Obey. Submit. Don’t fail me–or you’ll die.I wake up to these words, kidnapped, bound and at the mercy of a man who is as gorgeous as he is cruel. And I have no idea what is going on.I left my calm small-town home to celebrate with my best friend, and now I’m the captive of a criminal—a man who wants to trade me as part of a deal with the Mafia. He says he’ll train me. He tells me to trust him, to … he’ll train me.
He tells me to trust him, to obey his command and to bend at his will.
He is prepping me for a war that I’m not ready to fight.
He is my only chance to survive.
My captor—and my only solace.
more
Wow! After reading the Petal duet, I was hoping there would be a story about Malia. And what a story this is! Malia is a good person who is unfortunately captured, but has no clue as to why someone would want her?! And Nate, her captor has his reasons, but Malia isn’t going to like them and what he wants her to do as it goes against everything she was raised to believe. When he brings her to a remote place, she knows no one will be able to hear her or be able to escape, but will that stop her from trying??? This story takes you on a wild ride in which you don’t want it to end. Not to mention the major chemistry between them, but Malia wants no part of Nate. I really enjoyed this story so much I read it in one sitting and can’t wait for the conclusion! I need to know what happens to Nate and Malia!
~Rolling with Plan B~
—>>> Stolen while she is fairly drunk after celebrating her best friend’s wedding right from her hotel room, Malia was in for the experience her life while she tries to make head or tail of all the “Whys?” in her head. Trying to get through to Nate, the one in charge of the three men who imprison her at one of their safe houses, she finally gets a sense of the purpose now forced upon her.
Malia is a fighter; resourceful, vigilant and very observant. Her head wars with her attraction to Nate as well. Many interesting questions are raised, more so for Nate and his reasons for suggesting his plan to take Malia in the first place. The story ends on a high note of suspense, and I am looking forward to reading more of this captivity romance series.
* I received an ARC but am leaving an honest and voluntary review *
Gah! Linnea May, You’re killing me!!
IN A GOOD WAY
Grrr!
Right, now that that’s out of my system… let me continue.
If you have read the Petal duet then you will understand when I say Malia gets her dose of karma. If you haven’t read the Petal duet, you really should! Not only is it amazing, but it sets the scene for this story.
It’s a little less confusing, it’s a whole lot more suspenseful.
It’s got a slow burn feel to it that I hope is going to ignite in the next book.
It’s addicting, easy to read and amazing.
BUT…
These cliffhangers are torture!
I know it’s going to be amazing (and not just because I absolutely ADORE your work) so I will wait patiently for the rest of Malia’s story.
Oh what a tangled web we weave. This is one fabulous story. It has so much drama, suspense, mystery and intrigue that you start reading and can’t put it down. Yes it ends in a cliffhanger but the ride getting there is like icing on a cake. It is mind blowing throughout the entire story. Malia is this sweet but strong young lady that grabs your attention from the very beginning. Nate is dark and charming both at the same time. There are so many things hidden that it draws you deeper and deeper into it. You can read this one without having to read any others that involve Malia and her friends without getting lost. It is most definitely worth reading and doesn’t disappoint.
This book certainly has my attention and I am quite intrigued to see where it will end up. I am glad it won’t be long till book 2 is out as book one ends in a cliffhanger and way more questions than answers. I love a book that grabs me from page 1 and that I cannot figure out and Linnea May is that type of author, I think I know where she is going and what will happen, then boom it goes somewhere I didn’t see. I voluntarily reviewed an advance reader copy of this book for an honest review.
Amazing! The talented Linnea does it again with this beautifully written, page turner. You will be hooked. Filled with intrigue and twists.
Being captured by Nate and his crew, to save their mission, Malia is caught up in a dark web of confusion, lust, manipulation, anger, and fear.
Intense with a side of emotional punches, this story has turned out to be much different than I anticipated, one intriguing twisted tale whose characters have furiously blended chemistry, high heat and in your face intensity- I cannot wait to see what happens in the second part of this duet!
