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Impossible #1.1
Monster
Librarian's note: Revised edition for ASIN #B00C31H2VO.
My life was irrevocably changed that night. The night I was taken. I saved a man's life, but at what cost to myself? Can I convince him to save me in return?
I hate him for what he's done to me. But the longer I'm trapped with him, the harder it is to cling to that hatred. He is an enigma of a man, one who is shockingly arrogant, sweetly contrite, and frighteningly aggressive by turns. And the pain in his eyes is a mirror for my own.
The longer I remain in his grip, the more confused I become.
Is my freedom worth betraying him?
Warning: This series contains strong language and scorching sex scenes involving light BDSM.
My life was irrevocably changed that night. The night I was taken. I saved a man's life, but at what cost to myself? Can I convince him to save me in return?
I hate him for what he's done to me. But the longer I'm trapped with him, the harder it is to cling to that hatred. He is an enigma of a man, one who is shockingly arrogant, sweetly contrite, and frighteningly aggressive by turns. And the pain in his eyes is a mirror for my own.
The longer I remain in his grip, the more confused I become.
Is my freedom worth betraying him?
Warning: This series contains strong language and scorching sex scenes involving light BDSM.
122 pages, Kindle Edition
First published March 29, 2013
156 people are currently reading
3424 people want to read
About the author
Julia Sykes
131 books1,949 followersJulia Sykes is a USA Today bestselling author of edgy, emotional romance. When she's not writing, she's usually reading.
Other than reading, her obsessions include iced coffee, unicorns, charcuterie, aged Manchego cheese (or any cheese, really), and fancy dresses.
An American expat, Julia now lives in her adopted, beloved home of York, England. Most days, you can find her wandering the cobbled streets and daydreaming about her next novel.
Other than reading, her obsessions include iced coffee, unicorns, charcuterie, aged Manchego cheese (or any cheese, really), and fancy dresses.
An American expat, Julia now lives in her adopted, beloved home of York, England. Most days, you can find her wandering the cobbled streets and daydreaming about her next novel.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 234 reviews
August 13, 2016
Gripping! I was completely wrapped up in this twisted story, and read the whole thing in one sitting!
CLAUDIA ELLERS
BRADLEY SMITH:
SEAN REYNOLDS:
Now that it looks like Sean might survive his brush with death, Claudia's medical expertise is no longer needed. Unfortunately, the criminals who abducted her can't let her go free...
Let's Break it down:
The entire story is told from Claudia's POV, and she proves to be quite the badass. She has overcome enough obstacles in her life that she is not easily breakable...
Claudia has no family or close friends to pull a Liam Neeson and save her. She is completely on her own to figure out how to escape...
This is a FREE ebook on Amazon, and I recommend you go out and pick it up.
Warning: This book has a Cliffhanger, but the trilogy is complete.
Some of My Favorite Moments:
Click the image below for more information on this book and to read my interview with Julia Sykes!
I host a weekly series on the BOM Blog which spotlights Indie Authors.
I saved the life of a man who wants to keep me locked away indefinitely. And now I was going to continue treating him. It seemed my desire to preserve human life was overriding my own sense of self-preservation.I love a good abduction story, and Monster delivers. The writing is superb. It draws you in from the first lines and keeps you hooked. I loved it!
CLAUDIA ELLERS
...when we touched, he ignited such a fire within me, one that made me forget my internal anguish, granting me release from the burden of the agony that had scarred my soul… I couldn't resist the allure, couldn't resist him.Claudia is a pediatrician who had her carefully controlled life completely shattered the moment she was kidnapped at gunpoint in the hospital parking lot.
BRADLEY SMITH:
A man on the edge could be more dangerous than a cold-blooded criminal.Bradley's best friend is dying. Taking him to a hospital would result in a jail sentence, so he is forced to kidnap a doctor to heal his friend.
SEAN REYNOLDS:
He was such an enigma: unbearably cocky, somewhat terrifying, and shockingly tender by turns.Sean woke up with a gunshot wound and a very pissed off woman handcuffed to his bed...
And I couldn't seem to resist him.
Now that it looks like Sean might survive his brush with death, Claudia's medical expertise is no longer needed. Unfortunately, the criminals who abducted her can't let her go free...
Let's Break it down:
The entire story is told from Claudia's POV, and she proves to be quite the badass. She has overcome enough obstacles in her life that she is not easily breakable...
Claudia has no family or close friends to pull a Liam Neeson and save her. She is completely on her own to figure out how to escape...
This is a FREE ebook on Amazon, and I recommend you go out and pick it up.
Warning: This book has a Cliffhanger, but the trilogy is complete.
Some of My Favorite Moments:
Click the image below for more information on this book and to read my interview with Julia Sykes!
I host a weekly series on the BOM Blog which spotlights Indie Authors.
June 18, 2013
3.5 Stars
Okay this was a bit tough, but I need to be honest here. When I started reading this, I was expecting a darker read since it's a kidnapping story. It most definitely wasn't but I did enjoy it.
Dr Claudia Ellers is leaving her job one night when a gun is shoved against her head and she is pushed into her car. Her kidnapper Bradley Smith directs her to drive to his apartment in a seedy neighbourhood, when they get inside she sees Sean Reynolds lying on a bed bleeding and pale from a gunshot wound.
The chemistry between Sean and Claudia was instant, Sean was immediately protective of her. He was sweet, thoughtful and always considerate of her situation. You see Bradley wants to kill Claudia because they don't need her anymore but Sean won't allow it because she's saved his life.
There was a lot of potential for some really dark reading here, but it just never came through. I'm ashamed to say this but Claudia was entirely too mouthy for a kidnap victim and Sean let her get away with way too much. The bedroom scenes were mildly to scorching hot in my opinion there was just way too much teasing and no actual action! I mean the guy has some serious kinks, he's this supposedly twisted guy, but whenever he and Claudia did something, I was like "Okay and then?" Don't let me start with his constant regret over how he treats her!!! I mean "hello???" The woman wants to leave and you're not letting her, and now you wanna tell me he regrets??? Own it!!!
I hesitate to say this but I might have enjoyed it more had she and Bradley had a relationship... I didn't hate it, it's just that I was expecting a lot more from this book! It was engaging, but I need a lot more from a hero, I expect him to be confident both inside and outside the bedroom and I love a sassy heroine who doesn't take shit! But the hero shouldn't be submissive and I'm very sorry to say this but Sean was at times very alpha but then he'd change into this weak man! These are all personal preferences so I won't give the book a low rating because of that, it was well written.
The ending was pretty good, actually it was a cliffy. But I won't be rushing to read the next one, although I am interested in what happens next.
Okay this was a bit tough, but I need to be honest here. When I started reading this, I was expecting a darker read since it's a kidnapping story. It most definitely wasn't but I did enjoy it.
Dr Claudia Ellers is leaving her job one night when a gun is shoved against her head and she is pushed into her car. Her kidnapper Bradley Smith directs her to drive to his apartment in a seedy neighbourhood, when they get inside she sees Sean Reynolds lying on a bed bleeding and pale from a gunshot wound.
The chemistry between Sean and Claudia was instant, Sean was immediately protective of her. He was sweet, thoughtful and always considerate of her situation. You see Bradley wants to kill Claudia because they don't need her anymore but Sean won't allow it because she's saved his life.
