I am his obsession. His property. His Jasmine.And he will never let me go.Trapped in the middle of nowhere, taken by a madman, I’m forced to be his wife. Obedient, meek, righteous in the eyes of God.But I am none of these things, and I can’t give in. No matter what he does to me, no matter how much he hurts me, I have to get out of here.I have to escape… before I forget who I was before him.
I received a copy of this book from the publisher/author to review.
I am his obsession.His property. His jasmine. And he will never let me go. Trapped in the middle of nowhere, taken by a madman, I’m forced to be his wife. Obedient, meek, righteous in the eyes of God. But I am none of these things, and I can’t give in. No matter what he does to me, no matter how much he hurts me, I have to get out of here. I have to escape…before I forget who I was before him.
This book is awesome!!! It is dark and wow just wow!!! This book with have you one the edge of your seat holding your breath, but don’t forget to breathe. You know too your reading something amazing when they make you feel for someone you shouldn’t feel the way you do about them. Jennifer Bene and Shane Starrett have blown this book out of the park. I do not want to give away the plot of this book but I will say it is about a girl gone missing and a deputy sheriff that still believes in following his gut instincts. You need to heed the warning in the front of the book from the author’s if you have triggers. It is a dark romance and one that is going to stick with me for a very long long time.
Just wow I can’t even believe what I just read this was darkness in all it’s glory so be prepared. So much helplessness with very strict religious elements that Daniel follows he is very unstable but it’s normal for him as he takes total control over Sloanes life and shows her the way through very severe punishments that will make you want to cry and help her but by god she’s strong and so so brave. The writing is outstanding and vivid and will make you cringe on every page.
WOW! Dark and Suspenseful at its best!
OMG! What an incredibly intense rollercoaster ride of emotions with lots of suspense, intrigue and twists and turns throughout. The story was depraved, dark and twisted, but utterly fantastic. These two exceptional authors have come together to write a movie worthy story that will keep you on the edge of your seat in utter suspense hoping for the right ending to an amazingly captivating story. It was thrilling and heartbreaking all at the same time. There were many times that I was devastated by some of the characters stupidity and screamed out loud at them. Other times I was amazed at how strong Sloane was and how she would persevere right to the bitter end. She was amazing and didn’t give up even though it looked like she was done.
Phenomenal writing and storytelling. I hope these two authors collaborate again on another story. Highly recommend.
This read grabs you from beginning to end and holds you captive. Sloane/Jasmine is in the hands of a madman, forced to pretend to be someone else. Daniel believes that Jasmine is his wife, the women god sent to be with him and bare his children. He believes he must teach Jasmine to be a good wife to him and in turn serve god. He will punish his wife and himself as needed to keep the devil away and protect his wife from anyone who may want to harm her. Sloane does what she must to survive, but she desperately wants to escape, will she find a way? This is a fast-paced dark read with lots of drama and intense twists and turns. The characters are amazing and the story leaves you haunted as contemplate it even when doing other things. I loved it!
This book will have you feeling the darkness’s throughout this book. This book is amazing and I’ve got no words to describe this book because it is just awww. This book will have you feeling like you are in this darkness and going through the emotions. The writing is amazing co-writing flow that is beautiful together.
If you are a fan of dark and twisted tales where you are uncertain of the outcome, then may I strongly recommend this book. Between Shane Starrett’s ability to write from inside the characters minds to Jennifer Bene’s twisted ability to get under your skin you will be unable to put this one down.
Sometimes I have an approach-avoidance with books that I just know in my bones are going to be amazing, but be rip into your soul intense. This was most definitely one of these books. It sat for a few days on my kindle while I read other really good, but lighter fare, and taunted me. Finally I got brave and clicked. Ummm, yeah… WOWZA. Like, I really didn’t know what I was getting into. Is this a dubcon romance? Is it a character piece? Is it a nightmare? I did not know. What I did know that I was sucked in… completely. One page led to the next to the next and HELLO 4AM, because I just had to know what happened to Jasmine. So thank you Bene/Starrett for my sleepless night, and please, please don’t stop collaborating cause you make heck of a team!!
