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Kings of New York #3
A Captive Situation
New York Times bestselling author Tijan delivers a bold romance about two people wrestling with emotional trauma, thrown into a deadly—and heated—power dynamic when the mafia comes after them both.
Every bride dreams of her wedding day.
Today was supposed to be that day for me, except it’s not me marrying my college sweetheart.
My best friend is doing that. Or, well, my ex-best friend.
Instead, I’m over a thousand miles away, riding the subway in a city where lost people come to dream.
Me—I’m just hoping to distract myself from my heartbreak.
That is, until I met Jake Worthing.
Grumpy.
Hot.
A total jerk.
Did I mention hot?
Also, extremely presumptuous.
Just because I look like I’m a thought away from a total meltdown does not mean I need an ambulance.
He had the audacity to ask if I needed medical treatment.
Well, good riddance to him.
I don’t ever have to see him again.
Except, well, I do when I’m taken to the police station for a total misunderstanding.
He walks in and…gah. He’s the same that I remember from our first meeting.
Brooding. Still gorgeous. (The universe is not fair sometimes.)
He’s stirring up emotions that I didn’t know were still inside of me.
Then someone tries to shoot him and I’m a witness, and…er, how is it that I’m the one being kidnapped?
And by Jake?
Now I’m heated for a whole different reason.
If I get myself out of this captive situation, I’m going to reign down my own destruction starting with Jake Worthing.
I just have to survive first and, also, not get my heart broken. Again.
Every bride dreams of her wedding day.
Today was supposed to be that day for me, except it’s not me marrying my college sweetheart.
My best friend is doing that. Or, well, my ex-best friend.
Instead, I’m over a thousand miles away, riding the subway in a city where lost people come to dream.
Me—I’m just hoping to distract myself from my heartbreak.
That is, until I met Jake Worthing.
Grumpy.
Hot.
A total jerk.
Did I mention hot?
Also, extremely presumptuous.
Just because I look like I’m a thought away from a total meltdown does not mean I need an ambulance.
He had the audacity to ask if I needed medical treatment.
Well, good riddance to him.
I don’t ever have to see him again.
Except, well, I do when I’m taken to the police station for a total misunderstanding.
He walks in and…gah. He’s the same that I remember from our first meeting.
Brooding. Still gorgeous. (The universe is not fair sometimes.)
He’s stirring up emotions that I didn’t know were still inside of me.
Then someone tries to shoot him and I’m a witness, and…er, how is it that I’m the one being kidnapped?
And by Jake?
Now I’m heated for a whole different reason.
If I get myself out of this captive situation, I’m going to reign down my own destruction starting with Jake Worthing.
I just have to survive first and, also, not get my heart broken. Again.
335 pages, Paperback
Published June 3, 2025
2381 people are currently reading
5939 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 488 reviews
May 22, 2025
RATING 3.5
As usual it took me a while to adjust to this author's writing style which is unique to her, the beginning was weird, inner musings of a woman that seemed on the verge of a breakdown as she rode the subway, anyone moment expecting the passengers to jump into song, so yeah oddly weird. She kind of seemed a little unhinged. But straight away she notices Jake also taking that very same subway as her.
Next scene we encounter her not so subtle stalking of a cousin she's never met which in turn quickly lands her in the back of a cop car taken down to the precinct where Jake meets her again as he's picking up his drugged up cousin. Whilst he's doing that he notices her sitting on the bench and gets her to come with him whilst he drops his cousin off at rehab before dropping Sawyer off at her hotel.
But before that second drop off can occur they stop at a diner and one thing leads to another where a shoot out occurs, things start escalating and chaos ensues before they are both killed he unceremoniously kidnaps her.
Under halfway is where it picks up and from that point onwards I became invested in the storyline moreish.
The execution of this one just felt off, I'm usually a big fan of Tijan's but for some reason this book missed the mark with me. In the beginning I found it hard to connect to our over thirty year old Sawyer, she just appeared younger than her years, wasting half her life with a guy who gave her nothing back. Surely she would've picked up cues that he's just not that into her. But anyhow along the way she found a backbone and came into her own. Jake was a different kettle of fish completely, his background story made the man before us, a tough take no shit ex cop, tough on the outside soft when it came to Sawyer. Their connection transpired quickly.
All in all even though this one wasn't one of my favourites by this author, I'm still highly keen to read the next book in this series..
May 29, 2025
A Captive Situation by Tijan
Between 3 and 3.5 stars
I read this book because I was really curious to see if I would love Tijan's books. I read one or two in the past, but it was so long ago that I wanted to give it another try. So I dove enthusiastically into this one.
This book is the story of Sawyer and Jake. Sawyer just got brutally dumped after being with fiance for nearly two decades. He slept with and impregnated her best friend and viciously dumped her. She travelled to a big city to get her thoughts in order. She's a tourist but also wants to reconnect with a long lost cousin who isn't an active part of her family. Sawyer is lost, numb and isn't in touch with her heart and soul.
She meets a hot guy on the subway, but he quickly leaves chasing after another man.
Jake suddenly got the head position in his mafia family and struggles with dealing with everything. When he meets Sawyer again, she witnesses something and suddenly she has a target on her back. He kidnaps her for her own safety and that is what this story is about.
It's about an explosive relationship between the two of them. Sawyer constantly escapes and at first Jake isn't as truthful as he should be. They have an instant chemistry and that fuels their entire relationship. Which is rather unstable because of all the mistrust.
While in part I enjoyed the book, I also didn't enjoy it as much as I expected beforehand. Their chemistry is rather insta-lust without some solid bones to build upon. And I wasn't truly invested in the whole mafia aspect to this story. It was a bit all over the place. And was written rather choppy like this happens, that happens etc. Without it being really fluently.
I did enjoy seeing Sawyer come to live in Jake's presence. And I liked the family aspect of her life with how much they have each other's back.
But the story as a whole wasn't as seamless as I would have liked. So that is why I am rating it between 3 and 3.5 out of 5 stars overall.
I think I am not a Tijan girl. I tried it. And I completely understand how other people love her books. But her writing style isn't one that sets me personally on fire. And I really need that when I read a book. But I would still recommend her to other people who like mafia romances. Because I do see how her books can speak to other people. ♥
Between 3 and 3.5 stars
I read this book because I was really curious to see if I would love Tijan's books. I read one or two in the past, but it was so long ago that I wanted to give it another try. So I dove enthusiastically into this one.
This book is the story of Sawyer and Jake. Sawyer just got brutally dumped after being with fiance for nearly two decades. He slept with and impregnated her best friend and viciously dumped her. She travelled to a big city to get her thoughts in order. She's a tourist but also wants to reconnect with a long lost cousin who isn't an active part of her family. Sawyer is lost, numb and isn't in touch with her heart and soul.
She meets a hot guy on the subway, but he quickly leaves chasing after another man.
Jake suddenly got the head position in his mafia family and struggles with dealing with everything. When he meets Sawyer again, she witnesses something and suddenly she has a target on her back. He kidnaps her for her own safety and that is what this story is about.
It's about an explosive relationship between the two of them. Sawyer constantly escapes and at first Jake isn't as truthful as he should be. They have an instant chemistry and that fuels their entire relationship. Which is rather unstable because of all the mistrust.
While in part I enjoyed the book, I also didn't enjoy it as much as I expected beforehand. Their chemistry is rather insta-lust without some solid bones to build upon. And I wasn't truly invested in the whole mafia aspect to this story. It was a bit all over the place. And was written rather choppy like this happens, that happens etc. Without it being really fluently.
I did enjoy seeing Sawyer come to live in Jake's presence. And I liked the family aspect of her life with how much they have each other's back.
But the story as a whole wasn't as seamless as I would have liked. So that is why I am rating it between 3 and 3.5 out of 5 stars overall.
