Captive in the Dark
Series: The Dark Duet #1
Author: C.J. Roberts

SUMMARY
(From Goodreads)

Caleb is a man with a singular interest in revenge. Kidnapped as a young boy and sold into slavery by a power-hungry mobster, he has thought of nothing but vengeance. For twelve years he has immersed himself in the world of pleasure slaves searching for the one man he holds ultimately responsible. Finally, the architect of his suffering has emerged with a new identity, but not a new nature. If Caleb is to get close enough to strike, he must become the very thing he abhors and kidnap a beautiful girl to train her to be all that he once was.

Eighteen-year-old Olivia Ruiz has just woken up in a strange place. Blindfolded and bound, there is only a calm male voice to welcome her. His name is Caleb, though he demands to be called Master. Olivia is young, beautiful, naïve and willful to a fault. She has a dark sensuality that cannot be hidden or denied, though she tries to accomplish both. Although she is frightened by the strong, sadistic, and arrogant man who holds her prisoner, what keeps Olivia awake in the dark is her unwelcome attraction to him.

WARNING: This book contains very disturbing situations, dubious consent, strong language, and graphic violence.

MY THOUGHTS

Captive in the Dark is the first part in The Dark Duet series by author C.J. Roberts.
This type of read is not for the weak and it has some (most) scenes that will be disturbing to many readers.

Mind. F-ck.  That about sums it up. Sorry to be so blunt, but after reading this there is not really a better way to express it.  When Caleb watches Olivia from afar, I just knew he had picked his target.  Olivia became the tool he would use for revenge.  When he approaches her the first time, she believes he is her knight in shining armor there to protect her from some pervs trying to mess with her.  What she doesn’t know is that her knight is actually the one she should be worried about.

Olivia finds herself kidnapped and thrown into a dark room.  She is blindfolded and scared.  When Caleb enters the room and speaks to her, she knows his voice is familiar but cannot place who it is.  After plenty of struggles, she is finally able to see him when the blindfold is gone. She is shocked at who it is and still frightened.  What Caleb does to Olivia to start her “training” was painful and raw.  You can tell Caleb is not really wanting to hurt her, but he needs to get her to submit to become the slave he needs to get revenge on his enemy.  This not to say that Olivia doesn’t fight back.  Oh no. She is a mean little hellcat and she won’t take half of what Caleb tries to dish out.

“You’re going to pay for that Pet,’ he panted. The right side of his face sported an angry red hand print.
I shook out my hand, ‘I already have. That was my change.” 

Unfortunately, it doesn’t end like Olivia wants it to.  She is whipped, spanked and forced to listen to things she has never experienced before.  Through it all, Olivia ends up feeling like Caleb is still her protector when she needs him.  She sort of gets into the Stockholm Syndrome and I can understand why.

“He was my tormentor and my solace; the creator of the dark and the light within.”

To say that I was getting chills throughout this book is an understatement.  The emotional roller coaster you will go on in this story will shock you.  One minute you will be disgusted by Caleb, then you will be hoping he will be her Knight.  I couldn’t believe I found myself thinking of him as a good guy at some points after everything he has done to Olivia.

“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?” 

Not a lot of people can handle this type of read.  I was hesitant on reading it because I thought it would be a book that was just “too much” for me.  I admit that I was scared and that fear kept me from reading this book for so long.  I finally got up enough nerve after reading so many 5 star reviews of it.  I decided to put everything on the back burner and just finally sit down and read it.  Now, I can’t stop thinking about this book and had to get the review written and posted.  I can’t wait to see what will happen after the way the book ended.  I am overcome with the curiosity to find out how Caleb and Olivia are going to proceed from the ending point of book one.  I crave the answers just as Olivia craves a small glimpse of sunlight.

MY RATING

Outstanding book that will stay on my bookshelf for rereading!

Need
Author: Todd Gregory

SUMMARY
(From Goodreads)

On the sultry streets of New Orleans, you can indulge every desire. Even when what you crave is blood.

As far as the mortal world knows, Cord Logan died two years ago. In reality, he stalks the French Quarter, searching for victims. Cord knew that coming back to New Orleans would be risky now that he’s broken with the fraternity of vampires who first claimed him. But a chance encounter with an old friend triggers unexpected desire, and reveals a lethal curse that endangers not just his kind, but all of humanity.

