Claire was held captive for 43 days by a man who did unspeakable things to her.Three years after her escape, she gets her revenge. The only problem is, she’s got the wrong man.God help her if he escapes.
That was, well, that was one of the most amazing reads I’ve ever read! It flowed, it ebbed, it was smooth, and bumpy, but not sharp or cutting. It mesmerized me, it soothed and fired me up, at the same time, about the same things. Claire and Ari didn’t need to know anything about each other, not from their lives, because they connected on a primal level. They knew each other, and exposed to the other, their souls, and that was enough. The real world had no place in their connection, and only a fox named Arnold was allowed to intrude on their solitude
Claire has broken pieces, and they are valid and real. Ari knows he isn’t perfect, and her broken pieces bring out the best in him. They fit; they are the ying to the other’s yang. The shards of one, opens the soothing in the other. They energize, they empower, and they simply are perfect together. They left me hyper and awake after reading their story. Immersed in their world, they didn’t only draw me in, they shone back out, making me feel their hope, their connection, their flawlessness when they were together
Quite simply, they gave as much as they took, and their synergy is blindingly wonderful!
Author
amandaryan1980
2 years ago
I was expecting greatness, and Kitty delivered above my expectations. This book is now my favorite by this author. I loved the character development of Ari, Claire was a wonderful heroine. I also loved how we seen more of Quill and Saskia and seen how he had finally let her in and their relationship had grown. I immediately added it to my reread list. Kitty has said that this book was like Comfort Food and Tender Mercies had a baby, and that’s exactly what it’s like.
Author
jhermiz777
2 years ago
Spellbound!
From the 1st page, The Escape Artist sucked me down a rabbit hole of literary bliss! I had all the feels reading this book! I was terrified and angry. I was smiling and giddy with happiness. I was even holding my breath waiting for the next page a few times! I honestly think this is the best work done by Kitty Thomas. Her writing style has built into some of the strongest emotion stirring topics I’ve read lately. This book had me hypnotized into Ari and Claire’s world. I didn’t want it to end!
Author
cindir4
2 years ago
Time to escape back into a world by Kitty Thomas. Her worlds always seem to be so wrong, yet somehow turn out to have been right all along. And this world is just another incredible example of that. And holy shit does it ever deliver. You almost couldn’t make up a story this crazy. Imagine being abducted and held for 43 days, then, on the day he was going to kill you, you somehow managed to escape. Ok, not so unusual, right? But wait. What if you were to kidnap him back? Make his life hell like he did to yours? That’s a bit different, huh? And then, THEN finding out you captured the wrong freaking damn guy??? Ok, now we have one hell of a convoluted story. And Kitty definitely does justice to it. There is a tie in to the characters from The Con Artist, and I have to say that this book changed my mind about those characters in a fairly significant way. I don’t want to give away anything more about the story. Oh, maybe one more thing. HOT!!! Sizzling hot freaking sex scenes! You definitely need to read it.
Author
patty
2 years ago
The Escape Artist
The Dark Arts #2
By Kitty Thomas
Narrated by Tor Thom and Charley Ongel
This is my first Kitty Thomas book and it certainly will not be my last. Dark, dangerous, exciting and romantic, this book captured my attention and didn’t let go. Claire was kidnapped three years ago. Still afraid to live her life, she is ready to seek her revenge so she will finally be free. But when she kidnaps the wrong man, her life takes a whole new turn. He turns the tables on her, and now again a captive, she is facing her reality. But it’s not the same. Ari is good to her and feelings are forming for both. Will this strange situation result in finding true love? Full of kink, passion, new found love and life, it’s a captivating story. There are some brutal scenes and it may not be for everyone, but Thomas spares no details in Claire’s devastation creating a feeling of realism. I loved this premise and the story is fantastic.
Tor Thom and Charley Ongel are our storytellers and they bring this dark romance to life. Thom is Ari, and he has a air of danger surrounding him with a warmth that pulls in that sense of protectiveness. Ongel is strong, stubborn and melds to all the changes Claire goes through. She lets us feel all her emotions as she goes through so much. This team is wonderful, keeping us engaged and excited to listen.
I received an Advanced Reader Copy for an honest and voluntary review
This book is ANOTHER fantastic gem by Kitty Thomas I absolutely LOVE Claire and Ari They have a shaky start, but pretty soon, can demons of the past be held at bay?? Can there be healing?? The chemistry between these two is on fire This book is a definite page turner that you won’t want to look away from!! You’ll want to soak up every single decadent delicious morsel This is a standalone, but also a sequel, to The Con Artist. I recommend you read that book first to get the best experience
Claire was held captive for 43 days, being tortured over and over again!! She finally escapes, but 3 years later, she sees her captor in a coffee shop….or does she?? Claire tries to turn the tables, and kidnap/torture her captor……
Ari, an experienced Dom, doesn’t submit to anyone. However, this fragile flower intrigues Ari. While Claire delivers her punishments, he tries to figure out how to make this tortured soul submit to him……
I very highly recommend this book
Author
joy
2 years ago
I thoroughly enjoyed this book.
Author
heather
2 years ago
I hate to call this book dark, but it does have tones of abuse and violence. Claire is such a broken heroine and I love that about her. She has been living in fear ever since her escape. When she finds a way to get her revenge, things aren’t what they seem to be. Watch Claire on her journey to find peace and a way to get on with her life. The twists and turns this book takes you on are amazing. Buckle up and one click this one now. I guarantee you won’t be able to put it down.
Author
amandaanderson
2 years ago
** spoiler alert ** Wow. This book. By far my favorite book by Kitty Thomas.
Claire got kidnapped for 43 days and tortured and raped by a horrible man and escaped. 3 years later she believes she finds him and gets revenge on him. She kidnaps him, puts him in a cell and tortures him for 3 weeks. Except she kidnaps the wrong man.
When I seen Ari was the male I actually got butterflies. The little snippet of him in Con Artist was SO GOOD. I loved him and his tenderness. I was so incredibly happy and was hopeful that he kept his sweetness but also, Kitty stuck to her stern ways. And she did NOT disappoint. Like usual. I love her and her writing. So much.
Claire was the PERFECT pet for him. Wow. I mean, they were a dream. I could read this book twice. This book was just so good. *You really should read Con Artist before reading this even though its basically a standalone because there is another couple involved that plays out in it that is focused in that book* and thats another thing I LOVED! I loved that Kane and Saskia were in this story alot! & Marcus.. And I loved that Kane was softer and OH MY HEART, THE BRANDING…LOVE IT. This will go down as my favorite book of hers and I will be telling EVERYONE. 5 stars. 5 star author.
Author
triciacoker
2 years ago
Kitty Thomas has an impressive skill at crafting these dark stories which draw you in and make you view the characters through a different eye. The shades of black and white fall away and people who might be villains are often not, and those who are good dip into the dark side of life all to often, making it feel so much more real. Ari and Claire are intriguing and I loved every minute of their story. Q and Saskia are a treat, and I was so drawn into the whole story I couldn’t put it down.
Now for those faint of hart, this story has triggers and plenty of dark elements, but it also has beauty in it as well, and is wonderfully engaging. It’s just another example of why Kitty is a queen of the dark erotic romance.
Author
tafsmith
2 years ago
LOVE HER BOOKS!!! So unique!
Author
aimz
2 years ago
The Escape Artist… WOW! I don’t even know where to begin to describe what I just read, but amazing is a good start. As the blurb states Claire does get revenge, but she has the wrong man when she grabs ahold of Ari… I didn’t know how she could bring this story around, but she brings it full circle in such a perfect way. Its amazing how sometimes you have to go through the dark to get to the light… You also get to see Kane and Saskia in this story!
I fell in love with Kitty’s writing when I read Tender Mercies, and boy did this book bring me back there! I so loved Claire and Ari’s story!
Author
shootingbluemoonstar
2 years ago
TL;DR: Add this book to your collection. It satisfies the need for dark elements, while showing us the humanity that still lurks inside all of us. Kitty is a one-lick author for me, and this book combines many of the elements of her most popular books.
Kitty always writes a book for the thinking reader, and this one is no different. It is a stand alone book but it includes has some crossover characters from previous novels.
We have Ari, a character introduced in other books (such as The Con Artist,) who lives a privileged and hedonistic but self-aware existence, which keeps him from being a debauched trope, and Claire, a shell of a woman who is dealing with PTSD from trauma around kidnapping and rape. (If this is a trigger for you, be aware that Kitty deals with it with a sensitive frankness.)
Ari is an intelligent man who is described as a Viking, and Claire has a waifish an ephemeral presence. They do not come together in a conventional way, and wouldn’t likely have found and kept each other, without the trauma each have endured in their recent pasts. The book flips the captor/captive trope on it’s ear, with Claire taking control of her situation and avenging the wrongs inflicted upon her. Unfortunately, her victim wasn’t the one who caused her the pain that drives her vengeance.
The book follows them as they move through the aftermath of their pain and find a missing piece in each other. There is a tenderness in the couple that we don’t always see in a Kitty book, and it’s refreshing to have a dark story that still contains this element.
Author
terra
2 years ago
Wonderful, awful, dark, heartbreaking, hopeful, sexy and just plain amazing. Those are just some of the words I would use to describe this book. I am a HUGE fan of dark Kitty and The Escape Artist is dark and at times uncomfortable, but in all the best ways. I loved Ari and Claire’s story as much as I wanted to dislike them both for various reasons, I just couldn’t. This books is wonderfully written and had me hooked from the first page.
Author
stacyrenee211
2 years ago
Kitty Thomas has done it again. “The Escape Artist” is another fantastic, twisted tale of a couple (Claire and Ari) who exist outside of society’s norms. There are lots of steamy scenes — prepare to fall in love with Ari. Characters from “The Pleasure House” world and “The Con Artist” also make an appearance. I was pleasantly surprised by the twist at the end. As always, Ms. Thomas has created another satisfying read.
By kittythomas
That was, well, that was one of the most amazing reads I’ve ever read! It flowed, it ebbed, it was smooth, and bumpy, but not sharp or cutting. It mesmerized me, it soothed and fired me up, at the same time, about the same things. Claire and Ari didn’t need to know anything about each other, not from their lives, because they connected on a primal level. They knew each other, and exposed to the other, their souls, and that was enough. The real world had no place in their connection, and only a fox named Arnold was allowed to intrude on their solitude
Claire has broken pieces, and they are valid and real. Ari knows he isn’t perfect, and her broken pieces bring out the best in him. They fit; they are the ying to the other’s yang. The shards of one, opens the soothing in the other. They energize, they empower, and they simply are perfect together. They left me hyper and awake after reading their story. Immersed in their world, they didn’t only draw me in, they shone back out, making me feel their hope, their connection, their flawlessness when they were together
Quite simply, they gave as much as they took, and their synergy is blindingly wonderful!
I was expecting greatness, and Kitty delivered above my expectations. This book is now my favorite by this author. I loved the character development of Ari, Claire was a wonderful heroine. I also loved how we seen more of Quill and Saskia and seen how he had finally let her in and their relationship had grown. I immediately added it to my reread list. Kitty has said that this book was like Comfort Food and Tender Mercies had a baby, and that’s exactly what it’s like.
Spellbound!
From the 1st page, The Escape Artist sucked me down a rabbit hole of literary bliss! I had all the feels reading this book! I was terrified and angry. I was smiling and giddy with happiness. I was even holding my breath waiting for the next page a few times! I honestly think this is the best work done by Kitty Thomas. Her writing style has built into some of the strongest emotion stirring topics I’ve read lately. This book had me hypnotized into Ari and Claire’s world. I didn’t want it to end!
