Taken by Lies

Truth or Lies #1

by Ella Miles

From USA Today Bestselling Author Ella Miles comes a new dark romance series!

I was taken.
Kidnapped by a boy I thought I could love.
Then he sold me as if I were property.
For three years I endured.
Beatings.
Torture.
Pain.
I never broke.
I was strong, determined, resilient.
But then one day it happened…I broke.
Setting me free.
I should have run away, found a new life, and started over.
Instead, I returned.
To find the man who sold me.

This is book ends on a cliffhanger.

Series
Taken by Lies #1
Betrayed by Truths #2
Trapped by Lies #3
Stolen by Truths #4
Possessed by Lies #5
Consumed by Truths #6

Genres: Dark, Romance, Dark Romance, Ebooks, Contemporary, Contemporary Romance, Abuse

346 pages, Kindle Edition

First published March 26, 2019

About the author

Ella Miles writes sexy romance with strong females that could kick your butt if you piss them off, which they often do to the men that fall for them. She's currently living her own fairy tale near the Rocky Mountains with her high school sweetheart husband. Her heart is also taken by her goofy two year old black lab that is scared of everything, including her own shadow. Ella is the author of the Aligned series. Get a free book by visiting her website: EllaMiles.com

Reviews

[Syndi · Rating 3 out of 5]

I am very skeptic about Taken by Lies. I read Miss Miles book before but she is relatively new author for me. When I listened to the audiobook, I have to admit I was tired listening to 9 hours of it. The story contains too much inner dialog, especially Kai.

I do not even like Kai. She is needy, feel sorry for herself and annoying dramatic. But underneath it all, the plot caught my attention. There are so many twist and turn surrounding the story. At the end of the book, I admit I am curious. Very curios to pick up the next book. Taken By Lies is ended with cliffhanger.
I do hope I will get more Enzo's POV in the next book.

3 stars

[Tianna✸loves books✸]

Wtf ?
He SELLS her ?
What?
How could he possibly redeem himself from this?
I think he might be the villian of the story.
Who knows and who cares😏

[Lauren - SERIESous Books · Rating 5 out of 5]

**I received a copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest voluntary review. All opinions are my own and not influenced by my source.**

Ella Miles is my go-to author for dark contemporary romances. She just writes thrilling, steamy and more often than not twisted romance; and she never fails to surprise me with her great plots. So when I saw this New Adult series was her next project, I was super excited!

I already adored the relationship between Kie and Enzo thanks to the novella (it's included at the start) but I loved every interaction these two had. There's so much tension and unspoken feelings between them that I lived for their scenes together! Don't get me wrong, Kie is also great but I want to give a special shout out to Enzo. I'm not one who enjoys overly alpha heroes--even in dark romances--but Enzo is quickly becoming a favourite of mine! Yes, he has alpha tendencies but he also has this great vulnerability that we get from time to time that had me totally gone for his character.

I don't want to give much away but if you've ever read Ella Miles before you know that she leaves little tidbits throughout her novels as you reach the climax. If I wasn't already hooked on the romance, I was totally invested in learning more about what happened between the events of Lured by Lies and Taken by Lies. I'm so excited for the sequels! I just want to binge this series right now!

Check out more spoiler-free book and series reviews on my blog SERIESousBookReviews.com as well as read book series recaps!

Full Review: https://wp.me/p7hLUw-2SC
Actual Rating: 5/5

[Lynette · Rating 4 out of 5]

Genre: Dark Romance
Book Length: Novel
POV: Alternating Dual
Hero: Enzo Black is the head of a very powerful criminal organization in Miami. He is dark, dangerous, sexy and heartless. He's in his early twenties with dark hair and dark eyes.
Heroine: Kai Miller is a poor young woman who has lived a life of pure grief and tragedy. She is innocent but strong, broken but beautiful. She's in her early twenties with sea green eyes and black hair.
Heat Level: Book 1; Low / Book 2; Medium / Book 3; Medium
Frequency of Sex: Book 1; Low / Book 2; Medium / Book 3; Medium
Angst Level: High
Standalone or Series: Series
Cliffhanger: Yes, each book ends in a cliffhanger.
Would I Recommend? Yes
My Review: I’m reviewing books 1-3 as a whole (Taken by Lies, Betrayed by Truths and Trapped by Lies). These books are an amazing tale of two broken people who have endured endless amounts of torture and heartache. Enzo and Kai meet when they are teenagers and due to circumstances neither can control, they are thrust into lives that are filled with pain, torture, deception, lies, betrayals and hard truths. Enzo and Kai are filled with hate and regret but they slowly begin to heal each other’s painful pasts and discover a connection that is beyond anything they can imagine. Their story is dark and sometimes hard to read, but the love that is there between these two outstanding characters is epic. I can’t wait to dive into the remaining books in this series, I know it’ll be an adrenaline rush to the end!
Disclosures: I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Coco.V]

🎁 FREE on Amazon & on iBooks today (6/2/2020)! 🎁

[Honey · Rating 1 out of 5]

Horrible!

I'm not sure why I finished this, it was that bad! No way you are almost killed, left to die in the ocean. Swim ashore, taken and sold where you are repeatedly raped by multiple men and tortured. Multiple broken bones and tossed aside after 6 years and head back to the garbage that was the root cause. Her own father doesn't bother to care, call the cops or help her at all. Start to heal and soft of fall for the piece of sh-t that did it. NO!!!!! At the end it's all another game? Pass, she just needs to put a bullet to his head or run and get away from every man in her life! Ends with a cliffhanger and it's gonna be a hard pass for reading the next book!

[Serialbookstarter:Marla · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this one in a single sitting. It sets the hook right from the get go. Enzo and Kai are 17ish when they first meet. There’s a mutual attraction but Enzo is a mafia son and Kai lives in a trailer park. Later for some reason Enzo is tasked by his Father to kill Kai. He can’t do it so she gets sold into human trafficking —-which she endures for years without breaking until during a storm at sea she makes a break to end it all by jumping overboard. Since she finally breaks they bad guys say that h you’re free now… since you are finally broken. Hmm weird right? She’s left on a bench in her hometown of Miami. She’s all kind of bruised, battered, emaciated and has multiple broken bones. After a few days she decides to
Track Enzo down and ask him
WHY??? She doesn’t get her answers but he decides to take her and hold her at his special
Beach house. Much mindfuckery and mutual lusting ensues until a couple of big reveals and a cliffy. Immediately on to book 2 of 6. Such excellent storytelling!

[Tiffany · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a great first book in a new series. There is a prequel you'll want to read first. If not, you'll miss some important setup points to the story. This is a dark storyline with sometimes disturbing content. Beware if you have triggers. If you like dark read though, this is a must read. It pulled me in and I didn't want to put it down. There was drama, secrets, twists and turns. I can't wait to read book two.
*I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review. This is my honest review.*

[Krista · Rating 3 out of 5]

Enzo is sent to kill Kai, but he cannot. Instead he sells her. Years later she is back. Kai has questions and only Enzo has the answers. This was an interesting story. I would have liked to have gotten to the why's of everything sooner and made that more of the focus of the story. Book does end with a bit of a cliffhanger so I will be reading the second book to see what happens.

[Cheryl Graham-Petit · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book has everything I love in a well written dark and twisted romance... secrets, lies, betrayal, deception, revenge, drama, danger, twists and turns, and so many emotions.

I volunteered to review an advance reader copy of this book.

[☆☆Hannah☆☆ · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was another dark yet good read. This starts off right where the prequel ended. Kai is with Enzo. He is now the top dog. With the big reveal at the end it will be interesting to see how things are going to go.

[Violet · Rating 5 out of 5]

What even is this?!!
Whatever it is... I'm here for it sis! :)

Definitely a new favourite author.





Happy reading! :)

[mergele · Rating 2 out of 5]

A very generous 2 stars, seeing as how I couldn't bring myself to go much past about 25% due to really clumsy writing (needs a thorough edit) and lackluster storytelling (at best). DNF.

[Nour 🇵🇸🍉 · Rating 1 out of 5]

This was so messed up and not in a good way.

Kai is running from her dad’s debt collectors and enters a bar where Enzo is sitting. She introduces herself as Jocelyn. They talk for a bit and when Kai wants to leave she snatches his wallet which he immediately notices. So she gives him the wallet back but steals his expensive watch. Taking the wallet was meant as a decoy so she can snatch the watch.

She goes to a pawn shop and gets $7500 for it. She goes home where the debt collectors catch her. She pays them the money her dad owes.

Meanwhile Enzo is seething that she took his watch.
Enzo’s dad gave Enzo a final mission. If he performs it, then he will be free. He gives him a name on a paper, and he needs to kill that person. The name on it is Kai Miller. Enzo doesn’t know that Jocelyn is actually Kai. He goes to the yacht area where he finds Kai working by cleaning his dad’s yachts.

She apologizes for taking his watch and promises that she’ll repay him. He says that her debt is forgiven if she helps him find a person. She agrees. He gives her the paper with the name and is shocked to discover that its her name.
She tells him that its her. She is Kai Miller. Enzo is conflicted. They play a game of 2 truths and a lie, but they do it as 2 lies and a truth and they have to identify the truth. Kai wins.


They spend a day on the yacht and they kiss which is Kai’s first kiss. Enzo realizes that he can’t kill her but he still wants to be free. He throws her in the ocean and tells her that if she survives then she should leave the city and run.

Kai is determined and swims the whole night until she reaches the shore. When she reaches the shore, some people kidnap her and sell her to the highest bidder.

Enzo that piece of shit calls the kidnappers and SELLS her. What a magnificent hero 😒
He couldn’t kill her so he makes do with selling her where he knows she will be raped and tortured.



Kai is kept prisoner in a yacht in the sea where is tortured and raped repeatedly. She refuses to break. 6 years pass and there is a storm out at sea. And Kai contemplates throwing herself from board and ending it all. They prevent her and then tell her that she is broken and that their mission is done so they let her leave.


She is a completely different person. She can’t stand wearing clothes, hates the feel of grass on her feet. She is completely triggered by everything. Her reunion with her dad is very cold. He tells you shouldn’t have come back. Her friend (i think his name is Mason) tries to help her as much as he can cuz he is in love with her. She resents him for not saving her.

She decides that she needs answers. So she goes to find Enzo cuz he is the only one who will provide an answer as to why they took and why he sold her.

Sure, hate Mason for not being able to rescue you, but go running to Enzo who sold you in the first place. What an idiot 🙄

Kai is so disoriented that she thinks only 3 years have passed

Enzo is shocked that she is alive. They decide to play 2 lies and a truth. Is she wins, he will answer her questions. Is he wins, he will own her. She loses. So now Enzo owns her.


He takes her back to his place. He wants to help her heal. Yeah, sure. Makes sense. You sold her and now you want to heal her.

He said that it was either his freedom or her’s. He chose his.


This ends in a cliffhanger where Enzo gave up his name as Mr. Black cuz he didn’t fulfill the requirements.

The requirements are, one member of the Rinaldi family (Enzo Rinaldi) and A member of the Miller family (Kai Miller) need to compete in order to determine who becomes the new Mr. Black and gets to rule the city.

[Jennifer D. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wow! Ella Miles has the dark suspenseful romance genre down! This series is going to be fantastic! I loved Taken by Lies! After reading the prequel, Lured by Lies (which is also at the beginning of Taken by Lies), I knew this would be good. There are lots of twists and turns that suck you in and won't let go. Kai and Enzo have a crazy strong attraction/connection but things aren't ever simple or what they seem. I have a feeling things are about to get really complicated for them. I can't wait for Betrayed by Truths!

[Lucinda · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a fantastic dark book! I reckon there is way more to the story that was revealed as of yet and some more shockers to come! I cannot believe that Enzo did what he did?! And the fact that so much time has passed is shocking! I cannot wait to get my hands on the next book to see what happens!!! Fantastic book and completely mind blowing!!

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Michelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a dark, gritty, twisted romance and a great start to the Truth or Lies series. I've read a couple of this author's series and I have loved them so I was excited to see how this one would be and I have to say so far I am loving it! This book has it all drama, danger, violence, mystery, secrets, lies, and a dark romance. I can't wait to read the next book in the Truth or Lies series.

[yingying · Rating 2 out of 5]

I listened to the audiobook and it was 9 hours 😭 there was so so much inner dialogue, especially for kai. and i hate enzo, especially in the first 2 thirds of the book. he borderline rped her in his sleep and didn’t even feel guilty. both characters were so bland and uninteresting. half the book was super boring and i had to listen to it in 2x speed.

[Punkin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Hmm

Twisted puzzle. Didn't go how I expected at all. Violent, crude and cruel. Yet just kind enough to keep me rooting for the bad guy.

[Mitsy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Intriguing and interesting read. This is a different take on a truly horrifying story. I want more!

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Nothing Like A Great Book · Rating 1 out of 5]

Managed to make it to 22%, but it was getting progressively less real, and more silly. The writing: boring, cliched and in need of a good Editing. A 16 year old skinny girl with a loud mouth, who spits at people, and a 17 year old kid pretending to be a man of the world, that’s what we’ve got here.

The 17 year old man/boy speaks in reference to alcoholism:
“Not because I’m an alcoholic. That’s one thing I could never be, even when I drink in large quantities. Even when I need alcohol as much as I need to breathe. I need it to forget.”

More of his brilliance in reference to the skinny-spitting 16 year old girl (‘girl’ used 67 times in this book btw):

“Jocelyn coughs at my words—choking slightly on the piece of burger stuck in her now dry throat. She winces as she finally swallows the piece down, but doesn’t immediately grab for her beer to relieve her throat. *This girl is used to dealing with pain.* It barely fazes her.”

She chokes on a bit of burger, which means she’s into pain? Really? 😂 What a great deduction, eh? He also concludes that she was SOLD, because she’s eating burger and fries as she’s hungry!? Inspector Clouseau eat your heart out. 😂 🙄 🥴

These examples just about sum up the quality and tone of writing, but for the sake of balance, these glorious thoughts from the mind of the 16 year old skinny-spitting female:

“The kiss ends. I don’t know who stops it. It just happens. Enzo’s eyes stare intently at my swollen lip. His thumb brushes *across the sore*. I see the blood before his thumb *moves to mouth*, and he sucks it off.”
🤔🙃

And I’m done. I know others will enjoy it, but it’s a HUGE NO from me. I wouldn’t recommend it. Happily it was FREE.

[Nicole · Rating 2 out of 5]

I got this as a freebie teaser. As most short freebies tend to be heavily erotic, I wasn't surprised that this was as well. It started off a bit dark, but I could see some elements that would make for a nice story to unwrap the mystery of their backgrounds and how they might end up making each other better people, but then it took a very dark turn. It was honestly a bit too messed up for me, and really needs to have some serious trigger warning labels at the start of the books.

It becomes an ongoing challenge of how much more screwed up can people get. Then you get drawn into the characters back stories and learning how they interweave with each other. At times I didn't know why I was still reading it, just trying to get through the ugly parts to just get an actual ending to it all. Part of you is rooting for them and a is just angry at how stupid they are to put themselves into such ridiculous situations and mentally yelling at them to just freaking talk to each other to avoid making the same stupid choices.

I also found myself having to flip back and forth to try to keep up with who's story I'm in. Told in first person, but each stinking chapter switches to a different characters view so you get everyone's story in due time, but you also get whiplash from bouncing around in so many heads and timelines!

[Garnell · Rating 2 out of 5]

He didn't do it for me

I couldn't get past what a prick Enzo was. I didn't connect with either MC, found them flat. I'm sure the second book will be better now that we understand a little bit about their world, but I don't feel there is enough to these people for me to care. I don't feel either character really opened up emotionally which made it hard to connect with them and I don't see any redeeming qualities in Enzo so I can't see anyone falling in love with him.

[Cici · Rating 2 out of 5]

Ok so this is really weird and a spoiler so.... warning.




My sons name is Enzo Rinaldi. What are chances of that? It’s so weird! I was already having a hard time reading about Enzo but then that sealed the deal. I can’t read it anymore. It’s too weird.

Also I just didn’t really connect with this book that’s why it’s a 2 star book for me.

[salem · Rating 2 out of 5]

and that’s? being generous. the premise is intriguing as hell but it quickly goes downhill after chapter one. i was going to stick it out to find out the ~big secret~ but i couldn’t do it. DNF @ Chapter 19. just could not take it anymore

[Stephanie · Rating 2 out of 5]

I wasn't sure what to expect here but I did learn that super dark romances might not be for me. I really just couldn't get over the rape and terrible people. To each their own, but I don't think this was for me.

[Debbie Harscheid-james · Rating 2 out of 5]

I like the genre but this book started really slow and ended in a cliffhanger.

[Julia Younan · Rating 2 out of 5]

Liked the story idea but frustrated with the editing, also not very developed characters, hard to understand their behaviours. Only the story idea kept me reading to the end

[Idalopesmarques · Rating 1 out of 5]

I ended up skimming pages and skipping paragraphs. Great title, not such a good read. The plot seemed ok but didn't captivate with the writing.

[shinchxn · Rating 1 out of 5]

Kai made me so cringe. I’m sorry but Enzo sold your ass and after that you’re still want answers from him?! Girl get outta here….