Jayne Shepherd has spent his life blending in. He smiles. He laughs. He’s likable. He’s also a sociopath. His emotions are limited. Love, fear, desire don’t exist in his world. Until he meets Elijah.Elijah Dunne had everything. Third generation Hollywood royalty. Child star. Untouchable. Until one man ruined it all. Elijah fled LA to try to forget, but now, he’s back on top and back on a … a monster’s radar. Elijah doesn’t think he’ll ever feel safe. Until he meets Shepherd.
Elijah and Shep only have one thing in common. They both wear masks. Shep makes Elijah feel protected. Seen. Elijah makes Shep just feel. Now that he’s had a taste, he’s not about to let him go.
Everybody warns that what they have isn’t real. Shep is obsessed with Elijah, not in love. But Elijah craves Shep’s obsession. He can’t imagine life without him. In Hollywood, being a sociopath is more a life skill than a diagnosis. Could Shep be the monster Elijah needs to finally slay his demons?
Captivating is the second book in the Elite Protection Services Series and contains age-gap, cum-play, voyeurism and one very sexy interrogation scene complete at 72,000 words with a HEA and no cliffhangers.
Trigger Warnings: This book contains talk of past child sexual abuse
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Elijah and Shepherds story wrecked my heart
*****
Rating: 5 stars
Steam 2.5 flames:
Genre: MM / Hurt Comfort / Virgin / Bodyguard
Triggers: Yes
*****
If I thought my heart was broken in book one, but this book shattered it to pieces. Elijah is an actor, paid to pretend, and from the outside world, spoiled with everything he could ever want. When he starts getting death threats because he was recently outed, the studio decides he needs a bodyguard to keep him safe.
Shepherd, former military man, whose skill sets of the interrogation kind. Yes folks, Shep’s forte is extracting information through any means necessary. One thing about Shep, he’s a sociopath and by definition, he should feel little to no empathy for Elijah… So why does he feel… for this broken young man?
Elijah and Shepherd’s journey is sweet, filled with insecurities, discoveries, and acceptance. There is a lot of pain in the book that once again hurts my soul. The storyline is engaging, the plot suspenseful, the steam… steamy and sweet, the romance… swoon worthy. This book isn’t all dark and sad, there are some cute and adorable parts of this book too that will easily endear you to these characters. I adored this book and this couple and I will continue to read this series.
NOTE: The birthday presents at the end couldn’t have been more perfect. It made my dark little soul sing with satisfaction!
Shep is everything.
There was not a single thing I didn’t like about this book. I think Shep might be one of my all time favorite book characters. There was just something about it. Put him with Elijah and it was fantastical.
I understand the artist license the author took with Shep’s diagnosis and I am definitely okay with it. Shep was this no filter character that said what he wanted and let the cards fall where they may. He was so good at passing as a “normal” person
Elijah was a character I wanted to hug and shake at the same time. He was so busy trying to do what was expected of him that he never knew what it was like to have someone care about what he wanted. He reveled in Shep’s obsession with him and in the end, it did him a world of good.
Love, love, loved this book.
This writer keeps beating on my head! Wow! After all these years away from the undergraduate and graduate psychology classes, I encounter a writer who makes effective use of the term ‘sociopath’–writing about it in a way that would please and impress my Psychopathy instructor! The media normally paints a different picture of the sociopathic individual that conveys an inaccurate, incomplete picture. Onley James’s writing shows us the more common face of the term in the form of Jayne Shepherd. That being a sociopath is more of a life skill than a diagnosis in Hollywood is one of the most remarkable observations ever made in fiction speaks to the writer’s sharp mind and writing gift. The reader is warned about possible triggers concerning past child sexual trauma yet the information is presented in the book in a way that fosters trust between the main characters. Expect some very hot and spicy sex scenes in the book. I found them unexpectedly delightful! Hehe… Enjoy!
I had such a visceral reaction to the first book in the series, I started to read this wondering if the second book could be as good and I wasn’t disappointed it SO was. The author has done it again with another deplorable character or two, those ones you want to hate which you will.
I loved how Shep and Elijah, Two very different people find perfect in each others eyes, it’s hot, steamy, totally sweet with dual POV and enough angst to keep the story moving at a steady pace. I loved the chemistry between Shep and Elijah, how they tried and succeeded in understanding and not judging how they fitted together. There was a few unbelievable bits but hey it’s fiction so in this book it all works. I really enjoyed this book I want to know where the author will take the series next.
Audiobook Review
Liam DiCosimo
Overall 4.5 Stars
Narrator 4 Stars
Story 5 Stars
I found this addition to the series utterly fascinating, particularly Jayne’s character. I have always seen sociopaths depicted as bad people, the bad guy, or a serial killer. Here we have one that’s not the villain of the story. The blurb had my interest piqued, and the story kept it there.
These two men are very different, yet…not completely. One major key to their persona is the same…they both pretend, and they can fake it better than anyone. They also can see past the mask the other is wearing, and it’s as if that fact, alone, draws them to each other. Like attracts like, and these men are actually kind of perfect for each other.
This story was well written, well thought out, and you can also see that in the characters Onley developed for this addition to the series. We get to see Linc and Wyatt, again. It was nice seeing them from an outside perspective. I enjoyed the flow of story, and how the relationship was built up. It was easy getting lost in the narration.
Liam DiCosimo is fairly new to the narration scene. I can already see growth in his voice between book one and two. I didn’t care for the voice he gave Linc, personally, but he stayed in character throughout book one, so he gets props to that. I did have to briefly listen to Linc talk, but he gets credit for keeping true to the voice he gave Linc. So often characters get different voices when they aren’t the lead MC anymore. I enjoyed the voices he gave Elijah and Jayne. I thought they were spot on for their character. Spot. On. I’m interested in watching DiCosimo continue to develop as a narrator. He has a lot of potential.
An initial description of this story made it seem like Elijah was going to fall for his mother’s boyfriend and that was going to be the extent of the complications. Boy oh boy was that wrong! First, let me say I love Elijah and Mike. They are a wonderful couple and Elijah’s friends are all interesting. What I didn’t realize was just what Justin was going to be. If you love great m/m romance with a dark, dangerous, suspense twist, do not miss this book!
This was the most apt title for a book I’ve ever found. I was totally captivated by every single part of this book. From the great characters to the thrilling plot, I found it difficult to put it down. Silly work and video conferences that you need to mandatorily assist to. *pouts*
Shep is a high-functioning sociopath and I was totally in awe of both Onley James and Liam DiCosimo, Ms. James because she wrote him and really did a great job with his characterization, making him totally believable, and Mr. DiCosimo because he outdid himself with the nearly robotic voice he used for him. I was totally sold on him. And Elijah, well, he was just perfect for Shep. He needed someone who put him first, who would protect him from whoever wanted to harm him, and Shep was that. They fitted so well together, both in and out of the bedroom, or against the door, or over the table, you get my drift. LOL
I loved catching up with the EPS guys, Wyatt and Charlie. I could have done without Molly/Lucifer, and the bad guys, but it was satisfying to see them get their comeuppance.
Liam DiCosimo did a fantastic job with all the characters, but his Shep was definitely my favorite. The emotion, the characterization, everything just combined into making this one heck of an audiobook. One you definitely need in your life.
ARC provided by GRR in exchange for an honest review. This was such a great read/listen. I adored both Elijah (rabbit) and Shep (Sam). I felt so much for both the characters. I hated what had happened to Elijah but loved how Shep was able to provide a home and safe place for him. This was not your typical bodyguard/celebrity romance it had depth with the character building and the side characters were all interesting. Liam did a fantastic job on this narration. He is a new to me narrator and I just found someone else to look for! Definitely going to be reading the rest of this series and hopefully blowing through Onley’s backlist!!
I’m reviewing the audio edition. This is one of the most attention and heart grabbing stories I’ve listened to in quite awhile. This author knows how to made unique characters heartwarming. Shep brought out the protective side of me. For all his hardness he really isn’t. His interaction with his family and Elijah bring that to light. Elijah on the other hand breaks my heart. Having a mother like his is reason for the death penalty. I love how the author took these two characters and brought them together with warmth and humor. I love this series. The narration by Liam DiCosimo made it a very enjoyable story. I can’t wait to see what’s next. I was given a free copy from Gay Romance Review and this is my voluntary opinion.
UPDATED:
I first read this book in January 2020, and I re-read it in November 2020 when the Audibook came out. The audiobook is narrated by Liam DiCosimo who did a great job with bringing this book to life. This was already a great story and Liam only added to my enjoyment of the book with his narration. The character voices were great and the audiobook production was well done.
This is a story about a bodyguard who falls in love with his client. This is a story about a damaged young man who finally breaks his silence on the evil that was done to him. This is a story about danger, love, and justice.
The plot has obsession, love, revenge, and renewal. The sex scenes were not only hot, but so raw in their intensity and chemistry that they left me breathless. The characters were all intriguing and so easy for me to fall in love with them. The complexity of the emotions that they felt and how it moved the plot forward was enthralling. I was not expecting to love this book as much as I did.
I loved every word, every sentence, every moment of this book. I did not want it to end and did my best to savor every little bit of this story. Elijah and Shep are so beautifully twisted with a romance that could burn down this world with it’s intensity.
Onley James is a talented writer who doesn’t merely write a story, but crafts an experience. After I finished the book, I just stared at the ending, a little in disbelief it was over. I can’t wait for the next installment in this series.
I picked this book up ASAP! I loved the first book where we met Elijah and his wild self needed an HEA.
People kept calling this book different and it certainly is! Ive never read anything quite like it before. Its a good different. I just dont want to spoil anything. Dont worry, you should catch on pretty fast.
Lots of good characters in this, old and new. Im hoping for a few to get their own book. I loved seeing Elijah and his friends again. Theyre ridiculous and hilarious together.
OMFG this was amazing! I am so sad that I read this too fast, I want more.
Shep and Elijah are just perfect, like a puzzle that fits perfectly.
I love that Shep’s character, he is possessive and protective of Elijah and would do anything Elijah asks no matter what.
This book is so good, you definitely need to read it.
Age Gap? Check
Angst? Check
Hot and Sexy? Check
Love, possessiveness and protective? Check
This author is 2 for 2 with me and I’m so happy!
Shep and Elijah fit so perfectly with each other. I loved the tension and banter between the two. I loved that Shep was unlike any character I’ve ever read about. I really liked that on paper, these two probably shouldn’t work, but for some reason do.
I can’t wait to see more from the supporting characters in this series. This author has turned into an auto-buy author for me.
I would rate this 3.75 stars.
This is the second book in this bodyguard series, written like the first with alternating points of view for each chapter. You could read it as a standalone or read it first, and then go back and read the first one if you want to know more about Linc and Wyatt’s story, even though this happens afterward. Elijah is damaged by past abuse and a Hollywood stage mom. Luckily his grandfather helps shield him for a few years before his death. The studio hires the security agency to protect Elijah after he’s attacked by a fan at a red carpet event. Enter Shepard as Elijah’s new bodyguard.
The book has something to say about actors as commodities, powerful people who act above the law, and mental health–although please know Shep’s diagnosis as a sociopath is a fictionalized version and not true to life. A conversation between Mac and Shep really illustrates how wrong in the head Shep is…so is it bad that I am on team Shep? Both of them are actors trying to blend in for their own survival, but the key to knowing why they work is that Elijah is a narcissist and hates uncertainty; once they are together, Shep makes sure he is certain of everything and is the center of his attention. I liked that the reader is never allowed to forget Shep is a sociopath. His pretending to be normal is always there. Elijah is sometimes surprised to be reminded life isn’t all about him and his dramas. He’s lucky to have Wyatt and Charlie as friends, but I wonder how well they really know him.
What I liked the least was the premise that Shep had to extract information from Elijah in order to help him. They are already exploring their sexuality together to find out what they like and don’t like. There seemed no need to make up this type of scenario just for the sake of a kinky scene with a child victim of rape. Doesn’t mean it wasn’t super hot though. The secondary characters didn’t add much here except for Lucifer, who though used as a foil, could have been more nuanced. I would like to see more of Shep’s twin brother. What I liked the best was Elijah taking back his agency and moving on with his life, letting the expectations of others go to do what he wants to do. Be prepared that this security agency all of the sudden turns into a vigilante group, so if you like your heroes wearing white hats, this might not be the book for you. This sets up the couple needed for the next book. There are many tropes here to enjoy: age gap, voyeurism, first time, and hints of Daddy with some topping from the bottom. Really it’s more that Shep runs everything except the bedroom, which is left to Elijah. This is an entertaining, over the top, revenge story that has sexy, albeit dark moments.
When you put two, perfectly fitted broken parts together, you got one whole!