There was a lot of potential for some really dark reading here, but it just never came through. I'm ashamed to say this but Claudia was entirely too mouthy for a kidnap victim and Sean let her get away with way too much. The bedroom scenes were mildly to scorching hot in my opinion there was just way too much teasing and no actual action! I mean the guy has some serious kinks, he's this supposedly twisted guy, but whenever he and Claudia did something, I was like "Okay and then?" Don't let me start with his constant regret over how he treats her!!! I mean "hello???" The woman wants to leave and you're not letting her, and now you wanna tell me he regrets??? Own it!!!
I hesitate to say this but I might have enjoyed it more had she and Bradley had a relationship... I didn't hate it, it's just that I was expecting a lot more from this book! It was engaging, but I need a lot more from a hero, I expect him to be confident both inside and outside the bedroom and I love a sassy heroine who doesn't take shit! But the hero shouldn't be submissive and I'm very sorry to say this but Sean was at times very alpha but then he'd change into this weak man! These are all personal preferences so I won't give the book a low rating because of that, it was well written.
The ending was pretty good, actually it was a cliffy. But I won't be rushing to read the next one, although I am interested in what happens next.
April 1, 2013
I really liked this book. Despite the fact that most of it takes place in just one room, it wasn't slow paced and didn't drag. In fact, quite the opposite, I felt it was a little short... kind of blink-and-you'll-miss-it. I felt that it kind of came to an abrupt, unsatisfying end.
I breathed deeply, but the scent of freedom didn't smell nearly as sweet as I had thought it would.
Obviously, it is going to be the first book in a series, so I will certainly withhold judgement until I have read the rest. But, rather than being a story in itself I kind of felt like this was a prelude... it set the story up, it introduced the characters, but at only 150 pages, not all that much was able to happen...
The writing was engaging, the basis for the story is exciting and I think it will make for a good series. And, following the ending, I can't imagine how this is going to unfold, so I am certainly intrigued and wanting more.
"Are you really going to keep me here forever?"
"Right now, forever with you doesn't seem like such a bad fate."
Sean is a hot, injured, dominant, alpha-male, bad-boy criminal. He's cocky, arrogant and no stranger to the world of crime, but he also saves Claudia's life and she can't ignore the sensitivity that he seems to hide underneath his hard exterior.
He was such an enigma: unbearably cocky, somewhat terrifying, and shockingly tender by turns.
And I couldn't seem to resist him.
Claudia, the lead female, irritated me at times, but she redeemed herself after a while and by the end of the book, I wasn't entirely sure what ending I wanted... did I want them together, did I want her free, did I want him caught...? Aaaah, I'm still undecided. But I liked that Claudia was battling with her own issues.
I had come to the realization that my captivity had forced me to renew human contact for the first time in years.
These Stockholm type stories fascinate me because I love that writers can really make you believe that the captor is worth feeling for. It never ceases to amaze me. Aren't we such suckers! ;)
"If you feel anything like what I... Please," I begged. "I need my life back. I need myself back. I don't know who I am when I'm with you. I don't like who I am when I'm with you."
Looking forward to the next instalment.
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May 6, 2013
Did not finish. Made it to 64%. This is where I stopped... What a grand plan to escape her captors...not! Claudia grinds up Benadryl and puts it in a chocolate cake she bakes. Seriously? Bradley has two pieces and Sean has one. She waits for Sean to fall asleep, uses hairpins to unlock a bedroom door **insert seriously here again.** She doesn't contemplate whether Bradley is asleep or not and manages to escape the building only to find she is in a rundown neighborhood. At this point there is no turning back and she continues and is attacked almost immediately and nearly raped. Sean miraculously awakens immediately after she left and was able to find her right away and comes to her rescue. He takes her back to his apartment where he gets hot and heavy with the kissing and Claudia is totally into it. Seriously? Then they realize, wait, you were almost raped, we shouldn't be doing this. He leaves her to shower where she is still so turned on by Sean that she gets herself off! Come on!!!! Really?! I recognize that this is fiction, but give me some plausible scenarios. Sexual assault one minute and self-pleasuring in the shower afterwards doesn't work for me.
consider-later
September 1, 2014
FREE today on Amazon US (9/1/2014)
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00C31H2VO/r...
September 30, 2014
FSoG in disguise. Boring.
August 8, 2013
Another book that, for me, hasn't lived up to the hype. I wish I hadn't already bought the rest of the books in this series. The story was too far fetched. That doesn't normally bother me because I have the, 'It's fiction, dammit!" mentality. That being said, I can usually overlook the far fetched story lines in books if I am drawn to the characters. Obviously, I wasn't. I feel absolutely no connection. Sorry.
September 1, 2014
A well written novella/short novel of abduction and kidnapping, by Julia Sykes. In fear and terror for her life, Paediatrician, Dr. Claudia Ellers, is faced with the nightmare of abduction at gunpoint. Bradley, a gangster thug who has allegiance only to his shot friend, Sean, places Claudia in the situation of having to save his friend’s life, without proper medical resources or lose hers. Then know that when she has succeeded her life is of no further value, and her freedom to walk, talk and report this incidence will never be allowed. No win situation that shows well the adage of where there’s life there’s hope and how Claudia has to use her wits to survive.
So, I downloaded this as a BDSM novel…and wondered where this story was going. The writer teases the reader for a long time as a gradual attraction develops between Sean and Dr. Ellers; the damage from past childhoods of both people leading the reader to empathise with both of her main characters, then finally, awaiting some connection, perhaps BDSM linked as well as romance, maybe even a HEA, well…do read it, do be surprised at the ending, do feel pleased or annoyed. Realism or romantic idealism? Readers will find out. I will say this was nothing like I had expected, my respect for Julia Sykes’ story telling rose. Would I have read it knowing how it was going to pan out…probably not, yet it was as should be?
I considered this for 3 and 4 stars and it is a good 3.5 more 4 star.
So, I downloaded this as a BDSM novel…and wondered where this story was going. The writer teases the reader for a long time as a gradual attraction develops between Sean and Dr. Ellers; the damage from past childhoods of both people leading the reader to empathise with both of her main characters, then finally, awaiting some connection, perhaps BDSM linked as well as romance, maybe even a HEA, well…do read it, do be surprised at the ending, do feel pleased or annoyed. Realism or romantic idealism? Readers will find out. I will say this was nothing like I had expected, my respect for Julia Sykes’ story telling rose. Would I have read it knowing how it was going to pan out…probably not, yet it was as should be?
I considered this for 3 and 4 stars and it is a good 3.5 more 4 star.
March 17, 2013
Author Julia Sykes offered me an ARC in exchange for a review. Always a pleasure to read one of her books. Thank you Julia.
The story opens with Claudia Ellers a pediatrician being kidnapped by Bradley Smith. Claudia is need to patched up a gun shot victim Sean Reynolds.
I really don't want to give too much away because there is a bit of twist and turns as you reached the end a nice little shocker you aren't expecting. Sean her gun shot victim/captor becomes a bit more than a patient to Claudia as they spend more time together. While Bradley doesn't care for Claudia, its obvious Sean and Claudia share a forbidden dangerous attraction for each other which is the classic kidnapper/victim taboo. Who doesn't love a bit of taboo breaking?!
This book has a bit more darker erotic edge to it than the author's previous series. I really like that about it. I'm looking forward to finding out what happens next.
The story opens with Claudia Ellers a pediatrician being kidnapped by Bradley Smith. Claudia is need to patched up a gun shot victim Sean Reynolds.