Time to escape back into a world by Kitty Thomas. Her worlds always seem to be so wrong, yet somehow turn out to have been right all along. And this world is just another incredible example of that. And holy shit does it ever deliver. You almost couldn’t make up a story this crazy. Imagine being abducted and held for 43 days, then, on the day he was going to kill you, you somehow managed to escape. Ok, not so unusual, right? But wait. What if you were to kidnap him back? Make his life hell like he did to yours? That’s a bit different, huh? And then, THEN finding out you captured the wrong freaking damn guy??? Ok, now we have one hell of a convoluted story. And Kitty definitely does justice to it. There is a tie in to the characters from The Con Artist, and I have to say that this book changed my mind about those characters in a fairly significant way. I don’t want to give away anything more about the story. Oh, maybe one more thing. HOT!!! Sizzling hot freaking sex scenes! You definitely need to read it.
The Escape Artist
The Dark Arts #2
By Kitty Thomas
Narrated by Tor Thom and Charley Ongel
This is my first Kitty Thomas book and it certainly will not be my last. Dark, dangerous, exciting and romantic, this book captured my attention and didn’t let go. Claire was kidnapped three years ago. Still afraid to live her life, she is ready to seek her revenge so she will finally be free. But when she kidnaps the wrong man, her life takes a whole new turn. He turns the tables on her, and now again a captive, she is facing her reality. But it’s not the same. Ari is good to her and feelings are forming for both. Will this strange situation result in finding true love? Full of kink, passion, new found love and life, it’s a captivating story. There are some brutal scenes and it may not be for everyone, but Thomas spares no details in Claire’s devastation creating a feeling of realism. I loved this premise and the story is fantastic.
Tor Thom and Charley Ongel are our storytellers and they bring this dark romance to life. Thom is Ari, and he has a air of danger surrounding him with a warmth that pulls in that sense of protectiveness. Ongel is strong, stubborn and melds to all the changes Claire goes through. She lets us feel all her emotions as she goes through so much. This team is wonderful, keeping us engaged and excited to listen.
#ALC #comingsoon #darkromance #audioromance #bdsm #kittythomas #torthom #charleyongel
I received an Advanced Reader Copy for an honest and voluntary review
This book is ANOTHER fantastic gem by Kitty Thomas I absolutely LOVE Claire and Ari They have a shaky start, but pretty soon, can demons of the past be held at bay?? Can there be healing?? The chemistry between these two is on fire This book is a definite page turner that you won’t want to look away from!! You’ll want to soak up every single decadent delicious morsel This is a standalone, but also a sequel, to The Con Artist. I recommend you read that book first to get the best experience
Claire was held captive for 43 days, being tortured over and over again!! She finally escapes, but 3 years later, she sees her captor in a coffee shop….or does she?? Claire tries to turn the tables, and kidnap/torture her captor……
Ari, an experienced Dom, doesn’t submit to anyone. However, this fragile flower intrigues Ari. While Claire delivers her punishments, he tries to figure out how to make this tortured soul submit to him……
I very highly recommend this book
I thoroughly enjoyed this book.
I hate to call this book dark, but it does have tones of abuse and violence. Claire is such a broken heroine and I love that about her. She has been living in fear ever since her escape. When she finds a way to get her revenge, things aren’t what they seem to be. Watch Claire on her journey to find peace and a way to get on with her life. The twists and turns this book takes you on are amazing. Buckle up and one click this one now. I guarantee you won’t be able to put it down.
** spoiler alert ** Wow. This book. By far my favorite book by Kitty Thomas.
Claire got kidnapped for 43 days and tortured and raped by a horrible man and escaped. 3 years later she believes she finds him and gets revenge on him. She kidnaps him, puts him in a cell and tortures him for 3 weeks. Except she kidnaps the wrong man.
When I seen Ari was the male I actually got butterflies. The little snippet of him in Con Artist was SO GOOD. I loved him and his tenderness. I was so incredibly happy and was hopeful that he kept his sweetness but also, Kitty stuck to her stern ways. And she did NOT disappoint. Like usual. I love her and her writing. So much.
Claire was the PERFECT pet for him. Wow. I mean, they were a dream. I could read this book twice. This book was just so good. *You really should read Con Artist before reading this even though its basically a standalone because there is another couple involved that plays out in it that is focused in that book* and thats another thing I LOVED! I loved that Kane and Saskia were in this story alot! & Marcus.. And I loved that Kane was softer and OH MY HEART, THE BRANDING…LOVE IT. This will go down as my favorite book of hers and I will be telling EVERYONE. 5 stars. 5 star author.
Kitty Thomas has an impressive skill at crafting these dark stories which draw you in and make you view the characters through a different eye. The shades of black and white fall away and people who might be villains are often not, and those who are good dip into the dark side of life all to often, making it feel so much more real. Ari and Claire are intriguing and I loved every minute of their story. Q and Saskia are a treat, and I was so drawn into the whole story I couldn’t put it down.
Now for those faint of hart, this story has triggers and plenty of dark elements, but it also has beauty in it as well, and is wonderfully engaging. It’s just another example of why Kitty is a queen of the dark erotic romance.
LOVE HER BOOKS!!! So unique!
The Escape Artist… WOW! I don’t even know where to begin to describe what I just read, but amazing is a good start. As the blurb states Claire does get revenge, but she has the wrong man when she grabs ahold of Ari… I didn’t know how she could bring this story around, but she brings it full circle in such a perfect way. Its amazing how sometimes you have to go through the dark to get to the light… You also get to see Kane and Saskia in this story!
I fell in love with Kitty’s writing when I read Tender Mercies, and boy did this book bring me back there! I so loved Claire and Ari’s story!
TL;DR: Add this book to your collection. It satisfies the need for dark elements, while showing us the humanity that still lurks inside all of us. Kitty is a one-lick author for me, and this book combines many of the elements of her most popular books.
Kitty always writes a book for the thinking reader, and this one is no different. It is a stand alone book but it includes has some crossover characters from previous novels.
We have Ari, a character introduced in other books (such as The Con Artist,) who lives a privileged and hedonistic but self-aware existence, which keeps him from being a debauched trope, and Claire, a shell of a woman who is dealing with PTSD from trauma around kidnapping and rape. (If this is a trigger for you, be aware that Kitty deals with it with a sensitive frankness.)
Ari is an intelligent man who is described as a Viking, and Claire has a waifish an ephemeral presence. They do not come together in a conventional way, and wouldn’t likely have found and kept each other, without the trauma each have endured in their recent pasts. The book flips the captor/captive trope on it’s ear, with Claire taking control of her situation and avenging the wrongs inflicted upon her. Unfortunately, her victim wasn’t the one who caused her the pain that drives her vengeance.
The book follows them as they move through the aftermath of their pain and find a missing piece in each other. There is a tenderness in the couple that we don’t always see in a Kitty book, and it’s refreshing to have a dark story that still contains this element.
Wonderful, awful, dark, heartbreaking, hopeful, sexy and just plain amazing. Those are just some of the words I would use to describe this book. I am a HUGE fan of dark Kitty and The Escape Artist is dark and at times uncomfortable, but in all the best ways. I loved Ari and Claire’s story as much as I wanted to dislike them both for various reasons, I just couldn’t. This books is wonderfully written and had me hooked from the first page.
Kitty Thomas has done it again. “The Escape Artist” is another fantastic, twisted tale of a couple (Claire and Ari) who exist outside of society’s norms. There are lots of steamy scenes — prepare to fall in love with Ari. Characters from “The Pleasure House” world and “The Con Artist” also make an appearance. I was pleasantly surprised by the twist at the end. As always, Ms. Thomas has created another satisfying read.