Linnea May has certainly grabbed ahold of my attention!
Edgy and Mysterious…
As a follow-up to the “Lost Petal” duet, “Captured Onyx” unveils part one of Malia’s story. Shortly after attending Jason and Liliane’s (aka Petal) wedding in Atlantic City, Malia is abducted from her hotel room and awakens to find herself held captive by a mysterious stranger. Handsome as well as ruthless, Nate and his cohorts have acquired Malia to fulfill a mission and save their organization known as The Covey from mafia retribution. Exhibiting an uncanny resemblance to a dying Covey member named Lailah, Malia must assume Lailah’s identity and murder the Scivolas Mafia members utilizing poison.
Before her illness, Lailah was a natural seductress and spent years being trained by Nate to be the ideal submissive. Although Malia may display submissive tendencies, she is in no way a seductress and Nate has little time to accomplish her training. The chemistry between the main characters is compelling and both internally struggle with the unanticipated as well as unwelcome feelings evoked. As the story unfolds both the mystery and suspense intensifies with many questions left unanswered.
Professionally written and extremely fast-paced the story-line is completely engaging, keeping the reader riveted to find out what happens next. As part one of the duet closes, Malia receives an unsettling warning from Lailah… carefully guard your heart, Nate is not who he appears to be… “Captured Onyx” ends with a cliffhanger and those who dislike waiting may want to delay reading part one when part two is released in April. Unfortunately, due to the cliffhanger ending (yep, I one of those impatient readers) what would have been a five-star rating was reduced to four-stars.
Disclaimer: No Kindles were seriously harmed while reading this novel. Children 18 and over only due to explicit content including but not limited to dubcon and physical punishments.
Disclaimer for the Disclaimer… The term “seriously harmed” is not intended to include: overheating, scorch marks, minor melting or inconsequential fire that can be put out with an extinguisher. Fire retardant gloves highly recommended while reading. Reviewer is not responsible for run-on sentences, questionable grammar or misplaced commas.
RATING DETAILS (Based on 1 to 5 Gold Stars):
STEAM FACTOR: 5 Hot Chemistry Stars
WRITING STYLE: 5 Professional Stars
PLOT: 5 Suspenseful Stars
ENGAGING CHARACTERS: 5 Anti-hero Stars
SATISFYING CONCLUSION: 0 Cliffhanger Stars
*** I voluntarily received an ARC copy of this book in exchange for my honest review ***
I thoroughly enjoyed this book. This book is deliciously intense and filled with dark promise. As Malia and Nate’s story begins to unfold your attention is quickly captured and maintained. The story line is dramatic, intriguing and packed with twists that will leave you on edge waiting to see what will happen next. The chemistry between Nate and Malia is off the charts but so is their animosity. This book does end on a cliffhanger so be prepared for it.
Malia is a crossover character from the Petal duet, and I’m excited to be getting her story! Her friend Petal is finally getting married, and during the festivities, she’s taken by people who have special plans for her. This was a fast-paced, steamy book with all the angst that comes with being abducted! I love a good mafia romance, and this one kept me on my toes! I can’t wait for part two to see where this goes!
Karma is Tough!!
This will be much more meaningful if you have read Lost Petal and Fallen Petal. Malia just attended her best friend’s wedding. Her friend had a very unusual experience with her husband prior to their wedding, and it involved Malia playing a key part.
Now Malia finds herself in a similar, yet different situation. She did not ask to be kidnapped, or to play a role that if she fails both she and her captors will be killed. Intrigue, secrets and an undeniable attraction create a tension which will keep the reader enthralled. The situation is not resolved in this story, yet I recommend this series, as it is worth the wait.
