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Twist Me #1
Twist Me
A man obsessed. A girl abducted. The darkest love story ever told...
Kidnapped. Taken to a private island.
I never thought this could happen to me. I never imagined one chance meeting on the eve of my eighteenth birthday could change my life so completely.
Now I belong to him. To Julian. To a man who is as ruthless as he is beautiful—a man whose touch makes me burn. A man whose tenderness I find more devastating than his cruelty.
My captor is an enigma. I don’t know who he is or why he took me. There is a darkness inside him—a darkness that scares me even as it draws me in.
My name is Nora Leston, and this is my story.
If you like your romance dark, addictive, and scandalously hot, you don't want to miss this NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLING series!
Kidnapped. Taken to a private island.
I never thought this could happen to me. I never imagined one chance meeting on the eve of my eighteenth birthday could change my life so completely.
Now I belong to him. To Julian. To a man who is as ruthless as he is beautiful—a man whose touch makes me burn. A man whose tenderness I find more devastating than his cruelty.
My captor is an enigma. I don’t know who he is or why he took me. There is a darkness inside him—a darkness that scares me even as it draws me in.
My name is Nora Leston, and this is my story.
If you like your romance dark, addictive, and scandalously hot, you don't want to miss this NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLING series!
334 pages, Kindle Edition
First published February 10, 2014
About the author
Anna Zaires
114 books7,391 followersAnna Zaires fell in love with books at the age of five, when her grandmother taught her to read. She wrote her first story shortly thereafter. Since then, she has always lived partially in a fantasy world where the only limits were those of her imagination. Currently residing in Florida, Anna is happily married to Dima Zales (a science fiction and fantasy author) and closely collaborates with him on all their works.
After graduating from the University of Chicago with a degree in Economics, Anna spent eight years on Wall Street analyzing stocks and writing research reports. In 2013, she became a full-time author, pursuing her lifelong dream of writing romance novels.
Dima Zales is the love of her life and a huge inspiration in all aspects of her writing. Every book Anna writes is a product of their unique collaborative process.
In addition to reading and writing, Anna enjoys drinking tea (coconut oolong, anyone?), watching addictive TV shows, and discussing book ideas during long walks with her amazing husband.
She loves hearing from her readers, so please don't hesitate to contact her through her website or connect with her on Facebook, where she hangs out way too often. Also, please visit her husband and collaborator, Dima Zales, at www.dimazales.com and check out their fantasy & science fiction books.
After graduating from the University of Chicago with a degree in Economics, Anna spent eight years on Wall Street analyzing stocks and writing research reports. In 2013, she became a full-time author, pursuing her lifelong dream of writing romance novels.
Dima Zales is the love of her life and a huge inspiration in all aspects of her writing. Every book Anna writes is a product of their unique collaborative process.
In addition to reading and writing, Anna enjoys drinking tea (coconut oolong, anyone?), watching addictive TV shows, and discussing book ideas during long walks with her amazing husband.
She loves hearing from her readers, so please don't hesitate to contact her through her website or connect with her on Facebook, where she hangs out way too often. Also, please visit her husband and collaborator, Dima Zales, at www.dimazales.com and check out their fantasy & science fiction books.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 2,621 reviews
September 25, 2022
Important Note: This is one of my most re-read series of all time and anytime anyone asks me for a recommendation, this pretty much always makes that list.
5 Stars
Because fun, quick, and oh how I love me some sociopath.
Seriously though, this is the start to an amazing series.
It's excellently written, the plot is amazing, and the chemistry between the main couple is off the charts.
If you like captivity/kidnap themes with some Stockholm flavor, this book and series is for you. If you don't like captivity themes and non-con books, then it's not.
Otherwise, I cannot recommend this book and series highly enough.
BOOM.
5 Stars
Because fun, quick, and oh how I love me some sociopath.
Seriously though, this is the start to an amazing series.
It's excellently written, the plot is amazing, and the chemistry between the main couple is off the charts.
If you like captivity/kidnap themes with some Stockholm flavor, this book and series is for you. If you don't like captivity themes and non-con books, then it's not.
Otherwise, I cannot recommend this book and series highly enough.
BOOM.
June 8, 2017
honestly the terrorist group being Arabs and those 'suicidal motherfuckers' was extremely unnessecary
July 30, 2017
★★★★! Twist Me, book 1 of 3. Dark & violent tale of high school grad being held captive by ruthless alpha, Julian!
“You’re completely mine. I’m the only one who’s ever been inside your pretty little pussy.”
Books in the Twist Me Trilogy should be read in order:
Book 1: Twist Me
Book 2: Keep Me
Book 3: Hold Me
Twist Me (book 1) follows recent high school graduate Nora Leston in events leading up to and after she was kidnapped by heir and arms dealer Julian Esguerra.
He saw her, he wanted her so he took her…
Violence, rape, darkness mar their journey, yet on a remote island far away from civilization a bond is formed, an attraction. How long can they stay cocooned?
Conflicted emotions about desiring her captor is just one of Nora’s obstacles…
Seven words to describe Julian Esguerra: Determined, entitled, broken, flawed, ruthless, possessive and analytical.
Seven words to describe Nora Leston: Stubborn, naïve, smart, determined, reckless, spirited and loyal.
Twist Me, told from Nora’s POV, is dark and twisted, but also sexy and hot with hints of a romance clouded by the impossibility of it all. This is looking to be an against-all-odds love. Book 1 ends ominously leading right to book 2, Keep Me for the continuation of their story.
For when you are in the mood for a ruthless & enigmatic alpha and a sinister tale with elements of BDSM, darkness, conflicting emotions and evil villains!
***
Hero rating: 4.5 stars
Heroine rating: 4 stars
Sexual tension rating: 4.5 stars
Sex scenes rating: 4.5 stars
Sex scenes frequency: 4 stars
Plot rating: 4 stars
Dialogue rating: 4 stars
Storytelling rating: 4.5 stars
Story ending rating: N/A
********************************************
Overall rating: 4 stars
Would I recommend this series: Yes.
Would I re-read this series: Maybe later.
Would I read future books by this author: Yes.
April 6, 2021
3 it’s-Julian’s-world-y’all stars
“Will you ever let me go?” I already know the answer, but I need to hear him say it anyway.
“No, Nora,” he replies, and I can feel his smile in the darkness. “Never.”
Song : Lil Wayne, Wiz Khalifa & Imagine Dragons w/ Logic & Ty Dolla $ign ft X Ambassadors - Sucker for Pain
Re-read number 4 , but this time I dragged Bubbles and Buttercup with me. Thank you, lovelies, for taking this ride with me. Most lit bookclub EVER. 🤍💫
Live footage of me trynna convince them to read this series with me
Aight. I’m pretty sure y’all know Julian Esguerra is considered anti-hero royalty.
But just in case you didn’t know,
For real.
Mr Julian here walked so other anti-heroes could fly.
The story is pretty straightforward, y’all.
Boy sees girl. Boy kidnaps girl to his private island, as one does. Shenanigans ensue, including noncon, but like the softest noncon ever.
Fictional consent and soft romance police,
but really, don’t, I’m smol 🥺 or well, as small as a 5’8” girl can be
Anyway, girl develops one hell of a Stockholm syndrome case. Bad guys kidnap her away from the boy (she really be a hot commodity around town). Boy comes for her.
Now, we’re not gonna talk about the kidnapping, the noncon, the Stockholm syndrome and all that, because frankly,
But I would like to mention that I love how we never had any doubt as to Julian being the bad guy here. He knows this is wrong, she knows this is wrong, we know this is wrong, the author knows this is wrong, and that, ladies and gentlemen, is how you write dark romance.
Anyway, the point of this- um I can’t really call it a review, but the point of whatever this is is just me letting y’all know I have found my newest kink.
That’s right, people.
⚠️💥 🅝🅔🅦 🅚🅘🅝🅚 🅐🅛🅔🅡🅣💥⚠️
Julian.
He stands in the doorway like a dark angel. His hair curls a little around his face, softening the hard perfection of his features. His eyes are trained on my face, and his lips are curved in a slight smile.
He’s stunning.
And utterly terrifying.
My instincts had been right—this man is capable of anything.
“Hello, Nora,” he says softly, entering the room.
