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rihoward's review against another edition
5.0
4.5 stars
From the moment that I read the disclaimer at the beginning about a conversation that had happened between this author and two of my other favorites that I was going to be taken on a bumpy ride. However, Even that did not prepare me for this book because there is dark and then there is DARK. Pitch black. Darker than 13 midnights. Even then, I am not sure that could be construed as dark enough to describe this book.
This book is most definitely not romance. It will not make you feel good. It didn't entice me, put me in a mood for sex, nor did I find pleasure in this. I did, however, find a story that was as riveting as it was disturbing. It was my book version of a SAW or Hostel movie. I knew going into it that it would be disturbing yet I cannot quit watching because I have to figure out the story.
I am pretty sure I am now broken because my heart hurt reading this. This most definitely is not a book for the faint of heart. I am not sure who ultimately won this standoff. The horrors Beth faced were some of the worst that I have encountered in fiction. Yet, the author depicted it so well that I had to read on. It felt real and I wanted to know how Beth withstood the horrors that were inflicted on her. Furthermore, I wanted to know why? What had created Anthony as such a monster? I found myself wanting to know the human psyche which says something because this is fiction. That takes a true master writer to engage her audience to the point that rather than be repulsed it made me seek answers because I truly needed to understand. The fact that this is fiction only served to intrigue me more because it felt real and wouldn't surprise me if there weren't many cases that were similar to this in real life. Which to be honest, is what makes this even more compelling. It ultimately made me question if maybe, just maybe, it would winning means sometimes you need to lose?
I look forward to the next part of the story and seeing Beth get her HEA. I have to be honest though, I look forward to seeing how the author manages to make that happen because how Beth is shown at the end of the book I am not sure there is enough Super glue in the world to put her broken pieces back together.
From the moment that I read the disclaimer at the beginning about a conversation that had happened between this author and two of my other favorites that I was going to be taken on a bumpy ride. However, Even that did not prepare me for this book because there is dark and then there is DARK. Pitch black. Darker than 13 midnights. Even then, I am not sure that could be construed as dark enough to describe this book.
This book is most definitely not romance. It will not make you feel good. It didn't entice me, put me in a mood for sex, nor did I find pleasure in this. I did, however, find a story that was as riveting as it was disturbing. It was my book version of a SAW or Hostel movie. I knew going into it that it would be disturbing yet I cannot quit watching because I have to figure out the story.
I am pretty sure I am now broken because my heart hurt reading this. This most definitely is not a book for the faint of heart. I am not sure who ultimately won this standoff. The horrors Beth faced were some of the worst that I have encountered in fiction. Yet, the author depicted it so well that I had to read on. It felt real and I wanted to know how Beth withstood the horrors that were inflicted on her. Furthermore, I wanted to know why? What had created Anthony as such a monster? I found myself wanting to know the human psyche which says something because this is fiction. That takes a true master writer to engage her audience to the point that rather than be repulsed it made me seek answers because I truly needed to understand. The fact that this is fiction only served to intrigue me more because it felt real and wouldn't surprise me if there weren't many cases that were similar to this in real life. Which to be honest, is what makes this even more compelling. It ultimately made me question if maybe, just maybe, it would winning means sometimes you need to lose?
I look forward to the next part of the story and seeing Beth get her HEA. I have to be honest though, I look forward to seeing how the author manages to make that happen because how Beth is shown at the end of the book I am not sure there is enough Super glue in the world to put her broken pieces back together.
library_breeder's review against another edition
5.0
This novella can also be found in the "When the Dark Wins" anthology.
Beth wakes up in a room wondering how she got there, turns out the blonde co-ed was snatched up to fulfill the order to procure a "natural blonde". Her only "job" now is to shed her identity and recognize that she is no longer her own. She must follow the rules set out by her captor. His only "job" is to break her down into a submissive and useable sex slave to be sold.
Unfortunately for him, Beth refuses to go down without a fight. Through brutal rapes, beatings, tortures, and endless psychological tactics, Beth manages to not totally break, and thus has become a problem to be solved by her captor, who initially was happy to have someone "fun” and "interesting" who was a "challenge" to tame. Breaking Beth is not a tropey Stockholm Syndrome book where the slave and the slaver end up being together. It is the rough business of snatching, breaking, then training a "product" to be sold.
Beth wakes up in a room wondering how she got there, turns out the blonde co-ed was snatched up to fulfill the order to procure a "natural blonde". Her only "job" now is to shed her identity and recognize that she is no longer her own. She must follow the rules set out by her captor. His only "job" is to break her down into a submissive and useable sex slave to be sold.
Unfortunately for him, Beth refuses to go down without a fight. Through brutal rapes, beatings, tortures, and endless psychological tactics, Beth manages to not totally break, and thus has become a problem to be solved by her captor, who initially was happy to have someone "fun” and "interesting" who was a "challenge" to tame. Breaking Beth is not a tropey Stockholm Syndrome book where the slave and the slaver end up being together. It is the rough business of snatching, breaking, then training a "product" to be sold.
jdemaere's review against another edition
4.0
What did I just read??
Anthony and his brother Marcus train slaves. They take them, break them and then sell them. They film everything and allow their clients to watch as the girls are used and broken until they are perfect dolls…. Who have no mind of their own and will do whatever their “Master” tells them to do without fight or comment.
Anthony and Marcus have different methods of training them, and they disagree strongly. They have a list, and Anthony decides that Beth will be the next one they take. Marcus disagrees, but takes her as requested. This is Anthony’s to train, and he uses fear and pain. When Beth wakes tied down to a bed.. he eats up her fear. He presents the rules to her.. she is nothing, no longer a person, but a thing. She is to kneel in every room, ask permission to orgasm, and call him Master. She vows that will never happen. She is a person, and she will remain a person.
Anthony underestimates Beth… he swears he will break her….but will he go too far??
I love dark… and this is so dark.. I was captured and couldn’t turn away! I read it fast… too fast.. and now have to wait for the next book to find out what happens.
Anthony and his brother Marcus train slaves. They take them, break them and then sell them. They film everything and allow their clients to watch as the girls are used and broken until they are perfect dolls…. Who have no mind of their own and will do whatever their “Master” tells them to do without fight or comment.
Anthony and Marcus have different methods of training them, and they disagree strongly. They have a list, and Anthony decides that Beth will be the next one they take. Marcus disagrees, but takes her as requested. This is Anthony’s to train, and he uses fear and pain. When Beth wakes tied down to a bed.. he eats up her fear. He presents the rules to her.. she is nothing, no longer a person, but a thing. She is to kneel in every room, ask permission to orgasm, and call him Master. She vows that will never happen. She is a person, and she will remain a person.
Anthony underestimates Beth… he swears he will break her….but will he go too far??
I love dark… and this is so dark.. I was captured and couldn’t turn away! I read it fast… too fast.. and now have to wait for the next book to find out what happens.
75_sweetestbook's review against another edition
5.0
This is a wow book. This was very hard to put down as it keep me on a strong hold from the first page. This book is a very dark twisted book that will have you in suspense throughout this book.
erikabra's review against another edition
4.0
3.8*
This is basically a psychological horror story on human trafficking. The writing was great most of the Time but I find some part where it was repetitive. It could have been an issue if the book was longer. The brothers were so awfull and nicely described. This was dark and so heartbreaking to read, it achieved its goal.
This is basically a psychological horror story on human trafficking. The writing was great most of the Time but I find some part where it was repetitive. It could have been an issue if the book was longer. The brothers were so awfull and nicely described. This was dark and so heartbreaking to read, it achieved its goal.
mom2three's review against another edition
5.0
The only word I can use is WOW. I have had the pleasure of reading other books by this author, including her Thalia series, so I had an idea of what I was getting with this one. It was so much more than I was expecting, though. This is a beautiful, intense, tragic, gut-wrenching, make-you-lose-your-stomach kind of read. It is one that makes you never want to be alone, or in the dark, again. It will make you want to check and double check all of your surroundings all the time. It wormed its way into my soul and I don't know that I will ever be the same again. It disturbed me on a level so deeply I had a hard time even explaining what I had just read when asked about it. At the same time, I need to know more! I am not only curious about Beth, but I am also curious about what makes Anthony tick. I am more curious than ever about how deep this hole is going to go, and how, or if, there is anyway to find the light again. That, more than anything else, is why this has become a story I know I will read over and over.
lifeinthebooklane's review against another edition
4.0
This. This is some dark messed-up shit. Stay away if rape, abuse and torture of the heroine would trigger you. For those of you as depraved as me - welcome!
I'm going to start by letting you know that this story was previously published in the 'When The Dark Wins' anthology, and is unchanged from that version.
We first heard about Beth from conversations between Marcus and Anthony, in Security Binds Her. We also know from later books in that series there is somewhat of a positive uplift in her story. Knowing that made this much easier to read, even though it doesn't end happily or nicely in any way, shape or form. Remember it is DARK! There is no light at the end of this tunnel, at least not yet.
You will love Beth, you will want to marry her and have her children, regardless of your gender or sexuality. You will hate Anthony with a passion, and Marcus only a little less. In fact Anthony is pretty damn scary, his lack of soul was so incredibly well portrayed. He is evil beyond comprehension, so remove from any humanity that he doesn't fully understand why his actions with Beth aren't working.
I absolutely LOVED this story and am so excited to know that we will be getting more of Beth's story later this year. I will be one clicking that as soon as it's available.
I'm going to start by letting you know that this story was previously published in the 'When The Dark Wins' anthology, and is unchanged from that version.
We first heard about Beth from conversations between Marcus and Anthony, in Security Binds Her. We also know from later books in that series there is somewhat of a positive uplift in her story. Knowing that made this much easier to read, even though it doesn't end happily or nicely in any way, shape or form. Remember it is DARK! There is no light at the end of this tunnel, at least not yet.
You will love Beth, you will want to marry her and have her children, regardless of your gender or sexuality. You will hate Anthony with a passion, and Marcus only a little less. In fact Anthony is pretty damn scary, his lack of soul was so incredibly well portrayed. He is evil beyond comprehension, so remove from any humanity that he doesn't fully understand why his actions with Beth aren't working.
I absolutely LOVED this story and am so excited to know that we will be getting more of Beth's story later this year. I will be one clicking that as soon as it's available.
tj_darkreads's review against another edition
5.0
This is Beth's story about how the monster called Anthony decided he was going to take her, use her, torture her and eventually break her. I've recently found this arthur and started reading her book's and just fell in love with them. From start to finish my mind couldn't wrap around the cruelty people will do to another person. In her book's about Thalia you first meet Anthony and he's as sadistic in those book's as he is in Beth's story. I believe death is to good for him this guy needs to be tortured on a daily basis, so he can get just an inkling of what he does to Beth. I absolutely loved this story.
This is just my opinion and my review
This is just my opinion and my review
randazz_pizazz's review against another edition
dark
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
This book is very dark, twisted, and delightfully f*cked up. If you have a lot of triggers, DO NOT READ THIS. There's no happy ending in this book. I'm the type of person that looks for books with very intense trigger warnings just so I can read them. I thoroughly enjoyed this book! There were times that I audibly gasped and clutched my pearls lol. Loved it! Thank you Jennifer Bene for pushing the limit.
kelly_reads_books's review against another edition
5.0
I was nervous about reading this story because I don't like Anthony but OMG I really hate him now! My heart broke for Beth. Jennifer Bene is such a fabulous author. I love all of her books!