Cord’s quest to break the curse leads him on a journey of carnal self-discovery and deep into the bayous. Here, where magic reigns unchecked, Cord must tap into his dark, unpredictable abilities and all his seductive powers. And if he fails, he’ll have all eternity to regret it…

MY THOUGHTS

I admit that the cover is what caught my interest. (Look into my eyes!) I can’t resist the dark and broody brow.  Then the blurb captured my curiosity into thinking this might be something different for me to enjoy in the vampire world.

This was a book that I had to force myself to finish.  There were many points where rolled my eyes and hoped I was getting closer to the finish line. This book was also bogged down by history and setup for the character with tons of narration. Back story can be a good thing, but too much is overkill.  I also need my characters to have interaction and less flashback.  While the story had promise with a good foundation, it was one that was overly done without the bang it needed.

Another thing I want to mention is that this book does fall into the M/M category of paranormal romance.  If this isn’t your cup of tea, then please step back and go back to your usual reading.  The sex scenes weren’t as sexy as I thought they would be, and at times they seemed to be there for page filler.

This was another case of great cover art luring me in, but the story failed to keep me interested or entertained.  This is not to say it was horrible or not worth a try for some, just not one I would want to read again.

MY RATING

       
I did not like this book at all!

Evidence of Life
Author: Barbara Taylor Sissel

SUMMARY
(From Goodreads)

On the last ordinary day of her life, Abby Bennett feels like the luckiest woman alive. But everyone knows that luck doesn’t last forever.

As her husband, Nick, and daughter, Lindsey, embark on a weekend camping trip to the Texas Hill Country, Abby looks forward to having some quiet time to herself. She braids Lindsey’s hair, reminds Nick to drive safely and kisses them both goodbye. For a brief moment, Abby thinks she has it all—a perfect marriage, a perfect life—until a devastating storm rips through the region, and her family vanishes without a trace.

When Nick and Lindsey are presumed dead, lost in the raging waters, Abby refuses to give up hope. Consumed by grief and clinging to her belief that her family is still alive, she sets out to find them. But as disturbing clues begin to surface, Abby realizes that the truth may be far more sinister than she imagined. Soon she finds herself caught in a current of lies that threaten to unhinge her and challenge everything she once believed about her marriage and family.

MY THOUGHTS
That cover sums this book up for this reader.  Mysterious, suspenseful and determination all in one package of a book. As not a regular reader of mystery/suspense unless it falls within the romance genre, I was pleasantly surprised by this book in the woman’s mystery fiction world.  I found myself really getting into the story and not wanting to put it down.
After Abbey’s family goes missing after a storm, they are presumed dead.  While it can’t be proven, there is always that 1 percent of hope that they are actually alive.  We read about how Abbey has to deal with not knowing and wondering what really happened. While she struggles with finding the answers she needs, the reader also discovers along with Abbey that not everything was as perfect as she thought.  
I really felt for Abbey in this book and wanted to help her figure out the mystery as well.  While it was a little predictable in most of the story, the suspense was enough to keep me interested until the last page.  Not a bad book in my eyes considering I don’t usually read these types of fiction.  I am definitely going to keep this author on my radar for future reads!
MY RATING
Very Good! I would recommend this book!
EXCERPT
Abby made a face. Lindsey never passed up an opportunity to remind her parents that she was the better student, the orderly, more agreeable child. “I thought you were going to play pro basketball overseas, travel the world.”
                “Is there a reason I can’t do both?”
                “Nope. You, my darling daughter, can do anything you set your mind to, just like your brother.” Abby ran her fingers lightly down the length of Lindsey’s braid.
“If only I could stay home like my brother.”
“Your daddy has gone to a lot of trouble to plan this trip so he can spend time with you.”
“I know. I just wish it wasn’t this weekend.”
“There are worse sacrifices,” Abby said blithely.
“I have finals next month too. And don’t say it’s not the same.”
“Okay, I won’t.” Abby centered the griddle over the burner.
“will you set the table and call your dad? The French toast’ll be done in a minute.” She could feel Lindsey considering whether or not to push.
Please don’t. It was a prayer, a wish, yet one more in the sea of mundane moments from that morning that would return to mock her. To ask her: How could you? Because she would remember that Lindsey hadn’t pushed; she’d set the table and left the kitchen without another word.
“What about jackets?” Abby followed her husband and daughter through the back door, onto the driveway. Although it was April, it was still chilly, and it would be colder where they were going.
Colder than home.
“It’s supposed to rain,” she said. “Maybe you guys should take your boots.”
Today I wanted to share some books that are written by some fellow bloggers that I follow. I hope you can find one to enjoy and help support some fellow bloggers in their journey!