I really don't want to give too much away because there is a bit of twist and turns as you reached the end a nice little shocker you aren't expecting. Sean her gun shot victim/captor becomes a bit more than a patient to Claudia as they spend more time together. While Bradley doesn't care for Claudia, its obvious Sean and Claudia share a forbidden dangerous attraction for each other which is the classic kidnapper/victim taboo. Who doesn't love a bit of taboo breaking?!
This book has a bit more darker erotic edge to it than the author's previous series. I really like that about it. I'm looking forward to finding out what happens next.
July 20, 2013
2.5stars
Honestly, I expected a better read/story when I began this but what I got was a serialized novelette so that didn't really go over. Kidnap victim Pediatrician Claudia Ellers is kidnapped to help unconscious gunshot victim handsome Sean Reynolds by his friend Bradley Smith with the choices of heal him and die or don't heal him and die (hmmm.... decisions, decisions). When Sean regains consciousness he convinces Bradley that Claudia shouldn't be killed and accepts responsibility for her. During her forced stay, Claudia begins to have unprofessional thoughts about her patient and begins to open herself to Sean and his suggestions. While the writing and structure of this mini-read weren't bad, I found the underdeveloped characters and contrived storyline too off the mark for me to enjoy. The characters were fleshed but the personalities varied between confident and confused, frustrating me instead of connecting with me. I won't continue this as it wasn't a pleasant read for me
Honestly, I expected a better read/story when I began this but what I got was a serialized novelette so that didn't really go over. Kidnap victim Pediatrician Claudia Ellers is kidnapped to help unconscious gunshot victim handsome Sean Reynolds by his friend Bradley Smith with the choices of heal him and die or don't heal him and die (hmmm.... decisions, decisions). When Sean regains consciousness he convinces Bradley that Claudia shouldn't be killed and accepts responsibility for her. During her forced stay, Claudia begins to have unprofessional thoughts about her patient and begins to open herself to Sean and his suggestions. While the writing and structure of this mini-read weren't bad, I found the underdeveloped characters and contrived storyline too off the mark for me to enjoy. The characters were fleshed but the personalities varied between confident and confused, frustrating me instead of connecting with me. I won't continue this as it wasn't a pleasant read for me
August 18, 2016
Loved them!
For my review of the three books in this series please follow me to
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Monster ~ Traitor ~ Avenger
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For my review of the three books in this series please follow me to
Sizzling Pages...
Monster ~ Traitor ~ Avenger
http://cariads-sizzling-pages.blogspo... - come visit me!
Sizzling Pages Romance Reviews
Sizzling Pages @ Facebook
Twitter:@Sizzlingpages
May 25, 2013
This review is for the 3 novellas of this trilogy (the three written from the heroine’s POV). The plot was interesting but the writing felt amateurish, trite dialog, and I couldn’t connect with the H/h or their love story. The third one (Avenger) was better.
HERO type is unclear, he’s bitter since he’s forced to work in the illegal business of his father. When he’s shot, a doctor is kidnapped to save him, and he falls for her.
SCENES/CONTENT: few/bdsm
GENRE/TONE: contemporary/drama
LENGTH: Monster: 100 pages/Traitor: 107/Avenger: 96
HERO type is unclear, he’s bitter since he’s forced to work in the illegal business of his father. When he’s shot, a doctor is kidnapped to save him, and he falls for her.
SCENES/CONTENT: few/bdsm
GENRE/TONE: contemporary/drama
LENGTH: Monster: 100 pages/Traitor: 107/Avenger: 96
November 24, 2014
Too slow for me , found myself skipping pages to get to the story .
December 5, 2017
Note, the following review is for the dual point of view version of the complete Impossible story…
Earlier this year I picked up Dark Lessons, the first book in the Subversive series. Whilst it works perfectly fine as a standalone novel, I found myself wanting more Julia Sykes. When I found out the Subversive series was a spin-off of the Impossible series, carrying on the Impossible series with known characters in Chicago, I knew which Julia Sykes books I would be picking up.
Thus, I went and brought the entire Impossible series.
Despite purchasing the entire series, I ended up reading other Julia Sykes books before diving into the Impossible series. Holden and Brandon are extensively re-written stories of the first two books in the Dark Grove Plantation series. Being such short reads, I was happy to dive into them when I had little time to read something much longer. I’m not usually the biggest lover of short stories, but I really enjoyed them both, which made me all the more excited to dive into the Impossible series. In fact, reading Holden and Brandon simply worked to bump the Impossible series even higher up my to-read list.
I’ll be completely honest by saying the book does take a while before it really gets moving. Although events are happening and you’re growing to enjoy the characters, the start of the book is rather slow. I was enjoying it, yes, but I was a bit impatient for things to start happening. For anyone who feels the same way, I beg you to hold out. Once things start to move, the story is wonderful.
From my handful of Julia Sykes books, I’ve reached the conclusion you can expect certain things. The characters will be a lot of fun with wonderful chemistry. The chemistry will lead to amazing steamy scenes. Later in the book the action will be really exciting. You may have to wait for the action, but the development of the characters and getting to know them certainly makes the wait worthwhile.
With Impossible, I came to love both of our main characters. I know Impossible started off as a single point of view, but I’m so glad it developed and became a dual point of view story. It was great to see events from both sides, especially later in the book when things really got moving, allowing us to see all that was going on.
Overall, I really enjoyed this one. It may have been a wee bit slow to begin, but I was addicted throughout. There is no doubt of me jumping into the rest of the Impossible series, as I cannot wait to find out more about the characters we were introduced to throughout this book.
Earlier this year I picked up Dark Lessons, the first book in the Subversive series. Whilst it works perfectly fine as a standalone novel, I found myself wanting more Julia Sykes. When I found out the Subversive series was a spin-off of the Impossible series, carrying on the Impossible series with known characters in Chicago, I knew which Julia Sykes books I would be picking up.
Thus, I went and brought the entire Impossible series.
Despite purchasing the entire series, I ended up reading other Julia Sykes books before diving into the Impossible series. Holden and Brandon are extensively re-written stories of the first two books in the Dark Grove Plantation series. Being such short reads, I was happy to dive into them when I had little time to read something much longer. I’m not usually the biggest lover of short stories, but I really enjoyed them both, which made me all the more excited to dive into the Impossible series. In fact, reading Holden and Brandon simply worked to bump the Impossible series even higher up my to-read list.
I’ll be completely honest by saying the book does take a while before it really gets moving. Although events are happening and you’re growing to enjoy the characters, the start of the book is rather slow. I was enjoying it, yes, but I was a bit impatient for things to start happening. For anyone who feels the same way, I beg you to hold out. Once things start to move, the story is wonderful.
From my handful of Julia Sykes books, I’ve reached the conclusion you can expect certain things. The characters will be a lot of fun with wonderful chemistry. The chemistry will lead to amazing steamy scenes. Later in the book the action will be really exciting. You may have to wait for the action, but the development of the characters and getting to know them certainly makes the wait worthwhile.
With Impossible, I came to love both of our main characters. I know Impossible started off as a single point of view, but I’m so glad it developed and became a dual point of view story. It was great to see events from both sides, especially later in the book when things really got moving, allowing us to see all that was going on.
Overall, I really enjoyed this one. It may have been a wee bit slow to begin, but I was addicted throughout. There is no doubt of me jumping into the rest of the Impossible series, as I cannot wait to find out more about the characters we were introduced to throughout this book.