Yes. Julian Esguerra saying “Hello, Nora.” is my kink. Now, I know what y’all are thinking BUT
I swear every time he says “Hello, Nora”, something happens to my insides. My insides, guys, this is serious. They say a picture speaks a thousand words so lemme just show y’all
THIS IS WHAT IT FELT LIKE EVERY SINGLE TIME THAT SINFUL MAN UTTERED THOSE SINFUL WORDS FROM HIS SINFUL MOUTH OKAY. 😭
He smiles at me. It’s his fallen angel smile—dark and seductive at the same time. “Hello, Nora.”
He comes up to me and bends down, giving me a brief kiss on the mouth. “Hello, Nora,” he says when he straightens, his beautiful lips curved in a darkly sensual smile.
“Hello, Nora.”
His voice is deceptively soft, his perfect face expressionless. Yet I can feel the rage burning quietly underneath.
⚠️💥 🅗🅞🅝🅞🅡🅐🅑🅛🅔 🅜🅔🅝🅣🅘🅞🅝🅢💥⚠️
“Are you going to hurt me?”
For a moment, he doesn’t answer again. Something dark briefly flashes in his eyes. “Probably,” he says quietly.
Good sir,
“Tell me, baby,” he whispers in my ear, his lips brushing against my temple. His right hand slides into my hair, holding me immobile. “Tell me how much you hate me.”
My hormones, oops, I mean emotions. 😩
“What if I don’t want to go with you?” I don’t know why I feel the need to ask. I already know the answer.
He smiles.
Dropping his hand from my face, he reaches into the pocket of his jacket and pulls out a small syringe, showing it to me.
“I see,” I say calmly. He’s come prepared for any eventuality.
Y’all can drag me kicking and screaming to the psych ward and I’ll still maintain this is hawt.
≡≡≡≡≡ ≡≡≡≡≡ ≡≡≡≡≡ ≡≡≡≡≡ ≡≡≡≡≡ ≡≡≡≡≡ ≡≡≡≡≡
So. The reason I downgraded my rating upon this re-read is because I changed. I evolved. Before, I wouldn’t have cared if a character in a book referred to Arabs as suicidal motherfuckers. Don’t get me wrong, I’m pretty sure he only meant the specific terrorist group he was up against, not talking about all Arabs, but after living abroad for years, being targeted because of that perspective, going through so much shit born of racism and stereotypes, it just didn’t sit well with me. Because shit, guys, some people actually see us that way, TODAY, RIGHT NOW, and it evokes emotions in me I’m even sure I can discuss.
Anyway, I battled a lot with it, as evidenced by this convo with M :
M : If this were your first time reading the book, you would’ve given it 1 star, Mina.
Me : You don’t know that OKAY
*M pulls out receipt from me trashing a book bc it was mentioned, in passing, that a character was ass-fucking Arab women in the Middle East when he was a soldier*
Me : *looks away*
M : it doesn’t help that the suicidal motherfuckers did indeed blow themselves up 🙃
Me : they’re not representative of Arabs or muslims for that matter. They’re terrorists, and those assholes do blow themselves up, you know. Plus, it was written in another time.
M : it was written 6 years ago…why did the author even go there? Is that the only way she thought to include Arab characters? As terrorists?
Me : idk- idk what was her intent or if she meant anything wrong. Idk shit, just leave me the fuck alone. 🥺
Safe to say, I’m still not sure how I feel about this, but one thing is for sure, it didn’t make me feel good. So there’s that. 🙃
You might have noticed that I tried (and maybe failed) to lighten up the somber mood through the Me/M convo, and I did that because this conversation hurts my heart, my soul, my entire fucking being so badly (as evidenced by the tears in my eyes right now), that I don't think I'm ready to go there yet. It hurts too much. It just fucking hurts too much.
≡≡≡≡≡ ≡≡≡≡≡ ≡≡≡≡≡ ≡≡≡≡≡ ≡≡≡≡≡ ≡≡≡≡≡ ≡≡≡≡≡
Julian delights in making me fall apart, so he can then be the one to mend me and put me back together.
December 18, 2019
how do i say this in a way that won't make me sound deranged...
this was lame.
sure, our main character was kidnapped and taken to a remote location but nothing about this book was high stakes. if you're looking for a dark romance that will make u question your morality, this ain't it.
home girl is taken to a tropical island where she is not chained up or anything... just fed good food. her captor sexually pleasures her from day 1 and treats her to some VERY light bdsm.
ya sure, college would have been cool but like. i didn't feel bad for our main character. and our hero was a lil psychotic but too flat for me to care.
this was lame.
sure, our main character was kidnapped and taken to a remote location but nothing about this book was high stakes. if you're looking for a dark romance that will make u question your morality, this ain't it.
home girl is taken to a tropical island where she is not chained up or anything... just fed good food. her captor sexually pleasures her from day 1 and treats her to some VERY light bdsm.
ya sure, college would have been cool but like. i didn't feel bad for our main character. and our hero was a lil psychotic but too flat for me to care.
November 14, 2018
i started reading this books 5 hours ago and i'm finished :D i couldn't put it down ! SO CAPTIVATING!
i loved the the characters and can't wait to read more of this series :D !
i loved the the characters and can't wait to read more of this series :D !
January 10, 2020
The hero was so disgusting that I couldn't help reading this book till the end lol
February 1, 2014
3.5 Love My Captor Stars
A little bit about the story
Nora is an average girl, she lives with her parents, goes out with her friends every weekend. She's about to graduate from high school, she's starting a new chapter of her life. She's even got her her eye on the cutest guy in school, but when she goes out with her friend one day all thoughts of that cute boy are forgotten. A man stares at her from across the room, she can feel his intensity, she feels drawn to him but is also a bit weary of him. When she leaves the club she doesn't think she'll ever see him again. But he has other plans...
She's taken, and so begins he new life, her captor has deep and dark sexual cravings. And he begins to introduce and train her to satisfy his needs. The more he reveals of his deepest desires, the more they become her desires too, she discovers that pleasure can be derived form pain and that the two are more alike than she's ever thought...
And in that moment, I feel possessed by him, like he's taking more than just my body. Like he's laying claim to something deep within me, bringing out a side of me that I never new existed. Because in his arms, I experience something I have never felt before. A primitive and completely irrational sense of belonging...
My Thoughts
I'm going to start with what I didn't like:
Twist Me is a captivity story, but in my opinion it doesn't read like one. It is perhaps a more daring and intense version of books similar to FSOG, again this is my opinion. I believe that captivity stories go hand in hand with non-con/reluctance, which didn't happen in this book. Nora describes her captor as being ruthless, she is scared of him, he forces her into doing things she doesn't want to... I beg to differ, again my opinion.
The Good:
I loved the narrative, it was engaging and I was never bored. Although slow to start, the story did hook me and I was invested in the characters, I wanted to know where the story would go. The last 40% of this book was riveting, I couldn't put it down! Why? The element of suspense was brought in, the pace picked up and I enjoyed it that much more. So to be honest the last 40% gets 5 stars from me!
Final Thoughts
Twist me is a captivity story with a good dose of BDSM/erotica and suspense/thriller traits. It was well written and well thought out. Although I wouldn't classify it as dark, does not mean it isn't, just means I don't think it is.
ARC kindly provided by author in return for an honest review
September 20, 2015
I see a great potential in this book, but it fell completely flat to me. I think I could have liked it if I haven’t read Captive in the Dark. I couldn’t blame myself though, because this book was too tame and a bit boring as well. The characters were also dull. I had trouble connecting to either Nora and Julian.
Nora’s character isn’t interesting. She’s too plain and she constantly whines about her situation but in the end, she submits to Julian easily. I was also bothered about the fact that she was more concerned about her college crush Jake than her family members who are crazy worried about her disappearance.
Julian is also not an interesting character. Although he was described as someone that exudes perfection (rich, handsome, masculine, very powerful), I wasn’t drawn into him and I didn’t swoon at all. He’s also too gentle with Nora and I think I don’t like it because, aren’t captors supposed to be a bit brutal and sadistic? In this book, the captor treats her captive like a princess. He dresses her well, makes sure she eats good foods, etc. Where’s the thrill in that? The romantic and the sex scenes were also not that engaging. It sounded too cheesy which ultimately became a meh.
Sad to say, I wasn’t able to feel the captivity theme of the book. There was no thrill and I didn’t feel the goosebumps I’m supposed to feel. It was too soft for a dark themed book.
Rating: 2 Stars
Nora’s character isn’t interesting. She’s too plain and she constantly whines about her situation but in the end, she submits to Julian easily. I was also bothered about the fact that she was more concerned about her college crush Jake than her family members who are crazy worried about her disappearance.
