Seduced in the Dark (The Dark Duet Book 2)

Soul Churning but Savagely Powerful & Important Reading… “Seduced in the Dark” is the second installment of author, CJ Roberts Dark Duet Series. It is the conclusion of Livvie and Caleb’s journey, and unlike the first book, is a length the story deserves at twenty-seven glorious chapters. This book catapults you back and forth between character perspectives (the victim/Livvie, the monster/Caleb, and the law/Matthew) and takes you down a winding, albeit at times confusing, tale of Livvie’s captivity and all the players within the broader scale of her plight. And despite its violence and fiercely disturbing subject matter, is at its core importantly allegorical.

Robert’s uses this story as a vehicle to expertly demonstrate how in life things exist to either add to the strength of our foundation or chip away at our souls bit by bit. It illustrates how we’re all “monsters” in our own way and because of our own unique circumstances. And regardless of how you feel about the subject matter within this book, in my opinion, it is an important, relevant story.

I’ve read many of the reviews, seen people railing against this book calling it filth that glorifies rape. But the truth of the matter is, it is not, and it does not. It tells a very real, accurate story, about a very real set of topics: the billionaire infested world of sex trafficking, the market that allows its existence and the very real victims within this world, ALL of the victims. Because like it or not, there are many victims within this world, not just the Livvie’s.

Robert’s brilliantly showcases the pure truth that not everyone and every situation within a larger plight is as it seems. Not every bad guy is truly bad, not every good guy is truly good, and not every person guilty of despicable things is beyond forgiveness and redemption. The pure, unadulterated reality of it all is there are a million shades of grey in-between. And this story perfectly illustrates these extremely grey areas of actual life…

I’ve previously said in my own writings how I often find works of fiction more truthful and accurate than supposed nonfiction or autobiographical works because the writer can tell their truth without fear or being unmasked. This is especially true of many of the books within the “dark” genres. It is also something especially relevant in our current “sjw/keyboard warrior” world where only “known” and “safe” perspectives are accepted and folks are afraid to tell their truths, especially gritty, messy, horrific ones like this. And despite being a work of fiction, Roberts opens an avenue into a very real world of human trafficking and the pleasure slave trade. She creates a dialog where the reader can begin to understand that people like Caleb exist. People like Livvie exist. People like Matthew and Sloan exist. And I most certainly believe governments around the world act and react in ways exactly like this.

Does it make what happens to Livvie any less horrific to empathize with Caleb’s plight? No, it does not. Does Caleb’s own kidnapping as a child and torture within this horrific realm of sexual abuse lessen the horrors of his own actions? No, it does not. Do I personally believe in Caleb and Livvie’s ultimate acceptance and love for one another? I am still pondering I must admit, but I would like to think it’s possible. Regardless of my belief in their love however, the truth remains that all of the above gives a needed perspective. And it is greatly important to understand it all, to dissect the actions and the real causes behind them, to understand the cause and effect of the entire circumstance and not merely the actions of four months in a horror spanning decades. Such is the case of any real event such as is illustrated in this book.

It is a case of seeing things for what they actually are and not merely as they appear to be on the surface.

As with my review of the first book, I’m again not going to lie, this is a heavy frickin book. It’s going to make you uncomfortable way down deep in the pit of your belly. It’s going to take you longer to read than other books will because of the churning it will cause in your soul. And it is going to weigh on your mind for days, maybe even weeks after you read it. BUT, you should read it anyway because it’s an important perspective to understand from within a very real and horrific realm.

Bravo to CJ Roberts for writing it. I wish more writers were as brave as you. You have gained a permanent fan.

“I’m yours,” she said, but then added, “only yours. And you’re mine, only mine.” – Livvie

As good as it is, the first book in this duet, Captive in the Dark seems but a mere warm-up to the ingeniously told story, beautifully complex character development of both Caleb and Livvie (Kitten), soul searing emotion, torrid eroticism and unexpected conclusion found in Seduced in the Dark. I was beguiled, invested and not a little heartbroken from the first word of this book.

The reader finds Livvie in the throes of a mental breakdown restrained in a psychiatric hospital. She is being interviewed and questioned at different times by two different FBI agents. As she is interrogated by the attractive Agent Reed, whose mannerisms remind her of Caleb, flashes of her intimate encounters with Caleb intrude into her thoughts and even alter her present reality. She feels as if she is being hollowed out by the memory of her time with Caleb. She is at war with herself trying to make sense of her heartbreak at losing Caleb…what he meant to her…if she loved him…if he ever truly loved her. She tells Agent Reed that Caleb died in her arms at the hands of Rafiq. Do we believe her?

As in the first book, Caleb’s POV is narrated to us in the third person and we hear from him the events continued from the last book which is now in the past. And so, the story unfolds in this ingenious construct.

Caleb is discovering that perhaps his decade-long quest for revenge with his mentor/partner, Rafiq, is colliding with his desire to keep his Kitten all to himself. His Kitten, his Livvie, is making him feel unfamiliar emotions. Every time Livvie breaches his guarded damaged heart, like a wave rushing back to the sea, he doubles down on his Mastery over her body and attempts to prepare her for the sexual slavery that Rafiq and he have planned for her as part of their plans for revenge on the man to whom she will be sold as a virgin sex slave.

Ultimately, Caleb makes a choice. This choice is borne out of his agony from hearing the truth of why Caleb suffered the early horrors of his childhood. Caleb’s story unwinds like knots and kinks being removed from tangled threads. Tangential characters parse out the details. Some of these characters felt like “red herrings” at times. As these secondary characters contributed to the movement of the complex story and character development of our main characters…some of them were imbued with characteristics and proclivities that felt to me as if they were symbolic of a theme or an idea the author wished to convey.

The dark, frank eroticism was sizzling…electric…hair-standing -on -end breathtakingly hot!!! More than this… the sexual tension between Caleb and Livvie was almost unbearable. Finally, when they let their mutual passion for each other loose…well…it leaves the reader never the same again. Yes, it is that good.

I will always remember this devastatingly gripping saga. In some ways it grieves me that I have not read this duet until now and yet… no matter when…I feel fortunate that I did indeed have the manifest pleasure of reading it.
If you are one so inclined to delve into the dark and find some pleasure there… ahem…in your reading of course, this is a must-read for you.

Quotes:
“I don’t want revenge, Caleb. I don’t want to end up like you, letting some fucking vendetta run my life. I just want my freedom. I want to be free, Caleb. Not someone’s whore…not even yours.” – Livvie

“I’ve been doing this a long time – manipulating people to get my way. That’s why you think you love me! Because I’ve broken you down and built you back up to believe it. It wasn’t an accident! Once you leave this behind…you’ll see that.” – Caleb