no exception. I told myself that I was just going to read the first couple chapters. However, Rosie dragged me right in and wouldn't let go. She's definitely not your ordinary romance heroine - seriously, how often do you come across potential arsonists, rare book lickers, (trust me - it's a brilliant scene) who are also rife with insecurity, overactive imaginations and who manage to be a bit jaded but still embody a hopeful kind of innocence? I'm pretty sure this is the only time you'll see that combo.
And then there's Johann. I love that he's big, hairy, awkward, crazy-smart and insanely sexy. He's got his own issues, and I adored him. Taken is funny, sweet, quirky, and beyond hot. At three am, I turned off my e-reader, happy that I'd had a brilliant read even though I knew I'd have to get up in two and a half hours. WORTH. IT.
Stein's characters are all wildly unique - and they're compelling. Rosie is no exception. I told myself that I was just going to read the first couple chapters. However, Rosie dragged me right in and wouldn't let go. She's definitely not your ordinary romance heroine - seriously, how often do you come across potential arsonists, rare book lickers, (trust me - it's a brilliant scene) who are also rife with insecurity, overactive imaginations and who manage to be a bit jaded but still embody a hopeful kind of innocence? I'm pretty sure this is the only time you'll see that combo.
And then there's Johann. I love that he's big, hairy, awkward, crazy-smart and insanely sexy. He's got his own issues, and I adored him. Taken is funny, sweet, quirky, and beyond hot. At three am, I turned off my e-reader, happy that I'd had a brilliant read even though I knew I'd have to get up in two and a half hours. WORTH. IT.
August 30, 2015
Another short and sweet treat from Charlotte Stein.
Rosie is horrified when she's the one left behind after her friend's plan to vandalize the bookstore goes awry. When the bookstore's owner grabs her and chains her in the basement, she goes from horrified to terrified, except she quickly realizes that he's even more terrified than she is -- about his reactions to her. Rosie's always been the oddball...the outsider, and she finds a kindred spirit in Johann. Rosie's determined to break through Johann's resistance to her, and he's equally determined that she never find out about his 'predilections' and 'proclivities.' However, Rosie gradually wears him down...and then, oh my...lots of hot and kinky sex happens.
In typical Stein fashion, she's taken two strange and quirky people who have never fit in anywhere and allowed them to find themselves while they're finding each other. It's great to see sweet and naive Rosie just blast through Johann's fear and vulnerabilities about revealing his desire for kinky sex.
The characters are engaging, the dialogue is snappy and smart. It's just a shame that Rosie and Johann don't have more of a story where we could have gotten to know them better.
Rosie is horrified when she's the one left behind after her friend's plan to vandalize the bookstore goes awry. When the bookstore's owner grabs her and chains her in the basement, she goes from horrified to terrified, except she quickly realizes that he's even more terrified than she is -- about his reactions to her. Rosie's always been the oddball...the outsider, and she finds a kindred spirit in Johann. Rosie's determined to break through Johann's resistance to her, and he's equally determined that she never find out about his 'predilections' and 'proclivities.' However, Rosie gradually wears him down...and then, oh my...lots of hot and kinky sex happens.
In typical Stein fashion, she's taken two strange and quirky people who have never fit in anywhere and allowed them to find themselves while they're finding each other. It's great to see sweet and naive Rosie just blast through Johann's fear and vulnerabilities about revealing his desire for kinky sex.
The characters are engaging, the dialogue is snappy and smart. It's just a shame that Rosie and Johann don't have more of a story where we could have gotten to know them better.
October 9, 2015
Gah, I loved this book. It's funny and hot and just the right amount of dirty. When I rated this book 5 months ago, I gave it 4 stars because the conflict isn't quite balanced (a frequent exception I take to Stein's books and one that I suspect arises more out of the limitations of storytelling from a neurotic heroine's POV than anything else. Since Stein's heroines are rarely the ones with the conflict and since they rarely understand -- or sometimes willfully misunderstand -- their hero's conflict, things can go from fine to irrevocably broken to perfectly happy in no time at all. I tend to find that jarring.)
