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Stolen Away #1
Hideaway
“I may sound like Prince Charming to girls like you, but I don’t have a noble bone in my body. And trust me, princess, I don’t save. I destroy. And I revel in the chaos.”
Caden Ashford is a collector. He has an eye for beautiful, priceless treasures, and he has a talent for procuring them for the highest bidder. His business endeavors aren’t exactly legal, but Cade never shied away from a bit of danger and moral ambiguity. And he has a perfect success rate with a long list of very happy clients. Until her.
Kara Caine is a protector. She is an avid lover of literature and history, and as a librarian and archivist, she ensures their survival for future generations with the utmost care. But when a stranger comes and threatens what she has sworn to protect, Kara has to decide if saving her ancient texts is worth paying the ultimate price.
Thrust into the most unlikely of situations, Kara finds herself kidnapped and imprisoned in Ashford Manor with no escape in sight. Even worse, she finds herself developing feelings for her arrogant, controlling, infuriating bastard of a captor. Cade intends to break her by any means necessary. But he never expected his captive to wage war on his dark, cynical heart.
Caden Ashford is a collector. He has an eye for beautiful, priceless treasures, and he has a talent for procuring them for the highest bidder. His business endeavors aren’t exactly legal, but Cade never shied away from a bit of danger and moral ambiguity. And he has a perfect success rate with a long list of very happy clients. Until her.
Kara Caine is a protector. She is an avid lover of literature and history, and as a librarian and archivist, she ensures their survival for future generations with the utmost care. But when a stranger comes and threatens what she has sworn to protect, Kara has to decide if saving her ancient texts is worth paying the ultimate price.
Thrust into the most unlikely of situations, Kara finds herself kidnapped and imprisoned in Ashford Manor with no escape in sight. Even worse, she finds herself developing feelings for her arrogant, controlling, infuriating bastard of a captor. Cade intends to break her by any means necessary. But he never expected his captive to wage war on his dark, cynical heart.
411 pages, Kindle Edition
Published March 28, 2023
728 people are currently reading
10130 people want to read
About the author
Willow Prescott
7 books304 followersWillow Prescott lives in Amsterdam with her husband and small coven of mini monsters. She spends her nights in a caffeine haze dreaming up twisted sexcapades and deliciously dark villains who make you get on your knees and beg for more.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 350 reviews
February 11, 2025
╭ ✦ •
│ ⊹ 𝟹.𝟻 𝚜𝚝𝚊𝚛𝚜, , 𝚏𝚞𝚕𝚕 𝚁𝚎𝚟𝚒𝚎𝚠 𝚘𝚗 𝚖𝚢 𝚋𝚕𝚘𝚐!⊹
╰ ✦ •
I've been wanting to read this duology for a while now so when I saw Willow's ARC sign up for the Special Edition version I couldn't resist!
*𝙏𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙞𝙨 𝙖𝙣 𝙖𝙡𝙩𝙚𝙧𝙣𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙫𝙚, 𝙚𝙭𝙩𝙚𝙣𝙙𝙚𝙙 𝙚𝙙𝙞𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣 𝙤𝙛 𝙃𝙞𝙙𝙚𝙖𝙬𝙖𝙮 𝙬𝙧𝙞𝙩𝙩𝙚𝙣 𝙞𝙣 1𝙨𝙩 𝙥𝙚𝙧𝙨𝙤𝙣, 𝙙𝙪𝙖𝙡 𝙋𝙊𝙑 𝙥𝙚𝙧𝙨𝙥𝙚𝙘𝙩𝙞𝙫𝙚. 𝙏𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙚𝙙𝙞𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣 𝙞𝙣𝙘𝙡𝙪𝙙𝙚𝙨 𝙨𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙧𝙖𝙡 𝙖𝙙𝙙𝙞𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣𝙖𝙡 𝙨𝙘𝙚𝙣𝙚𝙨, 𝙚𝙭𝙩𝙧𝙖 𝙨𝙥𝙞𝙘𝙚, 𝙖 𝙗𝙤𝙣𝙪𝙨 𝙚𝙥𝙞𝙡𝙤𝙜𝙪𝙚, 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙖 𝙨𝙥𝙚𝙘𝙞𝙖𝙡 𝙚𝙙𝙞𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣 𝙘𝙤𝙫𝙚𝙧 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙛𝙤𝙧𝙢𝙖𝙩𝙩𝙞𝙣𝙜. 𝙏𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙨𝙝𝙤𝙪𝙡𝙙 𝙗𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙛𝙞𝙧𝙨𝙩 𝙗𝙤𝙤𝙠 𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙙 𝙞𝙣 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙎𝙩𝙤𝙡𝙚𝙣 𝘼𝙬𝙖𝙮 𝙎𝙚𝙧𝙞𝙚𝙨.*
Hmmm… where to start? The plot had me hooked in the beginning—it was tense and intriguing—but it quickly became irrelevant, buried under unnecessary filler smut. And I mean a lot of it. The smut was great, but when it adds 200+ extra pages without moving the story forward, it starts to feel repetitive and boring. I ended up skimming a bit because I just wanted to get to the actual plot and understand wtf was going on. Even by the end, there were too many unanswered questions, and the story dragged with noticeable gaps.
I really wanted to rate this higher because, despite the plot holes, Willow is a great writer. Her descriptions, word choice, etc—I loved Shades of Red, the first book I read from her. But this... was not completely what I was expecting I guess?
