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Disciples #3

Buying Beth

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I thought he bought me to save me… but he’s keeping me for himself.

It was a girl’s night out gone wrong. Like some awful horror movie, my friends and I were grabbed in a dark parking lot and shoved into the back of a van.

Coming from powerful families, we thought we were untouchable.

We thought wrong.

Our captors trapped us, violated us, and put us up for sale on the black market.

Johnathan was sent to buy me so his boss, Lucifer, could have leverage over my father.

He was supposed to save me, protect me, and return me.

Not claim me and keep me for himself…

296 pages, Kindle Edition

First published December 20, 2017

1473 people are currently reading
1601 people want to read

About the author

Izzy Sweet

33 books1,199 followers

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Profile Image for eli ♡ .
160 reviews130 followers
August 13, 2021
note: this review contains details from scenes that may be triggering to some, and major/minor spoilers for the novel.

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𝚗𝚘𝚠 𝚙𝚕𝚊𝚢𝚒𝚗𝚐: 𝚂𝚊𝚟𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝙰𝚕𝚕 𝙼𝚢 𝙻𝚘𝚟𝚎 𝙵𝚘𝚛 𝚈𝚘𝚞 - 𝚆𝚑𝚒𝚝𝚗𝚎𝚢 𝙷𝚘𝚞𝚜𝚝𝚘𝚗

𝚞𝚙 𝚗𝚎𝚡𝚝: 𝙸'𝚖 𝚈𝚘𝚞𝚛 𝙱𝚊𝚋𝚢 𝚃𝚘𝚗𝚒𝚐𝚑𝚝 - 𝚆𝚑𝚒𝚝𝚗𝚎𝚢 𝙷𝚘𝚞𝚜𝚝𝚘𝚗

𝚏𝚒𝚗𝚊𝚕 𝚝𝚛𝚊𝚌𝚔: 𝙼𝚢 𝙷𝚎𝚊𝚛𝚝 𝙸𝚜 𝙲𝚊𝚕𝚕𝚒𝚗𝚐 - 𝚆𝚑𝚒𝚝𝚗𝚎𝚢 𝙷𝚘𝚞𝚜𝚝𝚘𝚗

0:03 ──⊙──────── 2:48
↻ ◁ II ▷ ↺

══════════════════════════════════════♡♤♡═

.·:·.☽✧ 0.4 stars ✧☾.·:·.

“I bought you because the moment you walked into my bar, you were mine,” he states as something dangerous flashes in his eyes.

"Buying Beth" by Izzy Sweet is a carbon-copy 🖨️ of the preceding two novels in this series, "Keeping Lily" and "Stealing Amy". clearly, the characters have different names, and the storylines are disguised 🧙‍♂️ as something fresh and new. but I can't be fooled that easily. all the characters act in the same manner as each other, and the plot has the same lazy components as the previous novels.



I found many common tropes and themes between the preceding novels in this series and "Buying Beth" when it comes to the characters and plot. here's a list 📑 of them all:

→ the H curses constantly

I'm fairly certain Lucifer didn't curse constantly, but Andrew and Jonathan (H) most definitely did. for some reason, Jonathan had extremely crude language 🤬.

maybe he did that to exert his masculinity, or he just had a foul mouth. either way, it annoyed me a lot. this may seem hypocritical coming from me, a person who curses a lot, but I don't 🙅‍♂️ curse like this:

"It’s fucking hot as balls in this fucking sweat box of a city. I could use a good nap, a bottle of cold tequila, and a hot pussy snuggled right up against my leg just humping it in anticipation. But that’s not how shit works now. [...] Shit, the Yakuza getting kicked the fuck out of Garden city was a monumental fucking task."

and to add onto that negative quality in Jonathan's character......