Elijah Dunne is a successful Oscar-winning actor at 22 years of age. He is good, he even acts his real-life to the outside world. No one will know how he’ suffering, how broken and frightened he is.
After being attacked, Elijah has a bodyguard 24/7. A giant of a man.
Shepherd Jayne 42 years old, his mind doesn’t work like most people. He has a strong urge to peel people… from inside out! As an ex-military, he now works as a bodyguard.
When he laid eyes on fragile Elijah, he knows he found his purpose. “Mine”
Living behind masks is— for both of them— a profession they excel in. The reason why is amazingly intriguing and heartbreakingly devastating.
Being the sociopath he is, Shep is quite unknown with what young Elijah means to him, he only understands it feels right and he would do everything to keep Elijah happy and safe!
Demons from the past are hunting Elijah, it’s like a bomb, one that will explode in his face any second and he can’t run from it.
Excellently written story! It was quite the reality of contemporary news these days.
Even with the big bad world on the other side of the door, the story was for the most part mainly focused on Shep and Elijah’s lives, for me just how I like to feel while reading. Not too much distraction.
A perfectly balanced storyline with all the unbalanced events. Shep and Elijah— their personalities are as much deranged as they should be to make this a catching story. I was in this story from the first to the last sentence and felt involved immediately.
One comment: I would have found it more satisfying when a certain woman, named after a demon from hell, could suffer for the rest of her life. Who is deranged? me…? Noooo 🙂
Just as with book 1, Onley James once again had me totally engrossed with this story and characters. I am starting to suspect there is magic involved, because it’s almost unreal how good the books are! Need more!
Elijah and Shepherd (Jayne) both wear masks to the outer world. Shep because he’s a functioning sociopath. Elijah because he was systematically abused when he was younger, and has started receiving weird letters and is feeling very unsafe. Thank God for Shep, who is hired to protect him. If these two can see through their masks, they could have something quite beautiful.
I so wasn’t expecting the way this story went. I like how out of the box it is and how perfectly they fit each other. Shep’s character reminds me a lot of the character Dexter from the TV show of the same name. Both men have been schooled on how to behave appropriately, on how to fit in with the rest of society, while knowing that they are actually sociopaths. And I like how Elijah is the one who makes Shep finally feel. So good. The ending wasn’t really my favorite, but I can deal, as the rest of the story is fabulous. I will definitely be on the lookout for more from this author.
I really loved this book…it’s just WOW… a great addition to Elite Protection Services. It captured my attention from the beginning to the last word. Shep is a surprising unexpected MC but I loved him. And Elli fits just perfectly with him. It’s twisted, steamy hot, unconventional, funny and perfect. I’m so hooked and want the next book now
This is a different kind of love story. Yes, it’s a bodyguard romance, which is very common in the MM genre; and the body being guarded is a famous actor, which we’ve seen before. However, Elijah is not like most fictional actors, and Shep is definitely not like most bodyguards – or like most other romance heroes. Shep is a high functioning sociopath, who goes through life without any real emotions or connections. Once he meets Elijah, he becomes the one real connection for Shep. Eli blossoms under Shep’s attention and feels like he is finally being seen for himself, not the person he portrays to the world.
Both of these men wear masks, only revealing their true selves to each other. (Though Eli has Wyatt and Charlie, and Shep has a supportive, though cautious, family.) These damaged men could easily be villains, but instead they become wonderful romance heroes. Compared to the truly horrible characters they have to deal with, Shep and Elijah are practically angelic. I love the interaction between Eli and Shep. I don’t think the ending is out of character for either character, and I personally find it darkly humorous.
This is a book I will read again, and I’m already looking forward to the next installment in the series. I hope it’s as wicked fun and emotional as this one.
Shephard and Elijah are messed up. Shep is the first to admit that he’s wired wrong in the head and Elijah knows himself that he’s got a lot of issues.
You know how you usually read about characters that start off bad and,during the book,they do what they can to better themselves? Well,not Shep and Elijah. And it was kinda reinvigorating. Two messed up men that remain so all through the story,or even more by the end of it.
I just couldn’t put down. It was absolutely irresistible to watch Shep and Eli try to break one another…only to find out that their pieces click perfectly together. Their romance is raw,obsessive and beautiful. So,not your usual chocolates and roses love stories,yet love all the same.
I loved it.