Julian is also not an interesting character. Although he was described as someone that exudes perfection (rich, handsome, masculine, very powerful), I wasn’t drawn into him and I didn’t swoon at all. He’s also too gentle with Nora and I think I don’t like it because, aren’t captors supposed to be a bit brutal and sadistic? In this book, the captor treats her captive like a princess. He dresses her well, makes sure she eats good foods, etc. Where’s the thrill in that? The romantic and the sex scenes were also not that engaging. It sounded too cheesy which ultimately became a meh.
Sad to say, I wasn’t able to feel the captivity theme of the book. There was no thrill and I didn’t feel the goosebumps I’m supposed to feel. It was too soft for a dark themed book.
Rating: 2 Stars
January 21, 2014
5+++++ Stockholm Syndrome Stars When Darkness and Lightness Collide
OMFG Where do I start, I was basically sucked in by the blurb "***New Adult Dark Erotic Novel*** Wooohooo thank you My kind of read!! And I shit you not this book lived up to ALL my expectations!!
A VIRGIN
Nora is seventeen years old out clubbing with her best friend Leah when she first encounters HIM..
He has the most piercing blue eyes she's ever seen, he's sitting on a bar stool and he's gazing right at her, she thinks he is probably the most handsome man she has ever set eyes on, dark somewhat curly hair, with a hard and masculine face, each feature typically symmetrical, he is utterly gorgeous and he knows it..
He's a large man, tall and well built..A man not a boy..
After he walks up to her and asks her name and age, he doesn't divulge anything about himself Nora tries to put him out of her mind to no avail..
But on the day of her graduation and date things drastically take a turn for the worst..
EVIL
Sit back and enjoy this mind fuck of a ride because from here on out your stuck on a nightmare of a rollercoaster with no stops along the way, this ride is so fucked up on so many levels, it's dark it's gritty, it's sick and twisted and I loved every minute of it!!
In a blink of an eye all things take a turn for the worst for Nora..
DARK ANGEL
One minute she's on a date and the next she awakens with no clothes on covered by a blanket..
KIDNAPPED
He stands in the doorway like a dark angel, he's stunning, and so utterly terrifying..He's pure evil, his outer beauty hides the darkness inside..
Instead of standing there and letting him gaze at my naked body, I slide down the wall until I'm sitting on the floor, my knees drawn up to my chest, my arms wrapped around myself..
RAPED
SODOMIZED
BLINDFOLDED
One teaser used in this review was off the Authors page which I asked before using, all other pics are made up from myself (KAT)
OMFG Where do I start, I was basically sucked in by the blurb "***New Adult Dark Erotic Novel*** Wooohooo thank you My kind of read!! And I shit you not this book lived up to ALL my expectations!!
A VIRGIN
Nora is seventeen years old out clubbing with her best friend Leah when she first encounters HIM..
He has the most piercing blue eyes she's ever seen, he's sitting on a bar stool and he's gazing right at her, she thinks he is probably the most handsome man she has ever set eyes on, dark somewhat curly hair, with a hard and masculine face, each feature typically symmetrical, he is utterly gorgeous and he knows it..
He's a large man, tall and well built..A man not a boy..
After he walks up to her and asks her name and age, he doesn't divulge anything about himself Nora tries to put him out of her mind to no avail..
But on the day of her graduation and date things drastically take a turn for the worst..
EVIL
Sit back and enjoy this mind fuck of a ride because from here on out your stuck on a nightmare of a rollercoaster with no stops along the way, this ride is so fucked up on so many levels, it's dark it's gritty, it's sick and twisted and I loved every minute of it!!
In a blink of an eye all things take a turn for the worst for Nora..
DARK ANGEL
One minute she's on a date and the next she awakens with no clothes on covered by a blanket..
KIDNAPPED
He stands in the doorway like a dark angel, he's stunning, and so utterly terrifying..He's pure evil, his outer beauty hides the darkness inside..
Instead of standing there and letting him gaze at my naked body, I slide down the wall until I'm sitting on the floor, my knees drawn up to my chest, my arms wrapped around myself..
RAPED
SODOMIZED
BLINDFOLDED
One teaser used in this review was off the Authors page which I asked before using, all other pics are made up from myself (KAT)
October 1, 2021
My Gif Review of Twist Me!
17 year old virgin, Nora meets twenty-something Julian at a dance club but he makes her nervous.
Julian kidnaps Nora and brings her to his own private island.
Nora discovers there is no way out for her.
Julian shows his true colors (and proclivities).
Nora shows how she feels about what Julian has done.
Julian shows Nora who is in charge.
Nora is confused.
Julian wants what he wants.
Nora starts to change
They start to learn more about each other
They discover they like the same things.
A lot!
Nora still hates what Julian does.
But she loves what he does to her
All I can say about it is:
and lets not forget…
Blog|Goodreads|Facebook|Instagram|Twitter|BookBub
17 year old virgin, Nora meets twenty-something Julian at a dance club but he makes her nervous.
Julian kidnaps Nora and brings her to his own private island.
Nora discovers there is no way out for her.
Julian shows his true colors (and proclivities).
Nora shows how she feels about what Julian has done.
Julian shows Nora who is in charge.
Nora is confused.
Julian wants what he wants.
Nora starts to change
They start to learn more about each other
They discover they like the same things.
A lot!
Nora still hates what Julian does.
But she loves what he does to her
All I can say about it is:
and lets not forget…
Blog|Goodreads|Facebook|Instagram|Twitter|BookBub
August 18, 2022
Disclosure: Twist Me was my first time reading anything from Anna Zaires…. so, I had no clue how this author’s writing skills were.
Julian Esguerra: is a Colombian American and is the heir to his father’s arms dealer enterprise. with so many secrets in his Skeleton closet. But the sexy alpha has one hell of obsession with Nora!
Enough of a obsession to kidnap her and drug her. And take her to his Private Island Somewhere near the Pacific Ocean.
We only received Nora Leston’s POV in this book
Nora is from Oak Lawn, that is a small suburb in Illinois
She is like any normal senior in high school. Who is about ready to turn 18 years old, has dreams of the future. Her plans are to go to a local College in the area. And. Make a future for herself. But her and her friend decides to go into the city to celebrate her 18th birthday. This is where she had her first encounter with Julian.
one chance meeting ended up changing. her life for ever
I must admit, I did not find Nora’s character very interesting. I found her to be too plain and she constantly whines about her situation …. Let’s just say that she was treated like a Queen, she is about as pampered as a girl can be…even though she was Kidnapped
Nora learned the hard way. How easy her life was on the island with Julian Compared to what it could have been. When she was kidnapped by some terrorists that are Julian’s enemy.
Nora will also learn This is the part of Julian’s life he was shielding her from on the island
Nora will learn that In Julian’s world, actions have consequences. Very brutal consequences.
Freedom is so close; She can practically taste it. The only trouble is, She has fallen head over heels for her sadistic captor, and nothing in the world can change that fact. Her former captor comes to her in the dark, when she is at her most vulnerable. He invades her mind as ruthlessly as he once took her body.
But that ending
March 12, 2015
If you're a fan of taboo/kidnap/dark erotica, don't let my rating for Twist Me put you off from reading the book.
I think most people who read this category of book are generally somewhat willing to let go of reality in order to get lost in the story. I wish that I could be more like this.
I'm not even saying that I can't let it go at times. If this was absolutely impossible for me to do, I wouldn't ever read dark erotica, nor would I have ever rated other books in this category favorably (which I have).
But I do need something to cling to, something to believe in. Even if there's just one connecting thread which makes me forget for a second how implausible the big picture is.
This thread was never found. I was never able to get past the fact that Nora adjusted so quickly to her new life. I'm not talking about "survival instincts" or adjusting for the sake of self-preservation. This wasn't the issue. The problem was rooted in the notion that Nora's almost instant attraction negated much of the terror that she should have felt. Sure, she was scared. But she adjusted and attached far too quickly for a person who should have been fighting (even if only inside of her mind) for a way out, far longer than she actually did.
I use the phrase "that said" quite often, but it fits so much that I will emphasize it here especially :
That said, there was nothing about this story which made me hate it. Honest truth. This read was meant to be a taboo kidnap story with instances of rape, possession and abuse. None of these things are anything that I can complain about because that is the book that I signed up to read.
