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Captive in His Empire
In a game of power, secrets, and sin… the only way out is through fire.
Alicia
I’ve spent six years running from the man who ruined my life.
Now he’s dragged me back into his world—dark, violent, and intoxicating.
He says I’m not his prisoner.
But the locked doors, the cameras, the way he looks at me like I already belong to him?
This isn’t protection. It’s possession.
And God help me… I don’t want to escape.
Viktor
She was never supposed to be mine.
Too young. Too innocent. Too off-limits.
But I watched. I waited.
And when the world came for her, I took her.
Now she sleeps in my bed and screams my name, but she still doesn’t trust me.
She thinks I’m her captor.
She’s wrong. I’m her obsession.
And I’ll burn the world down before I let her go.
Alicia
I’ve spent six years running from the man who ruined my life.
Now he’s dragged me back into his world—dark, violent, and intoxicating.
He says I’m not his prisoner.
But the locked doors, the cameras, the way he looks at me like I already belong to him?
This isn’t protection. It’s possession.
And God help me… I don’t want to escape.
Viktor
She was never supposed to be mine.
Too young. Too innocent. Too off-limits.
But I watched. I waited.
And when the world came for her, I took her.
Now she sleeps in my bed and screams my name, but she still doesn’t trust me.
She thinks I’m her captor.
She’s wrong. I’m her obsession.
And I’ll burn the world down before I let her go.
- GenresDark Romance
281 pages, Kindle Edition
Published December 15, 2025
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Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews
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May 13, 2026I DNFed this at about 35% because I lost interest in the back-and-forth between them, and she seemed TSTL. I am positive she'll get herself in some sort of trouble, but I'm not sticking around for it.
June 4, 2026
DNF at 29%. She’s too hot and cold for me. Like you think he killed your parents but you want to fuck him. He has kidnapped you so you hate him but he’s so hot and smells so good so you want to fuck him? Girl please. It repetitive and not interesting enough for me to keep reading. Moving on
May 29, 2026
I received a free copy of the book via Booksprout, and the following review is entirely my own voluntary, and honest opinion.
Kathy Asher’s “The Voronin Family Saga” continues with “Captive in His Empire”, a novel that leans heavily into tension, obsession, danger, and possessiveness, all while maintaining the dramatic mafia atmosphere the series is known for. Viktor and Alicia’s relationship is built on distrust, attraction, and buried truths, creating a dynamic that constantly pushes and pulls between them. Kathy Asher clearly aims for high emotional intensity, and there are moments where that tension works very well, especially in the earlier interactions between the protagonists.
At the same time, I unfortunately struggled to stay fully invested. I had a similar feeling during the third instalment as well, and here it became even more noticeable. The story contains so many twists, secrets, conflicts, and dramatic developments that at times it started to feel overcrowded. Instead of increasing the suspense, some scenes became difficult to follow, while others felt repetitive in their emotional beats.
I did appreciate finally getting to know Viktor better after seeing him mostly from the sidelines in the earlier books as Maxim Voronin's right-hand man. His morally grey nature certainly fits the darker tone of the novel. However, I never connected with Alicia as strongly as I hoped I would, which made it harder for me to fully invest emotionally in their relationship.
Another aspect that personally did not work for me was the age gap between the protagonists. Although Alicia is an adult, she still felt far too young for Viktor in my eyes, and the fact that he had known her since she was a young girl made their dynamic more uncomfortable than romantic for me at times.
Part of my reaction may also come from changing personal reading tastes. While I once found mafia romances incredibly addictive, lately I’ve noticed that the genre no longer affects me in quite the same way. Because of that, “Captive in His Empire” did not resonate with me as deeply as the earlier books in the series did.
Even so, fans of dark mafia romance filled with obsession, tension, danger, and steamy chemistry will likely still find plenty to enjoy here. Kathy Asher continues to expand the world of the Voronin family with high stakes and emotionally messy relationships, and readers already invested in the series will probably appreciate finally seeing Viktor take centre stage.
Kathy Asher’s “The Voronin Family Saga” continues with “Captive in His Empire”, a novel that leans heavily into tension, obsession, danger, and possessiveness, all while maintaining the dramatic mafia atmosphere the series is known for. Viktor and Alicia’s relationship is built on distrust, attraction, and buried truths, creating a dynamic that constantly pushes and pulls between them. Kathy Asher clearly aims for high emotional intensity, and there are moments where that tension works very well, especially in the earlier interactions between the protagonists.
