The meter is running... One night as Rose Crawford steps out of a bar, she gives no second thought to lifting her hand to signal for a cab. After all, it's the responsible thing to do. A common occurrence. Far safer than walking several blocks, alone, in the dark. A familiar-looking yellow taxi with black, faux-leather seats, running meter on the dash, and a smiling driver pulls up to the curb. Rose slides in. Gives the driver her address... But she never reaches her destination. Instead, she finds herself captive, at the will of a man who isn't a driver, but a bona fide psychopath. Trapped in a taxi she can't escape, Rose begins to panic. As the miles between her and safety grow, hope dwindles. It isn't until someone else joins her in captivity that her spark of hope is rekindled. Derek is strong, capable, and surely together they can fight their way to freedom. Then Rose finds out exactly why she's been driven into hell. Derek may be an unwilling captive, but he isn't going to help her. In fact, he's there to do the exact opposite.
TAXI is a standalone novel, with a HEA. All the books in the Take It Off series are standalones and can be read in any order.
Cambria Hebert is a bestselling novelist of more than fifty titles. She went to college for a bachelor’s degree, couldn’t pick a major, and ended up with a degree in cosmetology. So rest assured her characters will always have good hair. Besides writing, Cambria loves a pumpkin spice latte, staying up late, sleeping in, and watching K drama until her eyes won’t stay open. She considers math human torture and has an irrational fear of chickens (yes, chickens). You can often find her running on the treadmill (she’d rather be eating a donut), painting her toenails (because she bites her fingernails), or walking her chihuahuas (the real bosses of the house). Cambria has written in many genres, including new adult, sports romance, male/male romance, sci-fi, thriller, suspense, contemporary romance, and young adult. Many of her titles have been translated into foreign languages and have been the recipients of multiple awards.
Awards Cambria has received include:
Author of the Year 2016 (UtopiaCon2016) The Hashtag Series: Best Contemporary Series of 2015 (UtopiaCon 2015) #Nerd: Best Contemporary Book Cover of 2015 (UtopiaCon 2015) Romeo from the Hashtag Series: Best Contemporary Lead (UtopiaCon 2015) #Nerd: Top 50 Summer Reads (Buzzfeed.com 2015) The Hashtag Series: Best Contemporary Series of 2016 (UtopiaCon 2016) #NERD Book Trailer: Best Book Trailer of 2016 (UtopiaCon 2016) #Nerd Book Trailer: Top 50 Most Cinematic Book Trailers of All Time (film-14.com) #Nerd: Book Most Wanted to be Adapted to Screen: (2018) Amnesia: Mystery Book of the Year (2018)
Cambria Hebert owns and operates Cambria Hebert Books, LLC. You can find out more about Cambria and her titles by visiting her website: http://www.cambriahebert.com
Release Date: May 6, 2016 Genre: Romantic Suspense
:: 4.5 Pretty Little Stars ::
EEEPPP! This book had so many twists and turns that my head was spinning! Who knew taking a simple taxi ride could change your life forever?!?! I mean WOAH. The creep factor in the beginning of the story was off the charts. I had no idea what was going on, why it was happening, or how everything would be resolved. All of this put together takes you on a fantastic ride that will change the way you think of public transportation. With that being said, I love everything that Cambria writes. Whether it be the amazing #GearShark series (that got me officially hooked to her writing), the sweet and sporty #Hashtag series, or the suspenseful Take It off series, I will always devour her books. This one was no different and I certainly enjoyed the ride.
Rose Crawford, the beautiful coffee maker, takes a taxi ride after a night out with her friends. But what begins as something that is a common occurrence suddenly turns into a nightmare that will have her fighting for her life. Being held captive by this psychopath of a driver is scary in itself. But it’s want he wants to do with her that will make your heart stop…
Derek is a strong willed and skillful transplant doctor. His life revolves around saving those who need organs to live. But when he gets taken hostage and is thrown into the unknown with a familiar woman, he will have to fight to save his own life-and hers….
