His Prisoner

Captured by Him #1

by Suleidy Merced

Valeria Cortes A dare. A kiss. A perfect night. Little did I know what it would cost me.Enzo Maranzano Twenty-five years ago, my parents were murdered. The time has come to collect. Starting with the cartel princess... Valeria Cortes.

What is most important - love or vengeance?

HIS PRISONER is Book One of the Captured by Him duet. Enzo and Valeria’s story concludes in Book Two, HER SECRET.

Genres: Dark Romance

384 pages, Kindle Edition

Published September 26, 2023

Reviews

[Ashley · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ends in a cliffhanger which was one of the most interesting parts of the book. Was a push-pull vengeance, enemies to lovers, although at first the mfc didn't know they were enemies and seemed to still not fully grasp that and why. She was sheltered and naive, while childish and lacked a certain amount of self-preservation pertaining to her safety and relationships. She portrayed herself to be somewhat strong but was a doormat to her friend, father, her father's men, and Enzo. Enzo lacked humility, awareness and common sense in certain areas, especially when it came to how to act in relationships. Even if he claimed it was only pretense, his idea was to get her to fall for him, but from the beginning was cold, detached and pushing pulling. He did nothing but order her around and try to control her like a servant or subordinate. None of his actions throughout the book aside from him constantly having to save her showed he cared the slightest and gave no real reason a normal person that wasn't a doormat would fall for him, so I didn't see and real pull between the characters aside from lust/s3x and would have liked to see some actual relationship building because how they were all of a sudden in love didn't translate. The scene transitions at times were almost as abrupt as the cliffhanger at the end. One thing that had me really confused was in the beginning, my understanding was Valeria's grandfather was the culprit of Enzo's parents deaths, but he died and they decided to make the sins of the father a excuse to make Valeria and her father pay, but throughout the book they kept saying valeria's dad killed his parents. And there were a couple times he himself said Enzo and his family thought he killed them, so was it him or his father? The idea of the story was good, but the characters and the execution of the story and some of the events was a bit frustrating. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily

[Michelle Frater · Rating 4 out of 5]

Frigging cliffhangers! I hate cliffhangers and unfortunately, I was too excited to read this book to notice it was part of a duet. But that’s my bad, I should have paid more attention. Getting back to the book, however, how long does a family have to keep paying for the sins of its predecessors? Although it was a bit confusing who actually killed Enzo’s parents, at times it was Armando’s father and at other times Armando himself. But why does Valeria have to pay? While Enzo’s plan seemed to be to make Valeria fall hopelessly in love with him, he was such a cold, control freak that it’s hard to understand what she saw in him. Okay, he may have been hot stuff, but did he inspire the warm and fuzzies? No, not really. In fact, you could say this whole book was more lust-fest than romance, and neither of the main characters seemed able to help themselves. Valeria, in particular, seemed to lose the capacity for rational thought whenever Enzo appeared. There were so many players in this game that it had my head spinning trying to keep it all straight, especially when some of those working against Enzo and Valeria remained hidden behind the scene. So, there are a lot of loose ends left to resolve in the second part of this duet, which really leave you hanging, so be prepared to bite your nails waiting for the next instalment of this thrilling tale.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Magic book club · Rating 3 out of 5]

3,5 stars

This is a new author for me and I hope that the other parts of this series will come out soon. I like the whole concept of the story, I like the writing style, and the tension from the first to the last page. The main and secondary characters are perfectly portrayed and are described with some measure.

What I didn't like and what got on my nerves was the exaggeration and illogicality in the relationship between Valeria and Enzo. Several times she was kidnapped, injured, and humiliated by employees in her father's house and later in Enzo's house. It really got on my nerves and several times I wanted to stop reading.

I was also irritated by Enzo's behavior, because apart from sex and giving orders, he can't do anything else. Also, speaking in Italian even though he knows she doesn't understand him, it's constantly back and forth… I'm rolling my eyes even now when I'm writing this review.

I am in a dilemma whether to continue reading this series or to leave it, I love it and hate it at the same time.

I will probably continue even though it annoys me.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Melissa Badessa · Rating 5 out of 5]

His Prisoner is book one in the Captured by Him series by Suleidy Merced. It is the story of Valeria Cortes, cartel princess and Enzo Maranzano, mafia boss. Enzo believes Valeria's father is the reason his parents are no longer alive. He has decide he will get his revenge by using Valeria to destroy her father. Things don't go as planned. There are car chases, kidnappings, double crossings and a love story.
This book has a little of everything for those that love a good mafia story. Suleidy has hit her mark with this book. It will keep you on the edge until the end. Yes it ends on a cliff hanger. I cannot wait for book two. 5 stars!
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Allyssa Cook · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you so much to booksirens and the author for an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review!

I’m rating this book 3.5 stars. I really enjoyed the concept of the story line as well as the smut scenes were on point! There were a few inconsistencies with one minute it was Valeria’s father who killed Enzo’s parents and then the next minutes it was her grandfather. At point it got to be a bit confusing as I was unsure if the author was writing it this way as for Enzo to get his revenge he would have to go for Valeria’s father as her grandfather was no longer alive or if it was an accidental thing that was looked over. There were a few twists and turns that made me in the edge of my seat and I’m definitely excited to see where the rest of this series takes us!

[Kelley wellmeier · Rating 4 out of 5]

Warning this author is killing me with this cliff hanger!!! I need more! Please tell me the 2nd book is coming! Valeria has been naïve her whole life. The mafia and cartel running around her whole life shaping who she will become someday. Enzo is looking for revenge for the death of his parents, but the the revenge he finds isn’t what he was expecting! This mafia romance thriller keeps you on your toes and keeps you reading and wanting more! The multiple POV made it an interesting read but helped to see every angle of the story! Spice level is a 3. I received this book as an arc for an honest review

[Shifty Bugger · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Wow, I was absolutely mesmerised reading this book, the story was exhilarating and the characters were really captivating. This story was about Valeria Cortes and Lorenzo (Enzo) Maranzano, Cortes and the Maranzano have been enemies for such a long time, there are too many enemies, there is action, suspense, shoot outs, danger, violence, killings, revenge, naivety, kidnapping, betrayal, lies, secrets, anger, pain, healing, fake marriage, but what will happen when people are betraying other people.

[GKP2460 · Rating 5 out of 5]

His Prisoner is book 1 in the Captured By Him series and my first read by this author. I'm always intrigued by a good Mafia read and this one was the Mafia AND the Cartel so it's a win, win. The characters and the storyline both were great and engaging from the start. There's lots of lies, secrets, betrayal, chaos and drama. All the things we expect from a great story. Enzo and Valeria took us on quite an adventure in His Prisoner and I can't wait for book 2. The story does end in a cliffhanger which I'm not especially fond of but, it's a great so that I don't mind it so much.

[Lauren Meuer · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book! I wanted to try and branch out and what better way as someone who loves romance to try a darker romance? And this book did not disappoint. There was so much spice, (even though too much space between the spice), but everything kept me on my toes and wanting to read more. If you like books with a spice, this is for you.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Brenda Moser · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a well written mafia romance with strong characters in Valeria and Enzo. The author does a great job developing the story and takes you into their lives with secrets and lies, drama, revenge and adventure. She had me glued to the pages right to the end and left me with wanting more with the cliffhanger ending. I can't wait for the next book!

I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this book. All opinions in this review are my own and are freely given.

[Linda · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's going to be very hard to wait for "Her Secret!"

This is my first story by this author. It held my interest and I enjoyed the world and character building.

I really enjoyed the strength of the FMC, Valeria!

Enzo is the anti-hero you just have to love.

Revenge through Valeria! Yeah, right! Let's see how that turns out! I'm ready!

[RomanceReader1 · Rating 4 out of 5]

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5

𝐆𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐭 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝!

𝐼 𝑟𝑒𝑎𝑙𝑙𝑦 𝑒𝑛𝑗𝑜𝑦𝑒𝑑 𝑬𝒏𝒛𝒐𝒔' 𝑐ℎ𝑎𝑟𝑎𝑐𝑡𝑒𝑟, 𝑏𝑢𝑡 𝐼'𝑚 𝑠𝑡𝑖𝑙𝑙 𝑢𝑛𝑑𝑒𝑐𝑖𝑑𝑒𝑑 𝑎𝑏𝑜𝑢𝑡 𝑚𝑦 𝑓𝑒𝑒𝑙𝑖𝑛𝑔𝑠 𝑓𝑜𝑟 ℎ𝑖𝑚.
𝐼 𝑙𝑜𝑣𝑒 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑝𝑜𝑠𝑠𝑒𝑠𝑠𝑖𝑣𝑒𝑛𝑒𝑠𝑠 ℎ𝑒 ℎ𝑎𝑠 𝑡𝑜𝑤𝑎𝑟𝑑𝑠 𝑽𝒂𝒍𝒆𝒓𝒊𝒂 𝑎𝑛𝑑 ℎ𝑖𝑚 𝑏𝑒𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑝𝑟𝑜𝑡𝑒𝑐𝑡𝑖𝑣𝑒 𝑜𝑓 ℎ𝑒𝑟...

𝑀𝑎𝑟𝑡𝑎 𝑛𝑜𝑡 𝑠𝑜 𝑚𝑢𝑐ℎ.... 𝐼 𝑡ℎ𝑖𝑛𝑘 𝑠ℎ𝑒'𝑠 ℎ𝑖𝑑𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑠𝑜𝑚𝑒𝑡ℎ𝑖𝑛𝑔!!

𝐴𝑛𝑑 𝐺𝑎𝑏𝑒, 𝑡ℎ𝑖𝑠 𝑖𝑠 𝑎𝑛𝑜𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑟 𝑐ℎ𝑎𝑟𝑎𝑐𝑡𝑒𝑟 𝑡ℎ𝑎𝑡 𝐼 𝑟𝑒𝑎𝑙𝑙𝑦 𝑙𝑖𝑘𝑒𝑑, 𝑎𝑙𝑡ℎ𝑜𝑢𝑔ℎ ℎ𝑖𝑠 ℎ𝑒𝑎𝑟𝑡 𝑖𝑠 𝑔𝑜𝑛𝑛𝑎 𝑏𝑟𝑒𝑎𝑘 𝑓𝑜𝑟 𝑠𝑢𝑟𝑒... :(

𝐴𝑛𝑜𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑟 𝑐ℎ𝑎𝑟𝑎𝑐𝑡𝑒𝑟 𝐼'𝑚 𝑛𝑜𝑡 𝑡𝑟𝑢𝑠𝑡𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑖𝑠 𝐿𝑢𝑛𝑎....
𝐴𝑛𝑑 𝑅𝑜𝑐𝑐𝑜 𝑖𝑠 𝑎 𝑐𝑜𝑖𝑛 𝑡𝑜𝑠𝑠 𝑓𝑜𝑟 𝑚𝑒... 𝑓𝑜𝑟 𝑛𝑜𝑤...
𝑁𝑜𝑤, 𝐼 𝑐𝑎𝑛'𝑡 𝑤𝑎𝑖𝑡 𝑡𝑜 𝑠𝑒𝑒 𝑚𝑜𝑟𝑒 𝑜𝑓 𝑋𝑎𝑣𝑖𝑒𝑟!!

𝑂𝑛𝑒 𝑜𝑓 𝑚𝑦 𝑓𝑎𝑣𝑜𝑟𝑖𝑡𝑒 𝑝𝑎𝑟𝑡𝑠 𝑜𝑓 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑠𝑡𝑜𝑟𝑦 𝑤𝑎𝑠 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑚𝑢𝑙𝑡𝑖𝑝���𝑒 𝑃𝑂𝑉𝑠.



ᴵ ᴿᴱᶜᴱᴵᵛᴱᴰ ᴬᴺ ᴬᴿᶜ ᶜᴼᴾᵞ ᴼᶠ ᵀᴴᴵˢ ˢᵀᴼᴿᵞ ᵀᴴᴿᴼᵁᴳᴴ ᴮᴼᴼᴷˢᴵᴿᴱᴺˢ, ᴬᴺᴰ ᵀᴴᴵˢ ᴵˢ ᴹᵞ ᵛᴼᴸᵁᴺᵀᴬᴿᵞ ᴿᴱᵛᴵᴱᵂ.

[Melanie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Well I enjoyed the story line I think but with all the Italian and Spanish being spoken I find it hard to truly recommend it unless you understand both. I started out trying to translate everything and just got too frustrated. I’m disappointed because like I said the story line was exciting

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily

[Happyscribe · Rating 4 out of 5]

Finally read this book and what had I been missing? Enzo!! Wow he is such a fantastic MMC - you can’t help but be swept away by his dynamic character but you also want to end him sometimes!

Fab dynamics between our MMC annd FMC (the brilliantly fiery Valeria). She was a great foil for him! Nice and spicy!

[Alice Bolton · Rating 2 out of 5]

back and forth

This book had so much potential, the story and characters were there, but it was very back and forth, the FMC was a wet blanket for half of it, then had a back bone, then back again. It was missing something. It wasn’t bad, but it wasn’t great.

[Jenni · Rating 5 out of 5]

Enzo wants revenge for his parents and Valeria is the key to get to her father. But they don't count in the rush and feelings that draw them together. Well written engaging story that leaves you craving part 2 now!

[Jenn (myspookybookishlife) · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was sorta confusing at times but I enjoyed it immensely. The cliff hanger has be trying to figure out if it’s going to be left at this or if there will be another book.

[Sheryl Meyers · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great read, fast paced, great characterization and smoking hot!I highly recommend this author!

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Romancelover910 · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ends on a cliffhanger... I was feeling 50/50 with what I thought of this read mainly due to the continuous need to have to use a translating app to understand what was being said and make sense of what was going on. I enjoy the slight use of other language within the book but this was quite heavy. The plot itself wasn’t bad we have a brutal MMC who wants the FMC for selfish revenge filled reasons. Our FMC was very much a door mat for most of this book

I liked the writing style (except for the constant use of other languages) wasn’t bad and at times did draw me in (which is why I think I didn’t DNF this book) and thought that there was a good amount of story set up in terms of character development and set up.

I know that I’ll have to read the next book in the series at some point when it comes out as I am a sucker for knowing what is going on but I don’t see myself jumping for it as soon as it comes out.

This review is voluntary and all thoughts and feelings are my own

[Tina Loves To Read · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a Dark Mafia Romantic Suspense, and this is the first book in the Captured by Him series. I have mixed feelings about this book, but overall I really enjoyed reading it. The thing that I did not love about this book is that a lot in this book feels not to be explained to the reader, but I cannot give you examples without giving spoilers. I hope the second book in this series answers the questions I have. The ending leaves you hanging and wanting to read the second book. The characters slowly grow on me, and I really hope in the second book they open up to each other. I received an ARC of this book. This review is my own honest opinion about the book like all my reviews are.