May 14, 2013
Claudia (h) was a child of the foster system after her parents were killed when she was young. She didn't have one of the good foster homes and is emotionally scared by the experience. After she was able to get away from her foster family she devoted every minute of her life to becoming a Doctor like her father was. As she was leaving work one night she's kidnapped and taken to an apartment to treat a man who had been shot.
Sean (H), when he came around and woke up after being shot he found a beautiful woman handcuffed to the bed beside him, turns out his friend had taken her to save his life. When his friend determines that she is no longer needed he was going to kill her. Sean couldn't let that happen, she had saved his life. The only other option is to keep her, forever.
*************SPOILERS***************SPOILERS****************SPOILERS****************SPOILERS****************************
I really loved Sean but I didn't like Claudia. This book ends on a major cliff hanger and it looks like it takes all three books in the series to finally get to the HEA. With each book costing 3 $, I'm not sure I want to continue to get there. Claudia is so drawn to Sean and I understand her reluctance in getting involved with her capture. However he wasn't the one who took her, he's been very nice and considerate to her, and he has saved her life 3 times in the first book and yet by the end of the first book that seems not to mean much to her. IMO, he woke up in a bad situation that he had nothing to do with and is doing his best to keep her alive and him safe at the same time.
Sean (H), when he came around and woke up after being shot he found a beautiful woman handcuffed to the bed beside him, turns out his friend had taken her to save his life. When his friend determines that she is no longer needed he was going to kill her. Sean couldn't let that happen, she had saved his life. The only other option is to keep her, forever.
*************SPOILERS***************SPOILERS****************SPOILERS****************SPOILERS****************************
I really loved Sean but I didn't like Claudia. This book ends on a major cliff hanger and it looks like it takes all three books in the series to finally get to the HEA. With each book costing 3 $, I'm not sure I want to continue to get there. Claudia is so drawn to Sean and I understand her reluctance in getting involved with her capture. However he wasn't the one who took her, he's been very nice and considerate to her, and he has saved her life 3 times in the first book and yet by the end of the first book that seems not to mean much to her. IMO, he woke up in a bad situation that he had nothing to do with and is doing his best to keep her alive and him safe at the same time.
February 26, 2025
Status: Read August 28, 2016
via Serial #1.1 within Impossible: The Original Trilogy
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐
My Library Notes:
Monster (Impossible, #1.1)
by Julia Sykes
Kindle Edition, Revised Edition, 122 pages
Published October 12, 2013 (first published March 29, 2013)
ASIN: B00C31H2VO
My life was irrevocably changed that night. The night I was taken. I saved a man's life, but at what cost to myself? Can I convince him to save me in return?
I hate him for what he's done to me. But the longer I'm trapped with him, the harder it is to cling to that hatred. He is an enigma of a man, one who is shockingly arrogant, sweetly contrite, and frighteningly aggressive by turns. And the pain in his eyes is a mirror for my own.
The longer I remain in his grip, the more confused I become.
Is my freedom worth betraying him?
Warning: This series contains strong language and scorching sex scenes involving light BDSM.
via Serial #1.1 within Impossible: The Original Trilogy
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐
My Library Notes:
Monster (Impossible, #1.1)
by Julia Sykes
Kindle Edition, Revised Edition, 122 pages
Published October 12, 2013 (first published March 29, 2013)
ASIN: B00C31H2VO
My life was irrevocably changed that night. The night I was taken. I saved a man's life, but at what cost to myself? Can I convince him to save me in return?
I hate him for what he's done to me. But the longer I'm trapped with him, the harder it is to cling to that hatred. He is an enigma of a man, one who is shockingly arrogant, sweetly contrite, and frighteningly aggressive by turns. And the pain in his eyes is a mirror for my own.
The longer I remain in his grip, the more confused I become.
Is my freedom worth betraying him?
Warning: This series contains strong language and scorching sex scenes involving light BDSM.
April 25, 2013
The premise had potential but the plot flopped for me. Less than 24hours after being kidnapped, Claudia is sexually attracted to her one of her captors, who was technically unconscious for most of those hours? Yeah, Ok, that sounds believable. Bradley was a douche, who treated her like shit. She helped him after he held her at gunpoint and forced her to help his best friend, but he constantly behaved like a child and threw tantrums because he felt she was coming between him and Sean. For 3/4 of the book, I thought Bradley and Sean were actually lovers with the way Bradley was so threatened by Claudia. I just couldn't understand Bradley's over-the-top dislike for Claudia. The story felt very rushed and I didn't feel a connection with any of the characters and I kept picturing Sean as Opie from The Andy Griffith Show from the description of his red hair and freckles, which looks nothing like the guy on the cover. Sorry, not sexy for me. Also, Claudia claims she has Stockholm Syndrome which bothered me a little. Do people who actually suffer from Stockholm Syndrome actually openly admit or realize it's happening? Anyway, I don't think I'll be reading the next book.
April 29, 2013
When I started Monster, I was sucked in automatically, and couldn't put it down. The main reason I was able to be interested was because of the plot line, but there are a lot of things that made this book a turn off to me.
One: I can not connect to the character's at all. I hate how you hardly learn very much about either of the main character's and nothing about the side character's.
Two: I normally do not mind the "dominance" stuff by the alpha male, but in this book I felt it was forced, and just put in to attract attention not because the character's were actually like that.
three: It was really very short, and the ending was left not quite a cliffhanger, but very open ended. There wasn't much of a conclusion in this book, and I know it builds up suspense for the next it just made me not even want to read more.
So with this conclusion I will not be reading anymore on this series. And I was seriously frustrated, and disappointed with this book it could have been so much better. Overall it was only okay. A mix between a 2.5 and 3 Stars.
One: I can not connect to the character's at all. I hate how you hardly learn very much about either of the main character's and nothing about the side character's.
Two: I normally do not mind the "dominance" stuff by the alpha male, but in this book I felt it was forced, and just put in to attract attention not because the character's were actually like that.
three: It was really very short, and the ending was left not quite a cliffhanger, but very open ended. There wasn't much of a conclusion in this book, and I know it builds up suspense for the next it just made me not even want to read more.
So with this conclusion I will not be reading anymore on this series. And I was seriously frustrated, and disappointed with this book it could have been so much better. Overall it was only okay. A mix between a 2.5 and 3 Stars.
March 7, 2013
But hatred is hard to cling to when your jailor becomes your protector.
Dr. Claudia Ellers is kidnapped and forced to patch up her captor’s buddy who has suffered a gunshot wound to the shoulder. She pushes the clawing fear aside when her instincts kick in. She may not be a surgeon, but she does what she has to in an effort to save the man’s life. But her ordeal is far from over. Bradley, her captor, wants to kill her, she knows too much. Her patient, Sean, won’t let that happen, but he also won’t let her leave. She should hate Sean, but his sexy, cocky attitude slowly whittles away at her defenses. She may have saved his life, but soon he’ll be saving hers many times over. Caught between fear and an unexplainable attraction, Claudia’s life is about to be turned upside down.
This book was Impossible to put down! Claudia was a woman with many secrets. Put into foster care after the death of her parents at the age of thirteen, we were bestowed with a bits and pieces of information that hinted at a very dark life at the hands of her stepmother and stepbrother. She hasn’t had a relationship since her early college days, she hasn’t read for pleasure or followed popular TV shows for years. She carries unimaginable guilt on her shoulders and has hardened her heart to everyone she’s ever met. She has no friends, no one who would miss her. Even her colleagues at work don’t know much about her except when to expect her at work. Summed up, her life was and still is dull. She was no shrinking violet and had no problem throwing barbed comments back at her captors. Foolish? Perhaps, but I liked seeing her feisty side come out every once in a while. The more time she spent with Sean, the more she learned about him, and what she saw, she liked. Surely a man who had a shelf full of Harry Potter, Game of Thrones and books on carpentry couldn’t be all that bad, right? Then she decided to snoop around his room and discovered his “goody drawer”, and everything changed. I loved that she spent time working things out in her mind. Questions I had while reading this story were either answered or addressed by her.
Sean was both hero and anti-hero. He didn’t want any harm to come to Claudia, but he also couldn’t allow her to leave. Aside from being attracted to her beauty and her courage, he was also drawn to the vulnerability he saw bubble up from time to time. He knew something about pain, anguish and guilt. But that is where the similarities end. He’s had a few tastes of the burning passion between them, and he wants more, but he know he shouldn’t. It wouldn’t be fair to take advantage of her and her situation. Until she finds a secret he meant to keep from her. He has a wild kinky side. Surely a woman like Claudia would never want to be dominated so harshly?
Together, Sean and Claudia are the perfect protagonists for this particular story. While she has made it her life to heal and take care of people, Sean is the complete opposite. With him there’s anger, pain and danger but also surprisingly moments of absolute tenderness. This story was about so much more than just a woman who may or may not be suffering from a case of Stockholm Syndrome, and a man who could exploit her vulnerability to satisfy his needs. But when she finds the ultimate release under his domination, all her walls come down. And that, more than anything, scares the crap out of her. I felt her pain and uncertainty between fight or flight, and that one moment with Sean in the park had me close to tears. But the real surprise was the ending – when she finds out the truth about Sean. And that is why I said they were perfect characters for this story. Her history and his present are on a collision course with disaster. In my opinion, that made for some fantastic drama that I can’t wait to see carry over into book two.
Grab this book if you like a story with some really hot scenes toeing the line of darkness and danger, and a hint of romance. Yes, this story ends on a cliffhanger, but I’m more than willing to wait for their story to continue.
Disclaimer: I received a review copy from the author in exchange for an honest review.
This review and more can be found on my blog.
March 6, 2013
I received an ARC of This From Julia for an Honest Review :
This Book starts right from the first page and pulls you right in from the first chapter, I literally read it in a matter of a few hrs today . It was a GREAT read .
This is the first book in Julia's New Impossible series. Julia Brings to us a story about a Woman ( Pediatrician Claudia Eller's) , Who right from the start of chapter one is Taken against her will . She is kidnapped to Save a Man's life . Once she does that , She finds out she is not allowed to leave . The Heated relationship that starts to build between Claudia and Sean ( the man whom's life she saved) is a crazy ride , Claudia is trying to figure out how she can have feelings for Sean , when he in fact tells her she can never leave. Things definitely get heated between these two characters and It left wanting more of them together ..
This Book has suspense, Compassion, and touches on a little bit of BDSM .
The story flows real good and definitely kept me turning the pages to see what was going to happen next . Although We do not get the full story in this Book it leaves you wanting to know what is going to happen in the next book . I myself can't wait to see where the story of Sean and Claudia goes from here .
Book Blurb:
My life was irrevocably changed that night. The night I was taken. I saved a man’s life, but at what cost to myself? Could I convince him to save me in return?
Pediatrician Claudia Ellers is jerked out of her own safe, secluded world and brought into one of danger and uncertainty on the night that she is kidnapped by Bradley Smith. He forces her to save the life of his best friend, Sean Reynolds, under threat of death. But when her task is complete, Sean decrees that she can’t be allowed to leave; she knows too much. Claudia is resentful of her captors, desperate to escape. But the more time she spends trapped with Sean, the harder she finds it to cling to her hatred for him. He is an enigma of a man, one who is shockingly arrogant, sweetly contrite, and frighteningly aggressive by turns. And the sexual tension between them is scorching. The longer she remains in his grip, the more confused she becomes about what she must do. Is her freedom worth betraying him?
Find out in Monster (Impossible #1), to be released 29 March 2013!
Warning: This book contains graphic language and scorching sex scenes involving BDSM.
Check out the Video for the Upcoming Monster book
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=...
This Book starts right from the first page and pulls you right in from the first chapter, I literally read it in a matter of a few hrs today . It was a GREAT read .
This is the first book in Julia's New Impossible series. Julia Brings to us a story about a Woman ( Pediatrician Claudia Eller's) , Who right from the start of chapter one is Taken against her will . She is kidnapped to Save a Man's life . Once she does that , She finds out she is not allowed to leave . The Heated relationship that starts to build between Claudia and Sean ( the man whom's life she saved) is a crazy ride , Claudia is trying to figure out how she can have feelings for Sean , when he in fact tells her she can never leave. Things definitely get heated between these two characters and It left wanting more of them together ..
This Book has suspense, Compassion, and touches on a little bit of BDSM .
The story flows real good and definitely kept me turning the pages to see what was going to happen next . Although We do not get the full story in this Book it leaves you wanting to know what is going to happen in the next book . I myself can't wait to see where the story of Sean and Claudia goes from here .
Book Blurb:
My life was irrevocably changed that night. The night I was taken. I saved a man’s life, but at what cost to myself? Could I convince him to save me in return?
Pediatrician Claudia Ellers is jerked out of her own safe, secluded world and brought into one of danger and uncertainty on the night that she is kidnapped by Bradley Smith. He forces her to save the life of his best friend, Sean Reynolds, under threat of death. But when her task is complete, Sean decrees that she can’t be allowed to leave; she knows too much. Claudia is resentful of her captors, desperate to escape. But the more time she spends trapped with Sean, the harder she finds it to cling to her hatred for him. He is an enigma of a man, one who is shockingly arrogant, sweetly contrite, and frighteningly aggressive by turns. And the sexual tension between them is scorching. The longer she remains in his grip, the more confused she becomes about what she must do. Is her freedom worth betraying him?
Find out in Monster (Impossible #1), to be released 29 March 2013!
Warning: This book contains graphic language and scorching sex scenes involving BDSM.
Check out the Video for the Upcoming Monster book
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=...
July 28, 2015
This review can also be found at :
http://fortheloveofbooksreviews.blogs...
Claudia is kidnapped by Bradley when leaving work one day, needed for her medical skills. When he takes her to his home, she meets Sean, his best friend, who is suffering from a bullet wound. After treating him, she finds herself handcuffed to the bed, unable to escape, and incredibly afraid.
Sean is different from Bradley, he's charming and much more laid back. Often defending Claudia from Bradley's anger and frustration, she begins to feel attracted to him. As her feelings grow she learns more and more about the two boys...and is torn apart by her emotions. Will she escape, or will she choose to stay with Sean?
I'm a big fan of kidnapping books, I find them very exciting and suspenseful. This book had its fair share of suspense and excitement, however I found it somewhat cliché at times.
The emotional turmoil Claudia was going through seemed a bit unrealistic, and badly paced. For example, if you have been kidnapped, you're generally not going to find yourself constantly admiring one of your kidnappers' bodies and appearance, within the first few days of captivity. Sure you can find them attractive, but I felt like the whole Stockholm Syndrome thing happened a bit too quickly.
The author also included 'misunderstood bad boy' elements. Sean is revealed to have had his own share of hardships within his life, and Claudia feels a connection to him through them. While this wasn't stressed too dramatically, I feel like it could've been executed better and could've had a larger, more significant impact had it been addressed in a more original manner.
I did appreciate that the author didn't jump into the erotic scenes right away; they occured closer to the end of the book. I'm glad because by doing this, she was able to develop the relationships between the characters and make their decisions all the more realistic.
Trigger warnings include kidnapping, gang/mafia activity, attempted rape, and mentions of an unpleasant experience in the foster care system.
Overall, an enjoyable story. Suspenseful with erotic elements, it wasn't perfect, but it was far from bad.
I recommend this to those who enjoy kidnapping-themed stories, and who are looking for a shorter book with suspenseful and erotic elements.
http://fortheloveofbooksreviews.blogs...
Claudia is kidnapped by Bradley when leaving work one day, needed for her medical skills. When he takes her to his home, she meets Sean, his best friend, who is suffering from a bullet wound. After treating him, she finds herself handcuffed to the bed, unable to escape, and incredibly afraid.
Sean is different from Bradley, he's charming and much more laid back. Often defending Claudia from Bradley's anger and frustration, she begins to feel attracted to him. As her feelings grow she learns more and more about the two boys...and is torn apart by her emotions. Will she escape, or will she choose to stay with Sean?
I'm a big fan of kidnapping books, I find them very exciting and suspenseful. This book had its fair share of suspense and excitement, however I found it somewhat cliché at times.
The emotional turmoil Claudia was going through seemed a bit unrealistic, and badly paced. For example, if you have been kidnapped, you're generally not going to find yourself constantly admiring one of your kidnappers' bodies and appearance, within the first few days of captivity. Sure you can find them attractive, but I felt like the whole Stockholm Syndrome thing happened a bit too quickly.
The author also included 'misunderstood bad boy' elements. Sean is revealed to have had his own share of hardships within his life, and Claudia feels a connection to him through them. While this wasn't stressed too dramatically, I feel like it could've been executed better and could've had a larger, more significant impact had it been addressed in a more original manner.
I did appreciate that the author didn't jump into the erotic scenes right away; they occured closer to the end of the book. I'm glad because by doing this, she was able to develop the relationships between the characters and make their decisions all the more realistic.
Trigger warnings include kidnapping, gang/mafia activity, attempted rape, and mentions of an unpleasant experience in the foster care system.
Overall, an enjoyable story. Suspenseful with erotic elements, it wasn't perfect, but it was far from bad.
I recommend this to those who enjoy kidnapping-themed stories, and who are looking for a shorter book with suspenseful and erotic elements.
March 9, 2013
Monitor my blog, book reviews and any other important book updates at http://www.facebook.com/StayBluReads
I was provided an ARC of this book in return for a fair and honest review, which I fully intent to give.
From the very first page, very first line, we were immediately thrown into the world of Dr Claudia Ellers, as she's being kidnapped (am I the only person who doesn't like this word when it refers to grown adults?) by a man, Bradley, with the intentions of forcing her to save his friend who has been shot. Sean is a stunningly attractive man, even with a bullet hole in his chest and covered in blood. Claudia is instantly drawn to him, and as he begins to heal, she's even further drawn to his charisma. Since she's completed the task at hand, Bradley in instant on killing her but that's a line Sean isn't comfortable crossing. But that doesn't mean he's willing to let her leave either.
The attraction between Sean and Claudia is strong, as Claudia considers using it to gain her freedom, but is she strong enough to remain unattached while giving in to the attraction?
Being thrown immediately into the action of the book, I wasn't able to connect with Claudia on a level that I would have wanted. It took a way a bit of the empathy that I had for her. But I was engrossed in the chemistry between her and Sean. Constantly thinking about what I would do in that situation. I really wanted to know more about both Sean and Claudia.. even the jerk, Bradley. Perhaps in the future books to come, as this ended with a cliffhanger.
Overall though, I enjoyed this book and will be getting the next one upon it's release.
--------------------------------------
What I Liked:
I liked the angry banter from Claudia to the amused Sean.
--------------------------------------
What I Didn't Like:
The drawer of kink. Seemed unnecessary.
--------------------------------------
Favorite Quote:
“You’re a lot bossier than most of the women I find handcuffed to my bed, you know.”
I was provided an ARC of this book in return for a fair and honest review, which I fully intent to give.
From the very first page, very first line, we were immediately thrown into the world of Dr Claudia Ellers, as she's being kidnapped (am I the only person who doesn't like this word when it refers to grown adults?) by a man, Bradley, with the intentions of forcing her to save his friend who has been shot. Sean is a stunningly attractive man, even with a bullet hole in his chest and covered in blood. Claudia is instantly drawn to him, and as he begins to heal, she's even further drawn to his charisma. Since she's completed the task at hand, Bradley in instant on killing her but that's a line Sean isn't comfortable crossing. But that doesn't mean he's willing to let her leave either.
The attraction between Sean and Claudia is strong, as Claudia considers using it to gain her freedom, but is she strong enough to remain unattached while giving in to the attraction?
Being thrown immediately into the action of the book, I wasn't able to connect with Claudia on a level that I would have wanted. It took a way a bit of the empathy that I had for her. But I was engrossed in the chemistry between her and Sean. Constantly thinking about what I would do in that situation. I really wanted to know more about both Sean and Claudia.. even the jerk, Bradley. Perhaps in the future books to come, as this ended with a cliffhanger.
Overall though, I enjoyed this book and will be getting the next one upon it's release.
--------------------------------------
What I Liked:
I liked the angry banter from Claudia to the amused Sean.
--------------------------------------
What I Didn't Like:
The drawer of kink. Seemed unnecessary.
--------------------------------------
Favorite Quote:
“You’re a lot bossier than most of the women I find handcuffed to my bed, you know.”
May 24, 2014
It's called "Impossible: the Original Trilogy," and the individual books are "Monster," "Traitor," and "Avenger," and the series makes about as much sense as the 'I can't pick a title so I'm going to name it all the names' titles.
The heroine is a doctor who obviously has no medical training or experience. The hero is, of course, super-hot, dark, deadly, and possesses a drawer full of sex toys and a bookcase full of books.
I call bull on two things first and foremost.
One: gunshot wounds to the arm are not life-threatening. (This is specific to the injury detailed in the story). The whole "he's going to die from a gunshot wound to the ARM" thing needed way more research. Sean wouldn't have lost consciousness from the blood loss from a flesh wound. Even a penetrating gunshot wound to the arm wouldn't have caused that much bleeding, save a direct hit to an artery, and in that case, he would have been dead before his buddy got him to a car.
Author, the gloves are called exam gloves (universally, unless they are sterile, and then they are called "surgical gloves" or "sterile gloves."). Not "medical gloves."
Two: no human can read two (three?) Game of Thrones books in as many days.
What would have made this book good: if the BDSM had been a natural part of the book instead of being instances of info-dumps and amatuer Pornhub porno dialogue.
Also, the characters needed personalities. Claudia either cried, screamed, had sex, or objected to missing work. She is apparently stupid (as are the FBI). You can't save somebody from jail by snitching on them. Sean is a bad guy and deserved jail. Claudia was TSTL. Just unbelievably ignorant. Sean's character was so incredibly "romance-novel-bdsm-bad-boy" that he blends in with every single other self-pubbed BDSM dom out there right now. He had no distinguishing features. None.
