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Acts of Contrition: A Dark Captive Romance
She will repent.
My life has never been anything but cruel shadows and broken promises. After I found my father's dead body when I was twelve, Mom spiraled into a drug-induced oblivion, needles and pills her only companions. With the drugs came men who knew exactly how to leave bruises where no one would see them.
On both of us.
At eighteen, I finally clawed my way out of Hell, only to discover freedom has a price I pay with my body and soul. No caviar and champagne for a girl like me, just torment and cheap thrills while strange hands explore what's left of me.
All I want is a single moment to breathe. Until he materializes from the darkness.
Thomas has been watching me from the shadows since I first started working the streets. His eyes track me like I'm both prey and salvation. He knows one devastating to save me, he must first break me completely.
What he doesn't understand is that I'm already shattered beyond repair; my pieces too sharp and dangerous for anyone to hold without bleeding.
And his blood might be the only offering that could ever redeem me.
He thinks I need saving. I might be his damnation instead.
One-click this dark romance standalone today!
My life has never been anything but cruel shadows and broken promises. After I found my father's dead body when I was twelve, Mom spiraled into a drug-induced oblivion, needles and pills her only companions. With the drugs came men who knew exactly how to leave bruises where no one would see them.
On both of us.
At eighteen, I finally clawed my way out of Hell, only to discover freedom has a price I pay with my body and soul. No caviar and champagne for a girl like me, just torment and cheap thrills while strange hands explore what's left of me.
All I want is a single moment to breathe. Until he materializes from the darkness.
Thomas has been watching me from the shadows since I first started working the streets. His eyes track me like I'm both prey and salvation. He knows one devastating to save me, he must first break me completely.
What he doesn't understand is that I'm already shattered beyond repair; my pieces too sharp and dangerous for anyone to hold without bleeding.
And his blood might be the only offering that could ever redeem me.
He thinks I need saving. I might be his damnation instead.
One-click this dark romance standalone today!
165 pages, Kindle Edition
Published September 27, 2024
44 people are currently reading
142 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews
September 7, 2025
mixed feelings about this one
possible review to come ? maybe ? idk
possible review to come ? maybe ? idk
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February 8, 2025DNF at 47%. Looking for cult vibes hero but not for me. A little deranged in terms of what hero does to the heroine but not feeling their chemistry or the overall mystery.
August 26, 2025
Not sure I would put this in the realms of dark romance at all. It’s more erotic horror and even then is it 🤔
After her father passes away, her mother turning to sex work in order to look after her daughter - our FMC, until her mother is m^rdered through substance abuse, however, our poor FMC is left with her mothers’ pimp and is subjected to CSA, a non con hysterectomy before an horrendous gan🍇 leaves her for d3ad. Fortunately or unfortunately, she is found and nursed back but now she finds herself having to look after herself, leading to being ab^sed by her landlord and taking to the streets for work. Until, she is kidnapped, tortured and taken through a myriad of emotions within what she calls a cult by Thomas ‘the pastor in training’. Will she escape? Will her life ever be normal again? Will she find her revenge? Will she find true love?
Seriously, if you can stomach getting to the end it brings us a conclusion you may not expect. I quite enjoyed it, as the fore part gave her the strength to fight. Are the characters lovable? She is, there is still goodness about her, I’d didn’t gel with the MMC at all. Please do read the triggers ⛔️
After her father passes away, her mother turning to sex work in order to look after her daughter - our FMC, until her mother is m^rdered through substance abuse, however, our poor FMC is left with her mothers’ pimp and is subjected to CSA, a non con hysterectomy before an horrendous gan🍇 leaves her for d3ad. Fortunately or unfortunately, she is found and nursed back but now she finds herself having to look after herself, leading to being ab^sed by her landlord and taking to the streets for work. Until, she is kidnapped, tortured and taken through a myriad of emotions within what she calls a cult by Thomas ‘the pastor in training’. Will she escape? Will her life ever be normal again? Will she find her revenge? Will she find true love?
Seriously, if you can stomach getting to the end it brings us a conclusion you may not expect. I quite enjoyed it, as the fore part gave her the strength to fight. Are the characters lovable? She is, there is still goodness about her, I’d didn’t gel with the MMC at all. Please do read the triggers ⛔️
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 2, 2025
3.5⭐️ Definitely not for the faint of heart. This is very dark, raw, graphic and violent. Lots of TWs, this may cause trauma to those with trauma.
I can see why there are so many negative reviews but there’s beauty with all this pain. I don’t think this is snuff like some reviews said. Unfortunately what Diana goes through in the beginning isn’t fiction, it’s what really goes on in the world, maybe not as brutal but it happens. Diana’s experience gutted me, it’s what made me feel so strongly about this book. I was really hoping she would get her vigilance justice.
But damn Diana just couldn’t get a break. It was literally one nightmare after another. So with all her tragedies I was hoping for a better ending. The ending was rushed not only between the Diana & Thomas but also with the torture at the end. There wasn’t really a relationship development with Diana & Thomas. And once they came together, it was a bit lackluster. I also would’ve liked more torture instead of a quick death for that POS.
I personally wasn’t into the whole religious/cult aspect but I can appreciate it as part of the plot.
This book was a page turner for me. It made me uncomfortable and pushed some limits for sure. But that’s why it made such an impact.