For a taboo book, it wasn't bad. I kept reading because I wanted to know what happened. I picked up book 2 because I was curious to see what happened afterward. Even though this book reminded me of Consequences, it didn't put me to sleep the way that the other book did.
The writing was deserving of a 3 star rating but I kept going back to the instant attachment and it really bugged me. Regardless of how much Julian might have keyed in to Nora's secret desires for domination or rape fantasies, there should have been a part of her brain which was repulsed to the point of sickness at being held captive and tortured. The fear of death is a big enough motivator to keep someone from fully being enthralled with a handsome man. Well, unless you have a death fetish. But that's another story...
I think most people who read this category of book are generally somewhat willing to let go of reality in order to get lost in the story. I wish that I could be more like this.
I'm not even saying that I can't let it go at times. If this was absolutely impossible for me to do, I wouldn't ever read dark erotica, nor would I have ever rated other books in this category favorably (which I have).
But I do need something to cling to, something to believe in. Even if there's just one connecting thread which makes me forget for a second how implausible the big picture is.
This thread was never found. I was never able to get past the fact that Nora adjusted so quickly to her new life. I'm not talking about "survival instincts" or adjusting for the sake of self-preservation. This wasn't the issue. The problem was rooted in the notion that Nora's almost instant attraction negated much of the terror that she should have felt. Sure, she was scared. But she adjusted and attached far too quickly for a person who should have been fighting (even if only inside of her mind) for a way out, far longer than she actually did.
I use the phrase "that said" quite often, but it fits so much that I will emphasize it here especially :
That said, there was nothing about this story which made me hate it. Honest truth. This read was meant to be a taboo kidnap story with instances of rape, possession and abuse. None of these things are anything that I can complain about because that is the book that I signed up to read.
For a taboo book, it wasn't bad. I kept reading because I wanted to know what happened. I picked up book 2 because I was curious to see what happened afterward. Even though this book reminded me of Consequences, it didn't put me to sleep the way that the other book did.
The writing was deserving of a 3 star rating but I kept going back to the instant attachment and it really bugged me. Regardless of how much Julian might have keyed in to Nora's secret desires for domination or rape fantasies, there should have been a part of her brain which was repulsed to the point of sickness at being held captive and tortured. The fear of death is a big enough motivator to keep someone from fully being enthralled with a handsome man. Well, unless you have a death fetish. But that's another story...
June 11, 2016
I think I've reached a hard limit with these books. I read it as rape and not 'forced seduction' or 'questionable consent'. The heroine is RAPED by the H when he kidnaps her. Whether or not she got an orgasm from it doesn't make it anything less than RAPE because the definition of rape is 'without consent' and the h clearly did not consent
May 22, 2014
1.5 I did not enjoy this.
Had me rolling my eyes the entire time...
First, the characters were completely unrelatable unless you count Julian's obsession with Nora because she looks like someone...
He solely brings her on the island to be used as a sex toy. I mean this is a romance/erotica kidnapping. I get that. Besides the fact that it irked me that she was barely 18 to begin with, I didn't like her at all. I found her to be boring, a little annoying and a bit fickle.
Sure, the pacing was slow, it is a romance. The character's are supposed to "grow" into each other. But Nora: "My treacherous body... I swear the entire time. There was nothing but physical attraction, and her denying it the entire time until she gave in.
So, I guess is just your typical kidnapping story by a richly handsome guy. I just wasn't into it these two getting together. Julian's "tragic" past didn't make a difference. All of them are like this. I just didn't care for his.
ps. It also wasn't very erotic to me, more like borderline rape.
Had me rolling my eyes the entire time...
First, the characters were completely unrelatable unless you count Julian's obsession with Nora because she looks like someone...
He solely brings her on the island to be used as a sex toy. I mean this is a romance/erotica kidnapping. I get that. Besides the fact that it irked me that she was barely 18 to begin with, I didn't like her at all. I found her to be boring, a little annoying and a bit fickle.
Sure, the pacing was slow, it is a romance. The character's are supposed to "grow" into each other. But Nora: "My treacherous body... I swear the entire time. There was nothing but physical attraction, and her denying it the entire time until she gave in.
So, I guess is just your typical kidnapping story by a richly handsome guy. I just wasn't into it these two getting together. Julian's "tragic" past didn't make a difference. All of them are like this. I just didn't care for his.
ps. It also wasn't very erotic to me, more like borderline rape.
March 28, 2023
“𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝒅𝒆𝒗𝒊𝒍 𝒅𝒐𝒆𝒔 𝒊𝒏𝒅𝒆𝒆𝒅 𝒘𝒆𝒂𝒓 𝒂 𝒃𝒆𝒂𝒖𝒕𝒊𝒇𝒖𝒍 𝒎𝒂𝒔𝒌.”
*reread*
This book was one of my first experiences with dark romance. 🖤
I felt the need to find out if it’s as good as I remembered and yes it was!
It was way darker than I remembered though.
TW; There’s a lot of non-con sex, definitely some Stockholm syndrome.. and next to that a lot of the usual red flags.
I love my flags red though, so I’m definitely going to reread the rest of the series as well! 😌
I don’t even wanna say Julian is hot, you know the whole non-con thing, but Julian is HOT!
Nora isn’t my favorite FMC ever.. I do think she grows a lot throughout this book and I remember her getting stronger and stronger in the sequels. So I’m really looking forward to that!
❥𝑸𝒖𝒐𝒕𝒆𝒔:
“𝘐𝘵’𝘴 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘸𝘦𝘦𝘵, 𝘵𝘦𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘳 𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘥 𝘰𝘧 𝘭𝘰𝘷𝘦 𝘐 𝘢𝘭𝘸𝘢𝘺𝘴 𝘥𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘮𝘦𝘥 𝘰𝘧, 𝘣𝘶𝘵 𝘪𝘵’𝘴 𝘭𝘰𝘷𝘦. 𝘋𝘢𝘳𝘬, 𝘵𝘸𝘪𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘥, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘰𝘣𝘴𝘦𝘴𝘴𝘪𝘷𝘦, 𝘪𝘵’𝘴 𝘣𝘰𝘵𝘩 𝘢 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘱𝘶𝘭𝘴𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘢𝘯 𝘢𝘥𝘥𝘪𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯.”
“𝘉𝘦𝘤𝘢𝘶𝘴𝘦 𝘪𝘯 𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘢𝘳𝘮𝘴, 𝘐 𝘦𝘹𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘦 𝘴𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘐 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘯𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘧𝘦𝘭𝘵 𝘣𝘦𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘦. 𝘈 𝘱𝘳𝘪𝘮𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘷𝘦 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘱𝘭𝘦𝘵𝘦𝘭𝘺 𝘪𝘳𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘢𝘭 𝘴𝘦𝘯𝘴𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘣𝘦𝘭𝘰𝘯𝘨𝘪𝘯𝘨.”
“𝘐 𝘤𝘢𝘯 𝘧𝘦𝘦𝘭 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘥𝘢𝘳𝘬𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘴 𝘪𝘯𝘴𝘪𝘥𝘦 𝘩𝘪𝘮. 𝘛𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦’𝘴 𝘴𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘸𝘳𝘰𝘯𝘨 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘩𝘪𝘮. 𝘏𝘪𝘴 𝘰𝘶𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘣𝘦𝘢𝘶𝘵𝘺 𝘩𝘪𝘥𝘦𝘴 𝘴𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘮𝘰𝘯𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘴 𝘶𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘳𝘯𝘦𝘢𝘵𝘩.”
*reread*
This book was one of my first experiences with dark romance. 🖤
I felt the need to find out if it’s as good as I remembered and yes it was!
It was way darker than I remembered though.
TW; There’s a lot of non-con sex, definitely some Stockholm syndrome.. and next to that a lot of the usual red flags.
I love my flags red though, so I’m definitely going to reread the rest of the series as well! 😌
I don’t even wanna say Julian is hot, you know the whole non-con thing, but Julian is HOT!
Nora isn’t my favorite FMC ever.. I do think she grows a lot throughout this book and I remember her getting stronger and stronger in the sequels. So I’m really looking forward to that!
❥𝑸𝒖𝒐𝒕𝒆𝒔:
“𝘐𝘵’𝘴 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘸𝘦𝘦𝘵, 𝘵𝘦𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘳 𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘥 𝘰𝘧 𝘭𝘰𝘷𝘦 𝘐 𝘢𝘭𝘸𝘢𝘺𝘴 𝘥𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘮𝘦𝘥 𝘰𝘧, 𝘣𝘶𝘵 𝘪𝘵’𝘴 𝘭𝘰𝘷𝘦. 𝘋𝘢𝘳𝘬, 𝘵𝘸𝘪𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘥, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘰𝘣𝘴𝘦𝘴𝘴𝘪𝘷𝘦, 𝘪𝘵’𝘴 𝘣𝘰𝘵𝘩 𝘢 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘱𝘶𝘭𝘴𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘢𝘯 𝘢𝘥𝘥𝘪𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯.”