→ the H was almost as creepy as Andrew

when Beth (h) has to leave 🚶‍♀️ the bar right after she kisses Jonathan, he asks her to come back to the bar tomorrow night, and she says that she'll try. then he says this

“Okay, Beth Norton,” I smile at her. “If you don’t show up tomorrow night, I’m going to come find you and drag you out of your house.”

which should immediately be a red flag 🚩 to anyone with a functioning brain. but no, Beth starts blushing 🤭 and acts like it's a compliment, instead of recognizing the severity of his statement. and as if we needed Johnathan to add fuel to the fire, he says this in his inner dialogue:

"If she doesn’t show up, all I have to do is call Simon. After I pay the fucker, I’ll know everything about her. Where she lives, where she works or goes to school. Where she likes to shop. When she’s most likely to leave her house…"

and I wanted to run 🏃‍♂️. seriously, why would Beth be attracted to a man that will track her down 📲 after one kiss? jesus, what would happen if Beth didn't like him? would he still track her down like a madman 🙂🔪? Johnathan really knows how to display his not only creepy, but terrifying behavior.

→ the h goes through some traumatic event, and not even 24 hours later does she have sex with the H.

this trope is a reoccurring theme for all three heroines in this series, but I'll only use Beth as an example. to give a little background info, Beth and her friends get kidnapped by some sex traffickers while leaving the bar 🏬. the kidnappers kill one of Beth's friends, Lindsey, right in front of her. if that wasn't traumatizing enough, Beth and a little boy are sold to Jonathan at an auction. Jonathan had an ulterior motive when it came to buying them that had something to do with Lucifer and territory rivalry 💢, but I don't give a shit about that.

anyway, not too long after Jonathan, Beth, and the little boy 🤸‍♂️, Charlie, get back to Jonathan's house, Beth and Jonathan hook up. why? I have no idea. I'm still trying to figure out why. one minute, Beth's coping 😰 with the death of her best friend and is trying to understand what's going on. 5 minutes later, her body "took control" and she's fucking like a bunny 🐇 with Jonathan. do the heroes in these books have dicks that just soothe all trauma? don't know how that works because...

→ the H has a red dick just like Matthew.

did you think that because Lucifer had a red dick in book #1, it would just disappear? hell no. now Jonathan has a red dick like Lucifer did because that's normal 😖.

"His cock is a deep, angry red, and there’s this pearly, white liquid leaking from the head."

I'm not a dick doctor, nor am I a medical professional 👨‍⚕️ in any way, shape, or form. but sir, I think you need to talk to someone about your red dick. I'm truly concerned for your health.



→ the H was obsessed with getting the h pregnant.

obviously, there's nothing wrong with wanting to have a child. but why did Jonathan talk about impregnating Beth 🤰 every time they had sex? and when I say every time, I mean every. time.

“I want you swelling with my babies. Fuck, I want you knocked up right fucking now.”

whenever Jonathan would say that, I'd be extremely uncomfortable 😖. I understand wanting to have a child with someone, but why is Jonathan obsessed with it? there's just something wrong with that dude. I wish I could see 👀 what Beth sees in him.

→ the h and the H always have a child involved with the story.

throughout all the book in this series so far, every heroine and hero had a child 👪 in the home they were sharing. I think the author did this to humanize the heroes, and make them seem more loving when they take care of the child. but that doesn't erase their weird and creepy behavior. it only momentarily deflects 👉 my attention from the problem at hand. what is the problem, you may ask? I've said it before, and I'll say it again. the problem is that

all the characters in these books are clearly carbon-copies 🖨️ of each other.

Izzy Sweet, if you're going to repeat the same tropes, storylines, and character traits, at least do it well. that's just my personal advice 🤷‍♂️. most of this book I didn't enjoy, so my rating is less than 1 star. but I rated this novel slightly higher than the preceding books because of Charlie. sorry, but he's a sweetheart 💝 that deserves the world. would I recommend this book to anyone? hell no, and I'd recommend that you don't read it for your own well-being.

┌──────────────────────────◦ ❖ ◦┐
Disciples Series
#1: keeping lily0.3 stars
#2: stealing amy 0.1 stars
#3: buying beth 0.4 stars
#4: breaking meredith ↠ tbr soon
└◦ ❖ ◦──────────────────────────┘
Profile Image for Darlene I read WAY to many books.
3,690 reviews2,457 followers
March 17, 2020
I lied and read another lol and now its Johnathan turns this was very steamy and darkish. And has to be my favorite in this series.

Beth and her friends are out enjoying the night where she meets Johnathan at his bar their is flirtynes and a spark between them but her friend gets sick so she leaves early. But not without Johnathan telling her he wants to see her again. But that doesnt happen since her and the girls get kidnapped and taken.

Humiliated and violated is what Beth and her friends go through and death... now shes praying someone saves her she knows her father wont. He bought her now he's keeping her and alittle kid he bought. Charlie now Johnathan going to keep them and seek revenge. It's going to get bloody fast.

Angst, No ow/om drama, no cheating, secondary chara, Drama, sexy times, virgin gal idk his history

Instalove/lust
Older/younger couple
Violence
Torture
Sexually assaulted
No condom
Human trafficking
Dom/sub undertons
No safe (violence & sexual assault)
Hea
Epilogue
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for Dee.
328 reviews57 followers
September 17, 2018
Dark, Gritty and Intense!

“Buying Beth” is a dark, gritty, intense roller-coaster ride and I did not want this ride to end! Professionally written and incredibly fast paced, “Buying Beth” portrays a shadowy criminal underworld from the perspective of an antihero as well as the extremely resilient young woman who falls in love with him. Set within a city riddled with corruption, various criminal factions compete for territory as well as total and complete citywide dominance. Although Lucifer’s (mob boss) men are no angels, they are a cut above the rest, protecting women and children from far more unsavory elements. The characterizations are in-depth featuring an intelligent, independent heroine and a totally hot, protective antihero who finds his heart in a little boy’s fear and a courageous young woman’s love. “Buying Beth” also offers up plenty of intense heat to keep readers warm during cold winter nights. Characters from previous novels make brief appearances but “Buying Beth” is an entirely standalone novel.

Those who appreciate dark, intense reads filled with suspense will thoroughly enjoy “Buying Beth”!

Children 18+ only due to very graphic violence and sexual content.

Disclaimer: No Kindles were seriously harmed while reading this novel.

Disclaimer for the Disclaimer… The term “seriously harmed” is not intended to include: overheating, scorch marks, minor melting or inconsequential fire that can be put out with an extinguisher. Fire retardant gloves highly recommended while reading. Reviewer is not responsible for run-on sentences, questionable grammar or misplaced commas.

RATING DETAILS (based on a 5-star rating system):
STEAM FACTOR: 5 SCORCHING HOT STARS
WRITING STYLE: 5 PROFESSIONAL STARS
PLOT: 5 SUSPENSEFUL STARS
ENGAGING CHARACTERS: 5 DECADENT STARS
SATISFYING CONCLUSION: 5 SATISFYING STARS

***I voluntarily received an ARC copy of this book in exchange for my honest review but great authors are difficult to find so I purchased my very own copy! ***
Profile Image for *CJ*.
5,118 reviews632 followers
June 6, 2018
"Buying Beth" is the story of Beth and Johnathan.
When Beth goes for a night out with her friends, she never expects to be kidnapped, tortured, or sold into sex trafficking.
Things take a turn when the guy Johnathan she briefly flirted with ends up purchasing and rescuing her and a little boy, and decides to keep them!
Dark romance containing elements of torture, sexual abuse in the first half- however once the hero rescues her and Charlie- he lovingly takes care of both of them.
Well written sex and breeding porn, a good clapback to the evil enemies and a mystery towards the end- this was a another good addition to the series.
Safe
3/5
Profile Image for Jennifer McGurk Finn.
2,101 reviews53 followers
March 1, 2018
This is the third book in the Disciples series by Izzy Sweet and Sean Moriarty. This one was a bit darker than the other two but it was really good. Johnathan (I don't like that spelling) works for Lucifer and he's just spent three weeks in Russia freezing his ass off. If you didn't read book one and two you really should so that you are familiar with Lucifer and Andrew. Anyway, Johnathan was in Russia tracking down Yuri Popov, an associate of Ivan who helped him try and kidnap Lucifer and Andrew's daughters. When Ivan was killed Yuri fled the country and Johnathan found him at his father's apartment where he killed him. Johnathan finds out that sex traffickers have sights on Garden City and they plan on taking women from local college campuses. Lucifer doesn't allow trafficking in his city and he's prepared to go to war to stop anyone who tries. Beth is the daughter of Senator Richard Norton and she's led a pretty sheltered life. Her father has planned every aspect of her life - from the schools she's attended, to the hobbies she enjoys, and even her friends. He's on an overnight trip to D.C. so Beth sneaks out with her three best friends. The four girls end up going to the River Waters, a dive bar in a seedy part of town which happens to be owned by Johnathan. Beth and Johnathan have a moment together and just when things start getting good she has to leave because one of her friends is sick. He wants Beth and he tells her to come back the next night and she agrees even though it will be impossible because of her father. The four girls get abducted and thrown into a van in the parking lot of the bar. Johnathan is furious that someone would come on his property and do such a thing. Shit really hits the fan when they find out Beth's dad is a Senator, one of the girl's dad is Chief of Police and the other girl's dad is a very rich real estate mogul.
Profile Image for DeeReads.
2,284 reviews
January 10, 2018
Another dark, gritty but smexy story with a perfect epilogue!

Heroine, Beth Norton, daughter to Senator Norton of Garden City is out on the town with her girlfriends and ends up in our Disciples' hero's Jonathan's biker bar. There was an instant spark between Beth and Jonathan so he ask he to come back the next evening after he kissed her like a starved bandit! As the young ladies were about to leave the parking lot, they are all abducted and the possessive but deadly Jonathan goes by "Buying Beth"... literally from a sex-trafficking ring runned by the the Bratva!

Gangs all here including workaholic- Simon, Caveman- Andrew, safecracker, James and the gorgeous devil himself, Lucifer! What starts out as looking for the four kidnapped women ends up with them getting back only three women and a sweet but scared little boy Charlie who will melt your heart!

This was by far my favorite book in the series because all the previous characters were included. Recommend this series is read in order because it is not a standalone series!

Beth's rambling:
"He can’t be serious, he can’t. I know he was joking about it with his boss earlier, but how could he possibly want to marry me after only knowing me for a couple of days? No, no way. Only an idiot, or someone truly crazy, would be willing to do that."

Johnathan of course:
She’s fucking mine. I bought her and I sure as fuck intend to keep her.
Please let James, the germaphobe be the next one claiming his mate... hopefully Meredith, Luther's unexpected sister!

This story is loaded with triggers so beware!

5 Gritty and smexy stars *****
Profile Image for Jen ❥.
267 reviews
May 28, 2018
I love the Disciples series and each one gets better and better. Buying Beth was a great story and the cast of characters just keeps growing so there’s many more to look forward too. If only Izzy Sweet and Sean Moriarty could write them faster...
Profile Image for Heather.
1,434 reviews25 followers
January 13, 2018
This was my first book by Izzy Sweet and I definitely will be reading more! This book started out dark but towards the middle of the story we realized Jonathan really was a good guy behind his rough and demanding exterior. This book does deal with human trafficking and readers should be prepared for intense scenes of violence as well. It is part of a series but it can certainly be read as a stand alone novel and does have a HEA.
Profile Image for Expresso.
877 reviews139 followers
December 28, 2017
This amazing story hit me right in the ole ticker! The dark elements nurtured my dark soul, the chemistry between Jonathan and Beth made me wish for my very own soul mate, and the mafia angle...flawless as expected.

I must caution you to proceed with caution. The subject matter is dark. The scenes dealing with the subject matter are intense. Devour with care!

Five fabulous stars!
Profile Image for Soma.
553 reviews71 followers
February 22, 2022
This was a great book, I liked it. I loved the chemistry between Jonathan and Beth.
little Charlie was so cute and I think there will be an interesting story about him and the other kids.
But I'm more interested to see what will happen between Simon and Lucifer's sister.
Profile Image for Sarah Armstrong.
653 reviews20 followers
January 7, 2018
Love

I just loved this book, this entire series is phenomenal. Beth & Jonathan we’re great. Really looking forward to Simon next!!!
Profile Image for Viper Spaulding.
3,147 reviews25 followers
January 11, 2018
Fantastic action/revenge story with a huge heart! Johnathan is instantly captivated with Beth when she and her friends show up at his bar, but after the four girls are kidnapped from his parking lot, it becomes personal. He works together with his boss and the rest of their crew to rescue the girls, and Johnathan only knows one way to continue to keep Beth safe - he has to continue to keep Beth.