What begins as a few innocent rides turns into a total nightmare that will leave these characters fighting for their lives with everything they’ve got. I can’t mention the reason for WHY the kidnapping occurs, but I can say that this is something so off the charts- something that I have NEVER read in a book before, and something that nightmares are made out of. Readers will definitely want to get their hands on this romantic suspense- you may cringe and you may forever say no to uber and cab’s, but you will never forget this story. And what’s better? The ending. I almost CRIED. Overall, I highly recommend this read. Like HIGHLY. It’s pretty fast paced, it’s not overly long, and it will be easy to read in one sitting.
NOTE ABOUT THIS BOOK: This is the 11th book in the TAKE IT OFF series. Although part of a series, each book can be read as a standalone as they each feature different characters. Also, you can read the books in any order.
4.0 stars Title: Taxi Author: Cambria Hebert Release Date: May 6, 2016 No cliffhanger
After reading Taxi, I’m done with taking taxis and Uber rides. DONE. I used to live in the back of cabs when I lived in New York City. This book was a heart attack on wheels. I want you to go into this book blind. You will never see this plot twist coming. Oliver and Rose’s suspense filled romance was a fast-paced page turner. I will be checking out other books by this author. What a great hidden gem and worth one-clicking.
This review appears on www.kindlecrack.net, www.facebook.com/kindlecrack, Goodreads, Amazon, Pinterest, Google+ and Twitter. A review copy of this book was kindly provided by the author in exchange for an honest review.
Although there were a few strange little quirks in Taxi, it entertained enough to distract from points that might have bugged me more if it had been written by a less talented writer.
I have read all eleven books from the Take it Off series, and not all of them have been hits. In fact, some have missed so badly, I wondered if there was even a target in the same room when the author wrote them. They've all had a certain charm, but some were just better stories conceptually than others.
This one preyed on a fear that creeps up in the backs of all our minds, especially if we're female. How can we protect ourselves against some of the people we usually don't think we shouldn't trust? I, being the slightly paranoid person I am who lives in her own world of "what ifs" every day, has actually thought of this scenario. So many people entrust their lives to strangers so often and think nothing of it. So my question is how come those trusting souls don't get taken advantage of more often? Is humanity better than I think it is?
Then Ms. Hebert goes and solidifies my distrust in the human condition, just like she did in Text, an earlier book in the series that both chilled me and gave me hope. This is the precise reason I'll never visit bustling cities where cabs and most forms of public transportation are prominent and preferred methods of mobility. Sorry, NYC, you'll never be graced with my presence. (Did I just hear The Big Apple sigh in relief?)
The quirks I mentioned have to do with pacing of the relationship, and really in the physicality of their first encounter. It wasn't quite insta-love or insta-lust, but the timing of the kiss that happened between them when they first come face to face outside their jobs felt a bit phony and forced. If it had been after more time together, it would have become more believable. But hell, what do I know? I've never been the victim of this magnitude and have no idea how normal people would behave.
That said, the book is good, if a bit too perfect in the ending. It seemed a tad surreal.
I definitely missed Cambria Hebert's Take It Off series. I love how she mixes danger, drama, and steam into a complex and intriguing story line. Rose and Derek's connection seems minimal at the beginning of the story, but after everything starts to fall apart and the puzzle pieces start to align, what they mean or want to mean to one another and the complications that arise due to why the events occurred set in motion life altering revelations.
Desperate times call for desperate measures, but what those actions are bring to light the complexity of human nature and the question of who has the right to make choices of life and death. As a doctor, Derek knows all too well how fragile life is, but where some medical professionals have a God complex when it comes to their role in saving lives, Derek understands how truly human he is and is completely aware of the idea that one person’s life is in no way more valuable than another. But that doesn’t mean he doesn’t fight like hell to ensure his patients survive, especially those he’s made a connection with, which clearly illustrates his empathy and bedside manner.
At first, Rose has no idea why she was taken, but when the truth surfaces, there’s only one thing to do – fight – but even that seems futile when everything is stacked against her, including, perhaps, the other person who was abducted.
