Bodyguard. Protector. Lover.
Dashiell acts first and thinks second when he uses his fists to stop a vicious assault. The victim’s young, blond and beautiful — and the bratty kept boy of a gangland thug. Dashiell’s not offered thanks. Instead, he’s offered a job as the boy’s bodyguard. Out of work and short of cash, it’s tempting to say yes. But there are strings attached, and Dashiell’s not sure … Dashiell’s not sure he wants to get entangled.
Billy knows his place. He’s the property of a violent criminal, and just one wrong word means a beating, or worse. He yearns for a man who will love and protect him, keep him safe, and catch him when he falls. Dashiell could be that man — but only if Billy has the courage to follow his heart.
Their love is forbidden, and danger stalks their every move. Escape is the only option but as the walls close in, is time running out for Dashiell and Billy?
Captive Hearts is the first in the Deviant Hearts MM Romantic Suspense series. Expect a hard fought for HEA. No cliff hangers.
Note: this book was previously published under the name of A E Ryecart. The cover and description may (or may not) have changed, but the book title and contents remain the same as before.
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Great book
If you want a book with a lot of angst, great characters, a few rwists then read or listen to this bpok.
This is well written and I loved the audio version, the MC are described so well and I ended up invested in their life, which is how I love books to be. Looking forward to book 2.
Captive Hearts was a very good story. It is unique where the main character isn’t all the fluffy hero. Where he isn’t as bad as the bad guys… he is no angel. Yet he is very likeable. Dashiell goes to the bathroom in a bar where a young man is being attacked. He rescues him to find he doesn’t look happy with the man he is with. The man offers him a job to protect Billy and Dashiell finds himself in over his head.
There are many twists and turns, the story is quite captivating. Pun intended. I loved the characters and look forward to more in this series!
Terrific Story & Audible Listen Captivating & Intense!
Captive Hearts
Deviant Hearts, Book 1
By: A.E. Ryecart
Narrated by: Dan Calley
This is my first A.E Ryecart book and it will not be my last. I enjoyed her writing style and the storylines she created, they were realistic and completely engrossing. Her characters are complex and well developed. Everyone could use a Dashiell Slater in their corner, especially Billy Grace. Dashiell came to Billy’s aid and Billy’s lover, Frankie, who winds up hiring him to be Billy’s driver and bodyguard. Frankie is not a nice guy, he is a twisted individual who is not only abusive to Billy but is involved in bad business and dealings in the underworld. Dashiell and Billy are drawn to each other and despite Frankie’s warning the two get closer and form a bond. Billy. As the story goes on we find out why Billy stays in this abusive relationship. There is never a dull moment in this book, there is plenty of drama, angst, twists, some thrilling suspense, heartfelt moments, hot romance as well as the start of a wonderful relationship. Thank you A.E. Ryecart for this great story and emotional rollercoaster ride.
I listened to the Audible edition, Dan Calley did a terrific job narrating and bringing the characters to life. He captures their passion and emotions which he projects into his performance. He is an entertaining storyteller and a pleasure to listen to. Thank you for this great listen
This is a tension filled romance with just the perfect balance of really hot men who fall in love, law breaking thugs, and sexy scenes. The dialogue between characters is natural and you’ll find yourself reading past your bedtime just so you’re assured everyone is safe.
4.5 stars
Heat Level: 3.5
Narration: 4.5
Wow, that was intense…
This is a highly detailed, intense and raw journey into the life of a despicable and disgusting criminal, “his” boy and the unexpected savior that changes everything!
I’d put if listening to this one as if heard it was intense and boy it was but in a way that makes you invested, raw and on the edge of your seat. The characters are so vivid and real, you feel every blow. In a hard, unyielding situation, Billy is so strong, to not have lost himself to darkness. Dashiell becomes his savior and light in more ways than one.
This story does contain a lot of violence and criminal activities as is the world of the story but it was very confronting at some points but AE doesn’t shy away from reality and delivers something so raw, yet beautiful as hope and love, that above all else fuels Billy and Dashiell into risking everything and fighting to break free of their dire situation.
The epilogue is great (& needed) to bring the light back into the story and give us a nice HEA.
Dan is a new narrator to me and at first, I wasn’t too sure but when he voiced Billy and the bleakness ever-present, I could feel the emotions even more. A great performance with so many nuances and emotions, both big a small you can’t help but take notice. Great work!
Thanks for reading! For great stories, reviews and more please visit http://blog.bookstattoosandtea.com !
Billy is a young man shouldering burdens that would crush people older than himself. His grandmother is sick, with no chance of recovery, but the cost of treatment is beyond his means. Until he makes a deal with the devil – himself for his grandmother’s treatment. The man Billy sacrifices himself to is cruel and dangerous, but Billy has no way out. Dashiell is out of work and trying to figure out his next moves in life. The last thing he expects is to find himself working for a man with shady business dealings and a cruel, sadistic streak. When circumstances bring Billy and Dashiell together, they can’t help but fall in love with each other – something that is not only forbidden, but deadly. Together they will need to figure out a way to survive, both physically and emotionally, when everything seems hopeless.
Captive Hearts is a wonderful start to a new series. The writing is well done and flows smoothly, and I loved the characterization of the main characters (even when they acted in ways that had me yelling at them). The major themes of the book are forbidden/secret love, hurt/comfort, and protective men willing to throw it all on the line for their loved ones.
The audiobook was performed by Dan Calley, and it was amazing. His voice is smooth and lovely to listen to. I also could differentiate between the characters due to the different and distinct voices he used. The only issue I had was because I’m an American, so it took me about five to ten minutes to get used to his lovely British accent, but that was on me, and I soon had no problems at all listening to the book. Overall, the audiobook performance was extremely well done.
Ex-military good guy Dashiell meets and falls for mob boss’s abused boyfriend, Billy… it’s a dark tale with several layers, and I found myself very invested in this hurt/comfort/rescue trope. You will root for Billy and hope that his abusive boyfriend, Frankie, will get his comeuppance. The heat level between Dashiell and Billy progresses from sweet to off the charts! I enjoyed it a lot and will continue with the series.
I was gifted my copy of this book.
Dashiell saves Billy from an attack and then is offered a job as his driver. Dashiell wants to say no, but one look at Billy and Dashiell knows he can’t. When the full picture becomes clear to Dashiell, and he grows closer to Billy, they begin to think that maybe, just maybe they can get away. But there is more at stake than just Dashiell and Billy, and the noose grows ever tighter around Billy. Can they really be free?
So!
This is the first book I’ve listened to by AE Ryecart (although I do have signed copies of The Barista Boys books!) and this was one hell of a ride!
I *try* to seperate the narration from the story and write two bits of a review, but when a book is first person, multi point of view, I find it so much harder! So, not gonna!
Dan Calley narrates this book and this is the first of his work I’ve managed to finish (totally another story, quite literally!) and I bloody loved the way he tells Dashiell and Billy’s story!
Calley get over every single feeling that Ryecart writes, and in such a way, I HAD to stay up late to finish it!
Dashiell has an immediate attraction to Billy, but knows he can’t have him, not while Billy is so tied to the situation, but they can’t keep away from each other. Calley gets over the whole range of emotions that Dashiell, and indeed Billy, go through when dealing with the situation, and how they can be together, while figuring it all out!
I loved that Dashiell’s need to look after Billy, to feed him, soothe him, all those sorts of things, come out of nowhere for Dashiell. They really do hit him upside the head!
Billy? Oh, I felt, deeply, for Billy, I realy did. He knows he can never be free, not while he has responsibilites to take of, but he can hope, right?? You do feel it, deep in your soul, when Billy stops hoping, and it made me cry!
The way it all goes down comes out of left field, I thought I had more book left, it totally took me by surprise! Oh, I KNEW it was coming, but still.
There is another character here who is not all he sems, and his book is next, I so wanna listen to that too!
Be warned though, this book is dark, with reference to abuse that is described in some detail, but not every detail, if that makes sense. And the situation Billy is mixed up in has hints to underground activities. Some readers may have triggers.
BUT for me??
5 star read
5 star narration
**same worded review will appear elsewhere**
I bought and read Captive Hearts when it first came out. I loved it, so the story rating was always going to be 5 stars. I know I will get a satisfying read from this author and have never been let down.
The writing is excellent and the storyline well-crafted and researched. Billy is such a sympathetic character and I was thoroughly invested in his rescue/removal from Frankie. Dashiell is everything I want in a hero…he’s so compassionate towards Billy and watching him fall in love is a delight.
The secondary characters weave their ways into and around the main story and are always integral to the plot. I was so pleased with the realistic outcome for Frankie and that Lee got his own story.
Edited to add my comments on the audio book 3/10/20:
Story: 5
Narration: 4
Overall: 5
I have to be honest. When I first listened to Captive Hearts, I wasn’t sure how I felt about the narrator. You see, I’m American and Dan Calley’s British accent was different from other ones I’ve listened to, and it was a bit tough for me to get used to. However, my opinion changed completely after listening to the second book.
Fortunately, (?) I completely forgot to leave a review of Captive Hearts after listening to it. Now I have the opportunity to review both books and also express my appreciation of Dan Calley’s narrative style and voice.
As I said above, it took me a bit to get used to Dan Calley’s accent but once I did, I was captivated by the story while listening to Radical Hearts. So much so that I went back and listened to Captive Hearts a second time. He does a good job with different voices for the different characters and I loved the soft tone of his voice. What this experience tells me is that I shouldn’t judge a narrator solely by how much I did/didn’t enjoy just one book.
* * * * * * * *
A great start to a new series!
Captive Hearts is the first book in a new series by A. E. Ryecart. The story is told in first person POV (something new from this author), alternating between the two MCs (main characters): Dashiell and Billy. I liked how the author incorporated the pronunciation of Dashiell’s name into the story.
“Haynes. Frankie Haynes. Dash—what? What sort of name is that?”
I got this all the time, and I smothered a groan.
“Dashiell. DASH-uhhll. Emphasis on the first syllable. My mum had a thing for hard-boiled crime novels. Dashiell Hammett? The author?” I added, but Frankie just looked blank.
“I’ll call you Dash.”
“I’d rather you didn’t.” My shoulders stiffened. I hated being called Dash. I wouldn’t even let my closest friends called me that, and Frankie Haynes didn’t, and wouldn’t, come into that category.
First person POV isn’t my favorite but it worked perfectly for this story. The blurb/synopsis for the book is great so I won’t retell it here. I liked how Dashiell was such a strong character; he wasn’t afraid to stand up to the bad guys and yet he knew when it was in Billy’s best interest to back down.
Billy’s situation just about broke my heart. The reason he is with Frankie is revealed in small bits and it takes a while before we learn exactly why he is willing to take the horrific abuse that Frankie deals out to him. This was a good thing in my opinion. It wasn’t a case of dragging the story out, rather it was a great way to keep this reader in suspense and on the edge of my seat nearly from the get-go.
As far as the romance goes, I liked how the sex between Dashiell and Billy wasn’t the main focus of the story. (What Frankie does to Billy is entirely different, and painful to read, but necessary for the story.)
I found the characters to be very interesting, with one secondary character a particular favorite, and I learned that he will be getting his own book. Yay!
As a huge fan of this author’s Barista Boys series I was happy to see the café featured as a location in this story. If you enjoy a bit of suspense along with your romance this might be a good one for you. I’m looking forward to reading more books in this series.
***Reviewed for Xtreme-Delusions dot com***
Sometimes tragedy is just tragedy, other times, precious rare times, tragedy turns into salvation. With no hope of being saved himself, Billy is willing to surrender his body and mind to evil incarnate for the ability to care for the woman who loved him, raised him. And then Dashiell appeared. Coming face to face with someone he wants but seeing no way to have him he realizes just how well and truly trapped he is. It’ll take everything Dashiell has in him to believe they’ll both escape together.
Billy is in an incredibly difficult situation. The beatings his body, self-esteem, mind, and heart have taken over the last couple years were his price to pay to give his grandmother the life she deserves whether she knows she’s getting it or not. He’s found a way to be numb through it all. But when Dashiell saves him from a violent encounter his eyes are suddenly open again. Pain becomes fresh, awareness makes him sensitive in a whole new way.
Dashiell is in a tenuous situation. Teetering between protecting Billy and feigning deference to Frankie, he’s realizing very quickly that his hatred for the tyrant holding Billy’s life and their fates in his hand is going to doom them if he can’t find a way to get them both out. The stunning man has suddenly become the center of his world. They give in to the passion and tender feelings connecting them and when worse comes to worst it’s Dashiell’s surprising and unlikely ally that helps to freedom.
This was an intense ride with more than a little darkness. The tenderness was there, though, and you can see their true selves shine through everything they do. It’s natural that they gravitate to one another and even more natural that they become one another’s salvation. Their honesty is truly touching. I love that Dashiell didn’t excuse all of Billy’s snottiness, that he called him on it and made fun of it sometimes. He was badass and yet so very kind. His recklessness, however, made me roll my eyes at times because I just knew that it would get them in trouble. The constant reaffirmation of his dislike for following rules got a bit tedious. It did help move the plot along, but it doesn’t mean I had to like it.
Billy was truly a brat sometimes and though he knew it he couldn’t help it. His life wasn’t the kind that allowed for softness but Dashiell’s heart shining on his face gave him the courage needed to apologize, make amends, and find moments of peace in the chaos that was his life. He was incredibly emotional and I don’t blame him for it, not in the least, but I was hoping for a moment where he found his spine, found his inner strength and became something more than he was in the beginning. To become decisive and defiant if only in his mind until they could escape. To use his resources and privileges to find solutions not involving Frankie with the support, love, and encouragement Dashiell freely gave.
Their ending was sweet and full of hope and also gave a great opening for Lee’s story. I’m definitely looking forward to more from this series. Despite having tragedy, despair, abuse, and hopelessness the story was touching and all that darkness made their love and hope for the future so much brighter.