We were only kids when I made the vow to protect her. First from the monsters hiding under the bed and then the ones roaming the world freely. My obsession with Dove wasn’t normal, it toed the line on psychotic but my love for her overshadowed that. I’d killed, destroyed and hurt those that had done her wrong. I’d watched her for years wanting to claim her but refusing too. I was both her … was both her guardian angel and the demon lurking in the shadows.
She was mine, even though she didn’t know it yet.
I had planned to let her live her life, while I watched from afar.
Until one night, everything changed, and I was forced to kidnap her.
She doesn’t remember me.
She begs me to let her go.
But I can’t. I won’t.
There are things she doesn’t know. Secrets I cannot tell her but one thing is clear.
I’ll die before I ever let her slip through my fingers.
This book is not suitable for all readers due to violence, sexual content, and mature themes.
more
Love, lust, and loyalty – how far would you go to protect the person you love? Would you sacrifice everything for that person without hesitation, without an inkling of doubt? Cruel Obsession is that journey and a whole lot more. Prepare yourself for Zane and Dove’s tale that will have you staying up late flipping pages to see what will happen next. Download and devour. You will not regret reading this book.
Wow.
Love me a good mafia dark romance.
Xane and dove storys is anything but typical and once you start this book it’s a unhittable down book.
It lures u in.
Absolutely loved this book.
I find since I started reading your books, the writing just keeps getting better and better.
I love the dark theme of this book. There’s so much tension, suspense and chemistry between these two characters. The heat is there too. I wouldn’t have balked if there was more sex scenes but the ones that were there were hot. I can’t get enough of his dirty mouth!
What a cliffhanger! The painful part is waiting for the next book.
Beck, J. L. and C Hallam . . . Cruel Obsession
I had a doctor’s appointment this morning. On the way home I started thinking about the characters in this book and knew when I got home, I would pick the book up and finish it.
I MUST mention that I almost put the book down when I started it. I do not like dark stories and this one started out that way. However, I worked my way through Chapter 2 and I was hooked.
I taught school for 34 years. Books like this make me wonder how the lives of the foster children I had in class were. Were they like this, good lord, I hope not. I met several sets of foster parents and they seemed nice enough, but then again, one never knows what goes on behind closed doors.
You will wonder what’s going on in this book, and the authors feed you bits of information when you need it, the book comes alive.
The book has a lot of personal dialog from inside the characters. Normally, I don’t like this in a story but, again, the authors use this to make the authors come alive.
Zane takes stalking and protection of Dove (FMC) to a whole new level in this book. I think in his own misguided way Zane believes his kind of love is alright but what starts out as a sinister obsession between the two of them turns out to be something completely different. The dark dynamic between the two main characters turns violent at times but the game of cat and mouse certainly keeps you on your toes. Completely grips you. Omg and that ending though??? Just killed me!!! Knockout. Dying for the next book now
Beck & Hallman are dark romance Queens and Cruel Obsession doesn’t disappoint.
If you knew Dove & Zane in the real world, you would definitely not want them together because Zanes obsession is scary but it’s the book world. Let’s be honest, we love this stuff!
I liked Zane. Even if he’s a creeper, in his mind he’s doing what’s best for Dove to protect her. Dove wants nothing to do with his obsession with her and she fights, but let’s be honest in these types of books, the fight never really last. And that ending! Ugh. I need book 2 now!
This is my first book by J.L. Beck, and C. Hallman, and I definitely have to say that I am hooked on their writing after this.
Zane was dark, twisted and obsessive but I loved him. He was so devoted to Dove, and protecting her.
Dove was sweet, naive, and never even realized all the times that Zane was protecting her.
I loved Zane and Dove together. Their scenes were super hot. Cant wait for book 2 after that cliffhanger.
I recommend this book to anyone who wants a dark, obsessed hero
I received a free copy via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review
Book one in the Obsession Duet.
This one was truly captivating read! I was hooked from the first page and read it in one sitting!
Zane’s love for Dove was possesive and borderline psychotic but also so perfect. I loved how he was so protective and devoted to Dove.
They were both interesting characters with great chemistry but I still feel like Dove wasn’t as developed as Zane so it was a bit harder to connect with her. But since this was just a first book in a duet, I expect that to change in the next book.
There are still so many unanswered questions and I can’t wait to see what’s next for Dove and Zane!
I received a copy of this book from Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving my honest review.
OMG!!! Cruel Obsession – The Obsession Duet #1 is filled with so much drama and suspense that you will be on edge throughout the whole story. Zane is an efficient deadly hitman who has worked for Christian head of the Sergio family for years as a young boy. Dove is a broken fragile young woman just trying to get by in life doesn’t let too many people in as she has been scarred and abused in the past. Now she is alone and having a hard time being happy always afraid as her nights are filled with nightmares that she hasn’t told anyone about, will she ever lead a normal life? Zane has a secret that has taken over his life, he has been protecting and providing for Dove all these years as she is the one person he has loved only she doesn’t know it. When he is given his next assignment by Christian he finds out that the hit is on a young woman who happens to be Dove. Zane becomes outraged as he needs to protect Dove as well as finding out why Christian wants her dead. Zane has always had a backup plan concerning Dove and now he finds he has to kidnap her in order to protect her and keep her safe but by doing this both of them will have a price on their head. Once Dove is taken from her apartment she tries to fight but even though Zane assures her he won’t hurt her, he has no choice but to drug her to get her to safety.
Now these two will have a rough time of it, can Zane keep her safe and will he tell her how he knows so much about her life? The more time they are together, Dove finds herself wanting Zane and even though he tries to resist, the temptation is too strong and they give into all of the passion and desire they are feeling for each other. But things will soon change when Zane has to tell Dove that her adopted mother is ill. Dove begs Zane to let her see her one more time, when he gives in he tells her that it will be dangerous for the both of them. Once Dove sees her mother and says goodbye, they try to leave and get back to the safe house but they become surround by Christian and his men, Zane tells her to run and hide and he will come after her. Now they are both in danger as Zane is caught by Christian and told that he knew all along the connection he had with Dove but not the reason he wants her dead. Zane tries to defend himself but Christian shoots him before he can get away. Once Dove is caught, she is knocked out and wakes up tied to a chair and told by Christian that Zane is dead and he begins to tell her a story about a young boy who killed for her to protect her all those years ago. The young boy that was saved by Christian and became a killer turns out to be William. Dove is shocked, how could she not know that Zane was William as she never forgot how they both took care of each other growing up in the foster home when they were both abused . Dove is now left wondering if this is the reason she became so attached to Zane. Is Christian going to have Dove killed? Was Zane/William really killed? What is the connection between Christian, Zane and Dove. We are left having to wait for the next book to find out how all of this plays out. You are left with so much angst with all of the twists and turns as well as questions left unanswered. J.L. Beck and C. Hallman have once again taken their readers on a journey into this dark decadent romance story. I voluntarily reviewed an advanced copy of this book.
I thought that this was a really captivating read. It is book one of two, so yes, try to prepare for a huge cliffhanger at the end that will have you not just wanting but needing book two ASAP!! This is a dark romance. It contains content that can be to disturbing for some and outright triggers for others, so I highly recommend that you do your research before deciding to purchase and/or choosing to read this book. If stalking, kidnapping, kink and violence are not issues for you then I suggest you grab a copy and hold on for one twisted and intense ride. Dove and Zane’s story is complicated to say the least and even I had some uncomfortable moments along the way. I felt for Dove. I mean you really just had to. Between her past, her present and how her future was looking, she was certainly not an enviable character. That is not to say that I didn’t feel very frustrated with her on occasion because I did. Zane is character that you don’t honestly know how you should feel. He is very, very far from being a good guy but he is not truly evil either. I just can’t wait to see what happen in the next book.
The more of these psychological thriller books I read, the more I understand the obsession with them. This book was so good and these two talented authors are a force to be reckoned with. So good and kept me hooked right from the beginning. Can’t wait for #2.
Dove doesn’t understand her handsome captor Zane’s cryptic comments about keeping her safe. When a bad nightmare causes Dove to seek comfort from Zane, she’s left feeling confused. The last time Dove felt this safe was with her foster brother William. What Dove doesn’t know is that Zane has been keeping secrets from her. Will it be too late when Dove finds out what Zane’s secrets are?
Cruel Obsession is a dark, intense and suspenseful story you won’t be able to put down. I can’t wait to read Deadly Obsession, Book 2 of the Obsession Duet.
Received ARC from BookSprout for Honest Review.
I Give this Book a 5/5 Star Rating!
Cliffhanger(?): Yes(!!) Thank Goodness! What a fantastic cliffhanger! I need more!
Heat: 4-4.5/5
Romance: 2/5 (It fits the flow of the story)
Drama: 3.5-4/5
Suspense: 3.5/5
Dark: 2.5-3/5
Fast Paced(?): Not Really, No.
I did not want this book to end! Though it ends for now, I cannot wait for the next book!
I will not give spoilers, so I’m gonna leave it vague.
I love books like this, it’s one of my favorites cause it features many things I enjoy reading. This to me is a continuous reread worthy book.
I completely recommend this!!
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Wow!!! Twist and turns at every stop! An amazing start to a duet! JL Beck and Cassandra Hallman never disappoint! Zane’s obsession with Dove leads him to do unimaginable things. Dove resents Zane for his obsession until she realizes how deeply connected they are. Unfortunately, it’s too late. What will happen to them?? I need to the second book today!!
**This novel has a major cliffhanger but it’s so worth it!! **
Zane/William will protect Dove, no matter at what cost! They met at the orphanage home for children and had a bond like no other. But some foster homes leaves more scares then good! Dove gets adapted by Donna and tries to move on with her life. Unbeknown to her that Zane keeps an eye on her at all times! Zane works with the mafia as a hit man. But it all changes when his boss, Christian, has a hit on Dove! I love this story.. so entertaining and the characters work well together. Dove is a bit naive and Zane over the top with his obsession with even Dove dates. I was shocked it ended on a cliffhanger but you’ll be shocked how it ended and you’ll want more! Can’t wait to read the next book!
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
4*
Zane is protective of Dove but she has no idea, she’s had a feeling that someone was following her but never saw anyone. When circumstances force his hand he has no option but to carry out his next move.
The story ends with us needing part 2 desperately