It started with Piggy. It escalated with Kitty. It ends with Puppy.
For almost a year, Ethen O’Dowell has been locked behind bars and yet Puppy is far from free. A legal ward of her parents, she shares her bedroom with Pony, the only part of her old, submissive life that she has left… apart from the guilt, the fear, and the weekly punishments Ethen dishes out every time they visit him. Escape … him. Escape is all Puppy dreams about. Escape and somehow finding the courage to once more become the person she used to be–someone who lived life on her own terms and never let herself be afraid. Sadly, those days are long over, and as the old saying goes, there’s just no getting them back again. Or is there?
It’s a dead night at Black Light when ex-military man Carlson Garvey decides all he wants is a quiet drink and some downtime to practice his Shibari. What he isn’t expecting is the petite brunette who plops down at his table, squeaks out a terrified hello, and promptly flees again. There’s a story here and although he doesn’t know it, Carlson doesn’t need to. He recognizes a broken soul when he sees one.
Sometimes the only thing a broken person needs is the right Dom willing to intervene.
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Well, I finished reading this book and being familiar with the Black Light books I thought I knew what I was getting into. Nope, not even close. Puppy’s story was so much more emotional, challenging, determined and rewarding then I was expecting. Carlson, what an amazing and confident Dom to pair with Cynthia. This is a phenominal series but this book, blows it up out of the water. Enjoy!
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I loved this book, it was interesting and Puppy’s growth with Carlson’s help was awesome, finding out more about her earlier life helped to understand her and what led her to accept the abuse from Ethan. I have read all the stories and I
love them all. Although with ending I am wondering are you going to write a story
for Pony.
Yes this book is part of the Black Light series and a continuation of the twisted menagerie of Ethen O’Dowell’s, you really can read this as a standalone. Maren Smith is a fantastic storyteller and gives you plenty of background to enable anyone to follow the story. And what a story this is. Cynthia (Puppy) is terribly broken, but feels she must protect and help Pony. They are the last two remaining victims of O”Dowell’s, who is in jail for some of his crimes. Carlson, a dom and DM at Black Light comes across Puppy and is drawn to this sad, physically and emotionally damaged woman. The story is her story to rebuild herself, her life, and find a real Dom to love and protect her. There were many cringe worthy moments, but Cynthia’s and Carlson’s perseverance was an amazing thing to read. Loved this book
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Since my very first encounter with the menagerie I’ve been desperate to learn more. This book was not a comfortable read for me. It pushed a lot of my own buttons and asked me to question some of my own reactions. As another reviewer mentioned, there’s a scary amount of victim-shaming in this book, that I didn’t enjoy. I’m also on the fence about some of the punishments Cynthia was given and the reasons for them. Through the magic of fiction, they get her to where she needs to be, but they seemed out of line for the “infractions” she’s supposed to have committed. I adored Cynthia. Watching her anxieties brought me to tears on more than one occasion because I just wanted to hug her tight and promise to make it all better. I loved seeing her find her independence. I kind of feel like I didn’t really get to know Carlson though. He’s a true alpha-protector but that seems to be part and parcel of being the Head of Household and former military. The ending left me gaping. It came out of nowhere and happened so fast my head is still spinning. And left us perfectly poised for Pony’s book in the future.
I received a complimentary copy of this book through Booksprout.
This is the 3rd book by maren Smith. This one is about carlson and puppy. This will take you on an emotional roller coaster ride.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
This was an intense read. So many twists and turns to get back where she needs to be. The characters are well developed and strong with chemistry that is felt throughout. Will two broken people be able to mend their broken spirits? The storyline kept my attention to the end.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
This is an especially heart grabbing story. I was so into this story to find out what happened to Puppy that my heart felt everything. The story was told to where I felt all of the sorrow, and could imagine the hurt caused by the SOB that thought he was a man. An incredible story.
Such an emotional ride! This book gave me all the feels! First happy she is taking back her life, then finding love and independence again. It’s been a long road for puppy and Carlson and amazing to watch their interactions. Maren Smith sure knows how to bring it and make you want more despite the ugly crying.