Just finished reading this book and I need to sit here and think about how I’m gonna write this review. It was absolutely amazing. Jennifer is the Queen of dark and twisted and Shane is new to me but, I am now looking forward to more books by Shane. Great collaboration.
I love all Jennifer Bene books and this is no exception. Shane starrett is a new author to me but one I will definitely follow from now one. I love books cowritten because each character’s voice is different. I really enjoyed this read 4 solid stars.
Seriously, who authorized the writing of a book between Jennifer and Shane!?!? Who gets my therapy bill?!? This book had caused tens of thousands of dollars in damages!
First off…SLOANE IS A BADA$$!!! You don’t get details but seriously, what that chick went through…I’m crushed!
Daniel, so I hate this guy with everything I’ve got….but I feel a little heartbroken from him cause it was ingrained in him.
Mason…I wanna high five him, in the face, with a chair! This dude needs sensitivity and common sense training, STAT!
Clint, oh my darling Clint. Second best character in this book, his Momma and Daddy raised him right!
So, as you can see, I’m gutted. There is nothing left of me. I need time to heal. I’m gonna go sit in a corner and have a moment.
This story is dark, suspenseful, thrilling and so much more. This story does have religious undertones. The authors did a great job bringing the characters to life. i definatly didn’t want to stop reading this one. there is a HEA in this story but the journey to get there is rought with lots of tears so get your tissue. This also may contain triggers for some
Ummmm…….mind blown.
Sloane and Daniels story is dark, demented, destructive, violent, twisted, depressing, tortured, sexually abusive, oh so very wrong and so divinely good.
Sloane is a phoenix and will rise stronger than she has ever been. There is death and rebirth, loss and love and an ending that brings you back into the light. Well done!
This story is extraordinarily dark. It follows both Daniel and “Jasmine’s” depraved “relationship” and the FBI’s and local sheriffs office search for a missing girl. It’s definitely a must read from this author duo.
How best to review this story? I am still reeling from the intensity and roller coaster ride it will bring you on. You will want to help Sloane yet you are helpless in front of everything that happens to her. The story is intense, dramatic and how you get to the end will leave you wondering. A great on the edge of your seat story. I honestly volunteered to review this fabulous story.
Oh my sweet and fluffy lord, what did I freaking read? This dark is freaking dark. I mean, you might think that you know dark, but you don’t until you read this story, because wow.
Jennifer Bene and Shane Starrett work really well together and have created a story that is guaranteed to drag you in and turn you inside out. I never really knew what was going to happen from one moment to the next, not that I’m complaining about that much. I like a story that is going to keep me guessing. This is suspense to an epic level, and it’s totally worth it.
Wow! Such a good book! It keeps you on the edge of your seat throughout the story.
Daniel is a very big man. they called him “The Wall” when he played football and rightly so. He lives in hos won world, by his own rules. Let’s cut to the chase: Daniel takes Sloane and has it in his head she is Jasmine. (you will find out by reading what happened to the original Jasmine) She tries to tell him she is not her. That did not go well. Sloane was not one to give up easily. She tries several times to escape and ends up severely punished. Daniel would find a way to make right in his eyes. He was delusional and believed Sloane was Jasmine, who he felt was the love of his life. Enter the FBI, Mason was assigned to look into this case. He already came to a conclusion that Sloane was dead and would half heartily investigate to appease everyone. He and Carmen (another agent to go with him) go to Texas, the last known place she was to have been. Carmen gets called away so the Sheriff assigns another officer, Clint, to get him around. Clint is young and has been studying the case. they head out to Daniel’s ranch. Clint has a feeling but Mason dismisses it. They go back the next day and all hell breaks loose. Clint finds Sloane badly beaten. How Sloane has survived is not known to me. That woman has gone through it all. Loved the ending! Despite it all there is a HEA. Jennifer and Shane have not disappointed in this great read.
