Epilogue by CJ Roberts

Epilogue
The Dark Duet: Book 3
by CJ Roberts
Date read: Late June 2013
Length of read time: Still not finished
Why I bought it: Couldn't wait to read this couple's HEA.
Price: $3.50
Pages: 216
Indie or traditional: Indie
Bonus: What could be better than a super long epilogue describing a HEA? Not much.
 Blurb:
I’m writing this because you begged. You know how I love the begging. In fact, you probably know too many things and know them far too well.
Who am I?
Well, that’s what I’m trying to figure out. I was a whore in my youth, a killer since my adolescence, and a monster as a man. I am the man who kidnapped Livvie. I am the man who held her in a dark room for weeks. But, most importantly, I am the man she loves.
She loves me. It’s quite sick, isn’t it?
Of course, there’s more to our story than can be surmised in a few short sentences, but I’m at a loss for justifying my behavior back then. I assume if you’re reading this, I don’t need to make those justifications. You’ve already made your own.
You’re reading this because you want to know about the rest of the story. You want to know what happened that warm summer night in September of 2010, the night I met Livvie at The Paseo. It was the night my life changed all over again.
It didn’t happen exactly as Livvie said. She’s been very kind to me in the retelling of our story. The truth is far more…complicated. 

Epilogue is from Caleb's POV, and I enjoyed that. It's also exactly what the name implies: an epilogue. I think this is exactly what the story needed, so it was perfect, but at the same time I feel compelled to point out that in terms of actual action, it's a little slow at times. (Disclaimer: I like my books with a lot of action).

I liked reading about how Livvie and Caleb find a way to make their err...unusual relationship work in the real world. It was interesting and fulfilling, and the same details that at times felt a little mundane also helped paint me a crystal clear picture of their life together, which was so vital to a) prove to me that they really can be together 'in the real world' and b) make this new, more healthy relationship of theirs feel real.

If you've ever read Shattered Promises by Jessica Sorensen or watched Japanese anime, you've seen the same story re-told with the same plot and the same characters, just in a different format, and I thought Epilogue had that feeling to it. It was a re-telling of Caleb and Livvie's love in so much as their love had to be re-structured so much to fit 'the real world' - the world of mental health, with each on equal footing - that it almost made their relationship feel totally re-imagined. This was necessary to really finish their story, to see Caleb whole, to see Livvie heal...but it was also a little weird just because book three of the Dark Duet series is so different from the first two.

That said, I'm pretty sure absolutely nobody complained about this view inside Caleb's head. I enjoyed so much seeing Caleb grow and learn to function as a healthy, 'normal'-ish person, while Livvie blossomed too and was still able to hang onto her love for Caleb.

As always, CJ Roberts puts us through unimaginably challenging paces without missing a beat. Everything feels real, and I love both characters more than ever. 

Five stars for a fulfilling conclusion, although I have to admit I haven't read the last pages! I just don't want their story to end.

Seduced in the Dark by CJ Roberts

Seduced in the Dark
The Dark Duet: Book 2
by CJ Roberts
Date read: Mid-June 2013
Length of read time: Two days
Why I bought it: Had to see what happened with Caleb and 'Kitten'/Livvie.
Price: $5.25 (Holy expensive ebook, Batman!)
Pages: 512
Indie or traditional: Indie (or started as indie).
Bonus: Like book one, the cover of this book is so perfect. Also, the author's message in the beginning of the book is heartwarming. 
Blurb:
Seduced in the Dark
What is the price of redemption?
Rescued from sexual slavery by a mysterious Pakistani officer, Caleb carries the weight of a debt that must be paid in blood. The road has been long and fraught with uncertainty, but for Caleb and Livvie, it’s all coming to an end. Can he surrender the woman he loves for the sake of vengeance? Or will he make the ultimate sacrifice?

Oh, CJ Roberts. You keep me off-balance, and I'm not sure I like it.