There are so many twists and turns in Derek and Rose’s story that it forced me to read the text in one sitting, and as their situation seemed hopeless because it looked like neither had a choice in what was to happen, Cambria Hebert inserts a game changing event or reveals a secret that completely alters everything about Derek and Rose’s predicament.
I love that readers are privy to both protagonists’ thoughts because even though Derek and Rose were both taken, the reasons behind that act is much different, and I feel like if I was only given one of their viewpoints that it wouldn’t have allowed me to wrap my head around how complex and difficult that situation was and how Derek and Rose’s separate decisions and actions truly impacted both of them in many ways.
Taxi is a great addition to Hebert’s Take It Off series – it’s suspenseful, steamy, and dramatic in all the best ways!
A complimentary copy was provided in exchange for an honest review.
And I'm not going to be taking a taxi anytime in the near future or for a long time. Gah that was creepy I felt like I was on Criminal Minds. I definitely understand what Cambria said in the author's note I do that overactive mind. That aside when you get to the crux of the story it all makes sense. It's all complicated and a test of humanity, right and wrong. Compassion, selflessness, and gratitude could comes into play, very gray area.
I'm being pretty vague but it'll spoil the twist. I'm appalled at the reason and at the same time can understand the desperation. What a conundrum to be in, I wouldn't know how to feel on either characters parts. Rose and Derek explored and handled it all well. At the same time their love story is sweet and definitely unique that happens when you least expect.
Gotta hand it to Cambria she made one heck of a story, creative, creepy and makes you think. This series is enjoyable with the unusual scenarios and the questions posed but they work out. The way the romantic suspense is done is just right. Pretty please as much I love the other books more of this series to come is also much appreciated. I love how the stories writing have evolved.
Normally, the blurb is so much better than the book. This isn’t one of those times.
I was expecting a captive story unfolding in a Taxi overnight, and I was curious how the hell romance would bloom from that~ Anyway, the MCs have known each other for months - not in detail, but a flirty kinda know you thing.
The mystery of why the MMC is taken becomes fairly obvious, but the author adds some twists to make it interesting. Well done. I love watching characters face moral dilemmas… seeing how they respond. Much respect because the author represented all sides of the dilemma with a realistic, moving, and understandable point of view.
Same with the romance. Yes, it’s fast, but it’s believable and enjoyable.
No complaints with the story or characters. No TSTL shit from the FMC, and the MMC is a mix of alpha and good guy.
I can always count on this author to deliver a solid story with good characters, plot, and pacing. It’s not earth-moving, but it’s far from boring or trite.
I’ll add that society spends a lot of time educating women on sex trafficking dangers, but we often fail to bring attention to the very real kidnapping dangers for OTHER motives. This story shines a nice light on that.
The only reason I'm even giving this one star is because I really like coffee and Rose is a barista, I kid you not that's the only reason. I liked absolutely nothing about this book.
The relationship - *shoulder shrug* it's ok
The trauma - this part was poorly written and honestly the kidnappers didn't sound all that terrible. I mean yeah one of the tries to rape her and that dude is a sick but the others just all sound like expendable characters from right off the bat.
The aftermath - (ok so just so you understand like 20% of this book is just them getting kidnapped, 30% is them while being kidnapped, and the other %50 is the weird shit afterwards )- so without spoilers, someone that we are introduced to in the story is responsible and SHE FORGIVES THAT PERSON, STRAIGHT AWAY oooo everything's fine it's not like you tried to kill me!!!!!
The characters- they are very weak, the author tries to make a point that Derek goes to a gym but that doesn't make him 'strong' per say, both Derek and Rose are kind of pathetic and that makes me hate this story even more
Sum it up- I don't like anything. Sorry y'all, I love this series but the books are either coal or diamonds, this one just so happens to be coal.