“𝘉𝘦𝘤𝘢𝘶𝘴𝘦 𝘪𝘯 𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘢𝘳𝘮𝘴, 𝘐 𝘦𝘹𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘦 𝘴𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘐 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘯𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘧𝘦𝘭𝘵 𝘣𝘦𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘦. 𝘈 𝘱𝘳𝘪𝘮𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘷𝘦 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘱𝘭𝘦𝘵𝘦𝘭𝘺 𝘪𝘳𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘢𝘭 𝘴𝘦𝘯𝘴𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘣𝘦𝘭𝘰𝘯𝘨𝘪𝘯𝘨.”
“𝘐 𝘤𝘢𝘯 𝘧𝘦𝘦𝘭 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘥𝘢𝘳𝘬𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘴 𝘪𝘯𝘴𝘪𝘥𝘦 𝘩𝘪𝘮. 𝘛𝘩𝘦𝘳𝘦’𝘴 𝘴𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘸𝘳𝘰𝘯𝘨 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘩𝘪𝘮. 𝘏𝘪𝘴 𝘰𝘶𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘣𝘦𝘢𝘶𝘵𝘺 𝘩𝘪𝘥𝘦𝘴 𝘴𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘮𝘰𝘯𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘴 𝘶𝘯𝘥𝘦𝘳𝘯𝘦𝘢𝘵𝘩.”
November 28, 2023
*4.5*
Kidnapping, captivity, rape, Stockholm syndrome. This story is awful. It’s twisted, dark, deeply disturbing and yet…I can’t help but appreciate the glorious talent of Ms. Zaires. How does she create such an absolute horrific character, and by the end of the book make him likable?
Kidnapping, captivity, rape, Stockholm syndrome. This story is awful. It’s twisted, dark, deeply disturbing and yet…I can’t help but appreciate the glorious talent of Ms. Zaires. How does she create such an absolute horrific character, and by the end of the book make him likable?
January 3, 2022
5 tainted love Stars
***********May have some spoilers ***********
Twist Me was my first time reading a book from Anna Zaires, and I really enjoyed her writing style. I enjoy a good dark romance every once in a while, but I have to be in the right mood for it. Most of the books I have read in the last year were good, but nothing special. Of course there were some exceptions that were really good, but I felt like it was time to shake it up a bit with a darker read. Twist Me was a 4 on my dark scale. 5 being the darkest books I have ever read. I went into this read thinking it would be different and it was but I didn't except to love it.
I figured I would like Nora, but I figured I would have a hard time with Julian. I didn't, I really loved them both. As crazy as it sounds there was enough softness to Julian that I was able to connect to him. By the end of the book I found myself rooting for him and Nora's fucked up relationship. Nora was very relatable. The way Nora developed Stockholm Syndrome love for Julian was written in a way that was totally believable. Though twisted, dark, and amoral their relationship felt real and deep.
I liked the plot and I love that there was good development between Nora and Julian. Beth I wasn't too sure about, but at the end I was sad about her. I grew to like her. Normal I find my romances hot and sexy but to be honest this was too twisted to be hot. A great read yes but rape isn't sexy ever. Even if the heroines body "enjoys" it or falls in love with her rapist. I always had that in mind every time Julian was sweet and it kept me feeling the fuckedupness (that's a word right?) of the whole plot. No matter how fucked up and twisted it was I still really liked it and was captivated from start to finish. The ending was a trip and I can't wait to read the next book and see what happens.
***********May have some spoilers ***********
Twist Me was my first time reading a book from Anna Zaires, and I really enjoyed her writing style. I enjoy a good dark romance every once in a while, but I have to be in the right mood for it. Most of the books I have read in the last year were good, but nothing special. Of course there were some exceptions that were really good, but I felt like it was time to shake it up a bit with a darker read. Twist Me was a 4 on my dark scale. 5 being the darkest books I have ever read. I went into this read thinking it would be different and it was but I didn't except to love it.
I figured I would like Nora, but I figured I would have a hard time with Julian. I didn't, I really loved them both. As crazy as it sounds there was enough softness to Julian that I was able to connect to him. By the end of the book I found myself rooting for him and Nora's fucked up relationship. Nora was very relatable. The way Nora developed Stockholm Syndrome love for Julian was written in a way that was totally believable. Though twisted, dark, and amoral their relationship felt real and deep.
I liked the plot and I love that there was good development between Nora and Julian. Beth I wasn't too sure about, but at the end I was sad about her. I grew to like her. Normal I find my romances hot and sexy but to be honest this was too twisted to be hot. A great read yes but rape isn't sexy ever. Even if the heroines body "enjoys" it or falls in love with her rapist. I always had that in mind every time Julian was sweet and it kept me feeling the fuckedupness (that's a word right?) of the whole plot. No matter how fucked up and twisted it was I still really liked it and was captivated from start to finish. The ending was a trip and I can't wait to read the next book and see what happens.
March 21, 2023
So… I read these books outta order (the world I mean), but that’s okay…
Peter is still the man I love the most out of all of them, then Lucas and at last Julian👀.
Nora is about to turn 18 when Julian (29) sees her in a club and decides that he wants her (she reminds him of a childhood friend 🫣). She feels instantly attracted to him and doesn’t know why. She has some plans for after high school, after graduation, but she hasn’t solidified anything yet. When she graduates, she finally goes on a date with her crush Jake and is kissing him when Julian beats him up and injects Nora with something that causes her to black out🫣. When she wakes up, she’s on an island somewhere in the Pacific ocean and is alone. She has nowhere to go and has no technology to try to contact anyone to help her. On this island, there are only three people, her, Beth, and Julian. This is where her captor has abducted her and caged her up.
Nora’s instantly attracted to Julian. He’s sweet, understanding and patient, but then when she tries to fight him, he‘s able to easily subdue her because she’s so tiny and he’s big and strong😬. Even though he treats her well, there’s an underlying darkness in him that scares Nora. If she doesn’t follow the rules or submit to him, there will be consequences and not necessarily directly at her, but other people in her life. So she needs to submit to him 😬.
What I liked:
—how obsessed Julian is 👀. There’s nothing and no one that’s going to separate him from Nora 😅 not even Nora herself 🫣
—the softness in Julian. Although Nora’s forced to obey him and be a model prisoner, there’s a lot of lightness and sweetness in the way he treats her and is obsessed with her. Yes, he can be rough with her, sadistic, psychotic, but then there are moments where he’s a man that is in love with her. He’s able to mold her to be what he needs and what she ends up wanting out of their relationship (I’ll mention this down below as well)
—The chemistry😉. The connection between Julian and Nora was 🔥🥵. Yes, there were times I 🙈 but OMG, the 🔥 were good 😅. I’m not the biggest BDSM fan, but I’ll admit I found it 🔥 (I wouldn’t compare this to 50 shades though)
—the amount of cereal eating 👀. Julian likes a nice hearty breakfast 😅🔥🥵. Nora’s lucky that she’s his favorite flavor 😉💦
—you run, I catch (and restrain 😉👀)
—Nora’s mind 👀 (when she wasn’t feeling the effects of Stockholm Syndrome😅). I loved her thought process and inner monologues that allowed us to see what she was thinking. I felt just like her; I questioned why she would allow things to happen and why her body would betray her, but then again, what else could she do? I also saw the love that developed for him and I appreciated being walked through her whole mentality and survival mode.
—the writing style. I love AZ’s writing style. She balances enough of the non romantic plot with the romance to keep me engaged to the book
What I didn’t like/wanted more of
—for Nora to fight back 😅. There were many times I wanted to kick Julian’s ### for the things he did, and I wanted Nora to fight back more 😐, but then I understood that she was forced into a situation where she had to survive and make the best of it. Either way, her efforts could’ve gone a long way 🫣 (I know I’m not a tiny person like Nora, but come on 🤦🏻♀️ lol). As time progressed, she didn’t go against Julian as much… it didn’t help that he basically got poor Jake severely beat up either 🫣. Sigh…
—BBS. It’s more prominent in book 2, but I wanted to shake Nora sometimes because of this. I DID like that she questioned her reactions to him, but still 😑. Julian trains her to like what he likes. I still cringed a lot 😬
—Beth 🫣. I feel horrible writing this here, but she pissed me off a lot 😬. I get it. I GET it. Julian saved her life and killed her abusers/baby killers, but that doesn’t mean he walks on water 😐. Knowing Nora was there against her will, I’m surprised she didn’t feel more camaraderie towards her, seeing as SHE used to be a (in her words) broken “whore” 😬. She just always brushed Nora’s feelings under the rug and made Nora feel as if her feelings against Julian were wrong 😑.