I can see why there are so many negative reviews but there’s beauty with all this pain. I don’t think this is snuff like some reviews said. Unfortunately what Diana goes through in the beginning isn’t fiction, it’s what really goes on in the world, maybe not as brutal but it happens. Diana’s experience gutted me, it’s what made me feel so strongly about this book. I was really hoping she would get her vigilance justice.
But damn Diana just couldn’t get a break. It was literally one nightmare after another. So with all her tragedies I was hoping for a better ending. The ending was rushed not only between the Diana & Thomas but also with the torture at the end. There wasn’t really a relationship development with Diana & Thomas. And once they came together, it was a bit lackluster. I also would’ve liked more torture instead of a quick death for that POS.
I personally wasn’t into the whole religious/cult aspect but I can appreciate it as part of the plot.
This book was a page turner for me. It made me uncomfortable and pushed some limits for sure. But that’s why it made such an impact.
Read
October 15, 2024A book recommendation that I dove into hoping it was a story that would interest me. I quickly discovered I was not a fan. No issue with the level of darkness, but the tropes quickly lost their appeal. CSA, descriptive CSA, and then SA, overplayed as dark themes, I’ve read so many of these types of books. Completely bad people and completely good people with no grays, and no balance of levity. One creative point was the religious component. Different. The book just wasn’t for me.
December 2, 2024
Cult Vibes - Trauma - Revenge
I love a cult romance, I love a traumatic romance, I love a captive stockhold romance 😅 do I have things to work out? We Listen and we don't judge okay - this is under 200 pages and is the journey of one girl finding herself in a worse situation every time she turns around until she is finally cleansed and saved by a Pastor In Training. I couldn't think of a better wedding gift for her.
I love a cult romance, I love a traumatic romance, I love a captive stockhold romance 😅 do I have things to work out? We Listen and we don't judge okay - this is under 200 pages and is the journey of one girl finding herself in a worse situation every time she turns around until she is finally cleansed and saved by a Pastor In Training. I couldn't think of a better wedding gift for her.
July 11, 2025
this book is definitely not for everyone, pls read the TWs - as someone who doesn't necessarily avoid super dark books, this was definitely uncomfortable to read during her recounts of her childhood abuse and trauma.
overall, the book isnt bad but i feel like in the beginning there isn't enough for me to feel like she should be with the mmc - she's basically just forced into it rather than there being some kind of pull that brings them together, its very one-sided. if she had shown more interest at the beginning in a 'i know i shouldnt but ..' that would have made it worth it.
overall, the book isnt bad but i feel like in the beginning there isn't enough for me to feel like she should be with the mmc - she's basically just forced into it rather than there being some kind of pull that brings them together, its very one-sided. if she had shown more interest at the beginning in a 'i know i shouldnt but ..' that would have made it worth it.
August 19, 2025
Okay, I’m not gonna lie, I don’t even know exactly what to say here. I went into this thinking it was just another dark captive romance, but... no. It felt more like straight kidnapping and abuse. Diana’s dealing with a lot, her parents, the evil men to came into her life, and now Thomas. It was hard to get through. The pacing dragged for me, and the line between rescuing and controlling became seriously twisted. It just didn’t click for me.
July 22, 2025
I loved this! The writing was good and the story was pretty unique. I liked both of the main characters a lot. My problem is that the beginning was very over the top with how much bad things can happen to one person. It’s just unrealistic to me. I also wish there was more explanation of the mmc past life bc it seemed very interesting.
February 15, 2025
The male main character is unlikable. He doesn’t have a motive valid enough to be this crazy to me lol. I feel so sorry for the female main character, for once I wanted the bad guy to lose. It’s too much going on for her in one life time it feels sad to see.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 11, 2025
One hell of a ride
This book is just... wow. So depraved and sinful, and so perfect. A woman who rises from the ashes, born of trauma and pain, and finds her peace and salvation in a different kind of wickedness.
5 stars is not enough.
This book is just... wow. So depraved and sinful, and so perfect. A woman who rises from the ashes, born of trauma and pain, and finds her peace and salvation in a different kind of wickedness.
5 stars is not enough.
July 3, 2025
Should have trusted the reviews. Got to 22% and had to stop. The childhood SA was more in depth than I could stand. And then the ml likes that the fl looks younger not my kind of story. Yeah no thank you.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 28, 2025
Not a romance imo definitely more horror
Heartbreaking but I still enjoyed the book and was totally sucked in and on the journey with the main character
Cult, rape, physical abuse and lots of violence in detail
Check triggers!!! Not for the faint of heart 💔
Heartbreaking but I still enjoyed the book and was totally sucked in and on the journey with the main character
Cult, rape, physical abuse and lots of violence in detail
Check triggers!!! Not for the faint of heart 💔
June 21, 2025
If you are gonna write csa material in the third chapter, at least give a warning in the intro pages. Bad book, questionable writing and a horrendous “plot” DNF on fourth chapter.
June 22, 2025
Yeah absolutely not.
December 9, 2025
think should have been geared more toward erotic thriller/horror. but the cult commune crap sucked. made me not want to continue her story hoenslty. yeah, she'd been through hell, but bringing religion into it truly just sucked. ugh, would have liked a better mmc for her, not some pastor commune cult guy.
September 30, 2024
Girl gets abused all her life and meets the male leads who abuse her too, trash
Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews