From USA Today Bestselling author Natasha Knight, comes a brand new standalone dark romance. Cilla The Beast had Belle. Killian Black has me. How I got here doesn’t matter, even though he says it does. Says it was my choice. He doesn’t get it, though. It wasn’t ever a choice for me. And now, he’s changing the rules. The agreement was one month. For thirty days, I’d be his. He’s no longer … though. It wasn’t ever a choice for me.
And now, he’s changing the rules.
The agreement was one month. For thirty days, I’d be his. He’s no longer satisfied with my body alone, though. He wants my soul, too. Wants every part of me. And even though I can pretend I’m safe when I lie beneath him, this man does something to me. Something wicked.
A thing that will break me.
Killian
Cilla made the choice. She offered the deal. I just took her up on it. So what if I changed the rules half-way in? I’m not apologizing for it.
See, Cilla and me, we’re the same. She’s dark. As dark as me. Something happened to her. Something bad. It damaged her.
But it’s not a hero she seeks. It’s an avenging angel. A dark knight. That, I can do. I’ll slay her dragons, but it’ll cost her, because in return, I want everything. And I’ll take it.
She’s mine.
Captive Beauty is standalone romance. Think Beauty and the Beast twisted in the darkest, dirtiest ways.
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Natasha Knight’s new release Captive Beauty enthralled me from the very beginning. It took me two nights to read it only because I had to convince myself the first night, that I was indeed an adult and therefore should behave like one.
Killian Black and Priscilla Hawking…some would say, damaged beyond repair, their stories broke my heart and made me cringe…this is no fairy tale but their HEA will piece them back together perfectly imperfect.
I appreciated the way the author stayed true to the characters she was writing, Priscilla, ‘Cilla’ is broken but strong, she’s buried the past and holds the lid down tight, even as the ugliness boils up and makes that lid clatter. Killian ‘Kill’ Black is feared and respected as he controls his empire without regret or remorse. But Kill has regrets, and his are buried deep too.
What started out as a business arrangement, restitution for a debt, soon became more, but don’t let that Beauty and the Beast fairy tale fool you, this is dark, and ugly and the story is spectacularly written. Their love doesn’t bloom, it explodes…
I highly recommend you don’t pass this one by.
Sizzling hot captive romance!
The following ratings are out of 5:
Audio/Narration:
Romance:
Heat/Steam:
Story/Plot:
World building:
Character development:
The Hero(s): Killian – owner of a Club that is used to launder his underworld money. Killian is a mafia connected, rich and powerful. He had a tragic upbringing. After his parents died, his uncle took him and his sister in and his sister ended up committing suicide.
The heroine: Cilla – a freelance journalist, she sees her brother Jones every few weeks for dinner. They grew up in foster care after their parents died and had it rough. Something happened that neither will talk about.
The Love Story: Cilla’s brother Jones steals a brick of Heroine from Killian and Killian finds out and comes after him and Cilla walks into the middle of it. To save her brother from getting his legs broken or worse, she tells Killian she will do whatever he wants. He demands she give him one month where she will live with him and give him whatever he asks for.
The narration on this one was great and the book was super hot. It was a captive romance and I liked the voices on the narration, the male voice was deep and sexy while the female voice was feminine and not whiny or entitled sounding like I have found some to be. I liked the plot though the dragged out Cilla and Jones past a bit too long so it was easy to guess what had happened to them. It just took Killian a bit longer to discover. Though after this, I definitely want to read more from Natasha Knight!
Captive Beauty is a marvelous story of strength, trust, pain and love.
One glance at her, and Killian,an excellent example of strong,possesive alpha male, obsessed with Cilla. Cilla is strong, fiece woman, but it’s only a mask, the real Cilla is troubled because of her dark past. Kill tries to see past her wall of alienation and discover her dark secrets. His deadly mysterious past has, also, turned him into dark man.
Because of Killian’s actions, Cilla hates him, there’s a thin line between love and hate. Can she see past his darkness? Can he discover all her secrets?
This and all you will find in this captivating story..
Oh holy wow! This is my first read by Natasha and I was so excited because it was a dark retelling of my favorite: Beauty and the Beast. Killian Black is my newest book boyfriend, and I am up for whatever he wants!!! I’m not gonna lie, some of you should probably stay away from this book. There are so many things that can trigger a person, I don’t want to say what because they are a part of the story and they work to enhance what’s happening, but if you have any slight trigger I suggest you read something else. But if you are like me and can read just about anything then read this, it is so, so, so goood! I want more! Maybe Jones can have a book? Pretty please with me on my knees?
In a move to protect her brother, Cilla gives herself to Killian Black for 30 days. She owes him and will do anything to keep him safe, even if it means giving herself over to a beast. Killian wants more than just her body, though . . . he wants everything from her and is willing to break down every wall she has to see the darkness inside her soul and devour it.
Killian takes the deal Cilla offers. He wants her body. Once he starts to know her, he wants her soul too. He’ll take everything. He knows she has a dark secret she is hiding and he’ll discover just what it is. He is no hero, but he will avenge her past so he can own her future.
Ohhhh, this book! So dark and twisted and oh so good! Natasha Knight created her own version of a very damaged beauty and an avenging beast that hurt one another in ways that tear each other apart so they can start rebuilding together even if they don’t realize that is what is happening.
These characters are ridiculously deep and complex and the story is a dark romance and contains enough taboo to justify actions that normally would seem unjustifiable. It truly is a dark and decadent fairy tale that will leave you breathless. 5 stars
This author can craft an entertaining dark romance that I enjoy. I wouldn’t label it a favorite, but I had fun while listening.
It started as a typical mafia lord story with the hero Killian Black, literally trapping Cilla in his 30 day contract in lieu of her brother Jones’s life.
But halfway through story turned inside out and showed me the immense heart it was hiding beneath the layers of cruelty and torture.
My heart just went out for Jones. The brother – sister team had taken on more than a human can endure before they buckle in and give up.
Truely a remarkable story and the narrators did a wonderful job.
4.5 stars for pounds of flesh
It’s an ok read, certainly steamy, but the characters were rather flat and unlikeable, with the story just sort of limping along.
Audio review….
I loved Beauty and The Beast, but when you get a dark version by Natasha Knight, you can’t go wrong.
This book was dark, angsty, and filled with everything I love from Knight’s books. I finished this in one night.
I’m a fan of Christian Fox but this is my first audio from Kate Genevieve.
A raw, gritty, and intense journey to go on. I was held captivated from beginning till the end. Great story!
If you like Dark Mafia Romance, Killian is for you.
This is the story of Killian & Cilla. Cilla’s brother betrays Killian, and Cilla steps in to protect her brother from Killian’s revenge. He wants a month with her to do anything he wants with her in exchange for not doing anything to her brother. She is very stubborn, which doesn’t sit too well with Killian. All he wants is obedience. She is a broken person, but so is Killian, in the deepest way. I just love Killian. This is a very intense story. I just love the way Natasha Knight writes her stories. There’s never a dull moment and they are definitely page turners, as is this one. I so look forward to whenever he next book will be released.
4.5 stars
Captive Beauty, also titled Killian, is my first read/listen by this author, and it had an amazingly-crafted dark and twisted spin of a modern day Beauty and the Beast. As a means to rectify a situation, Cilla and Killian’s relationship begins with anything but romance. Their connection and feelings are very raw throughout the story… bringing forth demons from both their pasts, showcasing their flaws and making them the perfect salvation for each other. On the outside, Killian is painted as the bad guy but he is exactly what Cilla needed to fight her “dragon”, and in turn Cilla gives Killian a second chance to redeem himself for his past loss he was unable to prevent. Their underlying dark secrets are hinted throughout the storyline, which gives the reader an idea of what happened, but I would have liked a little more closure for Cilla and her brother’s story, as it never really fully detailed what exactly did happen to them. The narration was excellent! It was also my first time experiencing the talent of Christian Fox and Kate Genevieve. Both performances were on point with the characters’ personalities, bringing the raw emotion and powerfulness of this dark tale to my listening ears.