This book started in a very different place than book one left off, leading me to wonder if I'd purchased book three instead of book two. Not so. The author tells this story in flashback form, and scene one/present time shows 'Kitten'/Livvie in a mental facility/government facility, separated from Caleb and not at all happy about it.

Right out of the gate, this was not something I liked. I hated the clawing feeling that I'd missed a significant chunk of time. While it successfully made me read faster, with more frenzy, for me it took away some of what I enjoy most about a good book - the savoring of it. I think if it was book one instead of book two and our story simply began this way, it would have been more bearable, but I started the book eager to find out what happened to Caleb and Livvie, only to 'see' Livvie alone in a hospital, sobbing and telling everyone that Caleb is dead.

In the author's defense, it's not too long before we're flashed back in time, continuing the story right where we left off in book one. (Disclaimer: If you're not an impatient control freak like me, starting a bit forward in time might not bother you at all).

Because the story is told in two different time-frames: one current (forward-time from where book one left off), one a bit in the past (a continuation of book one), there are sort of two different story lines. For me it's easiest to review each one and then share my thoughts on the book as a whole.

The 'present time' story line, with Livvie in the hospital and Caleb supposedly dead, really dragged and kind of drove me insane. It's not because it wasn't done artfully; it was. I personally just hate having to spend this much time in the future without knowing how I got there. Like I said, I'm a control freak. Because of this, and my own stubborn refusal to warm to this part of the plot, I sort of hated the periphery characters in the hospital plot. They were both lovable and I'm aware I should have loved them. Probably many people enjoyed getting to know these two, but I'm not one of those people. That said, when you're reading something written by a talented author, it can never be that bad, so I can't complain too much about this part. Also: This is where some secrets are revealed about the end game, and I really enjoyed how the author dove-tailed that with the 'past time' storyline, the one that starts where book one left off.

The story line that continues where book one left off is, much like book one, fraught with emotional turmoil for both Livvie and Caleb. CJ Roberts nearly sent me over the edge, showing me every step of Caleb's internal struggle over what to do with Livvie. Does he turn her over to be a sex slave, or does he find a way to put an end to his plans - perhaps at great personal cost?

This is where I think the author's talent is really evident. I felt Caleb's feelings so much it exhausted me. It frustrated me. I felt Livvie's confusion, her desire and her anguish, so deeply that at times I thought I hated Caleb. Flashbacks from Caleb's early years with his mentor Rafiq really illuminate the man Caleb has become and sharpen the reader's sympathy for Caleb. There are moments where Caleb wants so much to just be a good man for Livvie, and those moments make you want to cheer. Then, either because he can't reconcile the image of himself as a good man or because he's feeling loyal to Rafiq and their plan (to make Livvie a sex slave), he treats Livvie like she doesn't matter after all, and that just makes you want to cry, or punch him in the nose.

Some of the characters in this story line are pretty abject - or at least they seemed that way to me. CJ Roberts, as always, does an excellent job of humanizing everyone, so you really do care about them...but still, they're abject (not Caleb and Livvie, but the secondary characters). As someone who reads romance to escape, 'being' in this environment, never knowing if Caleb is going to decide to rescue his Livvie or continue being the same 'bad guy' he's always been, I found this maddening. Some of the fluffy bunny enjoyability I get out of most romance novels was missing from this one, but that's also why I loved this series. You go through so much with Livvie and Caleb that, in the end, the reward is really awesome.

I won't say much about the end game because you need to read it for yourself. This was, for me, a hard book to get through, but when I did, I was satisfied, and I was in awe of CJ Roberts' ability to create a truly (deeply) flawed male lead, show every stage of his changed to a less flawed man, and in the end make me love him. Wow!

Stay tuned for my review of Epilogue.

Captive in the Dark by CJ Roberts

Captive in the Dark
The Dark Duet: Book 1
by CJ Roberts
Date read: Mid-June 2013
Length of read time: Between one and two days.
Why I bought it: Hundreds of great reviews can't be wrong?
Price: 99 cents
Pages: 224
Blurb: 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.

By the end of the first chapter, I could tell that the author was a strong writer, and she was already pushing my buttons. I knew from the book's product description that the male lead, Caleb, kidnaps the heroine, Olivia, and that's actually why I wanted to read this book. It sounded pretty crazy, even considering that's what people are really enjoying these days: envelope-pushing crazy romance, where the characters endure more than most people can imagine. In my mind, Fifty Shades of Grey is kind of the thermometer for this kind of book (is it more intense, or less intense, than Fifty Shades?). Another similar series with a domineering (anti?)-hero is Sylvia Day's Crossfire Series, whose male lead, Gideon Cross, is in my opinion a little less 'cuddly' than Mr. Grey.

So when I started Captive in the Dark, I expected an intense male lead, but one who appeared almost immediately redeeming. As an example, shortly after Christian Grey meets his Ana in one of the opening scenes of Fifty Shades of Grey, she trips and he appears concerned for her. If I recall, he also tells her to travel safely as she drives home from interviewing him. Shortly thereafter, Grey appears at a bar where Ana is drunk and whisks her back to his hotel. In a word, he's protective. So that's what I expected from Caleb. Sure, I knew he was going to be a kidnapper, but I was totally expecting a kidnapper with a heart.

The Caleb I met in the first few chapters of Captive in the Dark is not a kidnapper with a heart. He's like...a real kidnapper. Yeah, I know. Kind of crazy, right?

Ten or twenty percent into the book (sorry I don't remember exactly), I messaged some friends and asked if it got any more palatable. I was feeling nothing warm or cuddly, and I wasn't feeling enough sympathy for Caleb. All my friends urged me to continue, and I did...although I really wasn't sure. This is where I should explain I'm a pretty hardy romance reader, and I don't mind a bit of grit. In fact, I prefer antiheroes, the ones more like real men, who are obnoxiously possessive and occasionally a$$holes. BUT I need a sympathetic backstory, and I just wasn't getting that.

Yet.

A little more of the story unfolded, and Caleb started throwing back some beer and breaking some of his own rules for Olivia (his 'Kitten'), and I started thawing toward him. I felt stupid for lowering my walls to this character, but the more I learned about him, I just couldn't help it. Now I should say I was definitely still wary. But I was warming.

And Kitten, who had started out a little reactionary to me, started to seem more real. She started growing. (She was so young when the book started, and so inexperienced, it's no wonder she was mostly just reacting to her horrible situation; it was realistic and well-done, so I'm not saying her character had flaws - just that her personality in the beginning wasn't as interesting as it became later).

This book was inherently interesting because of its plot: captive v. captor. Firm lines. Blurred lines. No lines. Lines again. I can see why the author describes the trio as a duet. Caleb and Kitten were constantly playing tug-o-war, and just as I'd hoped, it was interesting to 'watch'. By the time the book ended, I finally felt like I understood all Caleb's plans, and I could really feel the OMG-ness of them (Caleb and Kitten were in quite a bind - no pun intended). I thought Caleb was falling for Kitten - maybe, just maybe - and I was starting to think maybe - just maybe - he could be redeemed. I didn't see quite how, so I was eager to watch CJ Roberts strut her stuff. And I actually loved it that this book wasn't cookie cutter. It kept me guessing, and it kept me on my toes.

I bought the second book immediately.

Hi!

I'm Lindz, and I'm finally starting a book blog. I'll review young adult, new adult, and adult romance of all kinds. I usually stick to so-called genre fiction, but occasionally I pick up something more literary.

I read exclusively on my Kindle, usually at night when my kidlet is asleep. Some of my favorite books lately are The Sea of Tranquility by Katja Millay, Almost by Anne Eliot, Tragic by J.A. Huss, and (dare I say it?) the boundary-pushing Captive in the Dark series.

I can't wait to write some reviews.

Thanks for giving my blog a try! I promise to always be honest, fair, and kind.

~Lindz