I was all in on Theon, Duke of Lindow. We were going to make each other very f*cking happy for the rest of our days, and no one was going to get in the way of that.

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If there’s one thing Verity will consistently do, it’s spontaneously make terrible decisions. Sometimes they work out well—so far, smuggling her rescue cat into the shadow realm has been a great success—but more often than not, she ends up with a bigger mess to clean up than she started with.

If there’s one thing Theon will consistently do, it’s plot his brother’s demise after losing his spot in the line of succession to King Allerick. It has yet to work out well for him, but there’s a first time for everything, right?

Especially now that Theon has got himself an ex-Hunter of his own to feed from, and he’s stronger than ever.

But Verity isn’t going to let Theon get away with his treasonous ways, not when he has so much to offer the shadow realm. For the first time, someone believes that Theon has the capacity to do good in the world.

If only he believed her.

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This book popped up as one of those Goodreads recommendations based on what I've read recently. When I saw the rave reviews I thought that this book would definitely feed my dark appetite. Not so much. For me, this book was... meh... really. I read those reviews and assumed that I would be getting something gritty, dark and twisted. What I got was a woman who seemed more like a girl and a bully.

Haley turned thirty at some time in this book and to say I was surprised would be an understatement. She in no way, shape, or form acted like a mature adult. Not in her words, her thoughts, or her actions. I can't say I didn't like her but I can say that she seemed pretty one-dimensional to me. As for Jude, the whole situation is just unrealistic to me. What grown woman comes to depend on a complete stranger to these depths??? His 180 in personality was NOT a surprise! C'mon what did she expect?! He didn't want her to work, didn't encourage her socially, didn't talk or treat her with respect... the signs were there!

I'm just not wowed by this story. It is not scintillating, thought-provoking, or extremely interesting. But I'm again, not a quitter so I guess we'll see if my opinion changes with book 2.

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The fact that there is a book 3 tells me that we're in for some more twists! If you like to read about psycho anti-heroes, then this book may be for you.

I actually liked this book. I liked being in Jude's head. He was so cray cray but it worked. I was in constant anticipation of what he would do next. His complex and warped thought process was pretty funny and I was on my toes wondering what kind of evil deed he would concoct.

Haley still annoyed me. Her thought process was less than intelligent. She kept talking about getting back her life. Ummmmm. What life?! She had no real plan and that irked me. And instead of making real use of her support network, she kept screaming for independence. TSTL-syndrome in full effect.

I'm about to start book 3 and I'm busy trying to figure out exactly what the twist will be. I think I have an idea Jude lives! and a huge part of me hopes I'm right! Thank you Kindle Unlimited for providing me with the opportunity to read this series!

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This was the "startling" conclusion to the series. However, I wasn't startled. My prediction was accurate. Hooray... Actually, when my guess came to fruition was the first time in the book that my interest was truly piqued. Until then, I was bored. I was just waiting for the other shoe to drop, as Haley would say.

Jude... Jude... Jude... or should I call you Terrence? You wonderful psycho you. I loved everything you did bro. Your motivations were completely all over the place, but I still had mad love for you homie. I really felt the love you had for Haley. Deep in the bones kind of love. I get you. You killed all those women as symbols of that love. Warped love. Obsessed love. Crazy love. Drunken love perhaps? Regardless, you were a freaking fantastic character to read. I wish the entire book was in your pov. Honestly dude. Your passion burst through those pages. Not sparklers. Not even fireworks. Dynamite amigo. Dyna-freaking-mite!!

I could write odes about Jude. Sonnets even. He was the only person that sparked any interest in me. Haley once again gave a lackluster performance that only gained positive momentum because of Jude. His effervescence makes everyone around him shine lol. I like what Dustin represented, but told through Haley's eyes, unfortunately I didn't get a real chance to delve into his character and connect with him.

I'm not going to read the prequel. I'm going to keep my fond memories of Jude just the way they are as I say farewell to him at the end of this series.

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After reading the blurb, I honestly thought this book/series would be great. Not so much. The plot was hella interesting, but there was a real disconnect between logic and reality.

What I liked:
- Mark. Yeah, he's the bad guy. But he was the most consistent person in the book. He was also the most interesting. I really wanted to get to know him, especially after he revealed his motives for kidnapping Morgan
- The concept. I always find time to read a good dark book and it doesn't get darker than a captive book (i.e. Captive in the Dark -- so good!)
- Leo. His story is going to be amazing I'm sure, considering the big reveal of Mark's behind the death of his family

What I didn't like:
- Morgan. This chick was TSTL!! Usually I chalk it up to the fact of young age (her being 18 and all), but unfortunately, in her case, I can't. She's the daughter of a famous police detective. She's shown evidence (many times) that her father taught her well (she seems to know guns inside and out). She reminds of almost every other teenager out there who wants to grow up before it's time and plays grown up. Without any real concept of what being an adult really means. So I conclude that she's an idiot. My proof? You need more??? Well, at the 86% mark, she gives a lengthy monologue of how proud of herself she is to be a valuable member of Mark's crew. How everyone respects her for the great job she's doing. Am I the only one that could see that her "job" was as a distracting bimbo? Qualifications: empty space in your head. Skills: pretty to look at, ability to fill out hooker dress, know how to twirl hair around finger, be able to hold an empty stare, etc. This girl is a freaking idiot and there is not one quality of hers that is redeeming. She is unlikable, unappealing, and absolutely nothing she did was endearing. I have no connection to her and actually felt vindicated every time Mark roughed her up. I'm just saying *shrugs*

- time passes but there really isn't anything to show for it. It's casually mentioned, almost as an afterthought
- how unrealistic this story is. Let's be honest here. If this were "life-like", Morgan would have been brutally raped and/or murdered already. She has no means of escape. None. This has been established. But then she provokes the one person who holds her life in his hands??? More proof of how TSTL she really is. Oh, and then she trusts and immediately falls in love with one of her captors. I'm not saying Leo's not a great guy, but when given the chance to save herself from Mark's clutches, she chooses to stay for Leo. I know that choice needed to be made to even have a story, but it wasn't reasonable. Who would choose uncertain death and certain pain over family and safety???


So overall, a decent story, and because I want to see more of Leo and Mark, I will be reading book 2.

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Well I'm glad that evil didn't prosper in this book. That would have been terrible. But I must say that Mark gave me a lot of interesting parts to read. Again, he was the most interesting character. Leo made a wonderful appearance as well and I'm glad the author chose to change this into a dual pov installment. I don't know if I would have enjoyed it quite as much if it weren't for Leo's perspective. Why? Because I still just couldn't find a reason to like Morgan. I was so tired of seeing her, hearing her, reading her, etc. Truth be told, she's the reason this book lost two stars.

I must admit to a bit of confusion on my part. The book ends without any update on what's going on with Morgan's father. Am I really supposed to be invested in their HFN with this unresolved? They seemed a bit too carefree in the end, she keeps saying "We're free", but her dad was locked up last I heard. And you're living in hiding. Who the freak is free???

Now, maybe I'm a bit too optimistic, but I hope the confusion is cleared up with the next installment. Although, with the blurb and reviews I've seen, it doesn't seem that promising :(

Rating -

I tried. I honestly really tried. I tried to give this book a chance. A real and fair chance. I just couldn't. I'm going to be honest even further and tell you that I skimmed through this sucker like crazy. Why? Because nothing, and I mean nothing, about it grabbed my attention long enough for me to actually pay attention. I get it. Dante is a big boy now, wanting to reunite his family. Mission accomplished. But the family is still in hiding. Maybe not on the run, but they have aliases. That is NOT living free people!

Here's why I can't complete connect with this story: why, of all the crimes and criminals in the United States of America, were these people the most notorious? A lot of serial killers don't even get that much attention. So again, what about them was supposed to convince me that the entire nation was on the lookout? What about them would have the entire nation in an uproar? I'm just not buying it and therefore I couldn't even believe in the unbelievable, because it was too unbelievable.

Again, keep in mind I read this years ago and gave each book 3 stars.
After re-reading my reviews, I'm not entirely sure why, but I trust 2015 Natalie enough to go with it.

Rating -

This is the first book I've read from Jaden Wilkes and I thoroughly enjoyed it's dark and twisted theme. She surely drew my mind into a nightmare. This book does touch on some BDSM but more on the S & M side.

Unfortunately I suffered a disconnect from the characters. I'm not sure what I was looking for but by the end I hadn't found it. It was hard to like Columbia. I couldn't really get into her head although half the story is told from her POV. And she truly pissed me off at one point. When Dimitri was trying to get her to submit she kept begging to go home. Internally she wanted to get back to her life. What life? Wasn't she molested by her dad/step-dad for over a decade? I get she wanted to protect her sister, but when Dimitri offered to kill him, she wasn't exactly screaming "YES PLEASE!!" So yeah, she didn't exactly float my boat. I'm hoping for better from her in the next book, especially because of that epilogue.

I actually really liked Dimitri. He's the sole reason this book gets 3 stars. He was dark, twisted, disfigured, vengeful, a killer, a wee bit insane, etc. Everything I want in a dark hero. He's not a good guy and he's not sorry about it. However, I do think he's the perfect match for Columbia. What he's gone through is excruciating, from childhood to now, and I like that he's finally able to grab a slice of happy with her.

I'm off to read book 2 and hopefully find what was missing in this one.

Rating -

I just love when the heroine of the story gets a backbone. In this installment, Columbia is determined to learn what it takes to be a part of Dimitri's life, including how to kill.

This book had all the excitement and action I was missing in the first one. I really liked it. I got a little bothered by how lovey dovey Dimi and Col were, but it was still sweet lol. Dimitri is still my favourite character, however, Columbia has definitely come into her own and has endeared herself to me. I'm not quite as annoyed by her as I was in the previous book. Nico's new role, or rather no longer hidden role, was intriguing, however, I'm not a fan of threesomes. I am a firm believer in one man for one woman and vice versa. It may be old fashioned but I am crazy possessive and have no intention of sharing or being shared. Maybe it's part of my older sibling syndrome. Who knows. But that was the only big issue I had with this book. It was hot as f*ck but not my cup of tea. It didn't take away from my enjoyment of the book, so that's a plus. And I'm still interested in finding out more about the mysterious Nico.

I'm really curious about who this Ioana character is and how she ties in with Columbia and Dimitri. I'm sure it's going to be one fun adventure in book 3.

Rating -

HOLY FREAKING SH*T!! This was the BEST book out of the entire series!!

This book had everything I was looking for from the previous books. EVERYTHING!!

Torture. Killing. Fighting. Dubious consent (although there was absolutely no doubt that most people would not be consenting to the madness!). Love. Devotion. Loyalty. More killing. More torture. Mercenaries. New alliances. Rocket launchers. New friendships. Just wonderful wonderful wonderful things.

I actually loved Columbia (finally!) in this book. She was freaking amazing. Girl could hold her own in a male dominated ?industry? Not sure what you would call it, but she did her thang. She still got a little too stuck in her head, but overall her character was stellar!

Dimitri. Dimi. Frig I loved this dude. All things Dimi were amazing as usual. His madness. His torture schemes. His freaking love, loyalty and devotion were off the freaking charts. This man could do absolutely no wrong in my eyes. I want a Dimitri in my life too dammit!

Honestly, I could list point for point why this book was incredible but I'm not going to ruin the plot for anyone. And I'm not going to take away from Jaden Wilkes' profits. She did an awesome job with writing this story and you need to do yourself a favour and freaking read it!