At the same time, I unfortunately struggled to stay fully invested. I had a similar feeling during the third instalment as well, and here it became even more noticeable. The story contains so many twists, secrets, conflicts, and dramatic developments that at times it started to feel overcrowded. Instead of increasing the suspense, some scenes became difficult to follow, while others felt repetitive in their emotional beats.
I did appreciate finally getting to know Viktor better after seeing him mostly from the sidelines in the earlier books as Maxim Voronin's right-hand man. His morally grey nature certainly fits the darker tone of the novel. However, I never connected with Alicia as strongly as I hoped I would, which made it harder for me to fully invest emotionally in their relationship.
Another aspect that personally did not work for me was the age gap between the protagonists. Although Alicia is an adult, she still felt far too young for Viktor in my eyes, and the fact that he had known her since she was a young girl made their dynamic more uncomfortable than romantic for me at times.
Part of my reaction may also come from changing personal reading tastes. While I once found mafia romances incredibly addictive, lately I’ve noticed that the genre no longer affects me in quite the same way. Because of that, “Captive in His Empire” did not resonate with me as deeply as the earlier books in the series did.
Even so, fans of dark mafia romance filled with obsession, tension, danger, and steamy chemistry will likely still find plenty to enjoy here. Kathy Asher continues to expand the world of the Voronin family with high stakes and emotionally messy relationships, and readers already invested in the series will probably appreciate finally seeing Viktor take centre stage.
Review of advance copy received from Author
What you think by MeemsAngel82
This was another fantastic read! I have been reading our author for a little while now and I love these well rounded stories. The writing is done well and oh my-in this one the TENSION... I just didn't know how long this cat was going to chase his mouse but I was more than willing to find out! The reasons for this pairing being in one another's orbit previously and how they come together now...well done.
She found him in her every thought. She then found him at the very scene that would haunt her forever.
Their previous life knowing one another was so intriguing. You know that craving when you dream and want and then something jars that so bad you're coming up empty. You have to go it alone and can't even fall back into the sometimes nonsensical but happy, dreamy thoughts of the one man who made your heart beat fast. Then, you two meet up again and all isn't what it seems and maybe, just maybe he's innocent and you're free to not only dream again, but to realize that dream can mature and become a reality. In their dangerous world it was enough having this amazing connection but the surroundings were present, eager to harm and to possibly end those new dreams that were forming. An excellent story that obviously kept me on my toes. This was an entertaining read and more please!
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
This was another fantastic read! I have been reading our author for a little while now and I love these well rounded stories. The writing is done well and oh my-in this one the TENSION... I just didn't know how long this cat was going to chase his mouse but I was more than willing to find out! The reasons for this pairing being in one another's orbit previously and how they come together now...well done.
She found him in her every thought. She then found him at the very scene that would haunt her forever.
Their previous life knowing one another was so intriguing. You know that craving when you dream and want and then something jars that so bad you're coming up empty. You have to go it alone and can't even fall back into the sometimes nonsensical but happy, dreamy thoughts of the one man who made your heart beat fast. Then, you two meet up again and all isn't what it seems and maybe, just maybe he's innocent and you're free to not only dream again, but to realize that dream can mature and become a reality. In their dangerous world it was enough having this amazing connection but the surroundings were present, eager to harm and to possibly end those new dreams that were forming. An excellent story that obviously kept me on my toes. This was an entertaining read and more please!
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
June 14, 2026
I wanted to like this but couldn't get on board with the libido driven thing going on here
It's simple. If I thought someone killed my parents, no matter our history, no matter the nostalgia, no matter how good looking, I wouldn't care. I would hate them. There would be no lust, no angst, no what-if fantasies, nothing tender or trusting because my loyalty, and love for my parents, sense of right and wrong, of justice, and my will wouldn't allow it. I would hate whomever it was to my bones. I would never trust them until irrefutable, verifiable proof was found. Viktor could have coached the kid to give her a story before she arrived in exchange for his life so the little story Jase dropped wouldn't have been near enough. I hate a libido driven female lead who's intellect is not adequately engaged to temper their biological drives. The mind leads the body, not the other way around, and love for my parents would outweigh any childhood crush. She was a weak, pathetic, tween crush acting, vag-controlled, doormat that lacked any significant conviction in her loyalty to her folks and really had no fight in her.