I think I am not a Tijan girl. I tried it. And I completely understand how other people love her books. But her writing style isn't one that sets me personally on fire. And I really need that when I read a book. But I would still recommend her to other people who like mafia romances. Because I do see how her books can speak to other people. ♥
May 29, 2025
What the heck was this? I don't know if it's just me but this book was not good. First off, the FMC is supposed to be 36? She acts so immature to me and her inner dialogue is bonkers. The insta lust was not working for me at all. Like, where is the buildup? Where is the chemistry? Typically I like this author's writing but this book made me cringe. I'll continue to read other works from Tijan in the future.
Thank you NetGalley and Brilliance Publishing | Brilliance Audio for access to the ALC in exchange for an honest review.
Thank you NetGalley and Brilliance Publishing | Brilliance Audio for access to the ALC in exchange for an honest review.
July 20, 2025
2.5 stars
I made it out of this alive and for that I've poured myself a glass of wine cause I so deserve it.
I disliked every character in this book and one point I was praying the FMC(36 years going on 12) and her weird family would just bite a bullet but I wasn't that lucky.
Felt like the author kept throwing in things just to pad the book.
~~~~~~~~~~~
88% in and I want to quit so bad 😩
I made it out of this alive and for that I've poured myself a glass of wine cause I so deserve it.
I disliked every character in this book and one point I was praying the FMC(36 years going on 12) and her weird family would just bite a bullet but I wasn't that lucky.
Felt like the author kept throwing in things just to pad the book.
~~~~~~~~~~~
88% in and I want to quit so bad 😩
June 9, 2025
“A mafia ex-cop in the middle of an identity crisis.”
The following ratings are out of 5:
Romance: 💙💜💚🤎
Heat/Steam: 🔥🔥🔥
Chemistry: 🧪🧪🧪🧪
Story/Plot: 📕📗📙📘
World building: 🌏🌍🌎🌍
Character development: 🤓😀😘
Narration: 🎙🎙🎙🎙
Narration Type: Dual Narration
The heroine: Sawyer - she is from Montana but is now in New York City for her first time. She was avoiding everything that reminded her of Montana because Beck, her ex-fiancé is with her former best friend Manda, who is now pregnant with Beck’s chid. Sawyer had given up nearly two decades and much more of herself to that relationship. She is also in New York to meet her cousin Graham, a married gay man with whom she wants to get together to talk over ways to bring their mothers, who are two fighting sisters that live in Montana back together.
The Heroes: Jake - He was on the subway one day because Shorty was back in town, and Ashton wanted Shorty as far away from his woman as possible and was about to be banished, but Jake wanted to find out about his cousin Nikolai. Jake had been a cop, but after his brother died six months ago, his mission was to find his killer, and he had found out it was Nikolai. Now that Nikolai is dead, his family voted Jake in as the new head of the family. He was more likely to take down his family than lead it. But he really had no choice. He sees a woman on the subway and couldn’t get her out of his mind.
The Story: Sawyer had gone to see her cousin, but she chickened out because from what she can see of his life, he is happy and successful. While she is a mess. She gave up a great job that she really liked to help pay for Beck’s education. She worked and kept working while they were together, she payed for their house, she had loved college but never got a job in her field so Beck could have everything he wanted. He came out of grad school debt free thanks to her She thinks she ended up being a joke.
When Jake sees Sawyer again at the police station one evening when he is there to pick up a relative and Sawyer was there after being arrested for hanging around outside her cousins’ work. Jake ends up getting his cousin out of jail and plans to take her to rehab, and they take Sawyer along with. Sawyer is happy to go along with them as she has nothing better to do and thinks it might be an adventure to add to her New York bucket list. It is her last night in the city after all, and she was very attracted to Jake. Little did she know that a hit had been put out on Jake and when some hitmen came to collect, she was a witness and could be used against Jake, so he took her captive for her own good.
I liked the danger of the situation the two main characters are in. I also really liked the fact that both of them see their lives as such a mess. Both of them are just trying to make it through the day and they meet each other and are so attracted to each other that they can’t get each other out of their minds. Jake had never wanted to be a head of a mafia, but he had no choice but to take charge and clean house.
This story has such an intense mix of emotional wreckage, attraction, and danger. The idea that both Sawyer and Jake are trying to claw their way out of the chaos in their lives, only to stumble into each other’s orbit, adds a strong undercurrent of tension. The way they’re forced together, especially with the mafia hit in play, gives that sense of inevitability that makes stories like this so gripping.
There were also some things about this book that I didn’t like. Sawyer was supposedly a thirty-six-year-old woman who had gone to college, worked for years putting her ex through college and grad school, bought a house and more, yet while in New York she almost seemed neurodivergent or something. She was apparently so freaked out about her life that she often just sits there thinking, so wrapped up in her own thoughts that she can’t even answer when people talk to her, even when it’s a cop and he is asking her pointed questions to determine her state of mind. She just ignores him and talks to herself until she is arrested.
Sawyer’s characterization is really interesting. With everything she’s been through, you’d expect a different kind of resilience or awareness from her. Her mental disconnects, especially at key moments like interacting with the police or the assistant at her cousins’ workplace, make her feel inconsistent compared to her life experiences. I wasn’t quite sure if this was intentional - meant to highlight her emotional exhaustion, or more like a writing flaw that pulled the reader out of the story.
This audiobook was narrated from multiple perspectives, done in dual narration by Jeffrey Kafer and Amelia Hughs. Jeffrey Kafer is not one of my favorite male narrators, but he has a nice, deep voice that I like for strong male characters. Amelia Hughs has a strong, clear voice which is very pleasant. Overall, the narration was pretty good.
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The following ratings are out of 5:
Romance: 💙💜💚🤎
Heat/Steam: 🔥🔥🔥
Chemistry: 🧪🧪🧪🧪
Story/Plot: 📕📗📙📘
World building: 🌏🌍🌎🌍
Character development: 🤓😀😘
Narration: 🎙🎙🎙🎙
Narration Type: Dual Narration
The heroine: Sawyer - she is from Montana but is now in New York City for her first time. She was avoiding everything that reminded her of Montana because Beck, her ex-fiancé is with her former best friend Manda, who is now pregnant with Beck’s chid. Sawyer had given up nearly two decades and much more of herself to that relationship. She is also in New York to meet her cousin Graham, a married gay man with whom she wants to get together to talk over ways to bring their mothers, who are two fighting sisters that live in Montana back together.
The Heroes: Jake - He was on the subway one day because Shorty was back in town, and Ashton wanted Shorty as far away from his woman as possible and was about to be banished, but Jake wanted to find out about his cousin Nikolai. Jake had been a cop, but after his brother died six months ago, his mission was to find his killer, and he had found out it was Nikolai. Now that Nikolai is dead, his family voted Jake in as the new head of the family. He was more likely to take down his family than lead it. But he really had no choice. He sees a woman on the subway and couldn’t get her out of his mind.
The Story: Sawyer had gone to see her cousin, but she chickened out because from what she can see of his life, he is happy and successful. While she is a mess. She gave up a great job that she really liked to help pay for Beck’s education. She worked and kept working while they were together, she payed for their house, she had loved college but never got a job in her field so Beck could have everything he wanted. He came out of grad school debt free thanks to her She thinks she ended up being a joke.
When Jake sees Sawyer again at the police station one evening when he is there to pick up a relative and Sawyer was there after being arrested for hanging around outside her cousins’ work. Jake ends up getting his cousin out of jail and plans to take her to rehab, and they take Sawyer along with. Sawyer is happy to go along with them as she has nothing better to do and thinks it might be an adventure to add to her New York bucket list. It is her last night in the city after all, and she was very attracted to Jake. Little did she know that a hit had been put out on Jake and when some hitmen came to collect, she was a witness and could be used against Jake, so he took her captive for her own good.
I liked the danger of the situation the two main characters are in. I also really liked the fact that both of them see their lives as such a mess. Both of them are just trying to make it through the day and they meet each other and are so attracted to each other that they can’t get each other out of their minds. Jake had never wanted to be a head of a mafia, but he had no choice but to take charge and clean house.
This story has such an intense mix of emotional wreckage, attraction, and danger. The idea that both Sawyer and Jake are trying to claw their way out of the chaos in their lives, only to stumble into each other’s orbit, adds a strong undercurrent of tension. The way they’re forced together, especially with the mafia hit in play, gives that sense of inevitability that makes stories like this so gripping.
There were also some things about this book that I didn’t like. Sawyer was supposedly a thirty-six-year-old woman who had gone to college, worked for years putting her ex through college and grad school, bought a house and more, yet while in New York she almost seemed neurodivergent or something. She was apparently so freaked out about her life that she often just sits there thinking, so wrapped up in her own thoughts that she can’t even answer when people talk to her, even when it’s a cop and he is asking her pointed questions to determine her state of mind. She just ignores him and talks to herself until she is arrested.
Sawyer’s characterization is really interesting. With everything she’s been through, you’d expect a different kind of resilience or awareness from her. Her mental disconnects, especially at key moments like interacting with the police or the assistant at her cousins’ workplace, make her feel inconsistent compared to her life experiences. I wasn’t quite sure if this was intentional - meant to highlight her emotional exhaustion, or more like a writing flaw that pulled the reader out of the story.
This audiobook was narrated from multiple perspectives, done in dual narration by Jeffrey Kafer and Amelia Hughs. Jeffrey Kafer is not one of my favorite male narrators, but he has a nice, deep voice that I like for strong male characters. Amelia Hughs has a strong, clear voice which is very pleasant. Overall, the narration was pretty good.
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February 22, 2025
ARC provided by Netgalley!🖤
The two stars is for the potential the plot had.
If there's one thing I hate more in this world than my chemistry teacher back in senior year, it's the insta-lust trope because you can never convince me a NORMAL, non-psychotic human being will randomly start sexualising another random person they saw on the street. TELL ME HOW IT WORKS!
Anywho...........
Sawyer is a 36 year old woman but she acts like a teenager. I would've never guessed she was THAT old if it wasn’t mentioned.
The conversations between them were weird af. They kept jumping from one topic to the other unnaturally so it all felt chopped. It's like she wrote down random points on her notebook and then forcefully tied them together.
And don't get me started on the chemistry. It was lacking and the characters were bland and didn't do it for me at all. They were both just lusting over eachother and at some point decided they were in love like gurl pls🙄🙄
The unnecessary third act breakup in the end wasn't reconciled properly imo and the plot ending felt like there were still a lot of loose ends. I don't know why I tortured myself.
The two stars is for the potential the plot had.
If there's one thing I hate more in this world than my chemistry teacher back in senior year, it's the insta-lust trope because you can never convince me a NORMAL, non-psychotic human being will randomly start sexualising another random person they saw on the street. TELL ME HOW IT WORKS!
Anywho...........
Sawyer is a 36 year old woman but she acts like a teenager. I would've never guessed she was THAT old if it wasn’t mentioned.
The conversations between them were weird af. They kept jumping from one topic to the other unnaturally so it all felt chopped. It's like she wrote down random points on her notebook and then forcefully tied them together.
And don't get me started on the chemistry. It was lacking and the characters were bland and didn't do it for me at all. They were both just lusting over eachother and at some point decided they were in love like gurl pls🙄🙄
The unnecessary third act breakup in the end wasn't reconciled properly imo and the plot ending felt like there were still a lot of loose ends. I don't know why I tortured myself.
March 23, 2025
I said it in book two and the same goes for A Captive Situation. This book started out a bit odd, but then things started to build and kept building until I was completely invested.
At first, I didn't like the typical cliche heroine who put everything into a man who betrayed her with her best friend. She gave so much of her life to someone who wasn't worth it. It was due to this that she ended up in the path of Jake and then it all went wonky from there. That also when things got very interesting.
Jake was awesome. Sawyer turned out had more fire in her than you first expect. Sawyer's family was highly entertaining. I loved seeing Ashton and Trace again. And I'm sure interested in Blake's story. I am a bit confused on if there will be more in the King of New York series. I will be happy if there is at least one more book if that brings us Blake's story.
At first, I didn't like the typical cliche heroine who put everything into a man who betrayed her with her best friend. She gave so much of her life to someone who wasn't worth it. It was due to this that she ended up in the path of Jake and then it all went wonky from there. That also when things got very interesting.
Jake was awesome. Sawyer turned out had more fire in her than you first expect. Sawyer's family was highly entertaining. I loved seeing Ashton and Trace again. And I'm sure interested in Blake's story. I am a bit confused on if there will be more in the King of New York series. I will be happy if there is at least one more book if that brings us Blake's story.
May 18, 2025
The plot has potential but there was something missing for me in the execution. The writing and transitions felt choppy. The output was potentially missing context that may have come from previous books in the series because I really didn’t understand what was going on in the beginning. I got the overall sense that this was rushed.
Complementary copy received and voluntarily reviewed.
Complementary copy received and voluntarily reviewed.
August 21, 2025
This was fun 😁 and spicy 🫶
April 22, 2025
3.5 stars on this one
This is the third book in the Kings of New York interconnected world. but it can easily be a standalone. If you've enjoyed the other two books then I definitely think that you'll enjoy this one. This one started out a bit slower for me, but then the pace picked up quickly. Jake and Sawyer were great. Sawyer is a curious and interesting character. This is a fun series for sure. If you're a fan of Tijan then you'll enjoy this one.
A big thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for the arc in exchange for my honest review.
This is the 3rd book in the Kings of New York Series. I'll be finishing up A Cruel Arrangement and then moving on to this one.
Thanks to Netgalley and Montlake for the arc in exchange for my honest review.
Expected publication June 3, 2025
This is the third book in the Kings of New York interconnected world. but it can easily be a standalone. If you've enjoyed the other two books then I definitely think that you'll enjoy this one. This one started out a bit slower for me, but then the pace picked up quickly. Jake and Sawyer were great. Sawyer is a curious and interesting character. This is a fun series for sure. If you're a fan of Tijan then you'll enjoy this one.
A big thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for the arc in exchange for my honest review.
This is the 3rd book in the Kings of New York Series. I'll be finishing up A Cruel Arrangement and then moving on to this one.
Thanks to Netgalley and Montlake for the arc in exchange for my honest review.
Expected publication June 3, 2025
June 8, 2025
Welp! The run of bi-polar books by Tijan continues! After an enthusiastic 4.5 star read on her last book (in this series, no less), we once again have a two star story. This book is seriously eye-rolling, head-shaking stuff. The set-up and first half is so unbelievable as to be weirdly bizarre. And I think we may have just found the most TSTL “heroine” in all of romance right here, folks.
*However, the one thing I did absolutely LOVE is the smack-down Jake put on Ashton during the phone call at the end. TOTALLY awesome and severely deserved. I just wished he would have gone harder on the “It’s on YOU DUDE! What did you expect me to do?!?!” That’s epic stuff right there.
*However, the one thing I did absolutely LOVE is the smack-down Jake put on Ashton during the phone call at the end. TOTALLY awesome and severely deserved. I just wished he would have gone harder on the “It’s on YOU DUDE! What did you expect me to do?!?!” That’s epic stuff right there.
March 26, 2025
Thank you so much to the publisher and NetGalley for this arc!
I usually like the books from this author but this one was my least favourite. The whole thing was all over the place and Sawyer was the most annoying character on earth. I'm sorry, I really tried to like it but it took me more than a month to actually read this finish..
I usually like the books from this author but this one was my least favourite. The whole thing was all over the place and Sawyer was the most annoying character on earth. I'm sorry, I really tried to like it but it took me more than a month to actually read this finish..