First up, I am fascinated by this idea. I saw something similar in a CSI: NY episode where a serial killer was trapping his prey by using his taxi to catch victims and even after all these years, that story has stuck with me. So I was excited to see something similar portrayed in book form. And Cambria did a great job at keeping the suspense at a level that kept the reader on their edge of their seat. It was dark and awful, but at the same time Rose and Derek brought enough light to this read that it never sunk too dark and heavy for me. I’m also thrilled that Cambria decided to continue on with this series, although her authors note at the end doesn’t give me a lot of faith that there is likely to be more in the future. I am grateful she gave this series another installment and if she decides to keep going, I will be forever one-clicking them! A must read for fans of romantic suspense.
Very good book! I loved the characters, even though they weren't connected to any from the other books.
Rose catches a cab after hanging out with friends at the bar. Derek gives a cab driver directions... Neither one of them expected to find themselves kidnapped. Now the meter is running and more than one life hangs in the balance.
I was super excited when I learned that Cambria would be writing another book in the Take It Off series. The book that introduced me to the world of Cambria Hebert was Torch, book one in the Take It Off series. I was pregnant with my daughter at the time and dealing with extreme pregnancy-induced insomnia. I was searching for a new book to read and I ended up managing to receive and ARC of the book. I fell in love. I continued to read as the rest of the series was released and Cambria instantly became and auto-buy author for me. Now, with the release of Taxi, I have an almost three year old (seriously, next month. When did that happen!?!?!) sitting next to me and I somehow managed to get another advanced reader copy. I couldn't be happier.
Taxi, I admit, had me curious. When she first annouced the title/cover, I wasn't sure how I felt about it. An entire book centered a Taxi? What? I didn't know what the book was going to be like but, if there was one thing I was sure of, it was that, if anyone could write a damn good book about a Taxi, it would be Cambria.
And a damn good book she did write. Taxi ended up being so much more than just... well, a taxi. :) I should have known to never doubt anything that she does. The book was full of suspense and romance and intrigue. I admit that it was pretty easy, for me at least, to figure the story out but I honestly think that some stories don't need to be insanely mysterious and hard to figure out. I loved that, even though I knew what was happening, the story still kept me glued to my Kindle and I couldn't stop reading.
Rose was such a relate able character (especially because we're both redheads hehe) and I loved her so much. I have no idea why, but I honestly think she's one of my top female characters that Cambria has written. I liked that Rose was strong and didn't take crap from anyone, even when she was facing death. Even when she was broken and at her weakest, she was strong and resilient.
Derek was delicious. Plain and simple. I wouldn't mind him being my surgeon. ;) I love how strong he was as a character. He fought when he was kidnapped and did everything he could to remain in control. His sole intention was getting him and Rose out of the situation they were in, even when it meant he had to make some difficult choices. I liked that his morals were so important and that he put the life of others before himself and his needs. But I guess that makes for a good doctor, right?
This book was amazing. From criminals, kidnappings, bullet wounds, coffee, betrayal, and steamy shower scenes, I couldn't get enough. Taxi was everything you could want in a Take It Off novel and it continued the series well.
I was so happy to see that Cambria Hebert published another book in her "Take It Off" series (I would compare this book to "Text" only longer and more developed. I can't say I've been too much of a fan of her newer series. "Taxi" is wonderful! The reason it isn't 5 stars is that I think it is almost impossible to combine fluff and romance into a book about two people being kidnapped and brutalized. Every once in awhile the "inappropriate" light bulb goes off when sweet nothings are being whispered in a very precarious situation and it made me, the reader, feel a little uncomfortable.
That said, the good certainly outweighed the bad. I loved both feisty Rose and beautiful, gorgeous Derek, and I could certainly sympathize with sister, Laura.
One final thing, whoever portrayed Derek on the cover -- thank you for being born! Just wow!
Ms. Hebert, please give us more "Take if Off" books.
I really liked Taxi by Cambria Hebert. I’ve read other hostage-type situation books that were much too dark and graphic for me, but Taxi was kind of that nice sweet spot in between where I didn’t feel like I needed to take a few days to recover as I did with the other books (If We Disappear Here by Sherri Hayes & Still Beating by Jennifer Hartmann anyone?)
