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Held #1
Held
Nicole Lee, a young wife and new mother, steps out of the mall, squinting against the glare of the midday sun, completely unaware that her life is about to change forever.
In a matter of seconds, she is steeped in fear as the world she knows and the life she loves fades away.
As the panic sets in and the terror takes hold, Nicole tries to keep calm, though she's now in a frantic fight for her life. Locked in a deadly battle of wits with a psychopath, she struggles to keep her sanity as she's held.
A 59,000+ word novel, with over 17,000 words of bonus content.
For mature audiences only.
In a matter of seconds, she is steeped in fear as the world she knows and the life she loves fades away.
As the panic sets in and the terror takes hold, Nicole tries to keep calm, though she's now in a frantic fight for her life. Locked in a deadly battle of wits with a psychopath, she struggles to keep her sanity as she's held.
A 59,000+ word novel, with over 17,000 words of bonus content.
For mature audiences only.
204 pages, Kindle Edition
First published March 31, 2012
147 people are currently reading
2396 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 278 reviews
January 1, 2016
I recently read another book by this author Rage or as I like to call it, "the book that kicked my ass."
So when my little book pushing friend Jahy tells me I need to read this one. What do I do?
Nicole has been shopping for some discounted jeans, she steps into the parking lot ready to go home to her one year old son and her husband. Fate has different plans though. She is approached by a man that has a gun shoved into her ribs. He tells her to get in her car and then takes her to his house.
At first Nicole thinks she can outsmart Ron, he comes across as a guy that if he wasn't holding her hostage would make someone a very nice husband. He cooks, keeps the house spotless, and listens to her every word. Then she realizes what exactly Ron really is.
And what his basement is for.
The girl is in way over her head. Ron is "researching" his new book. His last one pretty much stunk so he needs more realism in his writing and Nicole is going to be his main character.
Nicole isn't the only one that gets some of Ron's research though. This is where I think I may have looked up my mommy's phone number. Don't think this book is a light read.
It's one that the monkey's even had to put on their big girl panties for.
So why am I rating it so high? I couldn't put the dang thing down. This gif here should have probably done the job as a review. Because it's a ride on the WTH train.
My friend Jahy's review is here. Jahy never fails to know how to get my attention with a book. I think we might be related.
So when my little book pushing friend Jahy tells me I need to read this one. What do I do?
Nicole has been shopping for some discounted jeans, she steps into the parking lot ready to go home to her one year old son and her husband. Fate has different plans though. She is approached by a man that has a gun shoved into her ribs. He tells her to get in her car and then takes her to his house.
At first Nicole thinks she can outsmart Ron, he comes across as a guy that if he wasn't holding her hostage would make someone a very nice husband. He cooks, keeps the house spotless, and listens to her every word. Then she realizes what exactly Ron really is.
And what his basement is for.
The girl is in way over her head. Ron is "researching" his new book. His last one pretty much stunk so he needs more realism in his writing and Nicole is going to be his main character.
Nicole isn't the only one that gets some of Ron's research though. This is where I think I may have looked up my mommy's phone number. Don't think this book is a light read.
It's one that the monkey's even had to put on their big girl panties for.
So why am I rating it so high? I couldn't put the dang thing down. This gif here should have probably done the job as a review. Because it's a ride on the WTH train.
My friend Jahy's review is here. Jahy never fails to know how to get my attention with a book. I think we might be related.
May 4, 2014
4.25 TERRIFYING Stars
”Crazy people don’t know they’re crazy.”
This book is the most disturbing novel I have read to date. You will be shocked, repulsed, appalled and completely traumatized by each and every page.
On the other hand, it was a good book. I really enjoyed the author’s writing style and found that even though she had the whole shock and awe aspect down the story was still very well written and captivating. Nicole was a stellar main character…
”Do you not want to be here?”
“Of course I don’t want to be here. I thought I made that perfectly clear from the first day. If I wanted me to be here, I would’ve come over, rang your doorbell and asked if I could stay. You wouldn’t have had to drag here with a gun to my ribs.”
This story had a fast pace that starts right off the bat with Nicole getting kidnapped in a mall parking lot by a CRAZY man, named Ron. Ron starts off mildly scary and Nicole tries to use his obvious enjoyment in her company to her advantage.
”Maybe his liking me would be my salvation.”
All was going okay, he was good looking, he could cook, he kept a clean home and he seemed amused by Nicole’s wit. The situation kicks up a notch when a screaming naked girl covered in blood and bruises appears from the basement. Nicole sadly learns what happens in the basement and what Ron wants from this whole experience.
”The worse my situation got, the better off I realized I’d had it before.”
Ron’s torture of his victims in his basement will completely nauseate readers: rape, murder, dismemberment and necrophilia (sex with dead bodies) are just a few of his VILE actions. Seriously, YOU ARE WARNED!!!
Thank you Brandi for holding my hand and taking my messages as I made my way through this story. You completely ROCK!
”The tie that binds us. Forever.”
”Crazy people don’t know they’re crazy.”
This book is the most disturbing novel I have read to date. You will be shocked, repulsed, appalled and completely traumatized by each and every page.
On the other hand, it was a good book. I really enjoyed the author’s writing style and found that even though she had the whole shock and awe aspect down the story was still very well written and captivating. Nicole was a stellar main character…
”Do you not want to be here?”
“Of course I don’t want to be here. I thought I made that perfectly clear from the first day. If I wanted me to be here, I would’ve come over, rang your doorbell and asked if I could stay. You wouldn’t have had to drag here with a gun to my ribs.”
This story had a fast pace that starts right off the bat with Nicole getting kidnapped in a mall parking lot by a CRAZY man, named Ron. Ron starts off mildly scary and Nicole tries to use his obvious enjoyment in her company to her advantage.
”Maybe his liking me would be my salvation.”
All was going okay, he was good looking, he could cook, he kept a clean home and he seemed amused by Nicole’s wit. The situation kicks up a notch when a screaming naked girl covered in blood and bruises appears from the basement. Nicole sadly learns what happens in the basement and what Ron wants from this whole experience.
”The worse my situation got, the better off I realized I’d had it before.”
Ron’s torture of his victims in his basement will completely nauseate readers: rape, murder, dismemberment and necrophilia (sex with dead bodies) are just a few of his VILE actions. Seriously, YOU ARE WARNED!!!
Thank you Brandi for holding my hand and taking my messages as I made my way through this story. You completely ROCK!
”The tie that binds us. Forever.”
October 24, 2017
Nicole is a twenty-eight year-old homemaker, wife, and devoted mother to her young son. She's abducted by Ron while running some errands and he introduces her to his twisted horror show of a lifestyle. The vile acts she witnesses and is subjected to lead to a most interesting outcome!
This story was so odd! The first half of this book felt like a parody that makes fun of all captor/captive stories but this one added a dash of affection towards the male captor! The intensity was also weakest for the first half and I think the reader was supposed to feel remorse for Nicole, but for the life of me, I felt detached from both Ron and Nicole. It was difficult to take Nicole seriously at first. She seemed mostly content to get her three square meals a day (when she was feeling docile), a hot shower, access to her crossword puzzles, and felt fine enough to engage in some light conversation when she felt lonely. For as much time as she spent rebuking Ron for all of his sickening actions, she also took the time to humanize him. Nicole's thoughts?