June 17, 2025
This was book 1 in the
"Kings of New York"
series. This was a really good read that I loved. Sawyer leaves her small town and goes to New York to visit her cousin after her boyfriend of 20 years marries her best friend who he has been having an affair with and is having a baby with. Sawyer needed some space, when she runs into Jake twice the second time somebody is trying to kill him and he takes her for her safety because now they after both of them. This was a pretty good read Jake who is a cop comes from a mafia family. His family wants him to take over the family business when his cousin dies. The chemistry between these two was hot and I liked the banter that they had going. This book had everything I look for in reading a mafia book action and suspense. This book was well written with no errors in grammar or spelling. I also liked the narration of this book.
May 30, 2025
Thanks to NetGalley, Tijan, and Brilliance Publishing for the ARC! Here’s my honest review.
📆 Release Date: June 3, 2025
⭐️ Rating: 2 stars
I’ve been a fan of Tijan since the Fallen Crest High days, so when I saw The Captive Situation on NetGalley, I requested it without even reading the description. Classic me. What I didn’t realize is that it’s book three in a series—which, honestly, is also very on-brand for me. I always manage to jump into series halfway through. That said, I could follow the plot just fine, though it was clear I was missing some character history and emotional context. I’ll probably go back and read the first two to fill in the blanks.
The setup had me hooked at first: a woman walking away from a toxic situation (her ex is literally marrying someone else), a fresh start in NYC, and a messy meet-cute with a cop that gave me throwback rom-com energy. It gave Twisted Games intensity with a lil protector swoon.
Jake, the love interest, was one of the stronger points for me. He was protective without being overbearing, and I appreciated how he handled his past relationships with maturity. There was something very grounded about him, even when the plot went a little off the rails. And the chemistry? Definitely there. The steamy scenes were steamy.
Where it fell short for me was the FMC. Her inner voice and decision-making felt pretty immature at times, which made it hard for me to stay fully invested in her side of the romance. It leaned more toward teen crush than adult love story, and I wanted more emotional nuance, especially given the heavier plot elements. The third-act conflict also didn’t totally land for me—it felt a little manufactured and pulled me out of the story.
All in all, this was a 2.5-star read that I’m rounding down. It wasn’t a match for me, but I can totally see it clicking with readers who love fast-paced, spice-forward protector romances and don’t mind a little chaos along the way. And I’ll absolutely keep reading Tijan’s work—some of her books have really stuck with me. Unfortunately this one wasn’t one of them for me.
📆 Release Date: June 3, 2025
⭐️ Rating: 2 stars
I’ve been a fan of Tijan since the Fallen Crest High days, so when I saw The Captive Situation on NetGalley, I requested it without even reading the description. Classic me. What I didn’t realize is that it’s book three in a series—which, honestly, is also very on-brand for me. I always manage to jump into series halfway through. That said, I could follow the plot just fine, though it was clear I was missing some character history and emotional context. I’ll probably go back and read the first two to fill in the blanks.
The setup had me hooked at first: a woman walking away from a toxic situation (her ex is literally marrying someone else), a fresh start in NYC, and a messy meet-cute with a cop that gave me throwback rom-com energy. It gave Twisted Games intensity with a lil protector swoon.
Jake, the love interest, was one of the stronger points for me. He was protective without being overbearing, and I appreciated how he handled his past relationships with maturity. There was something very grounded about him, even when the plot went a little off the rails. And the chemistry? Definitely there. The steamy scenes were steamy.
Where it fell short for me was the FMC. Her inner voice and decision-making felt pretty immature at times, which made it hard for me to stay fully invested in her side of the romance. It leaned more toward teen crush than adult love story, and I wanted more emotional nuance, especially given the heavier plot elements. The third-act conflict also didn’t totally land for me—it felt a little manufactured and pulled me out of the story.
All in all, this was a 2.5-star read that I’m rounding down. It wasn’t a match for me, but I can totally see it clicking with readers who love fast-paced, spice-forward protector romances and don’t mind a little chaos along the way. And I’ll absolutely keep reading Tijan’s work—some of her books have really stuck with me. Unfortunately this one wasn’t one of them for me.
June 9, 2025
Kindle Unlimited: Yes
Stand-alone: Yes*** (Kings of New York)
Author: Tijan
Rating: 5/5 ⭐️
Spiciness Rating: 3/5 🌶
POV: First Person Dual Perspective
Main Couple: Jake and Sawyer
Trope(s): Suspense Mafia Romance, Forced Proximity, Enemies To Lovers, Grump/Sunshine, Opposites Attract
You do not need to read the first two books in the Kings of New York series. Tijan has written the book that it can be read independently. As certain characters overlap in each book, reading them all gives you a complete picture. Tijan’s books are detailed, bring some angst, with suspense that keeps you hanging on. The banter in this book, not just between Jake and Sawyer, which is on point, but her mom and aunts. They give the term girl gang a run for its money. This balances the heavy nature of the book. Once you start this book it is going to be hard to put down. Jake and Sawyer will suck you in.
Sawyer has escaped the dumpster fire that was her life in Montana. A trip to New York, a tourist bucket list to complete, and a cousin to locate and meet. Leaving her cheating ex long behind.
Jake Worthing is newly retired from the police force and newly appointed to be the head of his family. A family he escaped years ago to save his brother. Only to lose him anyway. Now his reason for living was gone or so he thought.
Their paths would probably never have crossed, but from a subway train to a police precinct they do.
One look at Sawyer and Jake wanted to right all her wrongs.
But, a price on his head, them being spotted together throwing her smack dab in the middle of all his troubles.
To save her Jake will need to keep her close.
Sawyer is much feistier than Jake planned on.
He has her so wrapped up in her feelings.
Jake was so tired of being someone else’s puppet. Someone in his own camp was selling him out. He is more than ready to set the world on fire, especially when they involve Sawyer.
And, then there is Sawyer’s mother and aunts. These ladies are not even trying to live in a man’s world.
Stand-alone: Yes*** (Kings of New York)
Author: Tijan
Rating: 5/5 ⭐️
Spiciness Rating: 3/5 🌶
POV: First Person Dual Perspective
Main Couple: Jake and Sawyer
Trope(s): Suspense Mafia Romance, Forced Proximity, Enemies To Lovers, Grump/Sunshine, Opposites Attract
You do not need to read the first two books in the Kings of New York series. Tijan has written the book that it can be read independently. As certain characters overlap in each book, reading them all gives you a complete picture. Tijan’s books are detailed, bring some angst, with suspense that keeps you hanging on. The banter in this book, not just between Jake and Sawyer, which is on point, but her mom and aunts. They give the term girl gang a run for its money. This balances the heavy nature of the book. Once you start this book it is going to be hard to put down. Jake and Sawyer will suck you in.
Sawyer has escaped the dumpster fire that was her life in Montana. A trip to New York, a tourist bucket list to complete, and a cousin to locate and meet. Leaving her cheating ex long behind.
Jake Worthing is newly retired from the police force and newly appointed to be the head of his family. A family he escaped years ago to save his brother. Only to lose him anyway. Now his reason for living was gone or so he thought.
Their paths would probably never have crossed, but from a subway train to a police precinct they do.
One look at Sawyer and Jake wanted to right all her wrongs.
But, a price on his head, them being spotted together throwing her smack dab in the middle of all his troubles.
To save her Jake will need to keep her close.
Sawyer is much feistier than Jake planned on.
He has her so wrapped up in her feelings.
Jake was so tired of being someone else’s puppet. Someone in his own camp was selling him out. He is more than ready to set the world on fire, especially when they involve Sawyer.
And, then there is Sawyer’s mother and aunts. These ladies are not even trying to live in a man’s world.
June 8, 2025
3,75 ⭐
March 16, 2025
It took me until about 30% to really get into this one, which was surprising to me since Tijan is one of my favorite authors.
I struggled with the beginning because I found it incredibly difficult to relate to the h—to her situation, to her dissociating, to the way she handled things. I think had she been about ten years younger her situation with her ex and the cheating would have been more believable and more relatable. It’s really hard to understand how she ended up spending nearly twenty years with a dude who seemed like such a prick and a user. They live in a small town. How did NO ONE know he was cheating for years?? My brain just can’t really make sense of it. I can’t relate to a h who would waste so much time on a loser. Maybe if we had a prologue of seeing them together I could understand how this dude could trick this girl so effectively?!? But honestly he seemed like a tool in the scenes of the h thinking about him. I know they say love makes you blind but just yikes lol. So anyways, yeah, not a h I could relate to in anyway. So it made it really hard to enjoy the beginning of this book. But but but….
Once the plot got going then I was hooked. The suspense was super fun! I love how she worked the kidnapping and “stalking” scenes in. The closet scene at Grahams house is so much freaking fun. That trope in dark romance is usually so OTT and nonsensical but Tijan did it so well here. His descent into more criminal activity, his struggle with it, his whole complicated past with it was written so well here. And omg swoon!! How he did just not give a shit about anything but his just overwhelming need to keep her safe was so good!
By 50% I was totally into it. I liked the characters. I love the way Tijan writes characters and the way they love each other. The humor between the two of them was so sweet and funny and just unique and them. So much intimacy and connection!!
The hs age with the circumstances and the way she responded to those circumstances in the scenes really did work for the story in the end. But I’m not completely sold that it wouldn’t have still worked the same way had she been 10 years younger and not wasted so much time with the ex! Gah!
Ashton!! Gah!!! That whole plot line has me on the edge of my seat! As soon as I finished this one I wanted to do a whole series reread because of how much my mind was blown in this one in regard to how Ashton handled certain things.
I cannot wait for book four!! I want to see what is up with Blake so badly! And the whole NY mafia world. With things shaking out like this are we going to see Carter Reed and Cole showing up?!? The possibilities are endless right now and I am so excited!!
Overall: 4.5
I struggled with the beginning because I found it incredibly difficult to relate to the h—to her situation, to her dissociating, to the way she handled things. I think had she been about ten years younger her situation with her ex and the cheating would have been more believable and more relatable. It’s really hard to understand how she ended up spending nearly twenty years with a dude who seemed like such a prick and a user. They live in a small town. How did NO ONE know he was cheating for years?? My brain just can’t really make sense of it. I can’t relate to a h who would waste so much time on a loser. Maybe if we had a prologue of seeing them together I could understand how this dude could trick this girl so effectively?!? But honestly he seemed like a tool in the scenes of the h thinking about him. I know they say love makes you blind but just yikes lol. So anyways, yeah, not a h I could relate to in anyway. So it made it really hard to enjoy the beginning of this book. But but but….
Once the plot got going then I was hooked. The suspense was super fun! I love how she worked the kidnapping and “stalking” scenes in. The closet scene at Grahams house is so much freaking fun. That trope in dark romance is usually so OTT and nonsensical but Tijan did it so well here. His descent into more criminal activity, his struggle with it, his whole complicated past with it was written so well here. And omg swoon!! How he did just not give a shit about anything but his just overwhelming need to keep her safe was so good!
By 50% I was totally into it. I liked the characters. I love the way Tijan writes characters and the way they love each other. The humor between the two of them was so sweet and funny and just unique and them. So much intimacy and connection!!
The hs age with the circumstances and the way she responded to those circumstances in the scenes really did work for the story in the end. But I’m not completely sold that it wouldn’t have still worked the same way had she been 10 years younger and not wasted so much time with the ex! Gah!
Ashton!! Gah!!! That whole plot line has me on the edge of my seat! As soon as I finished this one I wanted to do a whole series reread because of how much my mind was blown in this one in regard to how Ashton handled certain things.
I cannot wait for book four!! I want to see what is up with Blake so badly! And the whole NY mafia world. With things shaking out like this are we going to see Carter Reed and Cole showing up?!? The possibilities are endless right now and I am so excited!!
Overall: 4.5
June 21, 2025
***4 "My little lunatic!!!" stars***
"He held me captive... but he didn't need more evidence of how complete his hold was on me."
What a wild and messy ride was that!!!
Intense, chaotic, insane, but beautiful in a weird way!!!
That was a perfect example of being in the wrong place at the wrong time and bang... you are becoming an unwilling captive to a very hot guy who is with one foot out of the police world and with one foot into the mafia world...
Now, these two have to fight for their lives in a very crazy way!!!
I freakin' loved it!!!
"I was falling for this psychopath."
Sawyer is visiting New York in order to forget the betrayal by her almost husband...
She has a meddling heart so she needs to reunite some distinct relatives, but then... Jake is entering her life by accident and her neat world is turning upside down....
Jake was a police officer, but he just quitted because he had ties with the mafia...
By chance, he is meeting Sawyer and from that moment things are escalating very quickly...
Someone is after him and now, after Sawyer too, and he goes to extremities in order to save them both...
"This woman had power over me."
I won't say more, but this story was so crazy and wild!!!
Jake had an mysterious aura and a ton of skeletons in his closet...
Poor Sawyer didn't know what hit her when their fates had connected!!!
As for this girl??? She was really a little lunatic and she was all over the place, but she had a beautiful heart and good intentions...
Unknown to her, she got involved in some serious shit and she didn't know what to do...
She liked Jake, but at the same time, she wanted to kill him, so imagine that!!! LOL!!!
I really loved this couple and their insane adventure!!!
"We're just getting started, my little lunatic."
**I received an ARC for the exchange of an honest review**
"He held me captive... but he didn't need more evidence of how complete his hold was on me."
What a wild and messy ride was that!!!
Intense, chaotic, insane, but beautiful in a weird way!!!
That was a perfect example of being in the wrong place at the wrong time and bang... you are becoming an unwilling captive to a very hot guy who is with one foot out of the police world and with one foot into the mafia world...
Now, these two have to fight for their lives in a very crazy way!!!
I freakin' loved it!!!
"I was falling for this psychopath."
Sawyer is visiting New York in order to forget the betrayal by her almost husband...
She has a meddling heart so she needs to reunite some distinct relatives, but then... Jake is entering her life by accident and her neat world is turning upside down....
Jake was a police officer, but he just quitted because he had ties with the mafia...
By chance, he is meeting Sawyer and from that moment things are escalating very quickly...
Someone is after him and now, after Sawyer too, and he goes to extremities in order to save them both...
"This woman had power over me."
I won't say more, but this story was so crazy and wild!!!
Jake had an mysterious aura and a ton of skeletons in his closet...
Poor Sawyer didn't know what hit her when their fates had connected!!!
As for this girl??? She was really a little lunatic and she was all over the place, but she had a beautiful heart and good intentions...
Unknown to her, she got involved in some serious shit and she didn't know what to do...
She liked Jake, but at the same time, she wanted to kill him, so imagine that!!! LOL!!!
I really loved this couple and their insane adventure!!!
"We're just getting started, my little lunatic."
**I received an ARC for the exchange of an honest review**
June 8, 2025
DNF at 51%— I typically love Tijans books… but this book was a weird train wreck.
*since I did dnf it is possible that the issues I have with the book might improve further on in the story… but it was such a fail for me I didn’t feel like powering through the final 49%*
This story couldn’t decide if it wanted to be a rom-com, an emotional journey, or a spicy romance. So it decided to try and be all three and failed in each category.
Everything felt forced.
The relationship was insta-lovey and didn’t have anything endearing or interesting besides this forced close proximity situation.
The main character was written to be quirky but overall was just hard to connect with.
The supporting characters were forced to fit in this train wreck of a story because you can tell the author fell in love with the idea of them. So they are kind of just shoved into the story even though they were distracting and didn’t really fit the vibe for the rest of the book.
