Resilience - A Captive Romance : Obsidian Hearts #1

Saga resiliente #1

by Marcia D.M.

Villains are obviously the evil ones in the story, but what most people don’t know, is that heroes can sometimes be the more dangerous ones. Other times? They’re one and the same…BrunoThey abducted her, and now she’s mine. This has been torture for both of us. If only I weren’t so good at my job, none of this would have happened. But then I wouldn’t have met her… Now that I have her, I’m not letting her go. There’s only one way out, and I’m taking her with me. That’s a promise.SarahThe face of my captor was the only thing I saw. Why did he have to be so handsome? His hands were the only source of connection I had. Rough, yet caring. His husky voice was the only one addressing me for months. Until finally my rescue came… only it wasn’t who I thought it would be. Nothing was what it seemed.

Genres: Dark, Dark Romance, Romance

274 pages, Kindle Edition

Published December 8, 2023

About the author

Marcia DM escribe romances oscuros y contemporáneos que te van a atrapar. Sus libros están llenos de acción, historias atrevidas y relaciones súper complejas.

Instagram en Español: https://www.instagram.com/authormarciam/

https://marciadm.com/

Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@authormarciadm



English:

Marcia DM. Writer of Dark Romance, Taboo and really twisted relationships stories.

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Reviews

[Louise H's Book Thoughts · Rating 4 out of 5]

The author has quite a unique writing voice, and her main female character occasionally speaks directly to the audience. She also has a separate internal voice, called Life, a result of the trauma she suffers at the hands of her kidnappers. Whilst the book deals with some extremely dark themes, we don’t experience most of them directly, so it isn’t a particularly harrowing or difficult read in that respect.

Cassandra/Sarah is still in captivity when we meet her, though not for long. This book deals with the aftermath of that captivity and torture that she experienced there. Those emotions, thoughts, feelings and responses did feel believable, even her reliance/dependence on Bruno. Yes this was probably some version of Stockholm syndrome, and possibly not very healthy, but very enjoyable to read about too. I liked that Bruno existed in the very grey areas of life, not quite good, not quite bad.

Bruno may feel he is the only person who can keep Sarah safe, but he is also the very reason she isn’t safe. There are just so many issues and obstacles this pair have to work through and just when their HEA seems to be within grasping distance, life snatches it away from them. I’m really interested to know what will happen in book 2.

[Coco.V]

🎁 FREE on Amazon today (11/8/2019)! 🎁

[Philomena Callan Cheekypee · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was so so good. We meet Cassandra as she is held captive. She has been there so long that she doesn’t even know for how long. When she is rescued (Is she really rescued)she must change her name.

This is a well written complex story. I read this very quickly. It was that kinda story that I couldn’t put down. Can’t wait to read more.

[Luna Lectora · Rating 4 out of 5]

Este libro ha sido una grata sorpresa.

Empezaré con las cosas que no me gustaron y hay muchos errores de edición, palabras mal escritas y palabras que se usan en cierto país que no corresponden al país donde esta ambientada la historia. Lo otro los tiempos verbales en los párrafos a veces no coincidian , pero es el primer libro y es muy entendible, son cosas que se pueden arreglar.

Y también debo hacer una acotación, No me gustan las historias de secuestros, donde el prota es el secuestrador o torturador, y se que es un tópico muy usado en el dark romance, pero esta vez lo he aceptado

Sarah es secuestrada por un grupo terrorista y por tres años es torturada por un hombre, este es el protagonista Bruno, quien ayuda a su liberación por ser un agente infiltrado, una vez rescatada la vida de Sarah da otros giros donde al parecer sigue en peligro y la historia realmente comienza.

Bruno es un militar tiene entrenamiento y es un tipo capaz de generar dolor a sus enemigos de formas horribles, el tiene que hacer sufrir a Sarah no tiene de otra, pero al mismo tiempo busca la forma de purgar su culpa, hiriéndose el tambien, es un hombre reservado, solitario y misterioso, pero que guarda secretos, está triste y hastiado de la vida al punto que lo unico que lo motiva sus sentimientos por Sarah.

Carter es un personaje secundario primo de Bruno que también es agente y lo ayuda en muchas cosas, se tienen ambos y que no tienen más familia, Carter queda prendado por Sarah ella le gusta pero para cuidarla por amor a su primo. Carter ayuda durante toda la historia a Sarah y Bruno para encontrar a quien pone en peligro a Sarah, pero de él no se sabe mucho, solo que es un mujeriego solitario.

Rage aparece ayudando también pero este hombre se mueve bajo su propio beneficio, sin embargo ayuda a Bruno, Rage es despiadado y fuerte.

Y Sarah por quien gira toda la trama ella es tremenda lo digo porque estuvo tres años confinada en una celda, sin ver la luz del sol, y soportando torturas y hambre. Y no perdió la cabeza, bueno no del todo, habla consigo misma de una forma particular. Ella a pesar de toda su experiencia vive y en algunos momentos se quiebra pero continua, ella soporta, espera es resiliente como dice el titulo del libro, incluso es alguien que no siente odio de forma desmedida ni siquiera por Bruno, y debo admitirlo hay un toque de síndrome de Estocolmo en Sarah yo no pensaria ni siquiera en la idea de acercarme a mi torturador, ni a un paso de distancia! Eso es lo malo de este tipo de historias.

A favor de la trama debo decir que Bruno se vio obligado y que Sarah tiene la capacidad de transformarse a sí misma. Debo admitir muchas veces la historia me recordo a In company of the killers, pero esta tiene su toque y originalidad, la autora mezcla, militares con terrorismo y clubes de moteros una mezcla digamos bien explosiva que por momentos era medio absurda pero luego todo tenia mucho sentido.

Muy, pero muy entretenida, hay acción y amor, violencia y redención. Coherencia y creatividad, me gusto, de verdad, no podia parar de leer y la dinamica entre Bruno y Sarah es tremenda todo a fuego lento. Me encanta Rage y espero conocer mas de él.

Un libro muy interesante a por los otros!

[Ronel Olver · Rating 5 out of 5]

Emotional, dark, gritty, twisted, suspenseful page turner with one hell of a plot. The exceptional writing kept me captivated and I was unable to put the book down.

Be warned this is an emotional read with all the trauma and abuse Cassandra/ Sarah experiences as a captive in the hands of an terrorist group for so many years but the fact that she comes out a survivor and stronger on the other side gives one hope. Bruno is the boogie man, the monster that torture her for years at the requests of the terrorists, until one day it all changes and she is rescued. Suddenly she realizes that things are not what it seems. Bruno changed after meeting Cassandra/Sarah and he falls for her but he also knows he broke her even if it was for the greater good of the world. If you are not a sensitive reader, I recommend the book as part 1 - it does end in a HUGE cliffhanger.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Jenni · Rating 5 out of 5]

My first book by this author and I'll be back for more! Cassandra's day started like any other but ended with her being locked in cell M, she only ever had contact with one person, the man who would torture her, Bruno When she gets rescued 3 years later, her hero is non other than Bruno, but is he just the man of her nightmares or is he the one who will help her overcome the trauma he inflicted. We follow Cassandra as Sarah starting her life over after captivity, with all its ups and downs. This is a well written story with a captivating story line that details the story well and is nicely paced through out.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Natalia · Rating 3 out of 5]

Liked the story but i couldn't get past the fact the H was her torturer for THREE YEARS!
i could work with 3-6 months, but three years without even a flinch from him is too much, i question if her feelings are not part of being psychological conditioned to only his presence like Stockholm syndrome...
Sarah handle her shit amazingly like the title suggest she is Resilient and strong!

[Jeanne Richardson · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the 1st book I've read written by Marcia DM; she has done a great job at writing a good book; I can’t wait to read more of her books.

The story line caught my attention at the very beginning and kept me interested throughout the entire book.

I received a free copy of this book via booksprout and I’m voluntarily leaving a review.

[Sharon · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is my first time reading this author and I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It’s a dark story and so there shall be possible triggers for some readers. I loved the rollercoaster of emotions that the author took us on, and it made this book a page-turner and impossible to put down once started.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Tamara · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is dark and beautiful. I love how Sarah is able to overcome the life she lived for 3 years. She showed true courage. Bruno is every girls dream! The Professor not so much, but I love the difference between the 2. This book is good and I’m excited to read the next one.

[Kim BookJunkie ~ Editor & Proofreader]

DNF

Quit @ 41%. Although what I got through was extraordinarily unique, I couldn’t get through the entire book because I was just too distracted the proofreading/editing issues.

[Fatima · Rating 1 out of 5]

Estocolmoooo! leí el libro por la autora porq me gustó mucho Hendrix pero este libro mmm. No es creíble. Imposible que una mujer en sus cabales pueda enamorarse de la nada... porque sí mis estimados, de la nada, de su torturador. A la tipa le hizo de todo por tres años y ella no puede dejar de pensar en él? La verdad no me gustó y me costó leerlo. Apenas pude llegar al final.

[Sierra Clothier · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm so excited right now after flying through Resilience. Discovering such a unique new voice always gets my blood pumping and my brain firing on all cylinders. This was a shocking mindwarp that twisted and turned every genre it touched, however briefly. We first meet Cassandra in an unknown jail cell, where she is broken down and barely functional. She's been terrorized and tortured for 3 years until she's suddenly broken out by a mystery man. But why?

Thankfully this book doesn't dwell on the torture. It's really about two people pulled out of their nightmares to fight a new day. Author Marcia DM originally tightens the narrative to just Cassandra, or Sarah as she's known as now. We learn her fears, her secrets and her struggles to re-enter society. She allows her inner personality to emerge, taunting her with insults as she tries to understand who she has become. Her therapist likes to say that the mind has a ‘narrator’ who "loves to alter the story." But instead of following her therapist , she prefers to use "life" to work out those fears. "Life" turns into her "narrator" and Sarah uses it to slowly open up to Bruno, her scarred former jailor. But there is so much more to this complex story. Author Marcia slowly opens the narrative to Bruno while ratcheting the tension. Then it's just the two of them, fighting demons and discovering new souls among themselves.

"The dark hardwood floors are like a big shadow cast from afar; the fire burns very hot but doesn’t provide enough light for me to make out anything else in the room. The darkness within the living room embraces me like a black hole. It should be scary, but it’s in fact, relaxing. The minute I walked in and saw the reigning shadows, I didn’t panic, on the contrary— I saw them as allies. Dwelling in the shadows I feel at ease. There’s not much to see in the shadows, therefore there’s no need for me to hide my feelings."

The story then welcomes a few previous extra characters that make the action go ballistic. I couldn't stop reading this painful but exhilarating book about rebirth and renewal. It has a cliffhanger, but really ends with a woman finding her power again. A Phoenix rising out of the ash into something new.

[Thea™ · Rating 5 out of 5]

What an amazing story! 😍🥰🤩 I absolutely loved it!! 💖
One little side note: this book is in desperate need of a good editor!!! English isn't my first language and usually errors don't bother me... but even I noticed so many missed words, typos, punctuation and grammatical errors. Very distracting.
Nevertheless... I was impressed by the story! Marcia D.M. was a new-to-me-author.... and I'll follow her and her work from now on. I'm a fan! 😁



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⛔ Don't read the below spoiler if you haven't read the book!!! It's a 'note to myself'... for me to remember what happened in Resilience (a necessity for someone with a crappy memory like me 🤣 lol!). I have to put the next books (Stamina and Backbone) on hold because I committed to read a few other books first. So it may be a while before I can get back to Sarah and Bruno's story.

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We meet Cassandra, because of witness protection, now Sarah. She also has a (hilarious) internal voice, called 'Life', who emerged as a result of the trauma Cassandra suffered.
And Bruno: bad ass, SEAL, mercenary, double agent, etc. etc. ... and Cassandra’s torturer *and* rescuer. Not a good man... but not totally bad either.
And we meet Bruno's cousin Carter who is like a brother to Bruno, and the biker Rage who helps Bruno kill the bad guys once and for all. Carter and Rage are mere secondary characters in the Resilient series, but definitely interesting enough get their own story told!!
❗❗❗ It looks like Rage already has his own book (Rage), only... not in English yet?

Sooo... Cassandra was kidnapped and held captive for 3 years. She was regularly and brutally tortured (but never raped) by a man called 'The Professor'. (There are some flashbacks, but not much!)
The book begins when Cassandra is rescued after 3 years in captivity. She's barely alive and wakes up in the hospital. Her 'hero' and rescuer (Bruno, a.k.a. The Professor) is by her bed. He is the man of her nightmares... but turns out to also be the man who could help her overcome the trauma she endured.
The complete 'terrorist cell' who kidnapped Cassandra and many other people, is dismantled by Bruno and his organization. We don't know very much of this 'terrorist cell', except that they all died in the raid. At least, that's what everybody thought... but it turns out Leon (the son of Bruno's alter ego The Professor's boss) has survived the raid. And now Leon is out for revenge.... assisted by some bikers.

Cassandra/Sarah needs to built a new life after captivity. Bruno left her 'an excuses' letter with his address... and Sarah decides to go to Bruno's house, hoping for some 'closure'??
Despite that Sarah is in witness protection, it turns out she is not safe!! Her security detail and her mother, who's living with her now, are killed (beheaded!) by this Leon and his accomplices when Sarah is with Bruno... and Bruno feels responsible. He probably is... he wrongly assumed everyone was dead and the threat was gone.

Anyway, Sarah moves in with Bruno. During all this Sarah falls in love with Bruno. Bruno loved Sarah since he first saw her and he can't forgive himself for what he did (had to do) to Cassandra when he was undercover. Still, somehow, slowly, Sarah starts to forgive him. And love blooms...

Then Carter gets taken by Leon... who wants Bruno and Sarah to come to him, to obviously get his revenge for killing his father. Bruno obviously needs to save Carter and goes (together with Sarah) to the meeting point, but not before he contacts his friend Rage and asks him for help.
Of course Bruno and Sarah are outnumbered and captured. Leon forces Sarah to torture Bruno like The Professor tortured her (which she reluctantly does)... and then... BOOM... Rage comes to the rescue and saves the day.
It looks like Bruno and Sarah can finally start their life together.... máár niets is minder waar!!!

Bruno's brother (Dante) had also been kidnapped and killed (beheaded on camera) by similar (or the same?) people, 10 years ago. However... in the end of book #1 Bruno discovers that there is reason to believe that Dante is not dead.... but alive and living as a sex slave?

Bruno obviously wants to look for his brother and decides to leave Sarah, who is no longer in danger because all the people who wanted her dead are taken out, for sure this time. He believes Sarah is better of without him anyway. Bruno leaves Sarah (withoiut saying good bye); he only leaves her a goodbye letter (not telling Sarah that he is going after his brother!). Sarah is devastated... "The End"... of book #1.
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[Linda Puritis · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this story. I've already started the next book. I'm in anguish waiting to find out what happens to Bruno and Sarah. Lots of people will probably say there is no way a woman held in a dungeon and tortured for three years could fall deeply in love with her abuser. I can see it happening.
Sarah and Bruno aren't the only ones I want to see more of. Carter and Rage have won my heart. These three men are some of the most amazing alphas I've read about. Then, there is Bruno's brother Dante. I didn't see that storyline coming at all!
You definitely have to start with this first book. I think you will be just like me and race to book two!

[Cassy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was my first book by this author, and it had me intrigued from the beginning. We meet Cassandra/Sarah in captivity, but not for long. This story has some dark points, but it is more 'discussed' than 'shown', but may still have some trigger tendencies for others. You wonder what will happen with Sarah and Bruno, after she is rescued. Is she truly safe, will they be able to forge a relationship, considering the way they had met? This books ends on a little cliffhanger, so looking forward to the next book to see what happens next.

[Tammy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved it! Cassandra has been through so much, is she strong enough to survive? Will she be saved? Fast-paced dark read with plenty of drama, suspense and emotion. The characters are amazing and the story has you hooked from beginning to end. Can’t wait or more!

[Rachel Lucas · Rating 4 out of 5]

Such a powerful story and loved every second of it. A revelation at the end kinda confused the story for me and I felt could have been different cause I'm an over thinker but still an amazing story and would recommend it 100%

[Ana * · Rating 5 out of 5]

This Dark Romance is as twisted as it gets, it's like Stockholm Syndrome meets taken, minus the Dad who knows how to find and kill your captors. It was really dark but it also hit the spot so perfectly.

[Lynn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thrilling dark romance - Full of action from beginning to end with suprises, romance, amd strong characters. Great writing that pulls you into the story and has you on the edge of your seat waiting to see what happens with Sarah and Bruno. It is truly a story of resilience. Can't wait for the next book.

[Nicole · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this story and read it everyday after work for 3 days. As soon as I finished I had to move to next book to see what is next for Bruno and Sarah!! Kudos!!

[Danielle Marlowe · Rating 5 out of 5]

Resilience was a good story, the plot was dark and filled with many emotions, the story was written well. Marcia DM did a great job on the book. Bruno and Sarah's journey was a rollercoaster, they had many bumps along the way. Their journey may have not started out the right way but they were drawn to each other. Their connection and chemistry was strong, they were good together.
I enjoyed this story, it was good, looking forward to reading more.
Thanks, Marcia DM. Good work :)

[Candy Ottarski · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was powerful and gripping. This is the first book I've read by author Marcia DM but I will be reading the next book in this series. I literally could not put my kindle down for a second. Be prepared for some horrific torchurous activity in the book. Emotions run high in this book. Less is more and it's best to go in this book blind. Kutos to the author on an original well-crafted story. This book is a cliffhanger and I can hardly wait for the next book in this series!

[Johanna Sawyer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Here we are once again. I’m inflicting pain upon her, and she’s taking it like a pro.

She truly is resilient.  

My first by this author, and I won this ARC on a Facebook giveaway. So few books in this genre, but really don’t know how to pick it’s genre. Cassandra was held and tortured for three years and then rescued. The man that held her and tortured her was deep undercover. Book displays Stockholm tendencies but mostly it’s about retribution.

What did I like? The book felt like a real life scenario with a ton of detail. It probably would have been five star but I’m not big on terrorist books. Bruno was a great character though...and I certainly hope Carter is seen again. Hopefully book two will really bring Cassandra out of her shell.

Would I recommend or buy? The book focuses heavily on terrorist groups and revenge. So if that’s your thing then buy. It’s less about Stockholm and her relationship with the man that hurt her.

Thoughts for the author? Congratulations on your release. Four stars ⭐️ ⭐️⭐️⭐️ Thanks so much for allowing me a copy through a giveaway❤️

[Low-La · Rating 4 out of 5]

Complimentary copy given by author for an honest review. Thank you Marcia D.M.

This was quite a different story and one that I have not read before. It was well rounded with just the right amount of suspense, angst and sex. I really enjoyed reading about Cassandra/Sarah and Bruno. I was glad that Sarah was a strong character even though she went through so much in captivity. At times I hated Bruno but it was a love to hate kind of way. This was a good story and a new to me author. I wanted more b/c of the cliffy at the end but see that there will be some translations for the next books in the series.

[Nico bookreader · Rating 5 out of 5]

Me gustó mucho el libro!
si bien al principio fue complicado de entender por la situación y lo que esta significa, ya para la mitad estaba totalmente enganchada!
La verdad es que Sarah es un personaje tan fuerte y tan resiliente (sin caer en la redundancia) que el titulo le queda perfecto!
un gran trabajo!
felicidades!!!

[Book-Lovin-Momma · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a dark read but not overly deep. There was some violence and suspense, with a hot double agent who saves Cassandra/Sarah. I liked the story and the plot was entertaining. I didn't fall in love with the characters, but it kept my attention trying to figure out how everything was going to pan out. It leaves us hanging, and I need to know how Sarah deals with the fallout!

[Hidden · Rating 2 out of 5]

Esto fue algo confuso. Cuando leía la perspectiva de la protagonista al inicio realmente le tenía empatía pero gradualmente fue su comportamiento y sobre todo sus pensamientos los que me hicieron enojar. No sé cómo pero poco a poco le fui tomando fastidio, al igual que a Bruno.

La historia tenía mucho potencial al inicio pero unas páginas más adelante, ya no.

[Kelly cowee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Resilience by Marcia D M was my first book I read by her.
This book in the beginning had me saying what the......, the middle had me saying oh no way, and the end saying I knew it. Cassandra has been held prisoner for 3 years by terrorists. A man who goes by the name The Professor inflicts pain on her on a daily basis. Something happened and the next thing she knows shes being rescued. She is forced to go by another identity, so now her name is Sarah. Her father died while she was being held prisoner, and they found her mom. She goes to the guy known as The Professor and he tried to explain what happened. The terrorists found her mom and kills her. The hunt for the terrorists starts. Sarah and The Professor, now known as Bruno start having feelings for each other. Now Sarah wants to kill whom ever killed her mom. Things go from bad to worse. This book ended on a I knew it. I absolutely loved this book.!! This story continues in book 2 Stamina. I have got to read the rest of the story.

[Strait Reviews · Rating 4 out of 5]

The plot and rollercoaster of Resilience is phenomenal. I absolutely loved the story. The only thing keeping me from giving a 5 star review is the errors in translation that will hopefully be fixed in the future. I truly fell for these characters and felt like I was living right along with them through every twist and curve.

It is certainly a dark tale. You start out by meeting this beautiful woman named Cassandra searching for a place to grab lunch before heading back to work. The story continues with her awaking in a cell as she's been kidnapped with several others by terrorists.

Much like the main character just when you think you have found your footing something is bound to knock you off your feet. I absolutely recommend this read but suggest you prepare yourself for the hardships. I found it to be a fast read as I couldn't put it down or wait to find out what was going to happen next.

I for one will be anxiously awaiting the sequel. Which, I hear will have a much better translator.