Had he not been a psychopath, he would’ve surely made some lucky gal a great husband. If you left out the sadistic serial killer part of him, he was a great guy. He was clean and orderly. He was kind. He catered to the woman he loved. He was a great cook. He had high hopes for his career. He didn’t plop down in front of the television for hours at a time. He enjoyed playing games and great conversation. His sexual stamina was impressive. And he was a handsome man. It’s just that pesky habit of his where he raped, tortured, killed, and dismembered women that was a turn off.
Hmmmmm. Yeah. So I never connected with the main characters and the reader never got Ron's perspective, but Nicole's inner monologue was written matter-of-factly with a touch of this effortless humor on every page and I sort of liked that approach. At the same time, that humor also worked against the story because it didn't feel like an intensely emotional read where I could sympathize with the narrator but more like a shock-the-heck-outta-the-reader-only type of book.
Triggers? Yes!!
► This story ended unexpectedly at the 77% mark and the final page left me with more unanswered questions.
This story was so odd! The first half of this book felt like a parody that makes fun of all captor/captive stories but this one added a dash of affection towards the male captor! The intensity was also weakest for the first half and I think the reader was supposed to feel remorse for Nicole, but for the life of me, I felt detached from both Ron and Nicole. It was difficult to take Nicole seriously at first. She seemed mostly content to get her three square meals a day (when she was feeling docile), a hot shower, access to her crossword puzzles, and felt fine enough to engage in some light conversation when she felt lonely. For as much time as she spent rebuking Ron for all of his sickening actions, she also took the time to humanize him. Nicole's thoughts?
Had he not been a psychopath, he would’ve surely made some lucky gal a great husband. If you left out the sadistic serial killer part of him, he was a great guy. He was clean and orderly. He was kind. He catered to the woman he loved. He was a great cook. He had high hopes for his career. He didn’t plop down in front of the television for hours at a time. He enjoyed playing games and great conversation. His sexual stamina was impressive. And he was a handsome man. It’s just that pesky habit of his where he raped, tortured, killed, and dismembered women that was a turn off.
Hmmmmm. Yeah. So I never connected with the main characters and the reader never got Ron's perspective, but Nicole's inner monologue was written matter-of-factly with a touch of this effortless humor on every page and I sort of liked that approach. At the same time, that humor also worked against the story because it didn't feel like an intensely emotional read where I could sympathize with the narrator but more like a shock-the-heck-outta-the-reader-only type of book.
Triggers? Yes!!
► This story ended unexpectedly at the 77% mark and the final page left me with more unanswered questions.
July 5, 2017
"When the pee finally started coming, I wondered if all kidnappings went this way."
DNF at 5%
This book unnerved me.
I feel bad. I really do, because this was one of the recco's that the ever so lovely honey-psychopaths gave me, and she loved it to absolute bits. I honestly wish I could have gone further than Chapter 5, but even after Chapter 1 - I was on a constant bug eyed - cringe faced look.
There were just so many wtf aspects
Let me explain myself.
_____________
The Main Character
From the get-go, Nicole was off for me.
The kidnap was pretty fast. I mean first fucking page fast - so I got to understand her outlook on things like a rapid fire. She was calm as hell through her kidnapping and the lack of realism got to me pretty fast.
"Damn me and my quest for discounted jeans. The best thing that could happen to me now is he'd rape me and throw me out of the car somewhere"
This bitch had a gun to her, was forced into a the passenger seat and made to go to the kidnappers house.
-She did not cry.
-She did not plead for mercy.
-She did not question him as a victim.
-She did not hesitate to comply.
There were a lot of things she did not do.
Nevertheless, Alex is an optimist so hey there - lets look at the things she did do.
-She spent a whole three paragraphs explaining how the toilet paper in her kidnappers house ended in a damn point.
-She had the closest thing to a weapon in her hand, but put it down because he said so.
-She made her kidnapper laugh by use of sarcasm.
-She played gin rummy with her kidnapper after finding out he keeps a girl in the basement for pleasure.
The Premise
Ok so this is what the one star is for. The premise of this story is twisted. No, I don't mean in a dark romance kind of way. I mean the plot is actually - breaking the fourth wall- twisted.
If there was one thing that I would have continued reading for - it would be the promise that the plot had held. Unfortunately, I'm a literal bitch.
DNF at 5%
This book unnerved me.
I feel bad. I really do, because this was one of the recco's that the ever so lovely honey-psychopaths gave me, and she loved it to absolute bits. I honestly wish I could have gone further than Chapter 5, but even after Chapter 1 - I was on a constant bug eyed - cringe faced look.
There were just so many wtf aspects
Let me explain myself.
_____________
The Main Character
From the get-go, Nicole was off for me.
The kidnap was pretty fast. I mean first fucking page fast - so I got to understand her outlook on things like a rapid fire. She was calm as hell through her kidnapping and the lack of realism got to me pretty fast.
"Damn me and my quest for discounted jeans. The best thing that could happen to me now is he'd rape me and throw me out of the car somewhere"
This bitch had a gun to her, was forced into a the passenger seat and made to go to the kidnappers house.
-She did not cry.
-She did not plead for mercy.
-She did not question him as a victim.
-She did not hesitate to comply.
There were a lot of things she did not do.
Nevertheless, Alex is an optimist so hey there - lets look at the things she did do.
-She spent a whole three paragraphs explaining how the toilet paper in her kidnappers house ended in a damn point.
-She had the closest thing to a weapon in her hand, but put it down because he said so.
-She made her kidnapper laugh by use of sarcasm.
-She played gin rummy with her kidnapper after finding out he keeps a girl in the basement for pleasure.
The Premise
Ok so this is what the one star is for. The premise of this story is twisted. No, I don't mean in a dark romance kind of way. I mean the plot is actually - breaking the fourth wall- twisted.
If there was one thing that I would have continued reading for - it would be the promise that the plot had held. Unfortunately, I'm a literal bitch.
September 6, 2016
** 5" I NEED MY MOMMY" STARS**
This is how I feel right now...
Why do you ask?.W-E-L-LLLLLL..... I'm not telling you Jack (actually his name is Ron) You my friend must find out for yourself. Don't be mad, you'll thank me or curse me out later <--- I can live with either.... MWAH!!
A special THANKS to Kimberly Bettes for filling my every mind fuck desire.. ... Oh'Dear Lord, I need a stiff drink or two ....fuck,,just give me the damn bottle(s).
This is how I feel right now...
Why do you ask?.W-E-L-LLLLLL..... I'm not telling you Jack (actually his name is Ron) You my friend must find out for yourself. Don't be mad, you'll thank me or curse me out later <--- I can live with either.... MWAH!!
A special THANKS to Kimberly Bettes for filling my every mind fuck desire.. ... Oh'Dear Lord, I need a stiff drink or two ....fuck,,just give me the damn bottle(s).
October 24, 2017
I think I might need a bottle of Courvoisier to help me bleach my brain of this. FOUR STARS!
P.S. JaHy I missssssss you! Come baaaaaack : (
May 4, 2014
BR with Jennifer <3
We got this ;)
Oh, how naive I was. This book kicked my ass. It's BRUTAL. I think it's possibly the most twisted, violent, disturbing book I have ever read. I don't even know what to say.
Held begins with a young wife and mother, Nicole being kidnapped leaving the mall.
Even if I could somehow manage to escape him at some point, everything was going to be different. Assuming he didn't kill me first, life as I knew it was over and gone forever.