The emotional backstory felt added to give the main character depth but honestly it felt like it was barely an obstacle for her. Also every time the book would start to “get deep” it would instantly transition into a comedic scene.
The rom-com element was relying to hard on being quirky but didn’t land for me and was just weird (also I feel like when you have a mafia romance trying to make it a romcom is just an uphill battle— these books are better suited for an emotional journey or a spicy tale).
The best thing about this book was the email that was sent announcing it… the 5 chapters included for Tijans upcoming Sports Romance sound fantastic and I can’t wait to read that.
*since I did dnf it is possible that the issues I have with the book might improve further on in the story… but it was such a fail for me I didn’t feel like powering through the final 49%*
This story couldn’t decide if it wanted to be a rom-com, an emotional journey, or a spicy romance. So it decided to try and be all three and failed in each category.
Everything felt forced.
The relationship was insta-lovey and didn’t have anything endearing or interesting besides this forced close proximity situation.
The main character was written to be quirky but overall was just hard to connect with.
The supporting characters were forced to fit in this train wreck of a story because you can tell the author fell in love with the idea of them. So they are kind of just shoved into the story even though they were distracting and didn’t really fit the vibe for the rest of the book.
The emotional backstory felt added to give the main character depth but honestly it felt like it was barely an obstacle for her. Also every time the book would start to “get deep” it would instantly transition into a comedic scene.
The rom-com element was relying to hard on being quirky but didn’t land for me and was just weird (also I feel like when you have a mafia romance trying to make it a romcom is just an uphill battle— these books are better suited for an emotional journey or a spicy tale).
The best thing about this book was the email that was sent announcing it… the 5 chapters included for Tijans upcoming Sports Romance sound fantastic and I can’t wait to read that.
July 6, 2025
Listen, I adore Tijan, but this book wasn’t it. It was all over the place. The characters were half baked and it had very odd pacing. I enjoyed the first 2 books but this left a lot to be desired.
October 28, 2025
This was pure chaos and slightly insane!
The FMC is must be having a mental breakdown when the book starts and yet seems to get better when her life interweaves with the Mafia. Our MMC is not a good guy and is the new head of this Mafia… after being a dirty cop.
They are drawn to each other instantly and fall in love soon thereafter. Every member of her family gets pulled into the drama and just adds more chaos.
I’m not sure this book was for me!! I couldn’t feel the passion between our main two characters and I am not a fan of insta love and the way this Mafia hit / war unfolded felt just as rushed as the love story it was all happening way too quickly for me.
I received this book as an ARC and provide an honest review.
The FMC is must be having a mental breakdown when the book starts and yet seems to get better when her life interweaves with the Mafia. Our MMC is not a good guy and is the new head of this Mafia… after being a dirty cop.
They are drawn to each other instantly and fall in love soon thereafter. Every member of her family gets pulled into the drama and just adds more chaos.
I’m not sure this book was for me!! I couldn’t feel the passion between our main two characters and I am not a fan of insta love and the way this Mafia hit / war unfolded felt just as rushed as the love story it was all happening way too quickly for me.
I received this book as an ARC and provide an honest review.
May 27, 2025
This is book 3 in the Kings of New York series but can be read as a standalone. This follows Saylor who comes to New York in search of her cousin after her breakup from her cheating ex who was sleeping with her best friend behind her back and got her pregnant. Saylor sees Jake on the train and is instantly attracted to him but loses him after he gets off the train. then later again at the police station where his cousin was detained along with Saylor and she adopts her. Turns out Jake has a contract out on him and so does Saylor so in order to save her he needs to kidnap her. Saylor doesn't realize the implications of her trying to run from Jake and reaches out to her family who shows up to take her home.
Chaos ensues as they are on the run from bounty hunters trying to kill them. The aunts and Saylor's mom are hilarious it just adds an air of humor to the somewhat dark theme of this book. Also, some of the other characters from the previous books make an appearance in this book.
Thank you to NetGalley for an eARC of this book in exchange for my review.
Chaos ensues as they are on the run from bounty hunters trying to kill them. The aunts and Saylor's mom are hilarious it just adds an air of humor to the somewhat dark theme of this book. Also, some of the other characters from the previous books make an appearance in this book.
Thank you to NetGalley for an eARC of this book in exchange for my review.
dnf
October 13, 2025soooo dnf — @25%
i really didn’t want to because jake is hot but miss girl has the emotional maturity of a 2 year old. honestly.
and i’m just not feeling this storyline unfortunately.
i do remember liking book 1, but also not really liking book 2 so i may come back to this one! we’ll see.
i really didn’t want to because jake is hot but miss girl has the emotional maturity of a 2 year old. honestly.
and i’m just not feeling this storyline unfortunately.
i do remember liking book 1, but also not really liking book 2 so i may come back to this one! we’ll see.
October 31, 2025
“Your woman’s got a screw loose”
That’s one way to put it. Everything about this was delusional
That’s one way to put it. Everything about this was delusional
March 29, 2025
This book had a lot of promise, but it was a bit difficult for me to get through. While I found Sawyer’s family dynamic entertaining, the chaotic plot at the beginning really threw me off. It felt a bit all over the place, and it took me a while to settle into the story.
I did enjoy the nickname Jake gave Sawyer, “Little Lunatic.” It was a fun and endearing touch that added some lightheartedness to the tension between them. Sawyer’s family was also hilarious, with the van scene being one of the funniest moments of the book. Her Aunts were one of the best parts of this book.
However, I wasn’t a fan of the insta-love, and at times, Sawyer’s actions felt much younger than her 36 years, which felt inconsistent with her character. Though it could have been intentional due to her small-town background in Montana, it still made it harder to connect with her at times.
Overall, there were some entertaining moments, but the chaotic pacing and rushed romance didn’t quite work for me. I’m giving it 3 stars—while it had its enjoyable parts, it wasn’t the most seamless read.
Thank you NetGalley for the ARC!
I did enjoy the nickname Jake gave Sawyer, “Little Lunatic.” It was a fun and endearing touch that added some lightheartedness to the tension between them. Sawyer’s family was also hilarious, with the van scene being one of the funniest moments of the book. Her Aunts were one of the best parts of this book.
However, I wasn’t a fan of the insta-love, and at times, Sawyer’s actions felt much younger than her 36 years, which felt inconsistent with her character. Though it could have been intentional due to her small-town background in Montana, it still made it harder to connect with her at times.
Overall, there were some entertaining moments, but the chaotic pacing and rushed romance didn’t quite work for me. I’m giving it 3 stars—while it had its enjoyable parts, it wasn’t the most seamless read.
Thank you NetGalley for the ARC!
July 9, 2025
Story: 1/5 🌟
plot/spice %: 80/20 🔥
Spice quality: 3/5 🌶
narration: Dual - 2/5 🗣
What happened with this book? the FMC is just ridiculous, goes into tangent monologues, rants, and they're repetitive, boring, they say absolutely nothing, contribute nothing to the story. I felt no connection towards her. Her family in the story makes no sense. I'm not sure if they were there just for the last chapters part or if their intention was a comedic relief, but they weren't funny. Summarizing this book was so bad. The FMC and MMC connection towards each other, aside from them instantly wanting each other, had nothing in common. It was bad.
plot/spice %: 80/20 🔥
Spice quality: 3/5 🌶
narration: Dual - 2/5 🗣
What happened with this book? the FMC is just ridiculous, goes into tangent monologues, rants, and they're repetitive, boring, they say absolutely nothing, contribute nothing to the story. I felt no connection towards her. Her family in the story makes no sense. I'm not sure if they were there just for the last chapters part or if their intention was a comedic relief, but they weren't funny. Summarizing this book was so bad. The FMC and MMC connection towards each other, aside from them instantly wanting each other, had nothing in common. It was bad.
October 19, 2025
A Captive Situation is the third standalone romance in the Kings Of New York series. If you are new to this series let it be known, this is a standalone within the series but the flow is better if you read the books in order. This is Jake Worthing’s story!!
Jake Worthing has the weight of the world on his shoulders. Retiring from the police force so he can clean up the mess that is his family wasn’t on his bingo card. So here he is, not wanting the weight and the burden that comes with being the boss of a mafia family. So when Jake runs into a woman who looks to be running from problems of her own, he can’t help but be drawn to her. Being in this business taught Jake one thing, never gain something that can be viewed as a weakness… But when fate keeps thrusting Sawyer in his world, Jake does the only thing he can think to do.. He holds on tight and hopes like hell she is strong enough to make it out of his world alive.
Sawyer thought she had it all at one point in her life, until her fiance unloads a secret that he’s been housing for a long time. He’s not in love with her, in fact it’s Sawyer’s best friend who he’s picked as his one true love. Now, with her life in shambles, Sawyer decides to visit her long lost cousin in New York City! To hopefully mend her families broken vibes. What Sawyer didn’t anticipate is the tall broody man that keeps showing up at the most random times. One sunny day, in a jail, life comes to a screeching halt when Sawyer is brought into Jake’s dangerous world.
My Thoughts:
I loved every moment of A Captive Situation by Tijan! At this point, I think TIJAN can write anything and I’ll love it! Her mafia romance novels are epic, and I’m not usually a fan of this sub-genre. Everything from the back and forth banter to the happily ever after was a love for me.This novel carries on with the same flow as the first two books carried through this series. There’s danger, suspense, heat, spice and an overprotective alpha-male who will do everything in his power to protect his one heart’s desire. EEK! What’s not to love!
Let’s dive into the characters. First on the list is Sawyer. I loved how eccentric Sawyer’s character was. One minute she’s a go with the flow type person, the next she’s erratic and breaking through bathroom doors to escape the prison she thinks she’s in. There were moments when I couldn’t stop laughing at how wild Sawyer’s mindframe was. There is definitely a reason why Jake calls her a lunatic, and she likes it. Overall, I absolutely adored Sawyer’s character and don’t get me started on her aunts!! I loved them so much. I couldn’t stop laughing!
And then we have Jake Worthing. Jake is a badass, there is no doubt about it. Having grew up in the Mafia and trained at an early age as an enforcer, it’s not hard to understand why he avoids the mafia lifestyle. I loved the danger that lurks beneath his surface, and i loved the overprotective vibes he brought to this novel.
I loved the whole vibe of this novel, but there is a reason why I dropped a star on my rating. I dropped a star due to the fact that I wanted more from the ending of this novel, I felt like the ending was extremely fast paced and I wasn’t ready to see the chapters come to a close.
Overall, I loved the vibe of this novel. I loved the endless banter and I loved the fact that Jake Worthing met his match in Sawyer. I loved that she gave him a run for his money, and she wasn’t afraid to stand up to a threat and fight with all her heart. The Kings Of New York series is soooo good. If you love Mafia romance novels, I highly recommend you start this series today!!
_________
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The Staircase Reader
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Jake Worthing has the weight of the world on his shoulders. Retiring from the police force so he can clean up the mess that is his family wasn’t on his bingo card. So here he is, not wanting the weight and the burden that comes with being the boss of a mafia family. So when Jake runs into a woman who looks to be running from problems of her own, he can’t help but be drawn to her. Being in this business taught Jake one thing, never gain something that can be viewed as a weakness… But when fate keeps thrusting Sawyer in his world, Jake does the only thing he can think to do.. He holds on tight and hopes like hell she is strong enough to make it out of his world alive.
Sawyer thought she had it all at one point in her life, until her fiance unloads a secret that he’s been housing for a long time. He’s not in love with her, in fact it’s Sawyer’s best friend who he’s picked as his one true love. Now, with her life in shambles, Sawyer decides to visit her long lost cousin in New York City! To hopefully mend her families broken vibes. What Sawyer didn’t anticipate is the tall broody man that keeps showing up at the most random times. One sunny day, in a jail, life comes to a screeching halt when Sawyer is brought into Jake’s dangerous world.
My Thoughts:
I loved every moment of A Captive Situation by Tijan! At this point, I think TIJAN can write anything and I’ll love it! Her mafia romance novels are epic, and I’m not usually a fan of this sub-genre. Everything from the back and forth banter to the happily ever after was a love for me.This novel carries on with the same flow as the first two books carried through this series. There’s danger, suspense, heat, spice and an overprotective alpha-male who will do everything in his power to protect his one heart’s desire. EEK! What’s not to love!
Let’s dive into the characters. First on the list is Sawyer. I loved how eccentric Sawyer’s character was. One minute she’s a go with the flow type person, the next she’s erratic and breaking through bathroom doors to escape the prison she thinks she’s in. There were moments when I couldn’t stop laughing at how wild Sawyer’s mindframe was. There is definitely a reason why Jake calls her a lunatic, and she likes it. Overall, I absolutely adored Sawyer’s character and don’t get me started on her aunts!! I loved them so much. I couldn’t stop laughing!
And then we have Jake Worthing. Jake is a badass, there is no doubt about it. Having grew up in the Mafia and trained at an early age as an enforcer, it’s not hard to understand why he avoids the mafia lifestyle. I loved the danger that lurks beneath his surface, and i loved the overprotective vibes he brought to this novel.
I loved the whole vibe of this novel, but there is a reason why I dropped a star on my rating. I dropped a star due to the fact that I wanted more from the ending of this novel, I felt like the ending was extremely fast paced and I wasn’t ready to see the chapters come to a close.
Overall, I loved the vibe of this novel. I loved the endless banter and I loved the fact that Jake Worthing met his match in Sawyer. I loved that she gave him a run for his money, and she wasn’t afraid to stand up to a threat and fight with all her heart. The Kings Of New York series is soooo good. If you love Mafia romance novels, I highly recommend you start this series today!!
_________
Find me here:
The Staircase Reader
Bookbub
May 31, 2025
2 stars.
"A Captive Situation" by Tijan is a miss for me. I love dark romances, and I also love mafia romances. Unfortunately, this one fell almost entirely flat. The beginning of the book was weird as heck, and it took me a good long while to get into this. There are A LOT of characters and A LOT of things going on. It was difficult to keep track of everything going on, mostly because of how this book is written. I did not feel any chemistry between Sawyer and Jake, the main characters. It's all insta-lust with no love whatsoever. I have no doubt that, if put in a different situation, they would absolutely not be happily ever after, or even happily for now. It's more "forced proximity for a little bit of fun for a limited amount of time." No chemistry, no solid foundation, no faith in their pairing at all. If this book wasn't about a former cop-turned-mafia head and a 36-year-old woman, I would have thought this was a young adult story, that's how immature it all sounds. The way they talk, the situations, the inner monologue... it's s juvenile, but with guns and spice. Sawyer, thinks people are going to break out in song on the subway her first time in New York City. What is she, 11? I really, really disliked Sawyer. It has been a long time since I have vehemently disliked a character like this! Jake isn't much better. They are such white bread characters that I had to look up their names again, and I literally *just* finished listening to this book. Bland, bland, bland! Something is missing here, and I can't quite put my finger on what. Maybe it's in the execution, maybe it's in the prose, maybe it's in the lack of chemistry, maybe because it's too long and not a lot happens but there is so much going on that it feels like a stimuli overload??? There is plenty to like here, but something doesn't add up quite right. I will say that Amelia Hugh and Jeffrey Kafer do a fine job narrating this book. Their diction is great, and I enjoyed their portrayals of these characters. I admit, though, they both read the material a little bit fast for my liking. I am disappointed by this one!
Thank you to NetGalley, Tijan, Brilliance Publishing, and Brilliance Audio for the complimentary ALC of this book. All opinions are my own. I was not compensated for this review.