Overall, I liked this
⚠️safety squad⚠️
-no cheating/sharing/or real owd
-noncon ish/dubcon (BBS)
-OMD- the h goes on a date with OM before she even really knows the H. The H beats him up 😬. When the h thinks the H is dead, she kisses another man months later when she’s grieving
-the h reminds the H of his childhood friend. Some could consider this owd 😬
-violence/bloodshed/torture/death (graphic)
-rape of a side character is recounted
-BDSM/training/tying up/praise kin/edging/spanking/toys/anal/anal sex (she refers to it as sodomy the first time)
-virgin h but she’s done stuff/H remained celibate as soon as he saw her
-birth control/no condoms/he’s clean
-4 month separation when the h thinks he’s dead. Both remain celibate but the h went drinking and intended to sleep with OM but only got as far as kissing and then stopped
-Cliffy
Peter is still the man I love the most out of all of them, then Lucas and at last Julian👀.
”Will you ever let me go?” I already know the answer, but I need to hear him say it anyway. “No, Nora,” he replies, and I can feel his smile in the darkness. “Never.” And bringing me closer, he holds me until we both eventually fall asleep.
Nora is about to turn 18 when Julian (29) sees her in a club and decides that he wants her (she reminds him of a childhood friend 🫣). She feels instantly attracted to him and doesn’t know why. She has some plans for after high school, after graduation, but she hasn’t solidified anything yet. When she graduates, she finally goes on a date with her crush Jake and is kissing him when Julian beats him up and injects Nora with something that causes her to black out🫣. When she wakes up, she’s on an island somewhere in the Pacific ocean and is alone. She has nowhere to go and has no technology to try to contact anyone to help her. On this island, there are only three people, her, Beth, and Julian. This is where her captor has abducted her and caged her up.
Nora’s instantly attracted to Julian. He’s sweet, understanding and patient, but then when she tries to fight him, he‘s able to easily subdue her because she’s so tiny and he’s big and strong😬. Even though he treats her well, there’s an underlying darkness in him that scares Nora. If she doesn’t follow the rules or submit to him, there will be consequences and not necessarily directly at her, but other people in her life. So she needs to submit to him 😬.
What I liked:
—how obsessed Julian is 👀. There’s nothing and no one that’s going to separate him from Nora 😅 not even Nora herself 🫣
—the softness in Julian. Although Nora’s forced to obey him and be a model prisoner, there’s a lot of lightness and sweetness in the way he treats her and is obsessed with her. Yes, he can be rough with her, sadistic, psychotic, but then there are moments where he’s a man that is in love with her. He’s able to mold her to be what he needs and what she ends up wanting out of their relationship (I’ll mention this down below as well)
—The chemistry😉. The connection between Julian and Nora was 🔥🥵. Yes, there were times I 🙈 but OMG, the 🔥 were good 😅. I’m not the biggest BDSM fan, but I’ll admit I found it 🔥 (I wouldn’t compare this to 50 shades though)
—the amount of cereal eating 👀. Julian likes a nice hearty breakfast 😅🔥🥵. Nora’s lucky that she’s his favorite flavor 😉💦
—you run, I catch (and restrain 😉👀)
—Nora’s mind 👀 (when she wasn’t feeling the effects of Stockholm Syndrome😅). I loved her thought process and inner monologues that allowed us to see what she was thinking. I felt just like her; I questioned why she would allow things to happen and why her body would betray her, but then again, what else could she do? I also saw the love that developed for him and I appreciated being walked through her whole mentality and survival mode.
—the writing style. I love AZ’s writing style. She balances enough of the non romantic plot with the romance to keep me engaged to the book
What I didn’t like/wanted more of
—for Nora to fight back 😅. There were many times I wanted to kick Julian’s ### for the things he did, and I wanted Nora to fight back more 😐, but then I understood that she was forced into a situation where she had to survive and make the best of it. Either way, her efforts could’ve gone a long way 🫣 (I know I’m not a tiny person like Nora, but come on 🤦🏻♀️ lol). As time progressed, she didn’t go against Julian as much… it didn’t help that he basically got poor Jake severely beat up either 🫣. Sigh…
—BBS. It’s more prominent in book 2, but I wanted to shake Nora sometimes because of this. I DID like that she questioned her reactions to him, but still 😑. Julian trains her to like what he likes. I still cringed a lot 😬
—Beth 🫣. I feel horrible writing this here, but she pissed me off a lot 😬. I get it. I GET it. Julian saved her life and killed her abusers/baby killers, but that doesn’t mean he walks on water 😐. Knowing Nora was there against her will, I’m surprised she didn’t feel more camaraderie towards her, seeing as SHE used to be a (in her words) broken “whore” 😬. She just always brushed Nora’s feelings under the rug and made Nora feel as if her feelings against Julian were wrong 😑.
Overall, I liked this
⚠️safety squad⚠️
-no cheating/sharing/or real owd
-noncon ish/dubcon (BBS)
-OMD- the h goes on a date with OM before she even really knows the H. The H beats him up 😬. When the h thinks the H is dead, she kisses another man months later when she’s grieving
-the h reminds the H of his childhood friend. Some could consider this owd 😬
-violence/bloodshed/torture/death (graphic)
-rape of a side character is recounted
-BDSM/training/tying up/praise kin/edging/spanking/toys/anal/anal sex (she refers to it as sodomy the first time)
-virgin h but she’s done stuff/H remained celibate as soon as he saw her
-birth control/no condoms/he’s clean
-4 month separation when the h thinks he’s dead. Both remain celibate but the h went drinking and intended to sleep with OM but only got as far as kissing and then stopped
-Cliffy
July 23, 2016
Finally a book that captures everything I love about Dark Erotica! Intense, brutal but also so beautiful in it's darkness. The kind of story that stays with you long long after you close the last page...
This is the story of Nora, a soon to be 18 year old High School graduate. Nora goes out to a club with her best friend and there she meets Julian. She's immediately captivated by him as he's extremely good looking. But she also feels an undercurrent of fear when she looks at him, when he touches her.
He just touches me. Like he has the right to do so. Like I belong to him - something deep inside me senses that he could've easily gone further, that he doesn't play by the normal rules. That he's probably the most dangerous creature I've ever met.
The mix of lust and fear is something new to her, so she does the only thing she should, she runs. However, she knows one thing, Julian wants her, and that possessive touch means one thing, he's going to have her.
I absolutely enjoyed this story! I forego sleep to complete it, and that's something I rarely ever do. But lately I couldn't find a book in this genre that I enjoyed... everything seemed so simple, the heroines so brainless, the heroes just plain bullies. But not in this one. It reminded me of The Dark Duet by CJ Roberts... not entirely new in the captive-captor storyline but with rich characters. A heroine that you will understand, sympathise with and root for - even in her twisted decisions.
See, Nora is attracted to Julian, as dangerous as he is. She can sense the darkness in him, she knows that he's not afraid to hurt or kill but she can't help the attraction. However, she's not stupid, she doesn't just go with the flow... she fights, she plots, she tries to survive. That was what I loved about her. Lately I'd been put off by heroines in this genre... always lying down and taking abuse. Not Nora. She questioned her attraction, fought with her feelings but in the end, Julian was a master of manipulation, no way would she win in this game. Julian is also a master of contradictions.
He's training me to associate pain with pleasure, to enjoy whatever he does to me, no matter how shocking and perverted it is. And always afterwards, there's that unsettling tenderness. He turns me inside out, takes me apart, and puts me back together - all in the span of one night.
One minute he's brutal, the next he's the sweetest guy. He clearly has issues but he's taken Nora for the simple fact that he wants her. And whether she likes it or not, she's his now. I have to admit it was easy to fall for him. He wasn't as brutal as some books I've read (and the story not as dark), but there was no confusing him with a good guy. He's the kind of hero (well, anti hero) that you will lust for, empathise with... I guarantee that you will fall in love with this beautiful monster.