What the?!? What did I just read? This is intense and insane and so Jennifer Bene. This story takes you on a trip to crazy town with Daniel from the bible belt. Read this story and you will never go on a trip by yourself again. So many amazing characters you almost don’t want this story to end.
I read and reviewed a copy of this book.
This book is a doozy. It’s most definitely not romance, but there is a love story in here. It’s dark, twisted and deranged, but it’s so very good. Sloan’s story isn’t easy to read by any stretch, and it’s one that will stay with you long after you finish it. She went through a lot to get to where she is in the end.
“His violence terrifies me, but his gentleness gets under my skin in a way that makes me want to hurt him. It’s because it’s a lie. Everything is a lie.”
~Sloan~
I’m on the fence about how I feel about Daniel. At times I feel bad for him, and what he must have gone through in his life, then he does something and all the bad feelings for him go out the window. Dude is messed up in the head. Seriously.
“No, I’m in a dangerous dance with a madman and I need to start watching my moves and not step on his toes…”
~Sloan~
Sloan does what he ha to do to survive, and get through this the best she can. HER I feel for. Truly. Girl’s a fighter and won’t let a madman beat her down. As for Mason, no doubt what I feel for him. Don’t like him. At. All. But I guess in the end things worked out how they were supposed to. You’ll just have to read to find out.
Not to be read if you’re feeling delicate in any way!
I’m a long time fan of Jennifer Bene but have not read anything by Shane Starrett before (well other than his super witty/sarcastic posts on social media). I may need to rectify that omission fairly soon, since the book this duo has produced is pretty darn fantabulous.
It’s dark and goes there on so many occasions. If you’re wondering where there is, it’s all the way to Depravedville, via Shock-Horror Town and taking in the sights of Psycho City along the way. Because no sane person can withstand the level of dark that is “Jasmine’s” (Her) existence, we occasionally get chapters from the POV of other characters in the book. Whilst these aren’t necessarily sweetness and light, nor full of positivity, they do add texture and dimension to this sorry, sordid tale.
The parts written from “His” perspective were both chilling and somewhat heart wrenching. I found myself feeling pity for him and his severely messed up head. I’m not sure if his skewed perspective, his complete lack of understanding around his actions, his removal from all reality actually made his actions worse or a tiny bit understandable. And many may not understand or agree but I did feel sadness for him. In fact the more I read from his perspective the more my heart broke for him. Even though he was mad as a box of frogs, or perhaps BECAUSE of that, he sort of, maybe, snuck into my heart a little. His actions might have been evil but his heart was pure and in his own way he truly loved and revered Jasmine.
In many ways he became the main character for me. Other readers, those with a more normal disposition, probably hated him from the tips of his toes to the very roots of his hair. And it’s fair to say his actions WERE deplorable, unacceptable and so very damaging both mentally and physically. Yet somehow, when I ‘heard’ things through his voice, I wanted to save him. He was deluded rather than evil.
With excellent writing, great characterisation, a twisty, convoluted plot and extreme nastiness this is a must read for all those who love a very dark, gritty and hard as nails read.
A dark romance, suspence and thriller all in one, Jasmine is amazing from a new author duet for me.
While Jennifer Bene is one of my go to author for dark romance, Shane Starret is new for me. And from Jasmine, I can’t wait to read more from this author duet.
From the dark and twisted captivity-romance of Jasmine, I love how the authors put detail in her gruesome effort to fight, on the verge of loosing hope, surviving with everything she got left in her and how the madman who thinks hi way of loving her is the God way, defile her again and again.
And for the law man, the men we count on to protect us, I love how the authors give us two different side of the coin. The jaded, cynic one and the bright eyes who still believe in goodness of his duty.
I love every second sit on the edge of this book. It’s intense. It’s darkness. And finally when light shine through…. Bravo for this duet author! Job well done!