Finding herself in the clutches of a psychopath, she struggles to survive. And, Ron...well, this guy takes crazy to a whole other level.*shutters*
He has a calm side, which allowed him to seem friendly and normal. Then, he had a dark side, full of anger. He was capable of anything.
How will the story end?? Will Nicole survive?
If he wanted to break me, he had his work cut out for him.
This book is not an easy read. Honestly. It's sick, disgusting, horrifying, but it was well done. Well written and gripping. I could not put it down. I did have to take lots of deep breaths and almost lost my lunch a few times, so it's a risky read. I would recommend alcohol for this one. One grip is the ending, it felt a little rushed. But hopefully book 2 will answer some of the questions I have.
We got this ;)
Oh, how naive I was. This book kicked my ass. It's BRUTAL. I think it's possibly the most twisted, violent, disturbing book I have ever read. I don't even know what to say.
Held begins with a young wife and mother, Nicole being kidnapped leaving the mall.
Even if I could somehow manage to escape him at some point, everything was going to be different. Assuming he didn't kill me first, life as I knew it was over and gone forever.
Finding herself in the clutches of a psychopath, she struggles to survive. And, Ron...well, this guy takes crazy to a whole other level.*shutters*
He has a calm side, which allowed him to seem friendly and normal. Then, he had a dark side, full of anger. He was capable of anything.
How will the story end?? Will Nicole survive?
If he wanted to break me, he had his work cut out for him.
This book is not an easy read. Honestly. It's sick, disgusting, horrifying, but it was well done. Well written and gripping. I could not put it down. I did have to take lots of deep breaths and almost lost my lunch a few times, so it's a risky read. I would recommend alcohol for this one. One grip is the ending, it felt a little rushed. But hopefully book 2 will answer some of the questions I have.
February 8, 2017
“Held” tells the story of Ron, a psychopath serial killer. Ron is a writer, but not really a successful one. He’s determined to write a bestselling book, but he also needs some real life inspiration so he abducts our heroine, Nicole in a grocery store parking lot. He takes her home. He is really nice to her, he wants to feed her, to take care of her and to know about her life.At first..
Nicole is a wife and a mother. In the moment she felt the barrel of Ron’s gun, she knew her live will never be the same. And she’s damn right. At first she doesn’t know what to think about her abductor, but she’s about to find out really, really soon who Ron is.
Ron is a sadistic motherfuc*er. He is a sick man. He is so sick that at some point he’s convince Nicole loves him.
Nicole is a strong heroine. She wants to be with her family again so she tries to remain calm and sane. She tries to think faster than Ron, trying to guess his next move, but she can’t forget Ron is a psycho.
I really enjoyed Nicole’s sarcasm. At times she actually made me smile a little. Also Nicole and Ron’s banter was pretty great. I almost forgot I was reading a dark, disturbing read. Almost..
This book clearly is not for everyone. “Held” was one of the most disturbing books I’ve read ever. There’s no doubt that is a dark read. Also, I could label it as a horror. This book was sick. Really sick! It was twisted, raw, terrifying and violent, but at the same time captivating. I couldn’t put it down. There are many graphic scenes that repulsed me and left me with my mouth hanging open. I couldn’t believe what I was reading. However, I couldn’t put it down. To say that I was shocked more than half of the book will be an understatement.
Even if the ending was little rushed, I enjoyed this book and I totally recommend it!
“He had a calm side, which allowed him to seem friendly and normal. Then, he had a dark side, full of anger. He was capable of anything.”
Nicole is a wife and a mother. In the moment she felt the barrel of Ron’s gun, she knew her live will never be the same. And she’s damn right. At first she doesn’t know what to think about her abductor, but she’s about to find out really, really soon who Ron is.
Ron is a sadistic motherfuc*er. He is a sick man. He is so sick that at some point he’s convince Nicole loves him.
Nicole is a strong heroine. She wants to be with her family again so she tries to remain calm and sane. She tries to think faster than Ron, trying to guess his next move, but she can’t forget Ron is a psycho.
I really enjoyed Nicole’s sarcasm. At times she actually made me smile a little. Also Nicole and Ron’s banter was pretty great. I almost forgot I was reading a dark, disturbing read. Almost..
This book clearly is not for everyone. “Held” was one of the most disturbing books I’ve read ever. There’s no doubt that is a dark read. Also, I could label it as a horror. This book was sick. Really sick! It was twisted, raw, terrifying and violent, but at the same time captivating. I couldn’t put it down. There are many graphic scenes that repulsed me and left me with my mouth hanging open. I couldn’t believe what I was reading. However, I couldn’t put it down. To say that I was shocked more than half of the book will be an understatement.
Even if the ending was little rushed, I enjoyed this book and I totally recommend it!
August 28, 2013
5 Heart Stopping Stars!!
Damn....damn.....as I keep blinking really really fast with my head tilted to the side....I wonder what the fuck did I just experience!
Wow..what a heart pounding, breath holding ride - I have reads some really DARK books before, but this one takes the cake!
I had to keep taking breaks everytime that Ron would go down the basement because my psyche just couldn't take it anymore.
Haha...I think to myself that I must be really fucked up too if I can't wait to see what the author has in store for us next with Ron!!! Plus, I wonder what a movie would be like and if they would have to rate it MA only with all the screwed up things he did!
Grab this book and gobble it up - but please make sure that you aren't faint-hearted - and read a light-hearted book first!!
Damn....damn.....as I keep blinking really really fast with my head tilted to the side....I wonder what the fuck did I just experience!
Wow..what a heart pounding, breath holding ride - I have reads some really DARK books before, but this one takes the cake!
I had to keep taking breaks everytime that Ron would go down the basement because my psyche just couldn't take it anymore.
Haha...I think to myself that I must be really fucked up too if I can't wait to see what the author has in store for us next with Ron!!! Plus, I wonder what a movie would be like and if they would have to rate it MA only with all the screwed up things he did!
Grab this book and gobble it up - but please make sure that you aren't faint-hearted - and read a light-hearted book first!!
April 30, 2013
' This guy was nuttier than a squirrel turd'
A sick and twisted 5 stars!
This was me throughout this book
My mind is so confused right now. I couldn't stop reading this, my kindle battery died and only then did i stop.
This was unlike anything I've ever read and i have read a lot of kidnap and sexual sadist/violent books at this point.
This is like Comfort Food but a LOT worse. This isn't BDSM or Romantic notions of rape and physical abuse. The male lead, Ron; he isn't someone you want to understand; he isn't someone that makes you believe he has any good in him. You aren't desperate for love and devotion in this book; you're desperate to see Ron die in the worse possible way he could.
Nicole plays the part well; and at the start the banter between her and the captor is highly amusing; as time progresses you find it much harder to laugh.
This book is not for the faint hearted; this is the most explicit and graphic stories i have ever read; this includes Captive in the Dark; Comfort Food and The Tied Man.
This book includes necrophilia, rape, battery...words cant describe how many evil things are in this.
Bettes is a fantastic writer; absolutely no question. How she managed to write a book as violent and unforgettable is beyond me; she has one sick and brilliant mind.
This isn't really left on a cliff hanger as such; but their is a book 2 and even if i want to claw my eyes out reading it; i know Bettes will keep me coming for more.
Disturbing, mind-blowing, emotional, desperate... I wont forget this in a hurry even though i almost wish i could.
May 17, 2015
What should I say for this kind of reads?? That I enjoyed the book?? That I liked it? lol..It feels wrong in so many ways, but this book was intriguing and extremely sick..and I really enjoyed it.
If you love dark reads and don't mind about the lack of romance, go ahead and read it.
This is one of the craziest books I've ever read. It was twisted, disgusting, insane..
Nicole is in the grocery store parking lot and she's heading to her car. She believes that it's just a normal day, she went shopping and now she's going home to her husband and her one year old son. Except it isn't. When a man approaches her and points a gun to her back and force her to go with him, she knows darn well that things will never be the same.
I don't feel like telling you more about the plot, because I don't want to spoil it for you.
If you have a soft stomach, don't read this book. There will be far too many things that will disgust you.
This will give you a hint of how sick and repulsing things in this book are.
I guess I'll need to be extra careful whenever I'll go to the grocery store......
April 28, 2016
5 dark, mind blowing, this shit is twisted stars.
I got this book recommended to me from a friend, the lovely Miss actually. Read the blurb and got it right then and thought I would read it one day soon. Well, I started it today and finished it the same day. I needed something dark, I mean really dark, and I heard it's fucking dark. It lived up to every fucking darkness I had in me at the moment and went beyond that.
This book is for sure not for the faint of heart. This is not a romance book, there is no rainbows coming to you at anytime. This book is fucking dark, horror, thriller. It will not leave you with a happy feeling at all. It's so fucked up that I feel like I should take a couple of days off, and just think what I want to do with my life. But no I want to jump right in an write my review. I needed to write it while it's fresh. Just saying fresh is eating at me right now. UGH. I hate the word fresh already.
Okay.... This book starts off with the abduction right off the bat. Nicole is a mother, and a wife, she is kidnapped and taken to a home. His name is Ron. Ron well seems kind of, I don't really know at first. He just seemed okay lets make some sandwiches and talk type of kidnapper. I thought there was something wrong with the guy but who knows. I didn't even know what I was in for at all. Ron, is keeping Nicole there because he wants to write a book since his last one pretty much ate shit. He wants to write a best selling book. Instead of writing fiction he wants to write true shit that is happening right now. And guess what? Nicole, is the main character. Yep..
Ron is a psychopath. Simple at that. I thought so within the first 30 minutes while reading it. This mother fucker is off his rocker. I can't express that enough. There were times where I was laughing my ass off with some of the shit that, Ron was saying. It's that crazy. But then it turned into a different ball game when Ron just started going fucking crazier. I was afraid for my life while reading this book.
Nicole I must admit. She is a wonderful character. She never once broke. Never did she just give up. There was always fighting with her but she picked her battles and at some cases they probably weren't the best choice but I get it.
I had to at least stop reading once just to gather my self. It just kept getting worse. So fucking worse that I didn't even know the outcome of it. Blow after blow it just kept eating at me. I could not stop reading though. I so want to read something fluffy but I don't think I can do it. I want to read the sequel bad. I feel like a piece of me just wants something light right now to get my sanity back on track but, the other part of me is like, it's far gone right now mid as well lose the rest of it.
This book is very graphic. If you cannot handle gore type of shit or your stomach is weak for some very graphic scenes then, this might be your cup of tea. I thought at one point that this has push my limits but nope, I guess I need more punishment cause looks like I just got the second book and getting ready to start it tomorrow....
This book is amazing though. Out of all that I have said it is amazing. The writing captured me from the beginning and didn't let me go even after the end. The author has a real craft at writing a mind blowing dark, horror, thriller that kept me handcuffed at the end of my seat never letting me lose again... It's that good and fucked up. If you think you can handle a book like this then I would highly recommend it.
I got this book recommended to me from a friend, the lovely Miss actually. Read the blurb and got it right then and thought I would read it one day soon. Well, I started it today and finished it the same day. I needed something dark, I mean really dark, and I heard it's fucking dark. It lived up to every fucking darkness I had in me at the moment and went beyond that.
This book is for sure not for the faint of heart. This is not a romance book, there is no rainbows coming to you at anytime. This book is fucking dark, horror, thriller. It will not leave you with a happy feeling at all. It's so fucked up that I feel like I should take a couple of days off, and just think what I want to do with my life. But no I want to jump right in an write my review. I needed to write it while it's fresh. Just saying fresh is eating at me right now. UGH. I hate the word fresh already.
Okay.... This book starts off with the abduction right off the bat. Nicole is a mother, and a wife, she is kidnapped and taken to a home. His name is Ron. Ron well seems kind of, I don't really know at first. He just seemed okay lets make some sandwiches and talk type of kidnapper. I thought there was something wrong with the guy but who knows. I didn't even know what I was in for at all. Ron, is keeping Nicole there because he wants to write a book since his last one pretty much ate shit. He wants to write a best selling book. Instead of writing fiction he wants to write true shit that is happening right now. And guess what? Nicole, is the main character. Yep..
Ron is a psychopath. Simple at that. I thought so within the first 30 minutes while reading it. This mother fucker is off his rocker. I can't express that enough. There were times where I was laughing my ass off with some of the shit that, Ron was saying. It's that crazy. But then it turned into a different ball game when Ron just started going fucking crazier. I was afraid for my life while reading this book.
Nicole I must admit. She is a wonderful character. She never once broke. Never did she just give up. There was always fighting with her but she picked her battles and at some cases they probably weren't the best choice but I get it.
I had to at least stop reading once just to gather my self. It just kept getting worse. So fucking worse that I didn't even know the outcome of it. Blow after blow it just kept eating at me. I could not stop reading though. I so want to read something fluffy but I don't think I can do it. I want to read the sequel bad. I feel like a piece of me just wants something light right now to get my sanity back on track but, the other part of me is like, it's far gone right now mid as well lose the rest of it.
This book is very graphic. If you cannot handle gore type of shit or your stomach is weak for some very graphic scenes then, this might be your cup of tea. I thought at one point that this has push my limits but nope, I guess I need more punishment cause looks like I just got the second book and getting ready to start it tomorrow....
This book is amazing though. Out of all that I have said it is amazing. The writing captured me from the beginning and didn't let me go even after the end. The author has a real craft at writing a mind blowing dark, horror, thriller that kept me handcuffed at the end of my seat never letting me lose again... It's that good and fucked up. If you think you can handle a book like this then I would highly recommend it.
July 8, 2013
5 STARS of Terrifying, Disturbing, Twisted, Nail biting, Heart beating, Scary, Speechless..Should stop reading but can't... story
Where do I start, Nicole is abducted on her way home from the shops, she's married and a mummy.
Ron has kidnapped her. He takes her back to his home and treats her very well.
The reason being...........
He wants her to help him to write a book...a best seller..
Simple enough!!!
Hell no...
Nicole realises that her nightmare is about to start.
My thoughts
This is a very hard book to write about. It is probably to date the most disturbing book I've read. I just can't stop thinking about it. It keeps you riveted from the start to finish. You want to stop but you can't.
Nicole is amazing, witty, strong and she wants to survive this.
Ron, well he's just MAD!!!!
Does a crazy person know their crazy?
Nothing can prepare you for this story, its upsetting and I had to stop on a couple of occasions, its as dark as its going to get.
Dark but brilliant..
Off to read a nice story about fluffy kittens now
Where do I start, Nicole is abducted on her way home from the shops, she's married and a mummy.
Ron has kidnapped her. He takes her back to his home and treats her very well.
The reason being...........
He wants her to help him to write a book...a best seller..
Simple enough!!!
Hell no...
Nicole realises that her nightmare is about to start.
My thoughts
This is a very hard book to write about. It is probably to date the most disturbing book I've read. I just can't stop thinking about it. It keeps you riveted from the start to finish. You want to stop but you can't.
Nicole is amazing, witty, strong and she wants to survive this.
Ron, well he's just MAD!!!!
Does a crazy person know their crazy?
Nothing can prepare you for this story, its upsetting and I had to stop on a couple of occasions, its as dark as its going to get.
Dark but brilliant..
Off to read a nice story about fluffy kittens now
August 6, 2016
This was the most sick..twisted and violent story I have every read!!! No amount of words will do this book Justice!! That's all I have to say right..I'll probably come back in a few days and edit this...once I process everything..
November 18, 2015
**** 4.5 Be A Good Girl Stars ****
“If you left out the sadistic serial killer part of him, he was a great guy. He was clean and orderly. He was kind. He catered to the woman he loved. He was a great cook. He had high hopes for his career. He didn’t plop down in front of the television for hours at a time. He enjoyed playing games and great conversation. His sexual stamina was impressive. And he was a handsome man. It’s just that pesky habit of his where he raped, tortured, killed, and dismembered women that was a turn off.”
Ron is CRAZY, no other way of putting it. But the thing about Ron, you will grow to like him and his crazy brain. At least I did, actually I loved Ron!!
After abducting Nicole, a married mother of one, from a mall one day, we are taken on a whirlwind tale of crazy, in your face torture of not just Nicole but several women.
"It's going to be fun having you here. You're so unlike the others.
Don't worry. I'll take care of you. I like you."
"All thoughts of controlling the situation were gone now. All hopes of being let go were gone along with them. I wasn't capable of handling someone like him."
As Nicole's life in captivity spirals further into Ron's darkness, she watches as Ron take the lives of several women. She is forced to sit and watch Ron break each woman in the cruelest of ways. She blames herself for the torture because Ron tells her over and over that her insubordinate behavior deserves punishment. The only way Nicole can be punished and to truly learn her lesson is to watch these other women suffer for her wrong doings.
This book is hard, raw, gritty and not for the light hearted.
Kimberly Bettes.....YOU ROCKED THIS ONE REAL GOOD!!
Book 2.... Pushed I can NOT imagine the ride I am about to jump on!
“If you left out the sadistic serial killer part of him, he was a great guy. He was clean and orderly. He was kind. He catered to the woman he loved. He was a great cook. He had high hopes for his career. He didn’t plop down in front of the television for hours at a time. He enjoyed playing games and great conversation. His sexual stamina was impressive. And he was a handsome man. It’s just that pesky habit of his where he raped, tortured, killed, and dismembered women that was a turn off.”
Ron is CRAZY, no other way of putting it. But the thing about Ron, you will grow to like him and his crazy brain. At least I did, actually I loved Ron!!
After abducting Nicole, a married mother of one, from a mall one day, we are taken on a whirlwind tale of crazy, in your face torture of not just Nicole but several women.
"It's going to be fun having you here. You're so unlike the others.
Don't worry. I'll take care of you. I like you."
"All thoughts of controlling the situation were gone now. All hopes of being let go were gone along with them. I wasn't capable of handling someone like him."
As Nicole's life in captivity spirals further into Ron's darkness, she watches as Ron take the lives of several women. She is forced to sit and watch Ron break each woman in the cruelest of ways. She blames herself for the torture because Ron tells her over and over that her insubordinate behavior deserves punishment. The only way Nicole can be punished and to truly learn her lesson is to watch these other women suffer for her wrong doings.
This book is hard, raw, gritty and not for the light hearted.
Kimberly Bettes.....YOU ROCKED THIS ONE REAL GOOD!!
Book 2.... Pushed I can NOT imagine the ride I am about to jump on!
August 22, 2013
4.5 Congratulations, you just shattered my psyche stars!
Well, slap my ass and call me silly. This book…this book. I have no words. My mind is officially blown.
The author wastes no time. Right away, she propelled me from the comfort of my home, headlong into the depths of my very worst nightmare. Forget propel. It was a like a rocket launch. Zero to three-million in ten pages flat, and yes, I was screaming.
This book is like Misery meets The Devil’s Rejects, with a dash of Jack Ketchum’s The Girl Next Door, all shaken together and stirred. Its brutal, cold, and completely terrifying! There were times I didn’t think I was going to make it another page, but I just couldn’t bring myself to walk away.
If you’re looking for one of those dark captive/kidnap stories where you will feel an occasional twinge of warm and fuzzy, this book is NOT it. No romance here. Just straight up horror. Ron has zero redeeming qualities to him at all. Zero. None. Zilch. There isn’t an ounce of humanity in that man. Nothing to make you feel pity, or compassion. Nothing to make you relate, and that’s difficult for me. I almost always find something in the villians, something that makes me latch on and see something worthy of pity and redemption. The bad guys are almost always where my heart stays. Not. This. Time. But holy hell what a villain he makes!
Ron is a writer. His last book flopped. Because of that, he’s decided he needs some real life inspiration. That’s when our MC, Nicole, comes into play. He abducts her from the grocery store parking lot and takes her home. At first he comes across as articulate and rather charming, in that creepy stalker kind of way…then his moods start to swing.
What happens then is just mind blowing. It’s a nonstop horror ride that makes you want to clutch the bottom of your seat. It makes you want to crawl out of your own skin. It makes you want to claw through concrete walls or chew off your arm. It makes you want to scream.
I can almost guarantee this story will push your limits to the extreme. It is a complete and total mindfuck. I give the author props. She needled me. She had me gouging at my eyes, tugging at my face, and looking for a way to stay sane. As much as I wanted to quit, this story was so gripping and intense, the horror so incredible, that I had to see what happened next. I didn’t really feel Nicole’s fear during these experiences, but my GOD, did I feel my own. More than once, I wanted to shake that girl silly and ask her what hell she was doing to me! She could be so calm and angry, when all I wanted to do was huddle in the corner and obey. Damn you, you silly woman. Damn you!
I don’t know what else to say. If you are looking for something to push you to the extreme, something that will have you biting your nails and searching for a way to escape, this is it. I’ve never had so much fear or emotion wrung out of me in my life. Kudos, Kimberly A. Bettes.
Now excuse me while I seek some therapy and pour myself a stiff drink.
Well, slap my ass and call me silly. This book…this book. I have no words. My mind is officially blown.
The author wastes no time. Right away, she propelled me from the comfort of my home, headlong into the depths of my very worst nightmare. Forget propel. It was a like a rocket launch. Zero to three-million in ten pages flat, and yes, I was screaming.
This book is like Misery meets The Devil’s Rejects, with a dash of Jack Ketchum’s The Girl Next Door, all shaken together and stirred. Its brutal, cold, and completely terrifying! There were times I didn’t think I was going to make it another page, but I just couldn’t bring myself to walk away.
If you’re looking for one of those dark captive/kidnap stories where you will feel an occasional twinge of warm and fuzzy, this book is NOT it. No romance here. Just straight up horror. Ron has zero redeeming qualities to him at all. Zero. None. Zilch. There isn’t an ounce of humanity in that man. Nothing to make you feel pity, or compassion. Nothing to make you relate, and that’s difficult for me. I almost always find something in the villians, something that makes me latch on and see something worthy of pity and redemption. The bad guys are almost always where my heart stays. Not. This. Time. But holy hell what a villain he makes!