The story progresses smoothly. It's not drawn out, it's not overly detailed, it's just the perfect pace. There's a strength to the writing that I've missed... a flow to the narrative that I enjoyed. And of course some surprises along the way. I loved that I did not question it. Usually dark stories are so unbelievable and only the best will convince you that this is the natural response of a captive to her captor. That you, in the same position, might react the same way.
There is no cliff hanger per se, but the book does have a sequel, and I for one, I'm ecstatic. I did not want it to end... I want to see where Julian and Nora's relationship goes from here. It's impossible for me to even imagine where Anna Zaires will take this story... but I'm so keen to find out!
4.5 stars
*ARC courtesy of author for review.
For more reviews go to Jessy's Book Club or follow us on Facebook
This is the story of Nora, a soon to be 18 year old High School graduate. Nora goes out to a club with her best friend and there she meets Julian. She's immediately captivated by him as he's extremely good looking. But she also feels an undercurrent of fear when she looks at him, when he touches her.
He just touches me. Like he has the right to do so. Like I belong to him - something deep inside me senses that he could've easily gone further, that he doesn't play by the normal rules. That he's probably the most dangerous creature I've ever met.
The mix of lust and fear is something new to her, so she does the only thing she should, she runs. However, she knows one thing, Julian wants her, and that possessive touch means one thing, he's going to have her.
I absolutely enjoyed this story! I forego sleep to complete it, and that's something I rarely ever do. But lately I couldn't find a book in this genre that I enjoyed... everything seemed so simple, the heroines so brainless, the heroes just plain bullies. But not in this one. It reminded me of The Dark Duet by CJ Roberts... not entirely new in the captive-captor storyline but with rich characters. A heroine that you will understand, sympathise with and root for - even in her twisted decisions.
See, Nora is attracted to Julian, as dangerous as he is. She can sense the darkness in him, she knows that he's not afraid to hurt or kill but she can't help the attraction. However, she's not stupid, she doesn't just go with the flow... she fights, she plots, she tries to survive. That was what I loved about her. Lately I'd been put off by heroines in this genre... always lying down and taking abuse. Not Nora. She questioned her attraction, fought with her feelings but in the end, Julian was a master of manipulation, no way would she win in this game. Julian is also a master of contradictions.
He's training me to associate pain with pleasure, to enjoy whatever he does to me, no matter how shocking and perverted it is. And always afterwards, there's that unsettling tenderness. He turns me inside out, takes me apart, and puts me back together - all in the span of one night.
One minute he's brutal, the next he's the sweetest guy. He clearly has issues but he's taken Nora for the simple fact that he wants her. And whether she likes it or not, she's his now. I have to admit it was easy to fall for him. He wasn't as brutal as some books I've read (and the story not as dark), but there was no confusing him with a good guy. He's the kind of hero (well, anti hero) that you will lust for, empathise with... I guarantee that you will fall in love with this beautiful monster.
The story progresses smoothly. It's not drawn out, it's not overly detailed, it's just the perfect pace. There's a strength to the writing that I've missed... a flow to the narrative that I enjoyed. And of course some surprises along the way. I loved that I did not question it. Usually dark stories are so unbelievable and only the best will convince you that this is the natural response of a captive to her captor. That you, in the same position, might react the same way.
There is no cliff hanger per se, but the book does have a sequel, and I for one, I'm ecstatic. I did not want it to end... I want to see where Julian and Nora's relationship goes from here. It's impossible for me to even imagine where Anna Zaires will take this story... but I'm so keen to find out!
4.5 stars
*ARC courtesy of author for review.
For more reviews go to Jessy's Book Club or follow us on Facebook
December 20, 2022
This was book 1 in the
"Twist Me"
. This story was good read it reminded me of a few other series that I loved only this one a little something extra my only dislike was Nora she was always in her head about what she shouldn't like and so forth. Nora Leston is an 18 year old virgin who finds herself abducted and taken to an island by a mysterious stranger. The man who has taken her is captivating he is beyond handsome, wealthy, worldly, confident, dangerous, and controlling. Julian who is an arms dealer was dark and dangerous. Julian meets Nora in a bar and she reminds him of a childhood friend he becomes obsessed with Nora and he had to have her. Nora is not a weak character. She has some fight in her a fight to be free a fight to go home. Julian uses his seduction and his dark erotic ways to make Nora love him and to be the masochists to his sadists ways and she loved all of it. The sex scenes were hot. I loved how she learned to be patient and start thinking of ways to pass time and how she learned to be friends with Beth. The book also talked about how Nora felt when she was returned home and how she had a hard time learning to live her love without Julian and learning to deal with her parents and friends. Nora was shocked that Julian gave her parents a million dollars and the fact that they didn't tell the FBI about it. I am most certainly looking forward to the next installment. I was happy that it didn't stick me with a cliffhanger but it definitely left me knowing there is more to come. This is one of my favorite dark reads.
"You Are Mine Nora"
"You Are Mine Nora"
May 8, 2022
Translation widget on the blog!!!
Anna Zaires este o autoare nouă pe lista mea de lectură. O autoare talentată, cu un stil de scriere direct, concis, ce din câteva mișcări de condei reușește să capteze atât atenția cât și interesul cititorului pentru poveste.
Reușește să creeze personaje veridice, umane prin multitudinea acțiunilor și emoțiilor acestora.
"Captivă în brațele tale" este povestea Norei, o tânără cu tot viitorul în față, plină de viață, care-și sărbătorește anticipat împlinirea a 18 ani ieșind în club cu prietena ei Leah.
Aici îl cunoaște pe Julian cu care schimbă doar câteva cuvinte înainte de a fugi de el, simțind pericolul din preajma lui. Nu povestește nimănui nimic despre el, deși continuă să se gândească la acest bărbat misterios neîncetat. Ba mai mult, la festivitatea de absolvire, îl revede chiar dacă de la distanță.
Apoi totul se schimbă când iese la întâlnire cu băiatul de care îi place de ani de zile. În acea noapte este răpită, doar pentru a se trezi pe o mică insulă în mijlocul lui nicăieri, în oceanul Pacific.
Autoarea Anna Zaires a oferit cititorului o poveste care îți pune la încercare emoțiile, care te face să îți deschizi larg orizonturile, forțând limitele. O situație ca aceasta este extrem de reală, posibilă, dar care întotdeauna este percepută ca ceva ce nu ți se poate întâmpla ție.
Impresiile mele complete, aici:
https://justreadingmybooks.wordpress....
Anna Zaires este o autoare nouă pe lista mea de lectură. O autoare talentată, cu un stil de scriere direct, concis, ce din câteva mișcări de condei reușește să capteze atât atenția cât și interesul cititorului pentru poveste.
Reușește să creeze personaje veridice, umane prin multitudinea acțiunilor și emoțiilor acestora.
"Captivă în brațele tale" este povestea Norei, o tânără cu tot viitorul în față, plină de viață, care-și sărbătorește anticipat împlinirea a 18 ani ieșind în club cu prietena ei Leah.
Aici îl cunoaște pe Julian cu care schimbă doar câteva cuvinte înainte de a fugi de el, simțind pericolul din preajma lui. Nu povestește nimănui nimic despre el, deși continuă să se gândească la acest bărbat misterios neîncetat. Ba mai mult, la festivitatea de absolvire, îl revede chiar dacă de la distanță.
Apoi totul se schimbă când iese la întâlnire cu băiatul de care îi place de ani de zile. În acea noapte este răpită, doar pentru a se trezi pe o mică insulă în mijlocul lui nicăieri, în oceanul Pacific.
Autoarea Anna Zaires a oferit cititorului o poveste care îți pune la încercare emoțiile, care te face să îți deschizi larg orizonturile, forțând limitele. O situație ca aceasta este extrem de reală, posibilă, dar care întotdeauna este percepută ca ceva ce nu ți se poate întâmpla ție.
Impresiile mele complete, aici:
https://justreadingmybooks.wordpress....
March 29, 2024
This series is one of the first dark books I've ever read. Actually, I think it was the second dark book I read and it was just at the right time because I discovered an author I loved and a series of books I'll continue to read whenever I feel the need to mentally go back to a time when everything was peaceful and simple in my life.
Nora and Julian's story is passionate and inspiring to me, especially as a writer myself, Anna's books has caused bombs in my brains and when I hit the keyboard, I hit it hard.
READ THESE!
You won't regret it.