*** I am voluntarily leaving my honest review of this book ***
Malia is a woman who’s truly enjoying life. She’s in Atlantic City, celebrating the wedding of her best friend, Liliane, and her husband Jayson Bolen. A short time ago, Malia supported and helped Liliane as she regained her memory and found the person inside. The wedding is a most joyous occasion and everything is right with the world, but she doesn’t know what awaits her in her hotel room and how her world is about to change. Waking up tied to the bed, Malia has no idea what happened, where she is nor who took her. Nate, Mike and Daveed have kidnapped her and keep calling her Lailah. She keeps insisting that her name is Malia and not this Lailah person. The three men live in the mob world and are on a mission to leave the Covey and be under the protection of the New England Mafia. In order to do so, they have devised Operation Onyx. They make a deal to deliver a wife to the eldest son of the Scivolas mob family but that deal is falling apart. The woman the son has chosen, Lailah, is dying. Nate noticed the uncanny resemblance between the real Lailah and Malia, so he’s going to train her with guns, appearance, submission, seduction and much more to turn her into the perfect mob wife. He doesn’t count on all the feelings that he has for her and that she elicits from him. She is taken to meet the real Lailah who doesn’t have much time left. Lailah’s both shocked and angry that Malia was kidnapped. “How do we know we can trust her?” Speaking to Malia alone, as she gasps for air, the dying Lailah warns her that she needs to listen to her carefully if she wants to get out alive! To be continued……..
I did not realize this was Book One in a series so I was disappointed when I came to the cliff hanger. Story was good.
Nate And Malia’s Story is Fascinating! Steeped With Danger And Chemistry, This Is Part One Of Two That Keeps Your Interest Throughout. Comes After Petal And Before Puppetmaster.
This is part one of Nate Brower and Malia’s two part story. Fractured: Black Onyx Book 2 completes this duet. While this duet is collectively a stand-alone, chronologically it follows Petal, Jayson Bowlan and Liliane’s story, and comes before The Puppetmaster, which is the story of Alena Prey and Michael Raad Brower, Nate’s dark and secretive older brother. This book ends in a cliffhanger, but part two of the story provides a brief HEA and glimpse at Raad’s story.
Those familiar with the author’s works might recognize the Covey and the Scivolas, around which this story revolves. The Covey is a mysterious crime syndicate that remains dependent on the local mafia’s benevolence. The Covey isn’t composed of good guys, but they aren’t totally bad when compared to the mafia. One of their main headquarters is in Boston. The boss, Big George, had decided to work with the Scivolas, a local mafia headquartered in Providence, Rhode Island. Everyone is questioning the logic, but a deal was made years ago and there is no choice but to follow through. A problem arises when a key Covey player is diagnised with stage four cancer. Lailah was raised in the Covey and had trained for the mission for years. Not quite twenty-one, she is no longer able to fulfill her upcoming role, leaving the men on the Mission Onyx team scrambling to avoid certain death at the hands of the Scivolas.
Malia, roughly twenty-three (like Liliane), has certain regrets about her part in what happened to her best friend Liliane, but all is now good as she accompanies Liliane and her beau Jayson to Atlantic City when they decide to elope. Malia comes from a humble background, but Jayson – a well-known psychotherapist and hypnotist, pays for her luxurious hotel room, happy to have Liliane’s kind-hearted, loyal, and devoted friend witness their vows.
Nate Brower, perhaps in his mid twenties, has always been a rule breaker. Raad, his half-brother five years his senior, had always been their father’s golden child, groomed to take over the family business. It is ironic then that it was Raad who messed up and got involved with the Scivolas years ago. But Raad’s record was clean, so even though it was a set up, Nate chose to spare Raad and the family from ruin, taking the blame himself. He left home as a teen and joined the Covey with the goal of getting back at the Scivolas. He was so close to that revenge years later when Lailah was diagnosed. Now it was slipping away as he and his mission mates face near certain death instead. Yet amidst them draining their sorrows in Atlantic City, a new hope emerges in the form of one petite, curly black-haired, olive-skinned young woman with onyx eyes.
When Malia wakes up in a moldy dark room, bound to a bed, terror strikes. Yet she can’t help but wonder if it is all payback, an elaborate practical joke orchestrated by Liliane and Jayson. Nate isn’t used to being disobeyed. Malia may be a dead ringer for Lailah, but they are nothing alike. Her sass and helplessness are new to him but he finds himself dangerously attracted to his captive.
As Nate and Malia’s story unfolds, Nate becomes much more than a dark and cruel kidnapper. He becomes Malia’s source of strength. She grows under his care, becoming more confident and courageous. Survival binds them, but Malia questions what is real. The story ends in a cliffhanger as Malia is moved to Covey headquarters.
There is one issue that merits mention. It is unclear why Lailah’s illness and death would cause the Onyx team to be taken out.
Nate and Malia’s story is fascinating. Steeped with danger and chemistry, it keeps your interest throughout. It is well-written. The plot is complex. It slowly unravels. The characters are nicely developed. The story is written in first person. The POV alternates between Nate and Malia. I rate this book four stars.
Part 1 of a Duet of abduction, captivity, lust for one’s captor
Malia is the drunkest she’s ever been after celebrating the elopement of her BFF and her new husband in Atlantic City. They drop her off to her hotel room and leave her for the night. Shortly after Malia is dragged from bed by banging on her door and mistakenly thinks it’s her BFF. What happens next is the beginning of a dark story of intrigue. I will say it is not as dark as some of Ms. May’s books. We’re talking kidnapping, mafia and questionable people. So…
Nate has a brilliant idea to complete the job he was set out to accomplish for years. He needs a replacement for Lailah and he finds the perfect one in her doppelganger, Malia. He doesn’t expect to have a similar attraction to Malia as he did to Lailah. There are other forces at work and we’ll find out what happens to all their plans in book #2, FRACTURED. Can’t wait.
I was offered an ARC for the duet HIS BLACK ONYX and am leaving this review for Part 1. Loved it!
Disappointing
After reading Petal I was curious about what would be instore for Malia. While Petal was intense almost from the beginning and never let up I found Captured not as dark or on the edge of my seat heart pounding. Malia is in Atlantic City celebrating her bestfriend Liliane(Petal) and Jayson wedding only to be kidnapped. Nate her kidnapper needs her to complete a life or death mission involving the mafia. But first he needs to train her in art of subduction and submission. Nate and Malia (Onyx) have undeniable chemistry and the sexual tension between them is palpable. It’s a captivating, suspense filled journey with twists and a cliffhanger at the end. I can’t wait to start reading Part 2 Fractured Onyx.
This was not the story I thought it would be. I couldn’t get into the characters or the story line. I thought “training” would be a lot more fun if you get my meaning. Disappointed.
We first met Malia in the Lost Petal series and this book starts her story. Malia is taken from Atlantic City after attending Petal’s and Jayson’s wedding. She was chosen because she is the doppelgänger of Lailah who has a pivotal role to play in a plot against a mafia family. Nate is trying to train her so that she will be able to perform the duties expected of her. Will Malia be able to pull it off? Will Jayson find her? Will she fall under Nate’s spell? This book was fast paced and kept me engaged and it was hard to put down. I am anxiously awaiting the next book so I can find out the answers to all of my questions.
Nate: “I had to take her the moment I saw her. I need her. She’s my only hope to get out of this mess. The plan is simple enough. Capture her. Train her. Use her. She’s the promised bride to a son of the New England Mafia, and she’ll have to play her role well. Her obedience is the key to my success, but it has to be earned, which makes her all the more alluring to me… It’s not my job to lose myself in her raven black eyes. It’s not my job to fall for her. It’s not my job to forget about everything we fought for – just to protect this girl.”
Malia: “Obey. Submit. Don’t fail me–or you’ll die. I wake up to these words, kidnapped, bound and at the mercy of a man who is as gorgeous as he is cruel. How did I get here? Why is this happening to me?… He says he’ll train me. He tells me to trust him, to obey his command and to bend at his will. He is prepping me for a war that I’m not ready to fight. He is my only chance to survive. My captor—and my only solace.”
This is the first book of Linnea May’s intriguing new dark romance duet. Can she make me love Nate? I can’t wait to see how this all turns out!
I am voluntarily reviewing an advance reader copy of this book.