But, 5 months later, all I could remember was what I loved about the book: how funny it is; how I think of it every time I wear my chucks; how much I loved the hero; how happy I was every second I was reading it. So... that's a five-star read to me, because if I'm still thinking about it 5 months later, still happily carrying it around with me in little pockets of my brain, then it's amazing to me.
But, 5 months later, all I could remember was what I loved about the book: how funny it is; how I think of it every time I wear my chucks; how much I loved the hero; how happy I was every second I was reading it. So... that's a five-star read to me, because if I'm still thinking about it 5 months later, still happily carrying it around with me in little pockets of my brain, then it's amazing to me.
April 20, 2015
4.5 Stars | Hot Steam
I feverishly flew through TAKEN in one sitting this past weekend and am still reeling from how much I loved it—like cuddling a little with my overheated iPad and sighing afterwards—loved it! (I need my own secret werewolf!) Unique, edgy, intelligent, angsty, exuberant and insanely sexy, this breathtakingly brilliant erotic novella simply blew me away! I was so completely captured and captivated by TAKEN that I am now excitedly and compulsively adding the entirety of the dazzling Ms. Charlotte Stein’s extensive and mouth-watering back catalog of temping titles to my TBR pile. I'm thinking of trying SHELTERED next. I can't wait!
Bottom Line: READ THIS BOOK!!
Complimentary copy was gifted to the reviewer via a giveaway without any promotional or review expectations.
I feverishly flew through TAKEN in one sitting this past weekend and am still reeling from how much I loved it—like cuddling a little with my overheated iPad and sighing afterwards—loved it! (I need my own secret werewolf!) Unique, edgy, intelligent, angsty, exuberant and insanely sexy, this breathtakingly brilliant erotic novella simply blew me away! I was so completely captured and captivated by TAKEN that I am now excitedly and compulsively adding the entirety of the dazzling Ms. Charlotte Stein’s extensive and mouth-watering back catalog of temping titles to my TBR pile. I'm thinking of trying SHELTERED next. I can't wait!
Bottom Line: READ THIS BOOK!!
Complimentary copy was gifted to the reviewer via a giveaway without any promotional or review expectations.
January 27, 2021
This book was really not my cup of tea. The female lead came across as very immature, reckless and a bit of an airhead. The male lead was okay but nothing special to write home about.
This is one of those ‘stream of consciousness’ type of books. Listening to the vacuous rambling of a heroine I didn’t like started to get very tiring, very quickly. Even though this was a short book, it felt like it dragged on forever. I had to push myself to read the story to completion. I can see this book appealing to a lot of folks but it was just not for me.
In all honesty, I can’t give it more than 2 stars. Even that is a stretch.
This is one of those ‘stream of consciousness’ type of books. Listening to the vacuous rambling of a heroine I didn’t like started to get very tiring, very quickly. Even though this was a short book, it felt like it dragged on forever. I had to push myself to read the story to completion. I can see this book appealing to a lot of folks but it was just not for me.
In all honesty, I can’t give it more than 2 stars. Even that is a stretch.
December 3, 2020
So by now we know that I'm completely in love with Charlotte Stein's writing. And I think this might actually be her best yet. The only flaw was that it was over way too soon. I'm not actually going to give any details about the book, because I think it an experience that doesn't need any preamble. Suffice it to say that, based on the blurb, it might not be what you're expecting. But it's so, so fabulously, wonderfully brilliant.
I'm going to have major withdrawals until her next book releases.
I'm going to have major withdrawals until her next book releases.
June 16, 2015
I liked this very much. The writing was entirely different to anything else I've ever read, essentially the heroines stream of consciousness. I don't know how I'd feel about the style if I read over 300 pages rather than the 99 in this novella. The story starts completely unexpectedly and then goes to a completely unexpected, sweet, funny and ultimately, hot as hell, place. Despite its brevity it felt like a complete story. It doesn't get five stars from me because I doubt I'll ever read it again, but the experience was great whilst I was reading.
June 14, 2015
I thought this was a good story, but from Charlotte Stein I have come to expect great. This lacked the dark edge of the stories she usually delivers and was strangely cute. I also don’t know if it’s because it was so short, but typically there is this well-crafted tension that she delivers in the wait. I’ve literally felt my own body twitch from tension when also being forced to wait after the tortuous buildup she inflicts. I would still recommend this though, it’s just not as dark….
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