Johnathan is so sexy and dominant - he gets so very close to crossing the line with Beth, but stops just short of removing her ability to choose. The heart-stopping dynamics of their growing relationship are charted alongside the investigation and distribution of justice. In this world, justice is raw, gritty, and swiftly executed. Through it all, Beth discovers the freedom she's always craved, even though it comes in a way she never thought possible.

It's a beautiful love story with more than its share of steamy love scenes. This is not a sweet romance for the faint of heart; you're going to need a cooling towel, a shot of whiskey, and your favorite BOB by the time you're done.

There's plenty of humor as well, especially how all the alpha men interact with each other. There is a huge undercurrent of love and family that supports and guides the work-related decisions, softening the rough parts and reminding everyone of what they're working for.

I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this book through Hidden Gems.
Profile Image for Cat H.
1,981 reviews220 followers
June 11, 2021
3.8 stars.
I think I liked this one even better than the last.
There was definitely a tinge more ‘darkness’ than the last considering she was kidnapped by traffickers and we got to see exactly how it played out.
But. I also think the romance was a tiny bit better. Not as combative as Amy and Andrew, because Charlie was there.

I Really loved it when Johnathan started ‘cursing’ the other men. Super amusing. Especially their reactions to it.

I really enjoyed reading this one. And honestly, I’m kind of excited to see Simon get humanized a little bit in the next one.

Here’s one thing I don’t understand....photoshop is a thing and has been a thing for quite a while. Yet they left the girl on the cover a blonde? Instead of just color correcting that shit to red like it’s supposed to be?....for some reason, that really bothers me.
Profile Image for Catheryn.
1,361 reviews27 followers
July 9, 2023
I think I like this one more than the second (Andrew's story), only because Beth was a more likable heroine. But Beth and John did not have a lot on page time together. They were together for a few days and decided that they were it for each other. Also...I don't think they ever said 'I love you' to each other. I might be talking myself back into liking Andrew and Amy's story more.

Overall, I found myself glued to this story. It grabbed my attention from the start. While this is a 'dark romance', the romance itself is not dark. Its just all the gore and violence around the romance.
Profile Image for Tai Nelson-Barnes.
2,833 reviews76 followers
January 22, 2018
I love Izzy Sweet

Man, I love this series! If there is one series to keep up on, this is one. I was so waiting for Jonathan's story and what a hot story it is. Beth is the perfect heroine, I found nothing wrong with her, and she even kicked a$s at the end! I can't wait to see who is next.💕
Profile Image for Lee-anna Dunk.
1,350 reviews54 followers
September 15, 2020
Sweet nibblets

Sweet nibblets I can't get enough of this series ❤️. I love it so much I'll be buying them all on paperback. This book was about Jonathan and Beth . Wow let me tell you this one was intense. So much do I had to put the book down for hot minute to collect myself. Like the others previously it does have triggers so please take that into account before going in . But man if you love a hot Alpha man who always takes what he wants but will protect, provide, and kill for you ? Then this series is for you. Five stars from me highly recommend this series ❤️.
Profile Image for Chris.
1,320 reviews38 followers
April 4, 2020
When the protagonist is a Biker and an Assassin, it's the perfect combination. I really enjoyed the story of Beth and Johnathan. It had a fair share of violence, blood and torture and few grotesque scenes. This is quite dark, so be aware if you choose to read it!
Profile Image for Moriah.
2,673 reviews22 followers
January 17, 2018
Great story. Beth meets Johnathan and they both feel that spark. When her and her friends are kidnapped in the parking lot to his bar, he does everything he can to find her. Loved the 1st two stories and this one. Can't wait to read what comes next. I voluntarily reviewed an advance reader copy of this book.
Profile Image for Lisbeth .
5,760 reviews
August 22, 2024
Muy repetitivo y no me agradaron los personajes, que son extremadamente molestos e irritantes.
Profile Image for Cadence.
246 reviews11 followers
January 15, 2025
Here for an interesting time, not a long time💋
Profile Image for Space Cowgirl.
4,133 reviews145 followers
January 15, 2018
The Wolf🐺 in Sheep's Clothing🐏
Jonathan🐺🔫🔪 goes to Russia to do a hit💀 on a Russian national, Yuri, a child pornographer who was operating in Garden City, NJ. Yuri has gone to Russia to hide from Lucifer, Jonathan's Boss.

