Community Reviews
This book is darkly gorgeous... I'm not just talking about the cover. I'm talking about a mindblowing, breathtaking, wounded, sexy-as-all-hell hero and a strong, beguiling, spunky, smartass heroine who both fights against her fate and learns to accept it. I was less disturbed by this story as I thought I might initially be. This isn't my first foray into stories featuring erotic extremes, but I am not necessarily a super experienced (ha!) erotica reader. Maybe it's that numbness to shock value/extreme situations (since I've read this sort of material before and have attempted to read The Story of O, which I have yet to have the balls [so to speak] to finish) combined with my willing suspension of disbelief that made this story much more appealing and sexy and less creeptastic. This book is also dirrrrrrty as heck. (And I love it for both of these reasons).
Some reviews mention that this is not for the faint of heart. Truth be told, I didn't find the material overly shocking or terrifying. Sure, I felt Kitten/Olivia/Livvie's fears and I believed her, and yet being given the POV of her captor/tormentor/trainer Caleb somehow soothes the reader into believing that he isn't truly trying to cause her harm. He means to do as he says he will--he means to train her into a sex slave. Of course, there's that pesky matter of emotions and his own heart that come into play. Oh! And I can't forget the tragic past he's had to overcome himself. With those scenes included, it's not hard to feel for him, knowing that he has walked the steps he's forcing Kitten/Olivia/Livvie to walk herself.
Okay, so she didn't ask for it. And she doesn't really deserve what she's been dealt, but in a story that could easily have been twisted to be horrific, terrifying and distasteful, C.J. Roberts humanizes everyone in this tale so that you can see what Kitten sees, feel what she feels, and realizes, as does Kitten herself, that she doesn't quite hate everything that she's being forced to endure. (Rather, she does glean pleasure from it, as well.)
This said, I would say if you've never read a dark erotic tale featuring things such as: questionable consent (meaning, well, Kitten/Olivia/Livvie doesn't really say 'yes' and isn't exactly a willing participant in the power exchange at play...and I understand that's supposed to be like, a big no-no in the BDSM world, but I let it slide given the set-up of this tale), spanking as punishment, [light?] bondage, things that might be interpreted as humiliating (I didn't think so, but I'm sure someone else might disagree), and anal sex... well, consider yourself warned.
I am so glad that Roberts describes the confusion and conflict that both characters feel as their emotions complicate their very defined positions. Caleb, as a sex slave trainer and kidnapper, and Kitten/Olivia/Livvie, the unwilling captive and sub-in-training. Roberts's characters are well-rounded, fleshed out, and individually motivated. Though the situation itself is, well, a little out there in Absurdia, I am so thankful for her crafty writing skills that have convinced me to roll with it. I've been able to buy into this plot about a broken man who was once stolen and used in unspeakable ways as a boy, formulating a revenge upon his enemy that would require that he facilitate the same traumas done to him. Except he's less cruel, by far. Except maybe he's starting to figure out what l-o-v-e might be. Except maybe he shouldn't have picked a girl he wanted for himself to be the offering he's going to give to his own personal demon.
And part of why I buy into this hook, line, and sinker, is because the characters are handled with such fragility and laced with such strength.
Plus, the sex is hot. I mean, HAWWWWTTTTTT.
I will say this: I've never bought a self-published book before, but this one was so well done I think I'd be willing to risk buying more. My one critique of the book would be that I still felt like things were a bit unresolved by the book's end, but I think that comes from my disappointment in an absent sex scene I have been basically waiting the entire book for (and I imagine may come in book 2? God, please.), and--more importantly--stems from my desire for MORE. I can't tell you how relieved/excited/thrilled I am that book 3 is being released this freaking weekend cuz I'm expecting to read through book two before then.
Some reviews mention that this is not for the faint of heart. Truth be told, I didn't find the material overly shocking or terrifying. Sure, I felt Kitten/Olivia/Livvie's fears and I believed her, and yet being given the POV of her captor/tormentor/trainer Caleb somehow soothes the reader into believing that he isn't truly trying to cause her harm. He means to do as he says he will--he means to train her into a sex slave. Of course, there's that pesky matter of emotions and his own heart that come into play. Oh! And I can't forget the tragic past he's had to overcome himself. With those scenes included, it's not hard to feel for him, knowing that he has walked the steps he's forcing Kitten/Olivia/Livvie to walk herself.
Okay, so she didn't ask for it. And she doesn't really deserve what she's been dealt, but in a story that could easily have been twisted to be horrific, terrifying and distasteful, C.J. Roberts humanizes everyone in this tale so that you can see what Kitten sees, feel what she feels, and realizes, as does Kitten herself, that she doesn't quite hate everything that she's being forced to endure. (Rather, she does glean pleasure from it, as well.)
This said, I would say if you've never read a dark erotic tale featuring things such as: questionable consent (meaning, well, Kitten/Olivia/Livvie doesn't really say 'yes' and isn't exactly a willing participant in the power exchange at play...and I understand that's supposed to be like, a big no-no in the BDSM world, but I let it slide given the set-up of this tale), spanking as punishment, [light?] bondage, things that might be interpreted as humiliating (I didn't think so, but I'm sure someone else might disagree), and anal sex... well, consider yourself warned.
I am so glad that Roberts describes the confusion and conflict that both characters feel as their emotions complicate their very defined positions. Caleb, as a sex slave trainer and kidnapper, and Kitten/Olivia/Livvie, the unwilling captive and sub-in-training. Roberts's characters are well-rounded, fleshed out, and individually motivated. Though the situation itself is, well, a little out there in Absurdia, I am so thankful for her crafty writing skills that have convinced me to roll with it. I've been able to buy into this plot about a broken man who was once stolen and used in unspeakable ways as a boy, formulating a revenge upon his enemy that would require that he facilitate the same traumas done to him. Except he's less cruel, by far. Except maybe he's starting to figure out what l-o-v-e might be. Except maybe he shouldn't have picked a girl he wanted for himself to be the offering he's going to give to his own personal demon.
And part of why I buy into this hook, line, and sinker, is because the characters are handled with such fragility and laced with such strength.
Plus, the sex is hot. I mean, HAWWWWTTTTTT.
I will say this: I've never bought a self-published book before, but this one was so well done I think I'd be willing to risk buying more. My one critique of the book would be that I still felt like things were a bit unresolved by the book's end, but I think that comes from my disappointment in an absent sex scene I have been basically waiting the entire book for (and I imagine may come in book 2? God, please.), and--more importantly--stems from my desire for MORE. I can't tell you how relieved/excited/thrilled I am that book 3 is being released this freaking weekend cuz I'm expecting to read through book two before then.
This book is definitely not for the faint of heart. Many reviewers on here is stating that this is a disgusting piece romanticizing rape by labeling it BDSM. Let me start off by saying THIS IS NOT A STORY ABOUT FETISHES OF DOMINANT AND SUBMISSIVE!! Caleb is not a master trying to convince Livvie "Kitten" to be his sexy submissive. We are looking into the dark world of kidnap, slavery, and abuse. This exists. Women most likely fapped to the idea of sex games because of the pathetic version illustrated in the Fifty Shades travesty. Never once was it indicated that this was another crappy dive into BDSM. CJ states in the very beginning that Caleb was in search for a girl that he could "train" to further his own plan on revenge.
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