Woah, this was an intense into into the Black Light world. Puppy and Pony are so damaged from their time with a cruel master. While Puppy struggles to break away, pony only clings tighter to the man who is now in prison. Puppy finds a new Sir, and he helps her overcome her past in ways she never imagined.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Will Puppy’s need for a dom be met by Carlson
Wow! Maren tells Puppy’s difficult story with such compassion, understanding and steamy interactions that I need Pony’s story next! Cynthia’s heart-rendering past as Puppy and her day-to-day survival takes a turn for the better when she meets Carlson at Black Light. Carlson needs someone to care for and Cynthia touches all his buttons. I was hoping that Carlson would heal Puppy from the toxic influences of her mother, Pony and Ethen. I could not put this book down and the ending is a shocker!
Puppy’s book is heart wrenching. This maybe the first book by Maren Smith I have read, but the souls searching and backbone growing this character has to do was emotional. I really hope Pony gets to have story. It’s going to be a tough one.
Great Story!!
Pony and Puppy are all that is left of Ethan’s menagerie. Even though he’s in prison, Pony and Puppy got to see him, he still controls them. Puppy is so tired, tired of the panic attacks, the insecurities, the worthlessness she feels. She been unable to even hold a job. One day she’s sick of always being afraid so she ventures out (also afraid of Pony finding out). She would tell on her to Ethan, She snuck out and went to Black Light. Carlson is a monitor at Black Light and he sees Puppy enter and she is having trouble. He goes to her and that is the beginning. Carlson for some reason feels for Pony and he takes her under his wing to help her. Pony has so many negative thoughts. Can Carlson break through? Loved this story. It evoked many emotions during my reading of this book. Again, Love It!
I enjoyed reading this even though I hadn’t read the other Black Light books. There are triggers of abuse and some are even depicted graphically so people have to be aware when picking this up. However, I can see how that needs to be in order to depict the story between Cynthia and Carlson. There’s a lot of hurt that Cynthia has to get through but I was glad to see she was able to find what she needed again.
4.4 stars
Ever since the menagerie was first introduced I have been intrigued by their stories. The abuse that these characters went through was deplorable. As each of these characters gets their own story it is interesting to note how different their healing process is in wiping away the deep-rooted scars that came from this “relationship”. Even though Kitty, Piggy, Puppy, and Pony all lived in the same house the way they were treated was far different. This came even more clear in this story with Puppy.
I enjoyed, not sure that is really a good word considering it means I derived pleasure from the circumstances that were Cynthia’s former life, how she explained her feelings of not only what happened but how it truly affected her in in the grand scheme of things. The author did a great job showing where she was mentally and physically. This can be attributed to Grayson. That man had the patience of a saint. Puppy’s story is heartbreaking. It hurt my heart to think of someone taking a relationship to this extreme especially as it goes against everything that this lifestyle stands for.
I, also, liked seeing Pony. This wasn’t because there was anything positive about her in this book but did showcase how broken she was. It adds another dimension to the scars that these women endured. It also paved the way to what I hope was a hint that eventually there will be a book for Pony. I would love to see that journey, although to be honest, that will take a miracle because that girl is so broken.
Perhaps the biggest surprise in this wasn’t the actual main characters but rather it was the surprise interactions with Spencer. I have a love-hate relationship with that guy but in this one, I definitely scored a few brownie points and showed he is more than just his cocky surly self. There were some areas that I wanted to be improved on especially towards the end and the conclusion of a HFN made it feel rushed and incomplete. I am guessing this is because oftentimes it is “incomplete” because these characters generally make a reappearance in other BL books or the Roulette anthologies.
I look forward to more from not only this author but this entire series.
This is the light at the end of the tunnel for Puppy. I did not read the whole menagerie series, so it took me a few pages to situate myself in this story. Puppy is trying to separate herself from the rest of the menagerie and her struggles are so explicit and real, it will make you love her character even more. To watch her bloom under Carlson tutelage and her finding inner peace and happiness is the main goal. I loved this story and bought the rest of the menagerie stories. I am dying to see what’s in story for Pony in the future. I honestly volunteered to review this story.
