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Taken Boy
A Dark Gay Romance
Revenge has no happily ever after.
Bobby likes to think he's the boss. A brutal twenty-two year old gangster prodigy with a vendetta against an heir to billions, he's about to wipe his biggest enemy off the map. But Bobby's been making some powerful enemies himself, and he just landed on the radar of a man it's better not to know.
Angelo Vitali is the real deal, a dyed in the wool Sicilian who knows exactly how to deal with a wannabe mafioso. He'll take Bobby, break Bobby - and love every minute of it.
TAKEN BOY is a very dark gay romance, and a parallel stand alone to events which take place in bestselling books Shamefully Broken, and Broken Boy.
Revenge has no happily ever after.
Bobby likes to think he's the boss. A brutal twenty-two year old gangster prodigy with a vendetta against an heir to billions, he's about to wipe his biggest enemy off the map. But Bobby's been making some powerful enemies himself, and he just landed on the radar of a man it's better not to know.
Angelo Vitali is the real deal, a dyed in the wool Sicilian who knows exactly how to deal with a wannabe mafioso. He'll take Bobby, break Bobby - and love every minute of it.
TAKEN BOY is a very dark gay romance, and a parallel stand alone to events which take place in bestselling books Shamefully Broken, and Broken Boy.
95 pages, Kindle Edition
First published March 30, 2018
219 people are currently reading
321 people want to read
About the author
Loki Renard
255 books1,100 followersAmazon Top 100, USA Today bestselling, and #1 bestselling author in multiple Amazon categories, Loki Renard writes sizzling hot, occasionally dark and twisted stories of dominance, submission and discipline.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 65 reviews
November 12, 2018
3,5 stars
My second book by this author and I am really enjoying her writing style!
As stated in the blurb: "Taken Boy is a very dark gay romance, and a parallel stand alone to events which take lace in bestselling books Shamefully broken and Broken Boy". It sounds pretty promising, right? So I just couldn't not jump right into this one after finishing Broken Boy. That one was MMM, and only a little dark. This one is darker, but still not as dark as I expected.
Bobby and Angelo, well they definitely started on a wrong foot. Bobby thinks he can handle him, and at one point he also made a wrong decision. It didn't sit well with me how Angelo chose to forgive him. I would have wanted much more.
This felt extremely short even if it's almost 100 pages long.
Overall it's a good one. Just not VERY dark. Not like the Flesh Cartel. Guess that'll remain my favorite!
My second book by this author and I am really enjoying her writing style!
As stated in the blurb: "Taken Boy is a very dark gay romance, and a parallel stand alone to events which take lace in bestselling books Shamefully broken and Broken Boy". It sounds pretty promising, right? So I just couldn't not jump right into this one after finishing Broken Boy. That one was MMM, and only a little dark. This one is darker, but still not as dark as I expected.
Bobby and Angelo, well they definitely started on a wrong foot. Bobby thinks he can handle him, and at one point he also made a wrong decision. It didn't sit well with me how Angelo chose to forgive him. I would have wanted much more.
This felt extremely short even if it's almost 100 pages long.
Overall it's a good one. Just not VERY dark. Not like the Flesh Cartel. Guess that'll remain my favorite!
June 2, 2021
Seriously fucked up but not exactly dark
So Robby is a “wanna be mafioso” who has a vendetta against 2 billionaires. He catches the attention of Angelo Vitali. A real Sicilian mob boss. Robby stuck his nose where it didn’t belong it upset some other mob boss and Angelo got involved. Robby becomes a captor and the whole time Angelo is trying to make Robby submit. The first day he canes the guy. Robby like being in control *quotation fingers* and refuses to submit, and he’s all hell bent on liking the guy got him in this situation in the first place. So like I said there was this guy named Taylor who worked for Robby. Robby ends up hating him mostly because he’s rich. Shorted him (I think he stole money), and tried to fuck. Perfectly good reasons to wnat to kill someone and pretty much destroy your life while trying to kill said person. Anyways he’s starting to submit their starting to catch feeling for each other then BAM Robby fucking shoots Angelo while at dinner. But who can blame him? This guys literally tased, caned, fucked, and bought Robby. Robby is beat up by Angelos bodyguards and is forced to spend 10 days in the a cell. On the 10th day Angelo comes and Robby is overcome with relief he’s not dead. While he was sitting in the dark for 10 days he realized he’d fall end for the mob bastard. is For reason I don’t know (I skimmed) Angelo knew about Robbys plans and tells him everything he did wrong. The fuck and make up then 2 months later their in harmonious bliss. Like I said it wasn’t very dark but pretty messed up, some possible trigger warnings
Dub con
Captivity
Caning
Tasering
And the sex is rough
So Robby is a “wanna be mafioso” who has a vendetta against 2 billionaires. He catches the attention of Angelo Vitali. A real Sicilian mob boss. Robby stuck his nose where it didn’t belong it upset some other mob boss and Angelo got involved. Robby becomes a captor and the whole time Angelo is trying to make Robby submit. The first day he canes the guy. Robby like being in control *quotation fingers* and refuses to submit, and he’s all hell bent on liking the guy got him in this situation in the first place. So like I said there was this guy named Taylor who worked for Robby. Robby ends up hating him mostly because he’s rich. Shorted him (I think he stole money), and tried to fuck. Perfectly good reasons to wnat to kill someone and pretty much destroy your life while trying to kill said person. Anyways he’s starting to submit their starting to catch feeling for each other then BAM Robby fucking shoots Angelo while at dinner. But who can blame him? This guys literally tased, caned, fucked, and bought Robby. Robby is beat up by Angelos bodyguards and is forced to spend 10 days in the a cell. On the 10th day Angelo comes and Robby is overcome with relief he’s not dead. While he was sitting in the dark for 10 days he realized he’d fall end for the mob bastard. is For reason I don’t know (I skimmed) Angelo knew about Robbys plans and tells him everything he did wrong. The fuck and make up then 2 months later their in harmonious bliss. Like I said it wasn’t very dark but pretty messed up, some possible trigger warnings
Dub con
Captivity
Caning
Tasering
And the sex is rough
December 28, 2019
Mafia, MM, a bit kinky, a little bit dark, a lot smutty. This is how I was introduced in the world of powerful, deviant, kinky dom Angelo Vitali.