Audiobook Version:
Stop the presses! Natasha Knight gave us one amazing story here! I literally could not put it down. The characters were soo flawed yet so perfect. They were rugged, raw and REAL! Their broken sides called to each other. What started as a sister sacrificing herself to save her brother, turned into salvation for herself as well. I can’t say enough how much I loved this story. It very much felt like a dark retelling of Beauty and the Beast but in a completely original way. It was A dark, captivating tale.
Narration was perfect. Both Christian and Kate gave amazing performances. They embodied their roles perfectly and were beyond a pleasure to listen to. I was sad to hear it end.
Thank You Thank You Thank You!
AudiobookObsession
I’ve been in a book funk lately… You can’t be in a damn funk with this book. You just can’t . I loved the characters. Absolutely loved them. The authors always try to do their own take of Beauty and the Beast should like. This rendition was done to perfection. The twist and turns in the story kept me on edge.
I really didn’t know what was going to happen… Cilla was a character, which I loved, mainly because she had a damn spine. She didn’t sit back and take. There were only one or two times where I wanted to shake the crap out of her but most of time I was rooting for her. Killian “Kill” Black was… *sigh* He wanted everything. He wasn’t willing to have and/or get something or someone half way. Kill wanted it all.
I loved the how characters were damaged but damaged wasn’t all what they were. People might say to damaged people can heal each other. Who knows? Maybe they need to find the right person. This book, if you are in a book funk, will take you on a crazy journey. It is a journey that you would be willing to ride.
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~~4.5 BEAUTIFULLY DARK & BEASTLY STARS! ~~
“I’ll slay her dragons, but in return, I want everything.”
CAPTIVE BEAUTY by Natasha Knight, which puts a dark, sinister and spectacularly sexy twist on the classic Beauty and the Beast trope, completely held my heart captive!!
EEEK! Talk about THRILLS, CHILLS and GOOSEBUMPS GALORE! For from the moment our big, broody beast, Killian Black, strikes a deal with a petrified Priscilla Hawking to be at his mercy for thirty days, in order to pay off her brother’s debt, you can feel the heat and the combustible sparks radiating off them in waves! I have said it once, twice, umpteenth times and it bears repeating here. NOBODY writes dominantly sexy, lethally dangerous anti-heroes quite like Natasha Knight! And Killian in all his dark, growly “badassery” lit me ON FIRE!
But as cold and cruel as our beast is, he has more than met his match in the beautifully broken and alluring defiant Cilla, who in many ways may be even more damaged than he is! And when he’s not dominating, debasing and ravishing every single delectable inch of her, he is desperate to unravel every single one of her secrets. For this bewitching captive not only draws out the sick, deviant monster in him but she also taps into the ferocious protector who vows to safeguard her at all costs.
Who would have thunk it, huh?!
I love the dichotomy that the always brilliant Ms. Knight brought out in these characters! For underneath Killian’s darkly foreboding, scarred exterior, as it turns out, he is not “quite” as beastly as he appears. There is a kind, chivalrous and compassionate side to him as well…even though he’s the first to profess he’s NO HERO! And in all honestly, I was as mesmerized by the softer, gentler, more achingly tender facets of his personality as I was titillated by the dark depravity that always lurks just beneath the surface!
And though on the outside Cilla is the picture of innocence and fragility, she has a backbone of steel and possesses sordid appetites that call to the primal predator within Kill. As well as some dark skeletons in her closet that have taken a devastating toll on her life. I just relish how even though she claims to hate her “captor” with every breath she takes, in truth, Killian is the only man who she trusts enough to surrender her heart, body and soul.
However, rather than wanting to subdue the brave, courageous warrior inside of her, break her spirit, or even use her for his own sadistic pleasure, as the story progresses we see this fascinating shift inside Kill. And as he slowly but surely begins to piece together the horrors she endured in her childhood, HELPING CILLA becomes a BALM TO HIS OWN TORTURED SOUL, and he becomes consumed with unleashing, and soothing, the crippling pain she keeps locked so deep down inside. Before long, there’s nothing he won’t do for this woman. But though this FIERCELY DEVOTED DARK KNIGHT vows to slay her every dragon, Cilla’s not looking for a savior…she just wants him to help her get her pound of flesh!
But at what cost?
I was truly transfixed by this dark, gritty love story from start to finish, and I relished how these two fractured souls are bound together by pain and passion, darkness and despair, and how when their broken parts are fused together as one, there’s the glimmer of hope that they might make each other whole! But is love and salvation truly possible for these two damaged souls? Gotta read to find out but I will say that as the mounting tension slowly builds to a shattering crescendo and all their demons are finally laid bare, prepare to have your heart ripped out of your chest in the BEST. POSSIBLE. WAY!
Along with the scintillating, filthy hot interludes, pulse pounding intrigue and spine-chilling suspense, I liked how the side characters were woven into the plot. And especially enjoyed the cameo appearances from the memorable baddies from Ms. Knights other books. The brief scenes with ruthless mafia kingpin Dominic Benedetti and his cousin Giovanni Santa Maria, a powerful mobster in his own right, were a blast! Talk about testosterone overload! Ultimately, I think the author did a great job of seamlessly crossing these characters over into each other’s brutal worlds!
BOTTOM LINE:
CAPTIVE BEAUTY is an ENTHRALLING, HAUNTINGLY BEAUTIFUL dark romance by the always resplendent Ms. Knight, which of course just whets my appetite for more!
Highly recommend!
Loved it
Natasha Knight has done it!! Captive Beauty is 5 star perfection! She has transcended and heightened the dark factor in this story. I believe Knight now has found a satisfying balance of the darkness needed for her stories, but not to the point that readers will be disapproving.
In all of her books; I have loved each and everyone of her characters, and this one is no different. Killian Black is to die for….<--- (see what I did there), and Cilla is the perfect blend of broken, courageous, and audacious. The depth to which these two are damaged is irreparable. Held captive to pay a debt, Cilla daringly asks for Kill’s assistance to show her how to slay her and her brother’s dragon. What she fails to realize is, slaying her dragon won’t repair what was once broken. ~Beauty needs a hero, and within her beast she finds one. A dark one.~
This is probably the second book of Natasha I’ve read and it was just as good. I loved the suspense of this story. Kept me reading all night just to see what happens. And the cover is hot too. The writing was great and I loved Killa. Can’t wait for the next book.
Captive Beauty grabs you from the very first page and does not let go until the finish the last page! I was looking for more when I read The End, because I did not want to let the story go! It was impossible to put this book down once started. You never knew what would happen next. Cilla and Kit are antagonists from the beginning. Kit never pretends to be a good man, yet he admired Cilla’s determination to help her brother. Their story takes you through every possible emotion from Cilla’s extreme fear and dislike to both of them wanting more from each other, yet knowing it is impossible with all the secrets. the journey they took together through anger, trials, angst and developing emotions was so well written by Natasha Knight that this story flowed from one chapter to another.
I cannot recommend this book highly enough. It was one of the best reads that I have had in a long time. But this book! You will not regret it!
Where do I start —
There are just so many words to describe the emotional journey that is Captive Beauty -Riveting – Engaging – Captivating- Raw
The characters are exquisitely crafted – you can feel their pain, their desires – the small stolen moments (tissue box moments)
Killian is so much more than what he believes himself to be –
He fronts for the world -He shows no remorse, no regret – yet he feels every consequence-every decision with a totality that is slowing destroying him.
In Cilla he sees a match to his darkness- but will it be the spark that ignites his beast leaving nothing but death and devastation in his wake?
Cilla – so much weight on her shoulders – she carries a burden that truly is not hers -but she has sustained it for so long that it has become a part of her – a symbiotic nightmare that thrives on her soul
For Cilla the deal was easy to make -when you have nothing to lose -you have nothing to fear
What she will sacrifice in the name of love may just turn out to weigh more than the pound of flesh she bargained for.
I read a complimentary copy of this book and look forward to more from this author