If you're looking for good BDSM erotica, read Candace Blevins, Bianca Sommerland, or my fave, spankin' Sasha White.
The heroine is a doctor who obviously has no medical training or experience. The hero is, of course, super-hot, dark, deadly, and possesses a drawer full of sex toys and a bookcase full of books.
I call bull on two things first and foremost.
One: gunshot wounds to the arm are not life-threatening. (This is specific to the injury detailed in the story). The whole "he's going to die from a gunshot wound to the ARM" thing needed way more research. Sean wouldn't have lost consciousness from the blood loss from a flesh wound. Even a penetrating gunshot wound to the arm wouldn't have caused that much bleeding, save a direct hit to an artery, and in that case, he would have been dead before his buddy got him to a car.
Author, the gloves are called exam gloves (universally, unless they are sterile, and then they are called "surgical gloves" or "sterile gloves."). Not "medical gloves."
Two: no human can read two (three?) Game of Thrones books in as many days.
What would have made this book good: if the BDSM had been a natural part of the book instead of being instances of info-dumps and amatuer Pornhub porno dialogue.
Also, the characters needed personalities. Claudia either cried, screamed, had sex, or objected to missing work. She is apparently stupid (as are the FBI). You can't save somebody from jail by snitching on them. Sean is a bad guy and deserved jail. Claudia was TSTL. Just unbelievably ignorant. Sean's character was so incredibly "romance-novel-bdsm-bad-boy" that he blends in with every single other self-pubbed BDSM dom out there right now. He had no distinguishing features. None.
If you're looking for good BDSM erotica, read Candace Blevins, Bianca Sommerland, or my fave, spankin' Sasha White.
July 18, 2014
The beginning was exciting and led you to believe this book was going to be full of action and terror. But it's not. So if that's what you're looking for, drop that expectation right now. And don't let the beginning of the book fool you like it did me.
This book was...uncomfortable. The romance between Claudia and Sean was rushed and unconvincing. There is mention of stockholm syndrome, but it is not even close. There wasn't enough time spent between the two for it to develop. Claudia was on a man hiatus of seven years, until she sets eyes on Sean. Then for some unfathomable reason she is quite happy to drop her panties for him and roll in the hay all within a week of knowing him. Had this book taken place over a longer period of time, it might have been more believable. But it didn't and it was just awkward.
Bradley was such a waste of character. He was a middle man and nothing more. He's used as a threat for Claudia's life, but not once did I actually fear for her beyond the first chapter. The suspense of the book was pretty nonexistent which made the read really dull for me.
Claudia is always a victim in this book. She's stupid though, so you don't even feel sorry for her. I really doubt that after being kidnapped, she would be okay with walking alone at night. She doesn't check her surroundings or do anything someone with her experience would do.
But it gets better. Claudia almost gets raped after escaping, but is totally okay with participating in violent sex with a stranger the same night! What. the. Hell? This is just really sad. It's disturbing and not in a way that you oddly enjoy. It's just tasteless.
Sean and Bradley are supposed to be part of the mob...but they live in the shittiest part of town. They don't act like mobsters. They act like amateurs.
The book made absolutely no sense at all. There's no chemistry between the characters. And the story completely fell flat.
I won't be reading further.
This book was...uncomfortable. The romance between Claudia and Sean was rushed and unconvincing. There is mention of stockholm syndrome, but it is not even close. There wasn't enough time spent between the two for it to develop. Claudia was on a man hiatus of seven years, until she sets eyes on Sean. Then for some unfathomable reason she is quite happy to drop her panties for him and roll in the hay all within a week of knowing him. Had this book taken place over a longer period of time, it might have been more believable. But it didn't and it was just awkward.
Bradley was such a waste of character. He was a middle man and nothing more. He's used as a threat for Claudia's life, but not once did I actually fear for her beyond the first chapter. The suspense of the book was pretty nonexistent which made the read really dull for me.
Claudia is always a victim in this book. She's stupid though, so you don't even feel sorry for her. I really doubt that after being kidnapped, she would be okay with walking alone at night. She doesn't check her surroundings or do anything someone with her experience would do.
But it gets better. Claudia almost gets raped after escaping, but is totally okay with participating in violent sex with a stranger the same night! What. the. Hell? This is just really sad. It's disturbing and not in a way that you oddly enjoy. It's just tasteless.
Sean and Bradley are supposed to be part of the mob...but they live in the shittiest part of town. They don't act like mobsters. They act like amateurs.
The book made absolutely no sense at all. There's no chemistry between the characters. And the story completely fell flat.
I won't be reading further.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 8, 2014
Well...
You can see the following review also here: http://loveandlivetoread.wordpress.co...
Well, it was an ok novella but not quite what I was expecting. I thought that it would be more dark but here is just the usual story of kidnapping-going-wrong-woman-has-Stockholm-syndrome. Also, I can’t say that I understood very much the characters.
The story is simple: Claudia is a doctor without personal life and one day after work a dangerous man kidnapped her because he wanted a doctor to take care of his friend, Sean, who was shot. And then, after ONE day, she was attracted by him!
I can’t say that I liked Claudia a lot. I found her desperate to live dangerous for a few minutes and cry the next hour! It was easy to see that she has antisocial and it wouldn’t be bad if she has a little more brave. I found her very fragile.
Sean wasn’t bad. Well, he’s a criminal but he wasn’t acting bad. But he didn’t convince him as a dominant. Everything he was saying was like an act and didn’t feel real. I can’t say that they had amazing chemistry but they weren’t bad also.
I don’t really know what else to say because it was a very quick read and the characters didn’t have the time for a full development. Maybe the next installment has more necessary details!
You can see the following review also here: http://loveandlivetoread.wordpress.co...
Well, it was an ok novella but not quite what I was expecting. I thought that it would be more dark but here is just the usual story of kidnapping-going-wrong-woman-has-Stockholm-syndrome. Also, I can’t say that I understood very much the characters.
The story is simple: Claudia is a doctor without personal life and one day after work a dangerous man kidnapped her because he wanted a doctor to take care of his friend, Sean, who was shot. And then, after ONE day, she was attracted by him!
I can’t say that I liked Claudia a lot. I found her desperate to live dangerous for a few minutes and cry the next hour! It was easy to see that she has antisocial and it wouldn’t be bad if she has a little more brave. I found her very fragile.
Sean wasn’t bad. Well, he’s a criminal but he wasn’t acting bad. But he didn’t convince him as a dominant. Everything he was saying was like an act and didn’t feel real. I can’t say that they had amazing chemistry but they weren’t bad also.
I don’t really know what else to say because it was a very quick read and the characters didn’t have the time for a full development. Maybe the next installment has more necessary details!
September 3, 2014
Okay storyline, but missing something for me. can't put my finger on it, though. Written well. I just felt disinterested. perhaps my mood *shrugs* formulaic? Everything was present, except I didn't connect.
*edited*added*
I DNFed for 3 reasons.
1: women on every street, every single night, do not get sexually assaulted. yes, it happens. but every heroine, in every book, steps 1 foot outside, and is assaulted. without. Fail. Always. men are despicable rapist, hanging out on every corner. except for the hero, that is. if humanity is that bad, where Mary Sue "I'm not hot & never get laid" women are rape-magnets, yet lived on the Earth for 30 yrs without issue, we should just give up & never leave our gilded cages, ladies.