Beth💋👸 is the daughter of Senator Norton, a corrupt man with designs on the Oval Office. Her Best friend, Amanda, is the daughter of a wealthy real estate developer. They want to party 🍸, but they have to be careful about where they go, so their pictures don't end up in the gossip rags. That's why they've ended up in a dive bar🍺 near the warehouse outskirts of town.

Inside, they realize it's just some regulars and some bikers, because the place is a real dump.
Then, they see a huge💪, tatted up, bearded man🐺, sitting at the bar, eating🍔. He seems to be in charge.

The girls order mixed drinks and are turned down. The bar serves only beer🍺 and shots. So they order tequilas all around. The bearded man🐺 is gruff, but he's actually quite handsome and he only has eyes for Beth.

The bearded Giant is Jonathan🐺🔫🔪, just back from Russia and his hit💀 on Yuri. He had to take a long container ship ride home, he was guarding a huge shipment of weapons.
Beth💋👸 feels the pull to Him🐺, too, but she's a virtual prisoner in her father's mansion. She was lucky to have escaped tonight. She's also a virgin👰, and scared of her feelings. She figures there is no way she and Jonathan🐺🍆🌋✋ will ever be able to get together.
The girls leave when one of them gets sick from too much alcohol🍺, but they are all violently kidnapped from the parking lot by some Russian men in a van.
Jonathan🐺🔪🔫 gets outside too late, all he finds is their Lexus and a purse👛 on the ground.......He knows the Russians are kidnapping girls from college campuses for the sex trade. Why these girls?

Jonathan🐺🍆🌋🔫🔪 is enraged! He already thinks of Beth💋👰 as HIS. He will get her back!

Jonathan🐺🍆🌋✋ is one big baaaad naaasssty hunk of man meat! Long haired, tatted up⚓, and ripped💪, he's a Bad Girl's sex fueled🍆 wet dream!
YEHAW! Ride em Bareback🍆, Cowgirl!🐎🐎🐎🐎🐎

ARC Received for a Voluntary and Honest Review.

Loved the book! Loved Jonathan🐺🍆🌋🔪🔫! So possessive!
This book📙 is part of a series. I haven't read the others, and this book📙 stands in its own, but I will be reading the First two, now.
Profile Image for Lady Raven RAVE!.
1,824 reviews1,509 followers
September 8, 2020




Style: Mafia Romance (Dark)
Story: 4/5
Sexual: GOOD
Enjoyment: 3/5
Series: Book 3

Buy Beth, was not bad, but not my favorite from the series. Johnathan was not your typical looking mafia guy. His character is like merging a motorcycle and mafia character together. Beth is young and a bit naive and was taken to be sold. Like the previous books male lead is possessive, tad bit controlling and obsessive once they find their women.

I always like seeing previous characters come back into play as this adds to the appeal for me with the series.

Overall, not bad. I liked the previous two books better. I am really excited to start Simon next.

***I don’t equate these stories to real life. It’s definitely about personal taste and what you would or want to tolerate with the stories you read. I hope this review was helpful.




Profile Image for Keema Osborne.
836 reviews11 followers
January 10, 2018
Wow, I think I’m starting to like these kinds of stories. In some odd way I like the realness the book offers, some of the situations have happened and sad to say still happens and others we take for granted. Overall, I love Jonathan and Elizabeth’s story. It’s full of emotions and even some the will surprise you. I do plan on going back to find out how it all began.
I voluntarily reviewed an advance reader copy of this book.
Profile Image for 100sweet.
1,603 reviews
December 31, 2017
While I very much enjoyed the H and his obsession for the h, I was turned off by the disturbing content in the story. There were a couple of very dark themes and while the h was never harmed, reading about what happened to others was sick. I love Lucifer, I wish we could read more about him. Nevertheless, I'm excited about Simon's story.
Profile Image for Laurie Baker.
1,484 reviews
March 20, 2019
Buying Beth

It's Johnathan's turn to fall in love. Beth is the h in this story who has unfortunately been abducted along with her 3 friends from Johnathan's bar. He's the knight in shining armor to save her from being sold into slave ring. But what's in it for him? Read the book to find out!
Profile Image for Candace.
803 reviews1 follower
December 1, 2022
Johnathon & Beth. She is the daughter of a senator that is very controlling. She manages to escape her "prison" and goes on a girls night out with her 3 friends. They end up at Jonathon's dive bar (4 rich entitled girls in a dive bar ordering cosmos when the offerings are beer, whisky and tequila). He is instantly attracted to Beth and ends up kissing her in a hallway on her way out of the ladies. One of her friends gets crunk and throws up (love that the author threw in that she puked up tissues that she ate as a weight control method).

As their leaving, the 4 girls get grabbed off the street by Russians in the human trafficking arena. They are taken to a holding place and one of her friends pulls the whole "do you know who I am/who my father is" thing and they didn't care and shot her in the head. Drunkie girl keeps crying nonstop. One by one the kidnappers take the girls to shower, inspected by a doctor (for their virginity intact) and then nude photos.

Johnathon is pissed when he finds out the girls (mainly Beth because he wants her) are kidnapped. He managed to get an exclusive invitation to take part in the sale/auction (under the guise of him buying on behalf of his super rich buyer). Of the 4 girls, 3 were listed (2 virgins and 1 not) to be sold (they didn't know that Lindsey was killed). When he shows up to the auction, only Beth and Sophia will be in the auction. As they start the auction for the first person, Sophia falls off the list of available (when he asks he is told someone bought her outright instead of her going through the auction). Beth comes up and Johnathon tells his assigned auction "handler" to keep bidding until he wins her ($550K). After winning her, the next person comes up and its a 5-6 y/o little boy. He ends up buying him too ($200K). He takes both of them back to his home and decides they are his to keep (insta-family).

Beth thinks he plans to return her back to her father (she's terrified of her dad and his controlling ways) but he tells her that he bought her so she's his (awkward!). She's attracted to him, she becomes attached to Charlie (little boy) and wants to take care of him, he's protective so she feels safe with him. Therefore, she accepted the crazy "she's mine, I bought her" thing.

The "clan" manages to get her other 2 friends back even though the were sold to someone else. So they end up warring with the Russians. They track down the doctor that worked with the Russians. The torture and killing of him was pretty nasty. They also find the main guard that Beth wanted to retaliate against. The torture of him wasn't quick either (Beth got to watch that one). The guard tells Beth that they raped her drunkie friend over and over because she was crying nonstop and scared. Guess that why she wasn't in the auction.

She contacts her friend Sophia and she wants to see Beth (they've been besties and Sophia has been Beth's rock all through her childhood and knows about her dad's treatment of Beth). Sophia comes to Johnathon's house but she's followed by her dad and his goons. He takes her back to her "home" (against her will). Johnathon and team sneak in to rescue her but they aren't allowed to kill anyone (murder in a senator's house wouldn't be good politically). Come to find out, her dad is bi and Lucifer's team is planning on using that info to keep him in line and also gets him to leave Beth alone.

I enjoyed this one. Yeah we have the is he romantic or just crazy possessive controlling hero but this one is different from the other books because we have the human trafficking element. In addition, we have a virgin but we still end up with insta-family. She also is more submissive already so she didn't really fight against his crazy possessiveness. So it isn't my favorite in the series but I still liked Johnathon (and not the traditional hottie) and the storyline.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for Maria.
945 reviews2 followers
November 7, 2021
Yes on synopsis, this will lead you into the storyline.