Ron is a writer. His last book flopped. Because of that, he’s decided he needs some real life inspiration. That’s when our MC, Nicole, comes into play. He abducts her from the grocery store parking lot and takes her home. At first he comes across as articulate and rather charming, in that creepy stalker kind of way…then his moods start to swing.
What happens then is just mind blowing. It’s a nonstop horror ride that makes you want to clutch the bottom of your seat. It makes you want to crawl out of your own skin. It makes you want to claw through concrete walls or chew off your arm. It makes you want to scream.
I can almost guarantee this story will push your limits to the extreme. It is a complete and total mindfuck. I give the author props. She needled me. She had me gouging at my eyes, tugging at my face, and looking for a way to stay sane. As much as I wanted to quit, this story was so gripping and intense, the horror so incredible, that I had to see what happened next. I didn’t really feel Nicole’s fear during these experiences, but my GOD, did I feel my own. More than once, I wanted to shake that girl silly and ask her what hell she was doing to me! She could be so calm and angry, when all I wanted to do was huddle in the corner and obey. Damn you, you silly woman. Damn you!
I don’t know what else to say. If you are looking for something to push you to the extreme, something that will have you biting your nails and searching for a way to escape, this is it. I’ve never had so much fear or emotion wrung out of me in my life. Kudos, Kimberly A. Bettes.
Now excuse me while I seek some therapy and pour myself a stiff drink.
July 19, 2013
Wow WTF did I just read
Honestly I thought I'd read the sickest books out there but this just creeped into the top spot without warning.
I don't normally write reviews (cos I suck at them) but I just wanted to say a few things here based some reviews I've read.
Comfort Food this is not, this book is in a case all on its own and there's no stockholm syndrome in here either, this book is sick and twisted from the get go and although I did agree with one review (as in I didnt feel Nicole's fear much) this book kept me on the edge of my seat (and looking better at the people around me in parking lots from now on).
If you have a strong stomach you'll love this book
PS. KIMBERLY if you ever read this can we haz book 2 pls *puppy eyes*
Honestly I thought I'd read the sickest books out there but this just creeped into the top spot without warning.
I don't normally write reviews (cos I suck at them) but I just wanted to say a few things here based some reviews I've read.
Comfort Food this is not, this book is in a case all on its own and there's no stockholm syndrome in here either, this book is sick and twisted from the get go and although I did agree with one review (as in I didnt feel Nicole's fear much) this book kept me on the edge of my seat (and looking better at the people around me in parking lots from now on).
If you have a strong stomach you'll love this book
PS. KIMBERLY if you ever read this can we haz book 2 pls *puppy eyes*
March 4, 2013
According to PSYCHOLOGY TODAY, Jeffrey Dahmer, Ted Bundy and Hannibal Lecter were all “charming” psychopaths – go ahead and mark that down as another reason NOT to leave a public place to get better acquainted with a handsome and charismatic “man of your dreams” – it might just turn into your biggest nightmare!
Nicole Lee, a happily married, young mother is snatched from the life she once knew in a parking lot in broad daylight. Her captor, Ron is a struggling writer and somewhat charming… in the beginning. I was surprised by the amount of humor laced in with the horror – it definitely made for an interesting read that left me feeling somewhat conflicted… in the beginning.
Ron is totally mental and believes that his next novel will only be successful if he experiments and executes the horrific acts he plans to write about (Kimberly A. Bettes – do you have something you need to tell us?). Luckily for Nicole, he has put her on a “pedestal,” treating her very well, in comparison to the pain and torture he inflicts on the numerous other women he holds captive. Thankful that she is not on the receiving end of the physical torment suffered by the other women, Nicole quickly learns that the downside is the mental anguish she is forced to endure as she witnesses all of the stomach churning, heinous acts he administers on a daily basis.
Believing she is relatively “safe” and that Ron will not exact the physical punishments on her, one day, she pushes the boundaries too far and comes to realize, a little too late, that no one is safe from the demon that is Ron.
HELD is intense and definitely NOT for the faint of heart. If you follow my reviews, PLEASE NOTE: THIS IS NOT AT ALL ROMANTIC IN NATURE! It is emotional, raw, scary and sometimes nauseating. If you are prepared for that, then you will likely enjoy this horrific read – that’s a bit of an oxymoron, isn’t it? You should also note that in addition to themes of captivity and extreme torture, there is also rape, necrophilia and murder. Call me crazy, but it was a great read and I can’t wait for the next book – I am a tad bit stressed out just thinking about it, but excited, nonetheless!
**Reviewed on I ♥ Bookie Nookie Reviews
______________________________________________________________________
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Menage Readers
Erotic Enchants
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Nicole Lee, a happily married, young mother is snatched from the life she once knew in a parking lot in broad daylight. Her captor, Ron is a struggling writer and somewhat charming… in the beginning. I was surprised by the amount of humor laced in with the horror – it definitely made for an interesting read that left me feeling somewhat conflicted… in the beginning.
Ron is totally mental and believes that his next novel will only be successful if he experiments and executes the horrific acts he plans to write about (Kimberly A. Bettes – do you have something you need to tell us?). Luckily for Nicole, he has put her on a “pedestal,” treating her very well, in comparison to the pain and torture he inflicts on the numerous other women he holds captive. Thankful that she is not on the receiving end of the physical torment suffered by the other women, Nicole quickly learns that the downside is the mental anguish she is forced to endure as she witnesses all of the stomach churning, heinous acts he administers on a daily basis.
Believing she is relatively “safe” and that Ron will not exact the physical punishments on her, one day, she pushes the boundaries too far and comes to realize, a little too late, that no one is safe from the demon that is Ron.
HELD is intense and definitely NOT for the faint of heart. If you follow my reviews, PLEASE NOTE: THIS IS NOT AT ALL ROMANTIC IN NATURE! It is emotional, raw, scary and sometimes nauseating. If you are prepared for that, then you will likely enjoy this horrific read – that’s a bit of an oxymoron, isn’t it? You should also note that in addition to themes of captivity and extreme torture, there is also rape, necrophilia and murder. Call me crazy, but it was a great read and I can’t wait for the next book – I am a tad bit stressed out just thinking about it, but excited, nonetheless!
**Reviewed on I ♥ Bookie Nookie Reviews
______________________________________________________________________
If you like this type of book, you might enjoy one of these groups. Check us out!
Menage Readers
Erotic Enchants
Bookie Nookie's Erotic Lending Group
July 5, 2013
FINISHED! yay me! I grew a pair (not literally) and finished. What a workout that was.
I'm honestly curious about book 2 now. Will I read it? I have no clue. I guess that depends how much torture there is. I don't think I can handle that again.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
DNF 62%
I really wasn't sure what to expect when I first picked this book up, as it was the first time I've ever read a thriller/horror type book of this nature.
I can honestly say that I will never read anything similar to this again. It's just not my cuppa. I love books that are dark and disturbing, but this one took the cake.
The story and writing were good. It was just too much for me.
"My book was fake, and it didn't sell. This time, though, it'll be a bestseller. Why? Because it will be real."
Ron, theHero psycho of this story is a book writer. And what better way to write a thriller than to torture, rape and murder women and use that experience to write a realistic novel.
This is a very graphic book. Thrill seekers will love it! Wimps like me? Not so much.