Really enjoyed this book was different from her usual suspense action and a twist I didnt see coming but I do understand why the certain person did what they did (sorry no spoilers just go read it LOL)
Holy heart attack!! In my opinion, she saved the best for last. Taxi was the 11th book in Cambria’s Take It Off Series but the 5th and final book in the 2nd Box Set. It kept me on the edge of my seat; I’m talking nail biting, what in the world would happen next kind of action. I may now be a little leery about getting in a cab... (or Uber - I just watched Deadly Ride on 20/20...yikes)
Rose was trying to get home after a night out with some friends. As most people would, she hopped in a cab without a second thought. Only this cab ride was nightmares were made of. After being kidnapped and held prisoner, would she survive long enough to make it out alive?
Derek was finishing up a long day at the hospital. After getting home from the gym, the last thing he remembered was a lost cabbie asking for directions. When he woke up, he wasn’t alone. Tired and disoriented, would he figure out what was going on before it was too late?
Wow!! My heart was racing almost the entire time! I really enjoyed how this was all thought out, there relationship may have been a little forced but it didn’t bother me too much! All the twists and turns had me guessing until the very end! Cambria sure ended this series with a bang!!
4.5✨️ stars rounded up to 5✨️ Take this ride, unlike Rose, you won't regret it.☺️☺️
The book was a 5 star read till around 80%, which is the till the main conflict is solved, the last 20% did not actually disappoint me but maybe reading till this point raised my expectations high and I won't say they weren't met, they were, everything that was needed to be done was there, all loose ends tied but maybe the last part lacked *the element* which was unanimously present in almost the first ⅘ of the book. The last ⅕ seemed mellowed, a bit rushed maybe, but it was a good read nonetheless. Diving straight into 'Taste', another read from this same series. This was my first book by Cambria Hebert, I loved the writing style and execution of the plot, so I'm surely going to read more of her books and I can see that soon she'll be one of my favourite authors in thriller genre.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
This author no doubt writes some very awesome books and this one was no exception. Derek and Rose had a light flirtation when he visited her coffer truck. As far as feelings go they really didn't know each other. What a shocker to each other when they realize they have been kidnapped together. When they find out why they had been kidnapped will Rose be able to trust Derek? This book has some shockers, a few secrets, enough drama and danger to make you never want to hail down a taxi. I wanted a different ending than what we got but I understand why the author went the way she did.
Wow, I’m so glad I don't ever have to take a taxi anywhere! Lol!!
I really liked this book, and these characters. Hot doctor? Yes please! Coffee addict? Yup in that too! Lol.
The suspense was killing me at times while the romance was making me swoon!
I don’t think I agree with some of the decisions the characters made, but it’s fiction and I don’t have to agree with their decisions and hopefully just enjoy the story, which I did!
I’ve always been a fan of romantic suspense and this one was really, really good! Can’t wait to read more from this series!
This book hits in all my fears !! Being abducted by a stranger for nefarious reasons ….. has me gripping my seat and heart pounding !! I have truly enjoyed all Of the Take it series books !! The only think i really questioned was Roses lack of friend group after the incident … and family involvement. It wasn’t crucial to the plot.. bit may have added More character development, and crazy funny friends and family are always good !! Can’t wait to finish reading more of this series !!
4.5 stars. Although i figured out where plot was going pretty early on, there were some surprising twists. Decent action amd romance without a long build up. The book jacket description is a little deceiving...spoiler alert, Derek really is a good guy. This the type of book that keeps me reading the "take it off series "!
A a horrifying uniquely told romance. I’m loving this author’s writing style. Her romantic plots full of mystery thrills are so refreshing in the romance genre.
I’m off to read ‘TEXT.’ If that story is as good as this one was, I’ll be happy reading.
Finally a book from Ms Herbert we Here they don’t instantly say they live each other!! I will say I was starting to get a bit frustrated with all the insta love. I loved Taxi! It sent me for on a ride definitely. Makes me think twice about using a taxi in the future.
There was quite a bit of action and suspense in this book, along with a healthy dose of romance. Derek makes a great romantic Hero, and is so protective of Rose and his nephew.