As characters, I liked Kara and Caden; they had decent backgrounds even though I wish we had gotten to know more about them. Especially Caden's backstory because who the heck is E?? It felt like she was supposed to be important to his background, but the book never really explained her. Unless I skipped that part?? She’s clearly someone from Caden’s past, but the lack of clarity added to the confusion.
Some of the choices the main characters made were questionable. Why didn't Kara just give Caden the First Edition Chaucer? I get that it's super valuable.. but she probably wouldn't have gotten kidnapped or been in any of the awful situations she was in. And don't even get me started on Caden! He let Jace continue working for him after what he almost did to Kara. COME ON. That completely undermined any claim of him being protective. Yes, just let someone almost SA, your 'girl' and let him still work for you.. so smart!! Also, the scene where he pretty much abuses Kara? Yeah, no thanks. I wish Caden was a little softer, and not the absolute dick he was. I liked him in a way but good God he was so annoying in the first 200 pages.
Hmm... what else? I felt like Avery's reason for stealing back the First Edition Chaucer was a little underwhelming. I'm not sure what I was expecting but it wasn't that? I guess it worked? But maybe I was expecting more of a significant motivation, it ended up feeling a bit flat, especially given how central the book was to the plot. Plus the fact that we don't get to know this information until 78% into the book, I felt like it should’ve carried more weight in the story, but it just didn’t hit the mark for me.
That being said, yes, the pacing, is the biggest issue—nothing significant happens for 70–80%+ of the book, and even when things do pick up, it barely moves the plot forward. Sure, there were some good moments between Kara and Caden, and their chemistry and banter were undeniable, I liked their push-and-pull dynamic and other interactions, but there was so much filler that it overshadowed the actual story.
And then there’s the ending… which was so underwhelming... literally more smut lol. Idk after all that buildup, it just ends the way it does.. smut last chapter and an epilogue???? What the heck was that epilogue? Confusing. A different male character, he had blue eyes and was hunting a girl with blonde hair at a Pandemonium (I'm assuming it's pandemonium)?
WHO IS HE?
Didn’t feel satisfying.
I want to know how this ends but ugh do I really want to sit through another 500 pages? ehhhh
────── ✧ ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ♡ ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ✧ ──────
⊹ 𝔀𝓱𝓪𝓽 𝓽𝓸 𝓮𝔁𝓹𝓮𝓬𝓽 ⊹
❥spanking turned abuse (literally)
❥touch her and die
❥captor x captive
❥he’s a Lord
❥ she’s a librarian
❥‘good girl’
❥‘you’re mine’
❥morally grey mmc
❥posessive mmc
❥hate to love
❥BDSM
❥dom/sub
❥forced prox
❥first person - dual pov
❥dark romance
❥enemies to lovers
❥beauty and the beast vibes
❥dark academia
❥touch her and d!e
❥sex dungeon in his personal library
❥Praise/Deg
❥light MFM
❥self love (M)
Thank you for the ARC, Willow♡
_________________________________
Blog ಇ StoryGraph ಇ Instagram ಇ Twitter ಇ Facebook
│ ⊹ 𝟹.𝟻 𝚜𝚝𝚊𝚛𝚜, , 𝚏𝚞𝚕𝚕 𝚁𝚎𝚟𝚒𝚎𝚠 𝚘𝚗 𝚖𝚢 𝚋𝚕𝚘𝚐!⊹
╰ ✦ •
I've been wanting to read this duology for a while now so when I saw Willow's ARC sign up for the Special Edition version I couldn't resist!
*𝙏𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙞𝙨 𝙖𝙣 𝙖𝙡𝙩𝙚𝙧𝙣𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙫𝙚, 𝙚𝙭𝙩𝙚𝙣𝙙𝙚𝙙 𝙚𝙙𝙞𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣 𝙤𝙛 𝙃𝙞𝙙𝙚𝙖𝙬𝙖𝙮 𝙬𝙧𝙞𝙩𝙩𝙚𝙣 𝙞𝙣 1𝙨𝙩 𝙥𝙚𝙧𝙨𝙤𝙣, 𝙙𝙪𝙖𝙡 𝙋𝙊𝙑 𝙥𝙚𝙧𝙨𝙥𝙚𝙘𝙩𝙞𝙫𝙚. 𝙏𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙚𝙙𝙞𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣 𝙞𝙣𝙘𝙡𝙪𝙙𝙚𝙨 𝙨𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙧𝙖𝙡 𝙖𝙙𝙙𝙞𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣𝙖𝙡 𝙨𝙘𝙚𝙣𝙚𝙨, 𝙚𝙭𝙩𝙧𝙖 𝙨𝙥𝙞𝙘𝙚, 𝙖 𝙗𝙤𝙣𝙪𝙨 𝙚𝙥𝙞𝙡𝙤𝙜𝙪𝙚, 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙖 𝙨𝙥𝙚𝙘𝙞𝙖𝙡 𝙚𝙙𝙞𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣 𝙘𝙤𝙫𝙚𝙧 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙛𝙤𝙧𝙢𝙖𝙩𝙩𝙞𝙣𝙜. 𝙏𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙨𝙝𝙤𝙪𝙡𝙙 𝙗𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙛𝙞𝙧𝙨𝙩 𝙗𝙤𝙤𝙠 𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙙 𝙞𝙣 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙎𝙩𝙤𝙡𝙚𝙣 𝘼𝙬𝙖𝙮 𝙎𝙚𝙧𝙞𝙚𝙨.*
Hmmm… where to start? The plot had me hooked in the beginning—it was tense and intriguing—but it quickly became irrelevant, buried under unnecessary filler smut. And I mean a lot of it. The smut was great, but when it adds 200+ extra pages without moving the story forward, it starts to feel repetitive and boring. I ended up skimming a bit because I just wanted to get to the actual plot and understand wtf was going on. Even by the end, there were too many unanswered questions, and the story dragged with noticeable gaps.