Feel free to thank me later!
Nora and Julian's story is passionate and inspiring to me, especially as a writer myself, Anna's books has caused bombs in my brains and when I hit the keyboard, I hit it hard.
READ THESE!
You won't regret it.
Feel free to thank me later!
April 3, 2017
3.5 Stars
September 14, 2022
4 "from captivity to love" stars
*sigh*
Well, the fuck do I really know why I haven't read this sooner...
But 'never say never' and all that shit applies here...
So, I ll just dig in thedirt, i mean dark...😏
The story
What do you think happens next when a 'tall, dark & dangerously handsome man sets his eyes on a barely 18 year old girl?
Well, further on, we find out it was a close resemblance to a young girl he once new and she got killed. It's a memory of a fault and of a dangerous past.
Well, this man, sets his motion in action and abducts the girl of his interest.
Hmmm, why?
Because he fuckin can.
Julian Esguerra is a dangerous man by profession and otherwise and he always gets what he wants, including people. Nora's new life suddenly begins in captivity, on a private tropical island, as a sex interest of the man she found attractive physically but she doesn't approve or like any of his actions, obviously. But he's not inclined to 'break her', he wants to mould her, shape her, teach her to his peculiar sex ways where pain & pleasure meet and burst into a combustion.
So, regardless of her pleas for him to stop, he never does...yet Nora is finding herself sexually, emotionally in spite of the situation, in spite of her new caged life...cause she would never know anything different from this, from his touch, his presence, his obsession...
And she slowly gives in...
Yeah, one of the biggest controversies out there...the Stockholm syndrome, the caving of one's personality to the imposed circumstances and situation without the chance of ever escaping, the only thing you can do, is accept it, own it and adjust to it and even learn to like it.
In spite of me, not really liking Julian, I couldn't deny the smooth yet treacherous feeling of self betrayal cause I found myself leaning towards his presence throughout the story #sorryNOTsorry
And I thought the portrayal of Nora's transformation from a victim to the willing captive was more than credible...
*sigh*
Well, the fuck do I really know why I haven't read this sooner...
But 'never say never' and all that shit applies here...
So, I ll just dig in the
The story
What do you think happens next when a 'tall, dark & dangerously handsome man sets his eyes on a barely 18 year old girl?
Well, further on, we find out it was a close resemblance to a young girl he once new and she got killed. It's a memory of a fault and of a dangerous past.
Well, this man, sets his motion in action and abducts the girl of his interest.
Hmmm, why?
Because he fuckin can.
Julian Esguerra is a dangerous man by profession and otherwise and he always gets what he wants, including people. Nora's new life suddenly begins in captivity, on a private tropical island, as a sex interest of the man she found attractive physically but she doesn't approve or like any of his actions, obviously. But he's not inclined to 'break her', he wants to mould her, shape her, teach her to his peculiar sex ways where pain & pleasure meet and burst into a combustion.
So, regardless of her pleas for him to stop, he never does...yet Nora is finding herself sexually, emotionally in spite of the situation, in spite of her new caged life...cause she would never know anything different from this, from his touch, his presence, his obsession...
And she slowly gives in...
So I divorce my mind from the wrongness of it all and let myself simply feel. I can’t see anything with the blindfold, and I can’t put up much of a fight with my hands tied behind my back. I’m completely helpless—and there’s something peculiarly liberating in that. There’s no point in worrying, no point in thinking. I’m simply drifting in the darkness, high on post-massage endorphins.
Yeah, one of the biggest controversies out there...the Stockholm syndrome, the caving of one's personality to the imposed circumstances and situation without the chance of ever escaping, the only thing you can do, is accept it, own it and adjust to it and even learn to like it.
In spite of me, not really liking Julian, I couldn't deny the smooth yet treacherous feeling of self betrayal cause I found myself leaning towards his presence throughout the story #sorryNOTsorry
And I thought the portrayal of Nora's transformation from a victim to the willing captive was more than credible...
November 13, 2017
Find all of my reviews at: http://52bookminimum.blogspot.com/
Here’s what I imagine Val’s reaction will be upon seeing this rating . . . .
You know, but with a wine glass in her hand.
My response?
Go read twelvejan’s review. She says everything. As for me and my meh reaction? I blame it all on Comfort Food . . . .
Here’s what I imagine Val’s reaction will be upon seeing this rating . . . .
You know, but with a wine glass in her hand.
My response?
Go read twelvejan’s review. She says everything. As for me and my meh reaction? I blame it all on Comfort Food . . . .
February 12, 2018
Please Don't Also Means NO
Please Stop Also Means NO
In the legal realm, there is a doctrine called Fruit of the Poisonous Tree. It basically says when evidence is tainted (tree), anything gained (the fruit) from that tainted evidence is also tainted.
So in this book, the "relationship" began from acts of non-consent, so the "relationship" was tainted for me. I don't see a romance or love affair, I see a criminal and a victim of Stockholm syndrome. I like romances but this one didn't qualify as that for me. I'd like to see Julian in jail.
September 28, 2014
It's always the same way. The minute I read the word "KIDNAPPED" in a blurb, I instantly feel like I have to read that book. Immediately.
It's not a secret that I luuuuuuv reading Dark Erotica. One of my favourite authors, Kitty Thomas is to blame for that obsession. The day I read Comfort Food changed me forever. It sorta flipped a switch in me and now I was in love with books of that genre forever.
Twist Me is listed as a Dark Erotica too, which, in my humble opinion, is so not fair to some of the incredible examples of that genre, like Captive in the Dark. To be honest, this was more of a BDSM book than that. I'm not saying it didn't have it's very dark moments, but it certainly didn't feel as...consuming?
I guess the main reason is Julian, the captor, who was overly romantic all throughout the book. I wanted him to be scary. I wanted him to be brutal. Because, let's face it ladies, when some guy kidnaps you in real life, he certainly won't woe you like Prince Charming or something! To me, Julian just didn't feel...real, I guess.
I have to admit though that the transition of Nora's feelings towards Julian and the way we see how the famous "Stockholm Syndrome" comes to life in her young mind was executed rather masterly.
Despite being only a 3-star-read for me, I am curious to what will happen next and to read a little from Julian's POV this time. I will most certainly pick up the 2nd book in the series, Keep Me.
August 27, 2023
5/5 ⭐️ This is my second reread of this book and it still remains my favorite dark romance. I just love the writing and how twisted Julian was. This is a captor/captive erotic romance and it was just perfection. I’m addicted to the way Anna Zaires writes her characters! And the sex scenes are some of the best I’ve ever read.
Julian is the definition of a jealous/possessive MMC. No one has ever topped him for me when it comes to that. He will literally do anything to keep Nora. Even if she doesn’t want him at first 🤭. He is an unapologetic psychopath and he won’t be everyone’s cup of tea but I ADORED him 😜.
This is definitely one of the most twisted books I’ve read and I LOVED it just as much as I did when I first read it. The romance was toxic, unhealthy, and wrong but I loved every minute of it.
This book also has some heavy non-con and BDSM sex scenes that I really enjoyed 🥵.
Overall, I just loved everything about this twisted book. If you like dark books with Stockholm Syndrome then this is a great one 👍🏼.
Onto book 2 I go 😌.
Julian is the definition of a jealous/possessive MMC. No one has ever topped him for me when it comes to that. He will literally do anything to keep Nora. Even if she doesn’t want him at first 🤭. He is an unapologetic psychopath and he won’t be everyone’s cup of tea but I ADORED him 😜.
This is definitely one of the most twisted books I’ve read and I LOVED it just as much as I did when I first read it. The romance was toxic, unhealthy, and wrong but I loved every minute of it.
This book also has some heavy non-con and BDSM sex scenes that I really enjoyed 🥵.
Overall, I just loved everything about this twisted book. If you like dark books with Stockholm Syndrome then this is a great one 👍🏼.
Onto book 2 I go 😌.
May 30, 2020
YES! 5 stars.
I'm soooo late for this but I loved it. It's masterfully written and I absolutely loved Julian.
This book was intoxicatingly addictive. Not your typical romance but oh boy do I love me my dark, sociopathic characters.
Loved every second. Now excuse me while I dive straight into Keep me :).
I'm soooo late for this but I loved it. It's masterfully written and I absolutely loved Julian.
This book was intoxicatingly addictive. Not your typical romance but oh boy do I love me my dark, sociopathic characters.
Loved every second. Now excuse me while I dive straight into Keep me :).
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