I'm honestly curious about book 2 now. Will I read it? I have no clue. I guess that depends how much torture there is. I don't think I can handle that again.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
DNF 62%
I really wasn't sure what to expect when I first picked this book up, as it was the first time I've ever read a thriller/horror type book of this nature.
I can honestly say that I will never read anything similar to this again. It's just not my cuppa. I love books that are dark and disturbing, but this one took the cake.
The story and writing were good. It was just too much for me.
"My book was fake, and it didn't sell. This time, though, it'll be a bestseller. Why? Because it will be real."
Ron, the
This is a very graphic book. Thrill seekers will love it! Wimps like me? Not so much.
January 9, 2016
I really don't know what to say about this book it warns you it has adult content but for me this was a twisted dark thriller which i was not sure if i would finish due to the barbaric way the Protagonist Ron treated women in this book.
I was nearly sick with the graphic content of butchery dismemberment & the sadistic way Ron treated all his victims including Nicole to me it was belittling women I found myself wondering as the story progressed why am i reading this but just wanted to see how it ended which i must say was a very poor one indeed.
I definitely won't put myself through the next one this was much to brutal & sadistic for me.
Its 3 stars only as it was well written.
I was nearly sick with the graphic content of butchery dismemberment & the sadistic way Ron treated all his victims including Nicole to me it was belittling women I found myself wondering as the story progressed why am i reading this but just wanted to see how it ended which i must say was a very poor one indeed.
I definitely won't put myself through the next one this was much to brutal & sadistic for me.
Its 3 stars only as it was well written.
Want to read
November 5, 2013This sounds like my thing!!! Now if I could find the time to read it...
October 9, 2014
*Minor spoilers ahead*
This is undeniably the most disturbing story I've ever read. Painfully descriptive, brutal and appalling.
This story takes you way beyond your comfort zone. This is not a tale about kidnapper turned knight in shining armor. There will be no falling for the abductor. This is some serious shit.
It starts off a bit bizarre. Don’t let the beginning discourage you.
When Ron kidnaps Natalie, he uses her car to get to his house (I would think it’s better to leave the car behind, but what do I know). He doesn't drag her, lock her in a trunk or put a blind folder over her eyes, no, he simply lets her watch the way to his house.
Then, as a good host, he offers her sandwiches and a beverage.
While I’m getting more and more confused, Natalie points out how tidy his house is, how he folds the toilet paper into a point and how tasty the sandwiches are.
As my confusion deepens and my mind tries to make sense out of it all, a naked, bruised, starved and filthy woman emerges out of the basement.
And so it begins.
It does not take long for me to realize what a fucked up psychopath Ron is. And all of his initial behavior starts to make sense. That guy has some serious mental issues. Do not expect any logic when this guy is concerned.
As for Natalie, well… some of her observations about Ron did make me wonder about her intelligence.
However, she does handle Ron well, at least most of the time, and somehow she manages to survive circumstances most people wouldn't. I do admire her for that.
The story is as engaging as it is appalling. You cannot put it down, even though you know it will give you nightmares. And believe me, it will. Take my advice, don’t read it while alone in your apartment. This is some disturbingly fucked up shit. Some of the images will be hard to erase from your memory. There will be a lot of cringing and gasping. Every time you will think it can’t get any worse, it actually will.
This is undeniably the most disturbing story I've ever read. Painfully descriptive, brutal and appalling.
This story takes you way beyond your comfort zone. This is not a tale about kidnapper turned knight in shining armor. There will be no falling for the abductor. This is some serious shit.
“It’s going to be fun having you here. You’re so unlike the others.”
It starts off a bit bizarre. Don’t let the beginning discourage you.
When Ron kidnaps Natalie, he uses her car to get to his house (I would think it’s better to leave the car behind, but what do I know). He doesn't drag her, lock her in a trunk or put a blind folder over her eyes, no, he simply lets her watch the way to his house.
Then, as a good host, he offers her sandwiches and a beverage.
While I’m getting more and more confused, Natalie points out how tidy his house is, how he folds the toilet paper into a point and how tasty the sandwiches are.
As my confusion deepens and my mind tries to make sense out of it all, a naked, bruised, starved and filthy woman emerges out of the basement.
And so it begins.
It does not take long for me to realize what a fucked up psychopath Ron is. And all of his initial behavior starts to make sense. That guy has some serious mental issues. Do not expect any logic when this guy is concerned.
”Crazy people don’t know they’re crazy.”
As for Natalie, well… some of her observations about Ron did make me wonder about her intelligence.
"Had he not been a psychopath, he would've surely made some lucky gal a great husband. If you left out the sadistic serial killer part of him, he was a great guy. He was clean and orderly. He was kind. He catered to the women he loved. He was a great cook. [...] His sexual stamina was impressive. And he was a handsome man. It’s just that pesky habit of his where he raped, tortured, killed, and dismembered women that was a turn off."
However, she does handle Ron well, at least most of the time, and somehow she manages to survive circumstances most people wouldn't. I do admire her for that.
The story is as engaging as it is appalling. You cannot put it down, even though you know it will give you nightmares. And believe me, it will. Take my advice, don’t read it while alone in your apartment. This is some disturbingly fucked up shit. Some of the images will be hard to erase from your memory. There will be a lot of cringing and gasping. Every time you will think it can’t get any worse, it actually will.
Read
December 4, 2022TW for potentially upsetting discussions including rape and assault.
DNF at page 47. Not because of how graphic or disturbing it is, but because the writing is just so weird.
“I stood there, naked except for my socks and panties, as he gently kissed my neck. Had he been my boyfriend or husband, this would’ve been nice. But he was a madman who’d kidnapped me, and it was horrible.”
“Then, he suddenly drew back his leg and kicked her in the crotch. With those heavy boot-like shoes or his, I had no doubt that it hurt terribly, but when she awoke screaming, I knew for certain it it had.”
I DNFd right when the main bad guy was kicking a woman in between her legs before raping her, and the main character had to look away because “my girlie parts hurt watching.”
It’s just strange and clunky. That, and the main characters actions and inner monologues feel crazy unrealistic. She’s so weirdly snarky and combative, which isn’t the most unrealistic thing, but the writing just had me shaking my head at least once a page. I also have a feeling that eventually the MC is going to develop some sort of Stockholm syndrome, and I just know that the depiction of that is going to tick me off.
Definitely not for me and I don’t recommend it, but no rating since I did DNF.
DNF at page 47. Not because of how graphic or disturbing it is, but because the writing is just so weird.
“I stood there, naked except for my socks and panties, as he gently kissed my neck. Had he been my boyfriend or husband, this would’ve been nice. But he was a madman who’d kidnapped me, and it was horrible.”
“Then, he suddenly drew back his leg and kicked her in the crotch. With those heavy boot-like shoes or his, I had no doubt that it hurt terribly, but when she awoke screaming, I knew for certain it it had.”
I DNFd right when the main bad guy was kicking a woman in between her legs before raping her, and the main character had to look away because “my girlie parts hurt watching.”
It’s just strange and clunky. That, and the main characters actions and inner monologues feel crazy unrealistic. She’s so weirdly snarky and combative, which isn’t the most unrealistic thing, but the writing just had me shaking my head at least once a page. I also have a feeling that eventually the MC is going to develop some sort of Stockholm syndrome, and I just know that the depiction of that is going to tick me off.