Besides not being thrilled with the female lead, there are a number of plot errors in this. She gets descriptions of the character(s) wrong, in the middle of a conversation mistakes which character is speaking, and other issues that can be seen if you look at my Goodreads notations and highlights. So, this was very disappointing.
It's simple. If I thought someone killed my parents, no matter our history, no matter the nostalgia, no matter how good looking, I wouldn't care. I would hate them. There would be no lust, no angst, no what-if fantasies, nothing tender or trusting because my loyalty, and love for my parents, sense of right and wrong, of justice, and my will wouldn't allow it. I would hate whomever it was to my bones. I would never trust them until irrefutable, verifiable proof was found. Viktor could have coached the kid to give her a story before she arrived in exchange for his life so the little story Jase dropped wouldn't have been near enough. I hate a libido driven female lead who's intellect is not adequately engaged to temper their biological drives. The mind leads the body, not the other way around, and love for my parents would outweigh any childhood crush. She was a weak, pathetic, tween crush acting, vag-controlled, doormat that lacked any significant conviction in her loyalty to her folks and really had no fight in her.
Besides not being thrilled with the female lead, there are a number of plot errors in this. She gets descriptions of the character(s) wrong, in the middle of a conversation mistakes which character is speaking, and other issues that can be seen if you look at my Goodreads notations and highlights. So, this was very disappointing.
December 27, 2025
His Captive and Obsession
A wonderful continuation of this mafia romance series, full of action, drama, wonderful tension, suspense, secrets, danger, chemistry, steam and love. Another fabulous read by Kathy Asher and I couldn't put it down.
When her parents are killed, Alicia goes to live with her godfather, Theo. She believes that Viktor is responsible for their deaths but finds her feelings for him growing and that she can't stay away from him.
I loved how they both try to fight their feelings for each other, failing wonderfully; though Viktor doesn’t try too hard but refuses to make the first move.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
A wonderful continuation of this mafia romance series, full of action, drama, wonderful tension, suspense, secrets, danger, chemistry, steam and love. Another fabulous read by Kathy Asher and I couldn't put it down.
When her parents are killed, Alicia goes to live with her godfather, Theo. She believes that Viktor is responsible for their deaths but finds her feelings for him growing and that she can't stay away from him.
I loved how they both try to fight their feelings for each other, failing wonderfully; though Viktor doesn’t try too hard but refuses to make the first move.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
December 16, 2025
This is Book 4 of The Voronin Family Saga series but can be read as a standalone.
The world building continues to excel and impress. Plot was intriguing and exciting and well paced. The characters drove the storyline and they were very compelling and complex and complicated and perfectly steamy together. Great addition to the series. Thoroughly enjoyed and highly recommend.
Grab a copy, kick back and enjoy!.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
The world building continues to excel and impress. Plot was intriguing and exciting and well paced. The characters drove the storyline and they were very compelling and complex and complicated and perfectly steamy together. Great addition to the series. Thoroughly enjoyed and highly recommend.
Grab a copy, kick back and enjoy!.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
May 14, 2026
An excellent book to read In my opinion
What great characters so well defined you think you know them in person. The storyline The storyline straightforward and easy to follow. I enjoyed this book so much and I'm sure this is gonna stick with me for some time afterwards. Very strong characters the 2 main characters the other sidekicks Are also written strongly but not as strong as the 2 main characters. For the same thing or against the other party. If you like mystery, Intrigue and a love story This is the book for you.
What great characters so well defined you think you know them in person. The storyline The storyline straightforward and easy to follow. I enjoyed this book so much and I'm sure this is gonna stick with me for some time afterwards. Very strong characters the 2 main characters the other sidekicks Are also written strongly but not as strong as the 2 main characters. For the same thing or against the other party. If you like mystery, Intrigue and a love story This is the book for you.
December 26, 2025
Underneath the Lies
Viktor and Alicia's past is troublesome as well as complicated. This story was full of tension and suspense. The chemistry between them was explosive as well as tense due to the nature of their prior experience. I could not get enough of this read.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Viktor and Alicia's past is troublesome as well as complicated. This story was full of tension and suspense. The chemistry between them was explosive as well as tense due to the nature of their prior experience. I could not get enough of this read.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
January 5, 2026
I've read a lot of books written by Kathy Asher; she is one of my favorite authors. I can’t wait to read more of her books.