"A Captive Situation" by Tijan is a miss for me. I love dark romances, and I also love mafia romances. Unfortunately, this one fell almost entirely flat. The beginning of the book was weird as heck, and it took me a good long while to get into this. There are A LOT of characters and A LOT of things going on. It was difficult to keep track of everything going on, mostly because of how this book is written. I did not feel any chemistry between Sawyer and Jake, the main characters. It's all insta-lust with no love whatsoever. I have no doubt that, if put in a different situation, they would absolutely not be happily ever after, or even happily for now. It's more "forced proximity for a little bit of fun for a limited amount of time." No chemistry, no solid foundation, no faith in their pairing at all. If this book wasn't about a former cop-turned-mafia head and a 36-year-old woman, I would have thought this was a young adult story, that's how immature it all sounds. The way they talk, the situations, the inner monologue... it's s juvenile, but with guns and spice. Sawyer, thinks people are going to break out in song on the subway her first time in New York City. What is she, 11? I really, really disliked Sawyer. It has been a long time since I have vehemently disliked a character like this! Jake isn't much better. They are such white bread characters that I had to look up their names again, and I literally *just* finished listening to this book. Bland, bland, bland! Something is missing here, and I can't quite put my finger on what. Maybe it's in the execution, maybe it's in the prose, maybe it's in the lack of chemistry, maybe because it's too long and not a lot happens but there is so much going on that it feels like a stimuli overload??? There is plenty to like here, but something doesn't add up quite right. I will say that Amelia Hugh and Jeffrey Kafer do a fine job narrating this book. Their diction is great, and I enjoyed their portrayals of these characters. I admit, though, they both read the material a little bit fast for my liking. I am disappointed by this one!
Thank you to NetGalley, Tijan, Brilliance Publishing, and Brilliance Audio for the complimentary ALC of this book. All opinions are my own. I was not compensated for this review.
May 26, 2025
⭐️⭐️⭐️.5/5
🌶️.5/5
🗓️ Release Day: 06.03.2025
📚 Book #3 in the “Kings of New York” series; interconnected standalone
This book is hard for me to wrap my head around. I didnt hate it obviously, but the writing takes a little to get into. Tijan is a new to me author, so that could be the issue...the writing style is perhaps unique to the author and has a learning curve [for lack of a better term].
We meet Sawyer when shes in NY and mentally has gone astray due to her boyfriend/fiance of 18 years cheating on her and marrying her best friend at what was supposed to be her wedding...and having his baby. So like yea, shes allowed to have taken a break from reality for a spell. Problem is, is that it gets her in deep with Jake Worthing who's life has shit the bed and he's not bringing any calm to the chaos that is already Sawyer's life.
Jake, oh so domineering Jake...We never quite find out wtf is wrong with Jake mentally, but I have some theories that I will keep to myself as to why he handles some of the situations they get themselves into the way that he does. He does show that he cares for Sawyer [rather quickly] despite some of his actions, so he's redeemable at times.
There are twists and turns, this isnt a murder mystery though. We are well aware of who's doing all the killing, but I didnt necessarily see all the turns that were coming. There are also some things that are left hanging, and im unsure if thats just due to the choas that is this book, or if they are left that way for other books that are coming. Time will tell I guess!
I did like this book, but I would perhaps recommend to start at the beginning and read the first two books to start, not only to adjust to the authors writing style but too also get some additional background knowledge.
🌶️.5/5
🗓️ Release Day: 06.03.2025
📚 Book #3 in the “Kings of New York” series; interconnected standalone
This book is hard for me to wrap my head around. I didnt hate it obviously, but the writing takes a little to get into. Tijan is a new to me author, so that could be the issue...the writing style is perhaps unique to the author and has a learning curve [for lack of a better term].
We meet Sawyer when shes in NY and mentally has gone astray due to her boyfriend/fiance of 18 years cheating on her and marrying her best friend at what was supposed to be her wedding...and having his baby. So like yea, shes allowed to have taken a break from reality for a spell. Problem is, is that it gets her in deep with Jake Worthing who's life has shit the bed and he's not bringing any calm to the chaos that is already Sawyer's life.
Jake, oh so domineering Jake...We never quite find out wtf is wrong with Jake mentally, but I have some theories that I will keep to myself as to why he handles some of the situations they get themselves into the way that he does. He does show that he cares for Sawyer [rather quickly] despite some of his actions, so he's redeemable at times.
There are twists and turns, this isnt a murder mystery though. We are well aware of who's doing all the killing, but I didnt necessarily see all the turns that were coming. There are also some things that are left hanging, and im unsure if thats just due to the choas that is this book, or if they are left that way for other books that are coming. Time will tell I guess!
I did like this book, but I would perhaps recommend to start at the beginning and read the first two books to start, not only to adjust to the authors writing style but too also get some additional background knowledge.
June 13, 2025
I’m going to start this review out by saying I’m a HUGE fan of Tijan’s work. Her writing style is very unique and if you are a first time reader of hers, it can take a little bit to get into it.
Saying that…this book just missed the mark for me. I’m not sure what it was or what happened but the book seemed all over the place for me.
The story centres around Sawyer, our FMC who is in NYC trying to get over a break up with her awful fiancé of twenty years. He’s cheated on her with her best friend and gotten her pregnant. While she’s in NYC she decides to look up a long lost cousin. But things go off the rails when she is a witness to a crime and is kidnapped by the newly crowned head of the mafia, Jake…
It’s insta lust and suspense all mixed in one but it just didn’t land for me. The combo of Jake being a cop and the head of the family was a nice twist but we didn’t get much on that. Sawyer is supposed to be 36, but she acted more like a spoiled 14 year old and it was extremely difficult to be sympathetic for her in any sense. She had been through a lot but also was unreasonable when given solutions that she didn’t feel were up to her standards.
All in all it wasn’t my favorite…but Tijan is a favorite author of mine so I will absolutely be reading more of this series and whatever she puts out 🖤
♟️Mafia Romance
🖤Romantic Suspense
♟️Enemies to Lovers
🖤Alpha Hero
♟️Opposites Attract
🖤Wounded Heroine
♟️Close Proximity
🖤Protective Hero
♟️Grumpy x Grumpy
🖤Fish Out of Water
♟️Escaping a 💀
🖤Tragic Past
♟️Bodyguard
🖤Billionaire
♟️Anti-Hero
🖤Touch Her and 💀
♟️Angst
🖤Insta-Lust
♟️Law Enforcement
🖤Dual POV
Saying that…this book just missed the mark for me. I’m not sure what it was or what happened but the book seemed all over the place for me.
The story centres around Sawyer, our FMC who is in NYC trying to get over a break up with her awful fiancé of twenty years. He’s cheated on her with her best friend and gotten her pregnant. While she’s in NYC she decides to look up a long lost cousin. But things go off the rails when she is a witness to a crime and is kidnapped by the newly crowned head of the mafia, Jake…
It’s insta lust and suspense all mixed in one but it just didn’t land for me. The combo of Jake being a cop and the head of the family was a nice twist but we didn’t get much on that. Sawyer is supposed to be 36, but she acted more like a spoiled 14 year old and it was extremely difficult to be sympathetic for her in any sense. She had been through a lot but also was unreasonable when given solutions that she didn’t feel were up to her standards.
All in all it wasn’t my favorite…but Tijan is a favorite author of mine so I will absolutely be reading more of this series and whatever she puts out 🖤
♟️Mafia Romance
🖤Romantic Suspense
♟️Enemies to Lovers
🖤Alpha Hero
♟️Opposites Attract
🖤Wounded Heroine
♟️Close Proximity
🖤Protective Hero
♟️Grumpy x Grumpy
🖤Fish Out of Water
♟️Escaping a 💀
🖤Tragic Past
♟️Bodyguard
🖤Billionaire
♟️Anti-Hero
🖤Touch Her and 💀
♟️Angst
🖤Insta-Lust
♟️Law Enforcement
🖤Dual POV
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