I really wanted to rate this higher because, despite the plot holes, Willow is a great writer. Her descriptions, word choice, etc—I loved Shades of Red, the first book I read from her. But this... was not completely what I was expecting I guess?
As characters, I liked Kara and Caden; they had decent backgrounds even though I wish we had gotten to know more about them. Especially Caden's backstory because who the heck is E?? It felt like she was supposed to be important to his background, but the book never really explained her. Unless I skipped that part?? She’s clearly someone from Caden’s past, but the lack of clarity added to the confusion.
Some of the choices the main characters made were questionable. Why didn't Kara just give Caden the First Edition Chaucer? I get that it's super valuable.. but she probably wouldn't have gotten kidnapped or been in any of the awful situations she was in. And don't even get me started on Caden! He let Jace continue working for him after what he almost did to Kara. COME ON. That completely undermined any claim of him being protective. Yes, just let someone almost SA, your 'girl' and let him still work for you.. so smart!! Also, the scene where he pretty much abuses Kara? Yeah, no thanks. I wish Caden was a little softer, and not the absolute dick he was. I liked him in a way but good God he was so annoying in the first 200 pages.
Hmm... what else? I felt like Avery's reason for stealing back the First Edition Chaucer was a little underwhelming. I'm not sure what I was expecting but it wasn't that? I guess it worked? But maybe I was expecting more of a significant motivation, it ended up feeling a bit flat, especially given how central the book was to the plot. Plus the fact that we don't get to know this information until 78% into the book, I felt like it should’ve carried more weight in the story, but it just didn’t hit the mark for me.
That being said, yes, the pacing, is the biggest issue—nothing significant happens for 70–80%+ of the book, and even when things do pick up, it barely moves the plot forward. Sure, there were some good moments between Kara and Caden, and their chemistry and banter were undeniable, I liked their push-and-pull dynamic and other interactions, but there was so much filler that it overshadowed the actual story.
And then there’s the ending… which was so underwhelming... literally more smut lol. Idk after all that buildup, it just ends the way it does.. smut last chapter and an epilogue???? What the heck was that epilogue? Confusing. A different male character, he had blue eyes and was hunting a girl with blonde hair at a Pandemonium (I'm assuming it's pandemonium)?
WHO IS HE?
Didn’t feel satisfying.
I want to know how this ends but ugh do I really want to sit through another 500 pages? ehhhh
────── ✧ ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ♡ ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ✧ ──────
⊹ 𝔀𝓱𝓪𝓽 𝓽𝓸 𝓮𝔁𝓹𝓮𝓬𝓽 ⊹
❥spanking turned abuse (literally)
❥touch her and die
❥captor x captive
❥he’s a Lord
❥ she’s a librarian
❥‘good girl’
❥‘you’re mine’
❥morally grey mmc
❥posessive mmc
❥hate to love
❥BDSM
❥dom/sub
❥forced prox
❥first person - dual pov
❥dark romance
❥enemies to lovers
❥beauty and the beast vibes
❥dark academia
❥touch her and d!e
❥sex dungeon in his personal library
❥Praise/Deg
❥light MFM
❥self love (M)
Thank you for the ARC, Willow♡
_________________________________
Blog ಇ StoryGraph ಇ Instagram ಇ Twitter ಇ Facebook
September 23, 2023
What in the hell did I just read????
I have so many issues with this book!
1. If you want to read only senseless and baseless smut without any kind of plot, go ahead and read it. This book has got lots of it.
2. The heroine!!! Ugh!!! She irritated me so much I wanted to DNF this book just because of her.
3. She went through all of this just because of a book?? She got kidnapped, and sexually assaulted just because she didn't want to give away a book? The author should really have chosen a better reason than this. It was so stupid!!! I mean no man will kidnap you just because you won't tell him the passcode for a lock. He will extract it out of you then and there because he is a criminal for a reason, right??
4. She refused to give him the book because she has such morals..but where were these morals when Cade punished her...humiliated her...insulted her...and did all sorts of things but still she had sex with him, after swearing not to let him touch her literally a few seconds ago every time?? It was like she was so desperate, she put up with everything Cade threw at her just so she could have sex with him afterward!!!
5. Jace tried to r*pe her, he hit her and what did Cade do?? He continued to let him stay with everyone and do his job like nothing happened! That pissed me off so much! And look what that resulted in!!
6. Also, the point of view kept on changing in the middle of the sentences which was very confusing in the beginning. Even if you get a hang of it later on it will still irritate you.
7. The chapters were soooooo long!! Each chapter went on and on. And this is saying something as the plot of the book was so non-existent! Could have finished in less than half of what it actually is. It became boring.
8. Lastly, who the hell was this E?
9. This book felt like the author had this fantasy where a girl who reads a lot gets kidnapped by a criminal who is handsome/rich/sadist/into BDSM and then decides to write it.
I have so many issues with this book!
1. If you want to read only senseless and baseless smut without any kind of plot, go ahead and read it. This book has got lots of it.
2. The heroine!!! Ugh!!! She irritated me so much I wanted to DNF this book just because of her.
3. She went through all of this just because of a book?? She got kidnapped, and sexually assaulted just because she didn't want to give away a book? The author should really have chosen a better reason than this. It was so stupid!!! I mean no man will kidnap you just because you won't tell him the passcode for a lock. He will extract it out of you then and there because he is a criminal for a reason, right??
4. She refused to give him the book because she has such morals..but where were these morals when Cade punished her...humiliated her...insulted her...and did all sorts of things but still she had sex with him, after swearing not to let him touch her literally a few seconds ago every time?? It was like she was so desperate, she put up with everything Cade threw at her just so she could have sex with him afterward!!!
5. Jace tried to r*pe her, he hit her and what did Cade do?? He continued to let him stay with everyone and do his job like nothing happened! That pissed me off so much! And look what that resulted in!!
6. Also, the point of view kept on changing in the middle of the sentences which was very confusing in the beginning. Even if you get a hang of it later on it will still irritate you.
7. The chapters were soooooo long!! Each chapter went on and on. And this is saying something as the plot of the book was so non-existent! Could have finished in less than half of what it actually is. It became boring.
8. Lastly, who the hell was this E?
9. This book felt like the author had this fantasy where a girl who reads a lot gets kidnapped by a criminal who is handsome/rich/sadist/into BDSM and then decides to write it.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 22, 2023
The pov kept changing in the middle of a chapter for one line and it was so confusing. 🤦🏼♀️
Also every chapter seemed to be at least half an hour long
Also every chapter seemed to be at least half an hour long
December 23, 2023
4 ⭐️ i have been hearing great things about this book for so long and finally decided to start reading it. this book was so much better than i was expecting. i really enjoyed the dynamic between cade and kara throughout the book. even though i feel like this book was mostly smut, i felt that the actual plot was really enjoyable for me as well.
December 1, 2023
I should have stopped once she put her life on the line for a book, but OCD wouldn't let me. My punishment was reading the rest of the book.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Read
October 24, 2023so, that happened
January 14, 2024
CACKLING she’s sacrifices her life for a first edition Chaucer… me personally I would hand that shit over immediately
November 18, 2023
This book was recommended if you loved
Haunting Adeline. It's very dark so check the trigger warnings. Very spicy 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️.
I'd say it's less dark than Hunting Adeline.
It's a captor/captive romance. The main character is a librarian and there's a hot British villain after a very rare book. He's very possessive, but she is super fierce herself. There's some plot twists I didn't expect at all. Would've liked to see more character development but another book is coming, so l'm sure we will get more.
Haunting Adeline. It's very dark so check the trigger warnings. Very spicy 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️.
I'd say it's less dark than Hunting Adeline.
It's a captor/captive romance. The main character is a librarian and there's a hot British villain after a very rare book. He's very possessive, but she is super fierce herself. There's some plot twists I didn't expect at all. Would've liked to see more character development but another book is coming, so l'm sure we will get more.
Read
November 29, 2023Bad
So freaking weirdly written
This guy isn’t a criminal nor is he sweet nor is het dark, he’s just bad
So freaking weirdly written
This guy isn’t a criminal nor is he sweet nor is het dark, he’s just bad
June 12, 2023
SO GOOD. Rarely do we see a true enemies to lovers scenario - usually it’s like annoyed acquaintances to lovers. But Cade and Kara truly cannot STAND each other at first. The tropes were troping and the spice was spicing. Enough loose ends were tied up at the end to not make me mad (😂) but there is still so much left to their story that I cannot wait to read.
⚠️⚠️PLEASE read content warnings before going into this if you have triggers. It is dark af and some of it was super intense for me… and I don’t really have triggers. Just a heads up!⚠️⚠️
⚠️⚠️PLEASE read content warnings before going into this if you have triggers. It is dark af and some of it was super intense for me… and I don’t really have triggers. Just a heads up!⚠️⚠️
February 15, 2025
I am a fan of Shades of Red and I love every second of it. Of course it had a special place in my heart as it was my first ever ARC. I am quite devastated what I’m about to write about this book. I am sorry but I have never been this brutally honest on a negative review.
The anticipation and build up of the plot was there but the whole book itself was so shallow and all over the place. It was frustrating to read because it felt like the story was going in circles. I had a hard time understanding the point of everything. The main characters were really annoying it was a headache to read. Somewhere at 60%, the essence of smut got lost. The scene was such a turn off that I have to rethink if I need to continue this book. I ended up continuing as I am hoping for a redemption for the next 40%.
As it progress towards the end, it was still consistent. I found myself skimming through some parts and dreaded for the story to end. The smuts scenes were not as enticing anymore. This book was not just for me.
The anticipation and build up of the plot was there but the whole book itself was so shallow and all over the place. It was frustrating to read because it felt like the story was going in circles. I had a hard time understanding the point of everything. The main characters were really annoying it was a headache to read. Somewhere at 60%, the essence of smut got lost. The scene was such a turn off that I have to rethink if I need to continue this book. I ended up continuing as I am hoping for a redemption for the next 40%.
As it progress towards the end, it was still consistent. I found myself skimming through some parts and dreaded for the story to end. The smuts scenes were not as enticing anymore. This book was not just for me.
March 12, 2025
he let one of his workers almost SA her but didnt fire him
February 15, 2025
“Hideaway: An Enemies to Lovers Dark Romance (Stolen Away Series Book 1)
by Willow Prescott
4⭐️
3.5🌶️🔥
Loved the “beauty and the beast “ vibes throughout this book!
MFC Kara is a University librarian , she is taken captive by a bunch of criminals who want to steal a very Valuable First Edition Book 📕
MMC Caden is an English Lord/ Thief who is trying to get possession of this book but comes across spitfire librarian Kara who is making it very difficult in more than one way to obtain this book !
She becomes his captive and her punishment is being locked in a library lol 😂 by the this handsome British Lord with some questionable kinks 🥵🪢
I could only wish ! lol 😂
Overall this story was interesting, the slow burn 🔥 romance lagged a little but I still enjoyed reading this book!
Thank you Willow Prescott for the opportunity to arc read this book ! 🖤
by Willow Prescott
4⭐️
3.5🌶️🔥
Loved the “beauty and the beast “ vibes throughout this book!
MFC Kara is a University librarian , she is taken captive by a bunch of criminals who want to steal a very Valuable First Edition Book 📕
MMC Caden is an English Lord/ Thief who is trying to get possession of this book but comes across spitfire librarian Kara who is making it very difficult in more than one way to obtain this book !
She becomes his captive and her punishment is being locked in a library lol 😂 by the this handsome British Lord with some questionable kinks 🥵🪢
I could only wish ! lol 😂
Overall this story was interesting, the slow burn 🔥 romance lagged a little but I still enjoyed reading this book!
Thank you Willow Prescott for the opportunity to arc read this book ! 🖤
July 18, 2025
I DNF’d the shit out of this. Goodbye.
February 18, 2024
4/5 ⭐️ 4/5 🌶️ okay cade I see you 🤭 this book was so good. Totally recommend
March 28, 2023
4.25☆
I live for the Captor x Captive trope with dark romance and the premise and plot of this had me gripped. It was a nice change of pace to read a CxC storyline that wasn't a mafia romance. The storyline was original and not something I'd read before. Cade has been sent to procure a rare book from the library that Kara works at but she turned out not to be the meek little librarian he thought she would be leaving him with no choice but to kidnap her, naturally. The forced proximity, hate to love and power struggle was delicious to read.
I enjoyed Kara's personality and, as a bookish girlie, respected her refusal to give up this book and protect it at all costs. Her constant need to fight back, talk back and assert as much dominance as she could in her situation. Even when she did allow herself to submit to Cade, she did so with a bratty attitude and I was here for it. Even when her relationship with Cade had taken a turn for the sexual/romantic, she still held onto the idea of escaping and grappled with the idea of being his captive showing that she hadn't lost all intellect and sensibility. I would have liked more build up before things turned and some more intimate conversation between the two of them as, at times, the relationship felt surface level. Their push and pull dynamic and struggle for power within the relationship was still great and I loved Cade's filthy mouth and need for power and dominance. Although it took a couple chapters getting used to it being written in third person, I also really enjoyed Willow's writing.
I left the story feeling a little disappointed and unsatisfied as I had questions that weren't answered and plot points not tied up but the ending didn't suggest a second book was coming. However, I have been told that this is going to be the first in a trilogy so I'm looking forward to seeing where Cade and Kara's story goes, getting to know them better and having my questions answers.
There are some heavy triggers here, one of which did reduce me to actual tears, so don't take them lightly and proceed with care and caution.
📚
I live for the Captor x Captive trope with dark romance and the premise and plot of this had me gripped. It was a nice change of pace to read a CxC storyline that wasn't a mafia romance. The storyline was original and not something I'd read before. Cade has been sent to procure a rare book from the library that Kara works at but she turned out not to be the meek little librarian he thought she would be leaving him with no choice but to kidnap her, naturally. The forced proximity, hate to love and power struggle was delicious to read.
I enjoyed Kara's personality and, as a bookish girlie, respected her refusal to give up this book and protect it at all costs. Her constant need to fight back, talk back and assert as much dominance as she could in her situation. Even when she did allow herself to submit to Cade, she did so with a bratty attitude and I was here for it. Even when her relationship with Cade had taken a turn for the sexual/romantic, she still held onto the idea of escaping and grappled with the idea of being his captive showing that she hadn't lost all intellect and sensibility. I would have liked more build up before things turned and some more intimate conversation between the two of them as, at times, the relationship felt surface level. Their push and pull dynamic and struggle for power within the relationship was still great and I loved Cade's filthy mouth and need for power and dominance. Although it took a couple chapters getting used to it being written in third person, I also really enjoyed Willow's writing.
I left the story feeling a little disappointed and unsatisfied as I had questions that weren't answered and plot points not tied up but the ending didn't suggest a second book was coming. However, I have been told that this is going to be the first in a trilogy so I'm looking forward to seeing where Cade and Kara's story goes, getting to know them better and having my questions answers.
There are some heavy triggers here, one of which did reduce me to actual tears, so don't take them lightly and proceed with care and caution.
📚
February 7, 2024
The third-person writing really threw me off. It would get confusing as to whose thoughts were whose as it would switch between the mmc and fmc frequently in random places.
In terms of story, the beginning didn't really captivate me, and even throughout the story, I did not feel like much was going on that developed it. This is mostly a read for someone looking for a lot of smut.
Kara and Cade's relationship is the key focus of this first book as we see Kara falling for her captor and learning her desires. Cade is a very dominant character that, in the second half of the book, this becomes the main plot. Most of the second half, we see a lot more spicy scenes that focus on degradation, spanking, pain, etc.
Cade was my favorite part of this book as he is the right amount of stern but cheeky (as the book would say). I enjoyed his banter as well as some of the punishments he plans for Kara.
Im hoping the second book dives a bit more into the story outside of their relationship.
In terms of story, the beginning didn't really captivate me, and even throughout the story, I did not feel like much was going on that developed it. This is mostly a read for someone looking for a lot of smut.
Kara and Cade's relationship is the key focus of this first book as we see Kara falling for her captor and learning her desires. Cade is a very dominant character that, in the second half of the book, this becomes the main plot. Most of the second half, we see a lot more spicy scenes that focus on degradation, spanking, pain, etc.
Cade was my favorite part of this book as he is the right amount of stern but cheeky (as the book would say). I enjoyed his banter as well as some of the punishments he plans for Kara.
Im hoping the second book dives a bit more into the story outside of their relationship.
September 13, 2023
i dont necessarily understand their dynamic… but the smut was good 😭
February 6, 2025
The FMC, Kara, is a librarian who gets taken captive by criminals who are trying to steal a valuable book. I liked how Kara wasn’t just a passive captive. Instead, she was a strong character who fought back.
The MMC, Caden, is a morally grey British billionaire. Loved the chemistry between Kara & Caden, and there was some great spicy scenes between them 🥵
I liked the dual-POV storytelling and thought that it fit the storyline well. I enjoyed the slow burn and tension between the characters and how Kara’s thoughts and feelings about being a captive changed throughout the story.
“You think I want to know the names of the men sitting around a table where a hostage is the guest of honor?”
“If charm is your only weapon, you’ve come to this negotiation horribly under-armed.”
“I seem to be your captive just as much as you’re mine.”
“You’ll find good looks and charm do not equate a gentleman.”
I received an ARC of this book and I am voluntarily leaving a review. Receiving ARC didn’t affect my opinion of the book.
The MMC, Caden, is a morally grey British billionaire. Loved the chemistry between Kara & Caden, and there was some great spicy scenes between them 🥵
I liked the dual-POV storytelling and thought that it fit the storyline well. I enjoyed the slow burn and tension between the characters and how Kara’s thoughts and feelings about being a captive changed throughout the story.
“You think I want to know the names of the men sitting around a table where a hostage is the guest of honor?”
“If charm is your only weapon, you’ve come to this negotiation horribly under-armed.”
“I seem to be your captive just as much as you’re mine.”
“You’ll find good looks and charm do not equate a gentleman.”
I received an ARC of this book and I am voluntarily leaving a review. Receiving ARC didn’t affect my opinion of the book.
February 11, 2025
I dove into the original version of this, but oh boy, this one is a game-changer! First off, can we just take a moment to appreciate that stunning cover? And the different perspectives? Yes, please! Kara starts off as your sweet, innocent librarian, but then Caden waltzes in and—whoa, talk about a plot twist! Kara's got some serious sass, and if you're a fan of the whole "enemies to lovers" vibe, this one's a must-read!
“Disrespect me again, and I will bend you over that table, take off my belt, and spank you until you remember your fucking manners.”
“Disrespect me again, and I will bend you over that table, take off my belt, and spank you until you remember your fucking manners.”
February 6, 2025
When Willow writes a book with the creme de la creme of trigger menus, you can bet I'm going to read it. We have violence, kidnapping, forced proximity, BDSM and so much more (please check the full list. There are darker themes that may not make for comfortable reading for all).
Kara and Caden make a great couple, and the will they - won't they had me eating this up. It is a slow burn by damn! When they get there, THEY GET THERE!
This is a dark and intense read full of tension, which is captivating and addictive.
I love our fiesty and stubborn fmc. She was not what I was expecting for a librarian, but she's my new woman crush, and it was fantastic reading about her going toe to toe with Caden.
If you enjoy darker reads, with some marvellous spice that will have you wanting to build a play dungeon, then I recommend this book!
Thank you so much to Willow for an advanced copy of this in exchange for an honest review.
Kara and Caden make a great couple, and the will they - won't they had me eating this up. It is a slow burn by damn! When they get there, THEY GET THERE!
This is a dark and intense read full of tension, which is captivating and addictive.
I love our fiesty and stubborn fmc. She was not what I was expecting for a librarian, but she's my new woman crush, and it was fantastic reading about her going toe to toe with Caden.
If you enjoy darker reads, with some marvellous spice that will have you wanting to build a play dungeon, then I recommend this book!
Thank you so much to Willow for an advanced copy of this in exchange for an honest review.
March 7, 2025
If my brain wasn’t bleeding out of my ears after finishing this I would write a full on essay about my reasons for despising it.
This was absolutely NOT a bit of me. Kept reading to see if it got better. It did not.
In this, I have no one to blame but myself.
This was absolutely NOT a bit of me. Kept reading to see if it got better. It did not.
In this, I have no one to blame but myself.
February 9, 2025
This was so good! Well written with a good flow to the story. I loved our two MC’s! An English Lord who’s left his family home to build one of his own (while also stealing valuable antiques to pass the time) and a superbly stubborn multiple PHD’s to her name Librarian.
Things get off to a rocky start, as you can imagine when kidnap is in the cards but some obsession takes hold of them both. But things never run smooth and traumatic events lay ahead. Will Kara and Cade be able to come through everything together? Can’t wait to read the following book to see what’s in the plan for them!
Another fab read from Willow Prescott!
Things get off to a rocky start, as you can imagine when kidnap is in the cards but some obsession takes hold of them both. But things never run smooth and traumatic events lay ahead. Will Kara and Cade be able to come through everything together? Can’t wait to read the following book to see what’s in the plan for them!
Another fab read from Willow Prescott!
February 12, 2024
My Star Rating: 4.5/5 ⭐
My Spice Rating: 3.5/5 🌶️
FIRST – please read the trigger warnings.
What you’ll find:
- Enemies to Lovers
- Captor x Captive
- Forced Proximity
- Morally Grey MMC
- BD$M
Cade is hired to acquire an ancient text from the library where Kara works. Cade anticipated it would be an easy job but quickly realized Kara was not a pushover and would risk her life to protect the ancient text. Kara refuses to hand over the text, which leads to Cade kidnapping her and taking her to his home. She constantly tries to fight back and figure out a way to escape. Even though Cade is her captor, Kara develops feelings for him. Eventually, she gives in to her feelings and submits to Cade.
I enjoyed this book! The plot is not all that deep, but the story is original and entertaining. I loved the evolution of Cade and Kara's relationship. This is a true enemies-to-lovers story. I loved the back and forth, push and pull, and banter between them. Kara got on my nerves sometimes, and there were scenes where I audibly yelled at her to "CHILL," but she is a strong character. Caden Ashford...what can I say? I love him! Am I crazy for saying this? Maybe. Do I care? NOPE. Cade breaks you down, then puts you back together again.
This is a promising debut for Willow Prescott. If you like dark romance with morally grey MMCs that threaten to take out the eyes of anyone who looks at the FMC too long, this is the book for you. You can read this knowing that book 2 (Breakaway) is ready for you to read next. Enjoy!
My Spice Rating: 3.5/5 🌶️
FIRST – please read the trigger warnings.
What you’ll find:
- Enemies to Lovers
- Captor x Captive
- Forced Proximity
- Morally Grey MMC
- BD$M
Cade is hired to acquire an ancient text from the library where Kara works. Cade anticipated it would be an easy job but quickly realized Kara was not a pushover and would risk her life to protect the ancient text. Kara refuses to hand over the text, which leads to Cade kidnapping her and taking her to his home. She constantly tries to fight back and figure out a way to escape. Even though Cade is her captor, Kara develops feelings for him. Eventually, she gives in to her feelings and submits to Cade.
I enjoyed this book! The plot is not all that deep, but the story is original and entertaining. I loved the evolution of Cade and Kara's relationship. This is a true enemies-to-lovers story. I loved the back and forth, push and pull, and banter between them. Kara got on my nerves sometimes, and there were scenes where I audibly yelled at her to "CHILL," but she is a strong character. Caden Ashford...what can I say? I love him! Am I crazy for saying this? Maybe. Do I care? NOPE. Cade breaks you down, then puts you back together again.
This is a promising debut for Willow Prescott. If you like dark romance with morally grey MMCs that threaten to take out the eyes of anyone who looks at the FMC too long, this is the book for you. You can read this knowing that book 2 (Breakaway) is ready for you to read next. Enjoy!
February 1, 2025
I may sound like Prince Charming to girls like you, but I don’t have a noble bone in my body. And trust me, princess, I don’t save. I destroy. And I revel in the chaos.
Warning: This is a dark romance that explores themes and situations some may find unsettling or triggering.
Thoughts:
I devoured this book. It kept my attention the whole time. The FMCs brattiness had me giggling and kicking my feet! I would’ve acted the same.
The MC is super controlling but also morally grey. I really enjoyed when she has the belt. I would have liked to read more about the MCs best friend that came for “dinner “.
The was lots of mentions of “the Hideaway”. But for some reason it didn’t click in my brain what it was till the end!
All in all I enjoyed the book
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🌶️🌶️🌶️.5
Warning: This is a dark romance that explores themes and situations some may find unsettling or triggering.
Thoughts:
I devoured this book. It kept my attention the whole time. The FMCs brattiness had me giggling and kicking my feet! I would’ve acted the same.
The MC is super controlling but also morally grey. I really enjoyed when she has the belt. I would have liked to read more about the MCs best friend that came for “dinner “.
The was lots of mentions of “the Hideaway”. But for some reason it didn’t click in my brain what it was till the end!
All in all I enjoyed the book
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🌶️🌶️🌶️.5
March 31, 2024
What can I say?! This storyline was not fabulous at all, and I really struggled to finish the book.
The smut was good, but the storyline was almost nonexistent. Firstly, no one loves books THAT much. Secondly, the pov kept changing mid paragraph, which made it so confusing.
If you enjoy some spice and kink without much of a storyline, then this book is alright.
Storyline: ⭐️⭐️
Spice: 🌶🌶🌶🌶
The smut was good, but the storyline was almost nonexistent. Firstly, no one loves books THAT much. Secondly, the pov kept changing mid paragraph, which made it so confusing.
If you enjoy some spice and kink without much of a storyline, then this book is alright.
Storyline: ⭐️⭐️
Spice: 🌶🌶🌶🌶
October 25, 2024
A good book if you like just smut but there is absolutely no plot to it.
January 21, 2025
Aka the book where he kidnapped her, abused her, and then got pissed when she didn’t like him immediately. Also kidnapping someone over a damn book is a bit intense. Find another job it’s fine.
October 28, 2025
I’m honestly so frustrated after finishing this book. Hideaway started off decent the first 100 pages were interesting enough to pull me in. The writing wasn’t bad at first, the setup had potential, and I thought maybe, just maybe, this would turn into something really engaging. Spoiler: it didn’t.
Somewhere after that first chunk, everything completely fell apart. The story lost all direction, the characters stopped making sense, and whatever tension or emotional pull it started with just evaporated. It felt like the author threw the plot out the window and decided to rely on poorly written “smut” to carry the story and even that was terrible.
If this is supposed to be a dark romance, it’s honestly a shameful attempt at one. There’s no real darkness, no psychological depth, no reason behind anything that happens. It’s just uncomfortable and awkward. The smut scenes were so poorly written they actually made me cringe repetitive, emotionless, and totally lacking any chemistry between the characters. I couldn’t buy into their “connection” for a second.
Caden, the supposed dark, brooding male lead, was a flat, unconvincing mess. He’s not mysterious he’s just dull. And Kara? She started out promising, but the more I read, the less consistent her character became. She goes from strong and self-aware to a complete cliché by the end. Nothing about their relationship felt believable or earned.
By the time I reached the final chapters, I was skimming just to be done. The pacing was all over the place, the dialogue felt forced, and the story tried to take itself seriously when it hadn’t done the work to earn any real emotion. It’s one of those books that starts with potential and then slowly crumbles until you’re just annoyed you spent the time reading it.
The only reason I’m giving it two stars instead of one is because that opening section did have something going for it a flicker of intrigue that made me want to keep reading. But after that? It’s just bad.
In short: poorly written, badly paced, no chemistry, terrible smut, and a plot that makes less sense the longer you think about it. If you’re looking for a good dark romance, look somewhere else. This isn’t it.
Somewhere after that first chunk, everything completely fell apart. The story lost all direction, the characters stopped making sense, and whatever tension or emotional pull it started with just evaporated. It felt like the author threw the plot out the window and decided to rely on poorly written “smut” to carry the story and even that was terrible.
If this is supposed to be a dark romance, it’s honestly a shameful attempt at one. There’s no real darkness, no psychological depth, no reason behind anything that happens. It’s just uncomfortable and awkward. The smut scenes were so poorly written they actually made me cringe repetitive, emotionless, and totally lacking any chemistry between the characters. I couldn’t buy into their “connection” for a second.
Caden, the supposed dark, brooding male lead, was a flat, unconvincing mess. He’s not mysterious he’s just dull. And Kara? She started out promising, but the more I read, the less consistent her character became. She goes from strong and self-aware to a complete cliché by the end. Nothing about their relationship felt believable or earned.
By the time I reached the final chapters, I was skimming just to be done. The pacing was all over the place, the dialogue felt forced, and the story tried to take itself seriously when it hadn’t done the work to earn any real emotion. It’s one of those books that starts with potential and then slowly crumbles until you’re just annoyed you spent the time reading it.
The only reason I’m giving it two stars instead of one is because that opening section did have something going for it a flicker of intrigue that made me want to keep reading. But after that? It’s just bad.
In short: poorly written, badly paced, no chemistry, terrible smut, and a plot that makes less sense the longer you think about it. If you’re looking for a good dark romance, look somewhere else. This isn’t it.
February 18, 2025
⭐️⭐️⭐️.75
🌶️🌶️.5
📚:Series
📆: 10th February 2025
📖: 556 pages
Genre: Dark Romance.
Tropes: Dual POV, Enemies To Lovers, Forced Proximity, Billionaire Romance, Age Gap, Touch Her You 💀, Protective MMC, Nickname (Love), Captor x Captive
‘Try as I might, I don’t want to see that fire fade from her pretty eyes.’
‘Tell me, my little captive, what are you willing to bet for your freedom?’
‘Come back to me, love.’
It was a simple heist, get the book & get out. That was until head librarian Kara Caine got in the way… With Kara being the only person with access to the book in question, and the plan going arye Caden Ashford has no choice but the kidnap her for the info. A tale of kidnapping, kink, and a lot of stokholm syndorme!
This book was an intersting ride for sure. There were elements of it I really liked & then other things about it that I wasn’t a fan of. So overall a mixed bag for me. This isn’t my first book by WIllow, having read Shades of Red in the past, which I loved by the way! I think you can tell this book was wrote before that one.
I did like the back & forth with Kara & Caden, as well as they’re shared interests. I also thought it was HILARIOUS him constantly stealing her pants. Caden = pantie goblin 😂 It was also great to have a Greyson cameo.
The spice & some of the other content wasn’t for me, but that’s more of a personal preference than a criticism.
The one thing I did have a few issues with were continuity errors, which took me out of the story at times.
Thank you to Willow Prescott for the review copy in exchange for an honest review.
🌶️🌶️.5
📚:Series
📆: 10th February 2025
📖: 556 pages
Genre: Dark Romance.
Tropes: Dual POV, Enemies To Lovers, Forced Proximity, Billionaire Romance, Age Gap, Touch Her You 💀, Protective MMC, Nickname (Love), Captor x Captive
‘Try as I might, I don’t want to see that fire fade from her pretty eyes.’
‘Tell me, my little captive, what are you willing to bet for your freedom?’
‘Come back to me, love.’
It was a simple heist, get the book & get out. That was until head librarian Kara Caine got in the way… With Kara being the only person with access to the book in question, and the plan going arye Caden Ashford has no choice but the kidnap her for the info. A tale of kidnapping, kink, and a lot of stokholm syndorme!
This book was an intersting ride for sure. There were elements of it I really liked & then other things about it that I wasn’t a fan of. So overall a mixed bag for me. This isn’t my first book by WIllow, having read Shades of Red in the past, which I loved by the way! I think you can tell this book was wrote before that one.
I did like the back & forth with Kara & Caden, as well as they’re shared interests. I also thought it was HILARIOUS him constantly stealing her pants. Caden = pantie goblin 😂 It was also great to have a Greyson cameo.
The spice & some of the other content wasn’t for me, but that’s more of a personal preference than a criticism.
The one thing I did have a few issues with were continuity errors, which took me out of the story at times.
Thank you to Willow Prescott for the review copy in exchange for an honest review.
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