Captive in the Dark by C.J. Roberts (Dark Duet #1)

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.

 Captive in the Dark (The Dark Duet #1)
By C.J. Roberts

I found this book while I was book shopping, and I was first attracted to the cover.  I then read the blurb for the book, and while normally this is not a book I would ever choose to read,  the subject matter being something I would run away screaming from, I found myself curious.  I was curious how the author would pull this off.  Could she make me like the hero?  Could I really read this book?  

I knew this would be a dark story.  What I wasn’t prepared for is just how dark of a place this book would take me.  This is the most raw, and gritty book I have ever read.  C.J. Roberts absolutely put me to the test with this one.  By the time I finished this book I was too mentally exhausted to react to the ending.  There were a couple of times I wasn’t sure I could continue, but I just couldn’t bring myself to put it down.  The author’s writing was fantastic!  The story alternates from Olivia’s 1st person POV, which puts you directly in her mind, and what is physically happening to her.  Then it switches to 3rd person when Caleb’s story is being told.  I had no difficulty in following the story being written this way, and in fact I loved it.  It was so emotionally draining being inside Olivia’s head, but it made me understand her thought process better and relate to her.  Caleb’s side of things being told in the 3rd person was perfect, because he is not the kind of guy that’s going to bear his soul for me,  and I got to learn all about his heartbreaking past.

I didn’t start out liking the hero at all, I wasn’t suppose to giving the circumstances.  About halfway through, I still wasn’t so sure about him.  So, did the author make me like the hero? YES she did!  By the time Mrs. Roberts was finished with me,  I wanted to hold Caleb and assure him everything would be okay. (Maybe I have a case of Stockholm syndrome, LOL!)  Olivia and Caleb are damaged beyond repair, but I want to see them find happiness, and find a way out of the huge mess that surrounds them. Did I like this book? ABSOLUTELY!!  

I didn’t touch on the plot because the blurb tells the reader what they need to know.  The story / plot was excellent, there were times I was holding my breath and didn’t realize it until I exhaled.  These are my thoughts and feelings, take from it what you will.  If  you are thinking of reading this book, open your mind, and prepare yourself to go on a very dark journey.  I was disturbed by some of the things I read, and some of the events made my heart pound, but I don’t regret a single page.  C.J. Roberts has a new fan, and I can hardly wait for book 2.  

 QUOTE:   "His touch was simple, but specific, meant to show me he could be like a lover, gentle, intimate, but also that he was a man unaccustomed to hearing the word no. Yes. I understood. He was a man, and I? I was nothing but a girl, not even a woman. I was meant to fall at his feet and worship at the altar of his masculinity, grateful that he’d deigned to acknowledge me. All this, from a simple touch.- C.J.Roberts

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You can contact C.J. Roberts by email  authorcjroberts@gmail.com, or visit her website: http://www.aboutcjroberts.com/
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