2: Sean saves the day- on death's door, sedated Sean has the best timing ever.
3: no female would have sex with her captor 2 minutes after said attempted rape. it goes against human nature. it does. truly.
I lied, there is another reason.
4: Pediatricians go to med school. You choose a specialty afterwards, AFTER being educated the SAME. sewing an 8 yr old is the same as an 90 yr old. the human body doesn't grow extra organs, and such as it ages.
5: i almost stopped reading when the doctor was treating her patient & thinking of jumping his bones. THAT really makes Me want to seek out medical treatment. since, like men, all Doctors, male and female, are perverts while saving lives.
*edited*added*
I DNFed for 3 reasons.
1: women on every street, every single night, do not get sexually assaulted. yes, it happens. but every heroine, in every book, steps 1 foot outside, and is assaulted. without. Fail. Always. men are despicable rapist, hanging out on every corner. except for the hero, that is. if humanity is that bad, where Mary Sue "I'm not hot & never get laid" women are rape-magnets, yet lived on the Earth for 30 yrs without issue, we should just give up & never leave our gilded cages, ladies.
2: Sean saves the day- on death's door, sedated Sean has the best timing ever.
3: no female would have sex with her captor 2 minutes after said attempted rape. it goes against human nature. it does. truly.
I lied, there is another reason.
4: Pediatricians go to med school. You choose a specialty afterwards, AFTER being educated the SAME. sewing an 8 yr old is the same as an 90 yr old. the human body doesn't grow extra organs, and such as it ages.
5: i almost stopped reading when the doctor was treating her patient & thinking of jumping his bones. THAT really makes Me want to seek out medical treatment. since, like men, all Doctors, male and female, are perverts while saving lives.
March 11, 2013
*Possible spoilers*(but to be honest nothing that isnt in the synopsis)
I Recieved an ARC from Julia for an Honest Review.
Whew,Monster is the story about Claudia and how she was kidnapped to save the life of Sean.Claudia has to deal with not only being captured and having to work under duress But the one thing that throws her for a loop falling for Sean.She struggles with the fact that he is her Captor and all she wants to do is tear his clothes off.Monster is a decently paced book.Not too fast but not too slow.Just right. I'll be honest I've read books where there was just to much eroticness (is that a word?) and not enough book.Monster has both Julia Sykes nailed it on the head and her writing is on par with the big names out there.I look forward to Book 2 in the Monster Series.Monster is the perfect start to this series.I look forward to seeing where Claudia and Sean go from here...Heck I just look forward to reading more from Julia Sykes.If you enjoy Erotic Romance then this is a series you are NOT going to want to miss.
I Recieved an ARC from Julia for an Honest Review.
Whew,Monster is the story about Claudia and how she was kidnapped to save the life of Sean.Claudia has to deal with not only being captured and having to work under duress But the one thing that throws her for a loop falling for Sean.She struggles with the fact that he is her Captor and all she wants to do is tear his clothes off.Monster is a decently paced book.Not too fast but not too slow.Just right. I'll be honest I've read books where there was just to much eroticness (is that a word?) and not enough book.Monster has both Julia Sykes nailed it on the head and her writing is on par with the big names out there.I look forward to Book 2 in the Monster Series.Monster is the perfect start to this series.I look forward to seeing where Claudia and Sean go from here...Heck I just look forward to reading more from Julia Sykes.If you enjoy Erotic Romance then this is a series you are NOT going to want to miss.
September 13, 2014
Yeah yeah I gave it only 1 star and that's pushing it. I didn't like this book at all. It just seemed to be all over the place and the characters were like the story, ALL OVER THE PLACE!
Sean - gun shot victim from a mob family with a hot body a seductive smile, and let's not mention he's got this whole bondage/Dom side too. Slowly falls for the doctor who was kidnapped to save him from this gun shot.
Dr Claudia Ellers- the doctor who saves Sean and somehow develops these feelings for her patient. Her character was so unbelievable...I mean come on, you let some guy throw you over his knees and let him spank you, really? I couldn't stand this chicken when I felt I should be feeling sorry for her but I DIDN'T! She irked the hell out of me.
Bradley - He was the one to kidnap Claudia and brought her to the apartment to save Sean. This guy was just a complete jackass! Sometimes his protectiveness over Sean made me think maybe he had deeper feelings for Sean that went beyond friendship.
The whole story was just too much for me. I definitely won't be reading the second book :(
Sean - gun shot victim from a mob family with a hot body a seductive smile, and let's not mention he's got this whole bondage/Dom side too. Slowly falls for the doctor who was kidnapped to save him from this gun shot.
Dr Claudia Ellers- the doctor who saves Sean and somehow develops these feelings for her patient. Her character was so unbelievable...I mean come on, you let some guy throw you over his knees and let him spank you, really? I couldn't stand this chicken when I felt I should be feeling sorry for her but I DIDN'T! She irked the hell out of me.
Bradley - He was the one to kidnap Claudia and brought her to the apartment to save Sean. This guy was just a complete jackass! Sometimes his protectiveness over Sean made me think maybe he had deeper feelings for Sean that went beyond friendship.
The whole story was just too much for me. I definitely won't be reading the second book :(
January 31, 2013
A little darker than Julia's other books. A gritty thriller that takes us into the world of a workaholic doctor who is taken against her will by a guy desperate to save the life of his recently shot friend.
Through a natural humanitarian urge Claudia saves Sean's life. Bradley, the loyal friend wants to erase Claudia now that her job is done, but Sean is grateful to Claudia and demands that Bradley backs off.
The story continues with Claudia doing all she can to get away from her captors, but another part of her feels a strange desire towards her unlikely patient.
Can Claudia get herself together before her life changes forever? What is the secret behind Sean's shooting? Who is Sean and why is Claudia so damn confused about how she feels.
A slight diversion from Ms Sykes regular Genre, but don't be sad she still manages to sneak in a bit of kink and erotica into the story!
I enjoyed Monster and I am dying to see where Ms Sykes takes this story next!
Through a natural humanitarian urge Claudia saves Sean's life. Bradley, the loyal friend wants to erase Claudia now that her job is done, but Sean is grateful to Claudia and demands that Bradley backs off.
The story continues with Claudia doing all she can to get away from her captors, but another part of her feels a strange desire towards her unlikely patient.
Can Claudia get herself together before her life changes forever? What is the secret behind Sean's shooting? Who is Sean and why is Claudia so damn confused about how she feels.
A slight diversion from Ms Sykes regular Genre, but don't be sad she still manages to sneak in a bit of kink and erotica into the story!
I enjoyed Monster and I am dying to see where Ms Sykes takes this story next!
March 21, 2015
Claudia...... You, my lady remind me of what a crusty twat waffle would be like if I was to envision one. Sean..... Such potential, you just reaallllly need to find your nut sacks as I think they hibernated. I hate and I mean HATE weak characters. Sadly,Sean and Claudia were both weak. I had high hopes for this book, but I ended up just being disappointed. There was no background of any sorts, no character development, even the "cliff hanger" was lacking. I love me some alpha males but Sean was not one. He acts as if his sexual preference in BDSM is sick, discusting...... I want to read up on a man who owns that shit! Confidence is key my friends, ain't nobody got time for a weak man. For Claudia you ask? Well let's just say, if Bradley would of killed her or even just ya know kinda stabbed her a bit, I would of been inclined to bump my rating to a possible 3 stars had it been painful enough.
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