Definitely not for me and I don’t recommend it, but no rating since I did DNF.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 16, 2016
Well I couldn't sleep after reading Opaque Mirrors, so I thought well might as well read another book... I don't know what I was thinking
Me when he approached Nicole at the grocery store parking lot then kiddnapped her
Me when Nicole realized she wasn't the only woman in the house as another captive came running up from a basement screaming her head off looking beat down and I mean beat down and was naked
Me when Nicole had her first taste of what the basement life was like when she displeased her captor
Me when he brought the fourth captive down to the basement she had to witness what he did to her
Me when Nicole finally got out of those handcuffs
Me when I finished
Me trying to sleep
Me when he approached Nicole at the grocery store parking lot then kiddnapped her
Me when Nicole realized she wasn't the only woman in the house as another captive came running up from a basement screaming her head off looking beat down and I mean beat down and was naked
Me when Nicole had her first taste of what the basement life was like when she displeased her captor
Me when he brought the fourth captive down to the basement she had to witness what he did to her
Me when Nicole finally got out of those handcuffs
Me when I finished
Me trying to sleep
February 16, 2015
OH MY GOD
4.5 Stars!
I should warn you. This is not a dark romance. There's isn't an HEA, where the heroine falls madly in love with her captor, there's isn't Stockholm Syndrome. This story is DARK, disturbing, gritty, and at times sickening. So, with all that being said, read at your own risk.
Nicole stops at the mall to buy jeans and the next thing that happens, will forever change her life. Ron is a writer of dark, his first attempt at writing a best seller failed. How can Ron make his gruesome stories more real like? He's going to write the book with all the gory details that he personally sees. How do you that? Well, you make them real.
This book was fascinating, intriguing, and disturbing all at once. I love my dark books, let me tell you, but this was a new level of sick. I could not put it down, delving into a maniac's mind is... I don't know, but I love it. Nicole is anything but the damsel in distress, which I found refreshing, her spunk gave a bit of light within the pages of pure dark. The beginning, I thought maybe Ron is just doing some research, nothing could've been more far from the truth. His bad side is more terrifying than some horror films, actually it is more terrifying than horror films. I was entrapped, a captive to this story. The whole time I kept thinking, this is not going to end well. Nicole is witnessing a psychopath that thinks she is his perfect match. Even if Nicole makes it out alive, how can someone live a normal life after the things she has witnessed. I can say this one was written well, an almost "real feel" to it, no sugar coating to this captive story.
The ending was left open for a second book, which I will be reading.
A chilling, thought provoking thriller.
Totally unique story line for me. I can only recommend this one to my sick sisters because I think this beyond twisted.
4.5 Stars!
I should warn you. This is not a dark romance. There's isn't an HEA, where the heroine falls madly in love with her captor, there's isn't Stockholm Syndrome. This story is DARK, disturbing, gritty, and at times sickening. So, with all that being said, read at your own risk.
Nicole stops at the mall to buy jeans and the next thing that happens, will forever change her life. Ron is a writer of dark, his first attempt at writing a best seller failed. How can Ron make his gruesome stories more real like? He's going to write the book with all the gory details that he personally sees. How do you that? Well, you make them real.
This book was fascinating, intriguing, and disturbing all at once. I love my dark books, let me tell you, but this was a new level of sick. I could not put it down, delving into a maniac's mind is... I don't know, but I love it. Nicole is anything but the damsel in distress, which I found refreshing, her spunk gave a bit of light within the pages of pure dark. The beginning, I thought maybe Ron is just doing some research, nothing could've been more far from the truth. His bad side is more terrifying than some horror films, actually it is more terrifying than horror films. I was entrapped, a captive to this story. The whole time I kept thinking, this is not going to end well. Nicole is witnessing a psychopath that thinks she is his perfect match. Even if Nicole makes it out alive, how can someone live a normal life after the things she has witnessed. I can say this one was written well, an almost "real feel" to it, no sugar coating to this captive story.
The ending was left open for a second book, which I will be reading.
A chilling, thought provoking thriller.
Totally unique story line for me. I can only recommend this one to my sick sisters because I think this beyond twisted.
March 13, 2014
A warning if you are faint of heart or a fan of horror “light” novels stay far away from Held by Kimberly A. Bettes. This novel takes you to the places you do not want to go and show you things you wish you could forget. This book has the oh shit this could really happen feel to it. It really had me dreading to see what was going to happen next but couldn’t stop reading to find out what happens next. A great read if you are brave enough to give the book a try. Right up there with Jack Ketchum’s The Girl Next Door & Ryan C. Thomas’s The Summer I Died for realism that terrifies the hell out of you.
July 20, 2013
What a fucked up....demented.....twisted.....mind fuck.
Good Lord......I loved it....
Good Lord......I loved it....
May 14, 2015
*****5 "WTF??" Crazy Stars*****
This was some of the craziest stuff I've ever read! WOW!
This book. Oh. My. God. What in the hell did I just read? Seriously. I'm in shock. Shocked that I couldn't put it down. Shocked that I sat and read it in one day (along with book two Pushed). Shocked that I woke up at three in the morning and reached over to pick it up and read some more of the total mind-fuckery that was this book.
I have *never*.. I repeat NEVER read anything like this before. Not Comfort Food, not the Dark Duet Series.. nothing. This is worse, way worse, way darker, in a gut clenching kind of way.
Certain parts made my stomach turn. I would put my Kindle down, think about what I just read, and go back for more. I just HAD to see what was going to happen next. What totally and truly horrible thing was going to come out of this author, Kimberly A. Bettes', mind. She did not disappoint.
This guy is nuttier than a squirrel turd.
Ron is described as being good looking. A good looking man that does horrible things to women, all in the name of research. Things that would have never crossed my mind in a million years. Good looking? Perhaps. But when I look at him through Nicole's eyes I see something so scary and deranged that "good looking" are the furthest thing I see in my minds eye! He is the man that nightmares are made of, and worse.
Nicole is a wife, a mom, a victim. She's innocently doing things that young wives and moms do everyday, she's shopping. Coming out of the store heading for her car, she is approached by a stranger who has a gun and forced to go with him.
What makes Nicole so different from Ron's other victims is that he's immediately taken with her. She's sarcastic and witty, and that saves her.. most of the time. Other times she takes it to far and is taken to "the basement".
The basement is a small house of horrors. Where Ron does the most unspeakable things to his victims. But he doesn't do those horrible things to Nicole. He loves her. What he does to her, is much worse.
Something came to my mind after finishing this 2 book series. Ron is an author. He uses these women, and Nicole, as "research", everything in the books he writes is true... what if the Author of Held and Push, is really "Ron"? Hmm?
This book had a little of everything, it made me laugh, (oh yeah.. laugh.. Nicole gets some pretty good zingers in there!), squirm, cringe, shut my eyes, slap my hand over my mouth, and slam the cover on my Kindle.
If you like a dark and twisted, off the charts psychological thriller then give this one a shot! But don't say I didn't warn you!
I read this as a 2 book set Held & Pushed. But I will review Pushed separately so I don't spoil anything for this book.
January 17, 2016
This book was so disturbingly good. At first, you're like "Well he's ok, as far as kidnappers go." That is until you're introduced to the basement and s*** hits the fan in a big way. The things he did were horrifying, so much so that you want to look away while reading. There was definitely a lot of cringing and gasping on my part. But you keep reading because you want to know if Nicole escapes and how or if she doesn't make it out of the psycho's clutches. The only thing lacking for me was the ending. It just kinda skipped a lot and left you there.
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