From the blurb:
“I’m not going anywhere until I’ve slept in your nice warm bed. If you haven’t got an electric blanket, I’ll expect you to warm me up personally.”
Who is the man with the gun? Friend or foe? Enemy or lover?
Ethan
I saw my way out and took it. I never dreamed it would be complicated by someone as distracting as Gabriel.
Gabriel
I thought my cabin was safe in a snowstorm until he arrived. Shivering, blue with cold and armed with a gun. The hottest thing to ever happen to me.
Horror writer Gabriel’s worst nightmare is about to come true…
Alaska is home to Gabriel Black two months of the year when he retreats to his isolated cabin to write. But with his relationship on the rocks, life is treating him badly. He doesn’t think things can get any worse when a storm strikes, keeping him snowed in, but he’s wrong.
His solitude is invaded by armed intruder Ethan, his origin a mystery. Ethan is an enigma, a man surely on the run, maybe a dangerous criminal, but Gabriel is drawn to Ethan’s broken spirit and damaged soul. Ethan is so much more than he first appears and Gabriel wants to know what he hides.
Heat ignites between Gabriel and Ethan and the lines between captive and captor soon start to blur. What secrets is Ethan keeping and will Gabriel be prepared to risk all for him?
“I guess I’m not an effective captor if I arouse rather than terrify you.”
Possible Spoilers:
Themes: enemies to lovers, forced proximity, crime, forced captivity, guilt, love at first sight, drama, angst, hurt/comfort, suspense
Genre: Dark and gritty contemporary romance, crime thriller
Erotic content: Scorching hot
Length: 46001 (Book 1 in the Cold Love series).
Warning: Scenes of violence and murder. Mentions of rape. Homophobic language, Strong language and sexual scenes.
Previously published. Revised and expanded.
Sheena's Review:
I am always going to be as honest as I can be in my reviews, and when I started this book I really thought it wasn't going to be for me. I knew going in what the premise was but when I actually got started I was thinking I was going to hate it. But I like to give things a try and I've never really quit on a book yet and I am so glad I stuck with it.
Once I got into the story I could not put it down. I read the whole thing in one sitting because the story gripped me hard and wouldn't let me go until I had it done. It's really more of victim/captor to lovers than enemies, but of course initially there's antagonism between the two. I liked the slow peeling back of the layers between the two, with Gabriel's inquisitive nature intrigued by Ethan and his story.
You can feel the sexual tension between the two, it fairly lights up the pages of the book and serves to drive the story forward. Insta-love is a pet peeve of mine and while this is fast, it's not really that, I think. I think it's that Gabriel is enamoured enough of Ethan to want to find out more and this drives him to want to know why he think she is innocent and to want to help, it's Gabriel's innate sense of justice that moves the second part of the plot forward.
Captured is ultimately a crime story, with a bit of suspense and a bit of romance, which is just perfect if you're looking for something a little different. This was my first Scarlet Blackwell book and it won't be the last.
Rating: 4.5 Stars
Jacquie's Review:
I can't quite get a grasp on my feeling for Captured. In fact, even days later it's sitting in my mind.
It's raw and gritty in places. The subject matter of Ethan's potential innocence. The things he's suffered in jail. The murder. It's all pretty dark. I loved how it was dealt with.
The romance is a slower burn with a couple of aborted encounters.
The forced proximity adds a lot of tension and drama and the miscommunication and presumptions add angst.
Enjoyed it overall and have picked up book 2.
Rating: 4.5
Janet's Review:
Holy moly! Captured was an addicting read! Raw, dark and gritty. I literally couldn’t put it down!
Ethan is an escaped prisoner who comes across the cabin that Gabriel owns. Gabriel is a horror novelist. Gabriel stays in the cabin for a few months each winter in Alaska writing. He handcuffs Gabriel holding him captive.
What we get is pure spice, heat and steam. The plot was fantastic. The character development is fantastic, well thought out and builds slowly. Their chemistry is fire!
Overall, an outstanding read! Well written with great pacing that hooked me and didn’t let me go.
Rating: 5 Stars
Tatted_book_freak's Review:
Captured was definitely not expected! An intense thriller of sorts mixed with a tremendous amount of spice! And, the pace of the story was absolutely perfect, not too fast, not too slow. Everything was handled in a time, never leaving any information out, blending together. Character development and background for both was written exceptionally well, too! And the intensity!!
“𝐈 𝐠𝐮𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐈’𝐦 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐚𝐧 𝐞𝐟𝐟𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐜𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐨𝐫 𝐢𝐟 𝐈 𝐚𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐬𝐞 𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐧 𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐫𝐢𝐟𝐲 𝐲𝐨𝐮.”
Okay, so there was not a lot of smut scenes but there was a whole lot of desire and spice. The built up sexual tension was bizarre with an intense chemistry that continued to develop throughout the entire book. Their connection was enjoying as well, even if they were initially forced together unwillingly. They just fit together, even with their past traumas.
Planning on reading more from this author, waiting for Caught to release!
Rating: 5 Stars
CrazyPinkIrish's Review:
What an incredible raw and gritty read, I found myself addicted to the slow burn and spicy chemistry between the pair. Forced proximity reads are always a favourite of mine and pair it with a well thought out plot and it leads to a captivating story of vengeance.
I was hooked on the angsty, tension filled story and fell in love with the journey both men go through. It is packed with steam and drama but the best thing for me was to witness the trust that was forged from darkness.
4 stars
Nicole's Review:
The slow burn and forced proximity scenario crank up all kinds of sexual tension!
Ethan has suffered so much since the loss of his lover, he’s a broken sole. Gabriel is going through a rough betrayal from his partner and friend.
There is instant chemistry and attraction that they both try hard to resist due to the circumstances Ethan has created.
I love that Gabriel was able to trust Ethan and get his vengeance.
Rating: 5 Stars
Captured is currently available as an e-book and can be read as part of your Kindle Unlimited Subscription
I enjoy Scarlet Blackwell's work so much. She is a very talented storyteller!
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