The Boogie Man Is My Friend: Not A Ghost Story
Author: Kathryn Ann Loving

SUMMARY
It’s hard to imagine the unthinkable. Most of the time we are all in denial. How do we prepare for it? Do we know how to protect our children from it? Most parents or guardians will never know…until it’s too late. And by then, the Boogie Man is their friend. Kathryn Loving takes you along her journey from being raised in a middle class family with good values to her adventures as a police officer. She shares the insides of her life in the policehood, battling child molesters and evil doers. It’s nothing like a super hero story. When all was lost in the sorrow from the countless victim children, God kept her soul. She and her village battled to bring those that preyed on our children to justice. And justice they received. The book is filled with the unexpected. It will wake anyone up to what lurks out there…waiting to pounce…on anyone’s children. There is no class or economics when it comes to child predators. The Boogie Man Is My Friend is a book about a heavy subject that most people don’t want to explore or even fathom. Loving takes you there…to that dark place… but not without success, solutions, and believe it or not…humor…lots of it. Her cop stories are throughout to make you laugh after you cry. You might be shocked. You might laugh. You might cry. But one thing is for certain, you will be awake. It’s real. It’s genuine. It’s life. It needs to be told.
AMAZON

Holly Daze: Underachiever Extraordinaire
Author: Monica Merrill Mylet, Abbey Fatica

SUMMARY

Holly Daze takes us on an uproarious roller-coaster ride through the last year. Although her name suggests that Holidays are her forte, we learn quickly that if it can go wrong, it will; in the funniest way possible. If it were up to Holly, Valentine’s Day would only be celebrated by school children as a form of punishment for missing their homework. Halloween costumes should be store bought, Thanksgiving catered and fireworks most definitely should only be handled by professionals. If you have relatives that visit for Christmas or even the 4th of July, this is for you. Feel free to leave this addition to the Life Well Blogged series out for them to read, too. You’ll all be laughing out loud together.
Abbey and Monica have given a voice to all the crazy holiday expectations and failures in Holly Daze; Underachiever Extraordinaire. They have once again gathered hilarious blog posts from stellar bloggers to compile a must read for everyone that is looking back on the past year with both fond memories and shocking tales of celebrations that have gone haywire.
AMAZON

I Just Want to Pee Alone
Author: Various bloggers

SUMMARY
Motherhood is the toughest – and funniest – job you’ll ever love. Raising kids is hard work. The pay sucks, your boss is a tyrant, and the working conditions are pitiful – you can’t even take a bathroom break without being interrupted with another outrageous demand. Hasn’t every mother said it before? “I just want to pee alone!” I Just Want to Pee Alone is a collection of hilarious essays from 37 of the most kick ass mom bloggers on the web. Including: People I Want to Punch in the Throat, Insane in the Mom-Brain, The Divine Secrets of a Domestic Diva, Baby Sideburns, and Rants From Mommyland. Read hysterical essays like: Embarrassment, Thy Name is Motherhood A Pinterest-Perfect Mom, I am Not And Then There was that Time a Priest Called Me a Terrible Mother So She Thought She Could Cut Off My Stroller
AMAZON

APRIL 2013 YA LINK UP PAGE
Hi all!  This is the post that you can link up your reviews for the Young Adult Reading Challenge for APRIL 2013.  Each month there will be a new link up page and I will be listing each months main link below the challenge button on my bottom right sidebar.  I look forward to reading everyone’s reviews and the books you choose!
* This is for your REVIEWS posted in  YA APRIL 2013 only! *