“Have you forgotten already? I bought you, Beth. I fucking own you.” Johnathan.

Welcome Johnathan. We are still continuing with the theme in the series. Lucifer is still in full contention of the storyline. Into book 3 and a smooth transfer from book 2. All characters are still present.

* Bratva
* Rich and influential girls
* Daughters of - Chief of Police, Real Estate, Political
* Beth’s father, Politician - Rich and Powerful
* Pigs - animals, what is there presence here?
* Slavery of the right flesh - strong money flow - for whom?

A fun night out yet with consequences. Johnathan may have met his mate? What does Beth’s father have over her that he has her under lock and key? Literally. Why is she keeping her situation secret from even her childhood friend Sophia? What danger does she propose to those who maybe able to help her?

Kidnapped, question on torture but definitely humiliation on the girls. Saved, but who will be returned to their families! What of the additional soul saved - Charlie. What becomes of him and what family connections does he have, who will the family be indebted to, if there still is a family? John at an or Lucifer? What of Beths father? He is a man of power but is there something more about him? A turn of events for Senator Norton - Beths father. Secrets revealed, an understanding presented to Beth.

Cliffhanger - again, Yes.
A new unexpected turn into the series. Overall -: what Beth suffered through her kidnapped torment and of her father, made her the woman she is now. Once naive, with the aid of Johnathan she became a stronger woman. Did she get her revenge? If so, how - positive/negative outcome. What of her friends? What happens with Sophia - get the feeling she may make an appearance again. Here is a question, why is Simon such a germaphobic? Why is Lucifer also testing him with his fear of germs” Questions and answers I guess will be revealed, maybe in next read?
Everything revolves around Lucifer in the series. He is still a prominent character and so too now is Adam. His Son. Where will Izzy lead as regarding Adam? Currently he is too young to tell us his story.

Back to Johnathan and Beth. Though Johnathan demanding ownership, there was a gruffness yet also softness to him too. I enjoyed reading about Johnathan the man, a clearer understanding of who he is after being introduced from book 2. Beth a naive character who suffered a lot but became a stronger woman on the end. Still an innocence about her but breaking through her shell.

Congrats to Izzy on capturing my interest. Of to next read.
Profile Image for Lady Elizabeth.
456 reviews17 followers
January 14, 2018
This is a violent and sometimes graphic dark romance, so be warned when you pick it up. It also has kidnapping, forced medical examination, you get what I mean.

Third book in the Disciples series by Izzy Sweet, and my first book by this author. It can be read as a standalone and for what I've gather you can see glimpses of previous characters and how they are progressing.

We have Beth and her friends that go out in a bad part of town and end up being kidnapped by this organization that traffic girls. They go through hell and humiliation but the help comes, not in the form they were hoping for but it comes.

Anthony... I don't know how to describe him other than biker/hammer for one very scary dude that looks like a supermodel. That's Lucifer for you. Anthony does not want to get tied up, he likes his life the way it is, he owns a bar and it's doing fine. Then Beth shows up, gets kidnapped in Lucifer's territory and all hell comes lose.

I love the interaction between Anthony, Beth and specially Gabriel. He didn't have to buy the little kid to save him, but he did, showing that he has a big heart under that roughness. He does not change or hide who he is from her and I kind of like that, even though it's scary at times.

This is a dark romance. I could argue they are so many things wrong with the romance but the truth is that there is nothing wrong. This is fiction, so the story line and how they feel attracted to each other and how things develop, are fine by me.

I get that kidnapping and sex slavery is a very hard, real thing in some parts of the world. I don't like it. I don't condone the people who do this to women, children and others. I think they should be fed to the pigs.

What I didn't like about this book was the way Beth's father acted. He was a horrible man and I'm glad Anthony taught him a lesson. Another thing I didn't like was the graphic depiction of violence and specially the scene with the pigs and Sasha. He deserved it but the graphics of that scene and others similar, kind of put me off a little.

I still finish the book and I would recommend it if you have a stomach for a story that doesn't hold punches, shows the ugly side of things and still has a HEA even if the hero can be consider a villain in some circles.

*I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy of this book provided by Hidden Gems*
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