So well done!!
An incredibly moving gut wrenching, heart wrenching journey. Puppy is trying to escape her past and move on from the mental, emotional and phyical abuse she has suffered.
It will be an intense journey that will not be smooth or painfree and yet Carlson will do everything he can do to help her. Puppy will have to learn to accept her past and move on and heal. Their relationship is is one of building trust, support, acceptance and more.
Be prepared to go through numerous intense emotions. Grab your kleenex.
This one gutted me from beginning to end, and I cried more times while reading this than I care to admit. I was heartbroken and then I was beyond happy, but both things made me cry. If you have read the other Menagerie books you will know what I’m talking about when I say this was a hard read. Not because the story wasn’t well written, but because it was too well written. The anxiety, fear, pain, and longing we’re almost more than I could deal with. Maybe it’s partly because I have dealt with those issues. Maybe it’s because I also know the strength that comes from finding yourself again. Maybe it’s because Maren has a way of creating deep bonds between her characters and her readers. Maybe it’s because the story isn’t just about puppy, but also the pain of everyone involved. Whatever the reason, this one broke me more than any dark read ever has, and it’s not a dark read in the least. It’s a beautiful story about strength, support, rebirth, and love that can overcome even the worst experiences. I never wanted it to end, but end it did. I have loved every one of the Black Lights books, but the Menagerie girls will always hold a special place in my heart. I can’t wait for Pony to also find her feet again, but I’m sure I’ll cry even more through that one than I did this one.
If you love to read character driven books that have beautiful love stories and happy endings than this one shouldn’t be missed. It was all I could have hoped for, and more. Bravo Ms. Smith! Bravo!
Oh my gitty heart!!! This has got to be one of the most . . . I don’t know how to explain what I am feeling. Just know that this book is more than a 5 star read! Oh dear heavens, the feelings it evoked, the places it took me, the EVERYTHING!
I know we are only in March, but Black Light: Brave is officially on my Book(s) of the Year list for 2020.
I refused to put this book down. Which happens with great books. But I hit a new level with this book. I actually skipped school work, got a zero on my assignment, just to keep reading. Please know that this is a huge thing for me. Hopefully this will convey how amazing Black Light: Brave is.
The menagerie is back but this time we get Puppy’s story. We haven’t heard a lot about puppy in the other stories so I was interested to see where Maren Smith was going to take this…. And she blew my mind.
Puppy is trying and fighting to get back to some semblance of normal. Most don’t understand her but Carlson makes the time to understand.
I love that Puppy has this fight in her even when she doesn’t know it. And I love how Carlson understands what she needs.
There was one point in the story that I was shocked because Maren went in a direction I didn’t expect but it was so well done! Another success for Maren and Black Light!!
I’ve been waiting for Puppy’s story ever since we got Kitty’s story, so I was really excited about this one. And I have to say that it was exactly what I’ve been waiting for, and it gave me all the satisfaction that I could’ve wanted.
So, Puppy has had her freedom since Ethan has ended up in prison for what he was doing and had done to his Menagerie. Well, sort of freedom. She’s stuck living with her mother and Pony, and is in a new version of h-e-l-l. But one night, she escapes and meets Carlson.
I like Carlson a lot. I think that he’s a good man who is incredibly patient. He is doing everything he can to try and help Puppy, which isn’t always easy because she has all these traps and landmines planted in her psyche, and not even she has the full map of what’s going on in there. They don’t know that there is a problem until boom, something blows up in their faces. I think that Carlson does as well as he can, but he’s not a mind reader or a psych doctor, so you know, there’s that.
Puppy is incredibly strong, brave, and fierce. She doesn’t think she is, but if you look at everything she’s been through and everything she’s going through now, you can see how strong she actually is. I’m so proud of her, and she should be proud of herself too for everything that she does.