This is the fourth book in the Voronin Family Saga; it is a stand-alone book. The story is about Alicia & Viktor; after running from him for six years he’s brought her back. He says it’s for her protection.
This is the fourth book in the Voronin Family Saga; it is a stand-alone book. The story is about Alicia & Viktor; after running from him for six years he’s brought her back. He says it’s for her protection.
January 16, 2026
There is plenty of tension and drama in this dark bratva/mafia family romance read with Alicia and Viktor. Believing he killed her parents, she wants nothing to do with him, but secrets have a way of coming out in the end. With danger, drama, lies and more, this is a great read in the Voronin Family series.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
December 9, 2025
Great Mafia Story!!
Loved reading Captive in His Empire. Alicia and Viktor’s story sucked me in and kept me engrossed from start to finish. Totally action packed and the chemistry between them was super hot. Loved the ending.
Loved reading Captive in His Empire. Alicia and Viktor’s story sucked me in and kept me engrossed from start to finish. Totally action packed and the chemistry between them was super hot. Loved the ending.
Review of advance copy received from Author
This heart pounding story that combines intense chemistry, emotional depth along with thrilling twists and turns into an amazing read that leaves you exhilarated, and all caught up in the characters.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
December 15, 2025
You’re just one click away from totally devouring this wonderful heart beating fast romance book. Viktor and Alicia deliver suspense and romance that will have your spine tingling. What a great book to read on your day/weekend off.
December 17, 2025
I really enjoyed reading this story. Alicia and Viktor’s love story had me from the beginning to the end. You have suspense and also chemistry that was hot. I highly recommend.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
December 18, 2025
This Mafia story is a little sweet , alot steamy age-gap romance. With a great story,character's, suspense and a little betrayal. I would definitely recommend this book to fans of this theme.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
December 19, 2025
Great cover. Viktor has had a connection with Alicia for many years. He stays away from her till she is older. He watches over her and keeps her safe. They have such a strong bond. This book is full of suspense, drama, and love. Great book.
July 2, 2026
Captive in Viktor’s (His) Empire
Alicia’s first encounter with Viktor is not what it seemed. Mafia themed stories are centered around powerful vs weak and familial trusts. This story does not fail to fit. The story does make you feel like you’re in it. Pick your character.
Alicia’s first encounter with Viktor is not what it seemed. Mafia themed stories are centered around powerful vs weak and familial trusts. This story does not fail to fit. The story does make you feel like you’re in it. Pick your character.
December 18, 2025
I enjoyed this mafia, forbidden, second chance romance. Alicia and Viktor‘s chemistry and the intrigue plot kept me reading, non-stop. A great story.
January 6, 2026
Captive in his empire was Viktor and Alicia’s story. It was an intriguing and engaging read. I received an early copy. And voluntarily leaving this review.
March 11, 2026
Not bad.
There is a lot of action and steam. My main problem was it had so much in it , I couldn't keep track. Viktor should have told Alicia what was going on sooner.
There is a lot of action and steam. My main problem was it had so much in it , I couldn't keep track. Viktor should have told Alicia what was going on sooner.
April 7, 2026
This book just didn’t do it for me. It took me days to finish it because I didn’t want to go back to reading it. Just slow and repetitive and didn’t enjoy it.
May 13, 2026
Currently reading 35%
May 17, 2026
DNF at chapter 9.
The audio narration is awful, and I can't even continue to read it without the narration because now all I can hear when I read is the narration.
The audio narration is awful, and I can't even continue to read it without the narration because now all I can hear when I read is the narration.
June 11, 2026
good
Good story, constantly evolving and moving quickly. Intense at times and at first your not sure who to like and dislike until half way through the story .
Good story, constantly evolving and moving quickly. Intense at times and at first your not sure who to like and dislike until half way through the story .
December 9, 2025
This is not an easy book to put down once started it starts with the the chemistry off the charts from the very beginning.
The action just keeps going and doesn't want to stop for anybody.
The action just keeps going and doesn't want to stop for anybody.
Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews