This is going to be a very short review because I don't usually read books like this (and I don't think many of you do either). But if this review can get at least one person to read this, then I'll be happy. This book is one of the many reason I LOVE Goodreads! I stumbled upon this book in my Goodreads feed and was immediately mesmerized by the haunting cover and the title of the book. Captive In the Dark? WTF!? My curiosity got the best of me and I decided to check out the summary. When I read that it was about kidnapping and pleasure slaves I was taken aback. Especially more so when I saw all the amazing 5 star reviews that this book had. At first, I thought these people were just crazy. How can you possibly like a book about this kind of stuff? But the more reviews I browsed through, I saw that most of them were from people that I not only admire but I have come to trust their reviews and recommendation on books. A big factor in deciding to read this book was that none of these reviewers either a.) liked 50 Shades of Grey, b.) compared it to 50 Shades of Grey or c.) both of the above. That pretty much had me sold!
Because of an incident when she was young, Livvie has grown up being branded a "whore" by her mother. Livvie tries desperately to gain her mothers love and forgiveness and she grows up very conservatively. She dresses dowdy clothes, she gets straight A's, she doesn't party or do any of the things normal girls like her do. One day, as she is being aggressively hit on by a stranger, a handsome man comes to her rescue. But Caleb is no knight in shining armor. He has a dark and disturbing history which has put him in the path to his current line of work. Caleb was sold as a slave as a boy and had a horrible like growing up. 12 years ago, he was rescued by Rafiq who taught him all there is to know about capturing, training and selling pleasure slaves. Rafiq has been after a very dangerous man who killed his family and as a way to show his gratitude for saving him, Caleb have vowed to kill him for Rafiq. Their best opportunity to get in contact with him is by selling him the best pleasure slave they've ever had. Enter Livvie.
Livvie wakes up tied up, beaten and blindfolded in a van with brutal men. She is taken to Caleb. At first, she is shocked to learn that the man she considered her savior that day has now become her captor. She fights it with all she has until she is eventually broken down by him. Either way, she never manages to truly lose her spunk and she holds on to a shred of hope that she might be able to escape, no matter how small that shred of hope might be. But no matter how many times she is tortured or humiliated by Caleb, she can't help but feel...something for him. She has a serious case of Stockholm Syndrome, maybe it's something more? But she isn't the only one feeling this way. One minute Caleb is cruel to her and the next he is sweet to her. The more time he spends with her (not that she has a choice), the more his emotions and feelings get confused and he starts to rethink his plan. Maybe he can set her free? Maybe she can forgive him and love him? Maybe Caleb can actually love her back? Maybe...
I know what your thinking. He kidnapped her! How can she (or me for that matter) possibly like him!? Well, that is exactly what I was thinking too, but this is just a case where you will never be able to comprehend it until you actually read it. The writing is so hauntingly dark and beautiful all at once that it is impossible not to let your emotions get the best of you and completely get lost in this story. I was very skeptical going into this book and with good reason. This is in no way a light or fluffy book. It is extremely dark, disturbing, twisted and...so good! The fact that it is told from both POV's lets you understand why they feel the way they do and why they are so messed up. Livvie and Caleb are both very broken souls with so many demons in their past and the only way to get deal with them might just be with each other. Deep down, they both just want to be loved. They desperately want it and need it!
Captive In the Dark managed to shock me at every turn and threw some curve-balls my way that I didn't see coming. The biggest of all of them was the way I felt about the book. I went through just about every emotion I had with this book and just when I didn't think I can handle any more, we are left with one killer of a cliffhanger ending. I'm DYING to read the second (and final) book in this series, Seduced In the Dark. Let me put it out there that this book is NOT for everyone! It's dark, graphic and explicit but so damn good. If you think this book might be something you might like, get ready for the biggest mind-f*** of your life! One piece of advice is to not make assumptions until you have tried it for yourself. These aren't your typical characters and this is by no means your typical love story, but it is a brilliantly written, heart pounding and and gut-wrenching story that will blow you away and might leave you questioning your sanity. (Did I really love this book!? Am I crazy?)
(Wowsers! So much for my very short review. I feel like I just poured my heart out!)
5 out of 5 sparkly stars!
Some of my favorite non-spoiler quotes from Captive In the Dark:
-Revenge, Caleb reminded himself. That was the purpose of all of this.
-He caressed my face, running his finger over my earlobe, down the column of my throat, the back of his fingers brushing across my collarbone. My breathing became broken, heavy. This was wrong, and yet, it didn't feel so bad.
-He would never admit it, but from time to time, he needed to feel pain as much as he needed to dole it out.
-"I hate you."
"You don't hate me," He said it like it was a fact, like he knew me. He knelt between my open legs and leaned over me with his hands on the carpet. I turned my head to side. He kissed me, first behind my ear, then down my neck. "But you wish you did."
-Now he lay in bed next to her, holding her like a lover, smelling her hair and caressing her arm. Worse, he didn't think he could stop. He didn't want to stop.
-Caleb was a strange person, cruel and inhuman; a monster, and yet, at other times, he seemed so capable of something like caring. He made me cry and scream and shake with fear and nearly a split second later he could make me almost believe he wasn't responsible for any of it. He could hold me and make me feel safe. How was that possible?
-Stroke her or strangle her? He still didn't know. He only knew he wanted his hands on her.
-For the first time in recent memory, Caleb wanted something other than revenge. He wanted the girl. He wanted Livvie.
***
Read more of my reviews at:
Nereyda @Mostly YA Book Obsessed
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Top reviews from other countries
GABRIELLA
dark romance de respeito é aquele que te excita
Reviewed in Brazil on August 26, 2021