Recommended book order – House of Vitaly series:
1. Taken boy with Angelo Vitali and Bobby
2. Perfect evil with Angelo Vitali, Mark Locke and Bobby
3. Pure evil with Angelo Vitali, Damien Colt, Mark Locke and Bobby
4. Angelo with Angelo Vitali, Antoni9, Mark Locke, and Bobby
Box set: Broke and Bound
Stories in the same universe:
1. Shamefully Broken with Elliot Taylor-Chapman and Maven Malone
2. Broken Boy with Aiden Taylor-Chapman, Steven and Robert
Recommended book order – House of Vitaly series:
1. Taken boy with Angelo Vitali and Bobby
2. Perfect evil with Angelo Vitali, Mark Locke and Bobby
3. Pure evil with Angelo Vitali, Damien Colt, Mark Locke and Bobby
4. Angelo with Angelo Vitali, Antoni9, Mark Locke, and Bobby
Box set: Broke and Bound
Stories in the same universe:
1. Shamefully Broken with Elliot Taylor-Chapman and Maven Malone
2. Broken Boy with Aiden Taylor-Chapman, Steven and Robert
November 5, 2019
★★★★ ½ — 4.5 Stars!
This was a short quick read. I do think it could have been a bit longer to let the ending have a bit more impact. But nonetheless I still enjoyed it. 4.5 Stars rounded up to 5.
This was a short quick read. I do think it could have been a bit longer to let the ending have a bit more impact. But nonetheless I still enjoyed it. 4.5 Stars rounded up to 5.
October 29, 2018
Great read if you enjoy...M/M, Mafia/Mob, BDSM, and quick reads.
This was a great read. It had everything I was looking for at the time and it was also exciting to read an M/M romance set in the Mafia world. Well written. Sex scenes were well executed. Would def recommend if you are a ran of the genre.
This was a great read. It had everything I was looking for at the time and it was also exciting to read an M/M romance set in the Mafia world. Well written. Sex scenes were well executed. Would def recommend if you are a ran of the genre.
April 21, 2018
Another good spin off novella from book1 ... there was so much more that could have been explored but I realize this was a snapshot in time
October 2, 2019
This story was ok. It certainly didn’t live up to my expectations. I thought it was going to be a really hot and dark sexy read. Instead I just didn’t feel the passion. I didn’t dislike it I just didn’t love it. I’ll still read the next book in the series and hope it gets better.
January 13, 2019
Quick, dirty, steamy and well written!!!
June 4, 2021
A captive/ captor kinky relationship in a mafia romance. It's a bit dark but entertaining with both MCs trying to best each other.
April 9, 2018
3.5 *
April 7, 2018
*3.5 stars*
Really good, short and dark.
Really good, short and dark.
March 26, 2019
This is a dark romance but it is so delicious. Bobby and Angelo are truly cut from the same cloth. I loved the pain accompanied with the pleasure. Angelo sure knows how to use a cane. I can imagine those welts and the burn from touching them after a good caning. I loved the humiliation. I loved Bobby’s struggle to submit. I think that struggle is the most satisfying to read. This story hit all my kink boxes.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 28, 2018
Well written - but abrupt
Well-written and prose flows well. Interesting premise, but lacking in character development and depth. Loose ends are tied so quickly, story feels abrupt.
Well-written and prose flows well. Interesting premise, but lacking in character development and depth. Loose ends are tied so quickly, story feels abrupt.
April 7, 2018
kinda okayish. not as dark as advertised.
August 6, 2020
3.5 stars; this was good
I refuse to call this a romance and you can't make me! Bobby and Angelo's relationship was far too f*cked up from the get-go that it had no real hope of ever turning into what I would call a romance, or at least a proper one. It was fiery, it was violent, it was sinfully dark, which makes for great erotica, just not romance. But that's okay. This didn't need to be a romance. I'm not mad and I still enjoyed it. You could too, just don't be fooled.
Here's where the book falls short. The smut. *sigh* She wasn't stunning. It read...how do I say this? Very MF. Here's what I mean by that. If you've been reading romance awhile you know that for some time now, authors feel as if it is their sacred duty to come up with as many euphemisms for genitalia as they possibly can because saying things like cock and balls just isn't classy enough. Piercing member, totes hot. Warm crevice, ugh take me now, except not really because that's not hot and it never was!
In MM you can as gratuitous as you want. It's preferred in fact because the alternative makes everyone uncomfortable and in need of a shower. So was it hot? Kind of(?). The dirty talk was nice overall but it was still oddly flowery at points, especially that first time. I mean sis, there were lines I wish I could unread but I can't and now I have to live with them. That's not right. I'm a good person. I deserve better.
Anyways, this honestly wasn't bad. It was pretty good in many respects and to me it worked better than the previous book. It was perfectly dark, Angelo was hot, the kink was alright, and it was short enough to be entertaining, not annoying. It reads like a proper MM and earns its 3.5 stars. I took off half a star because Bobby's reasoning for wanting Aiden dead was stupid. Yes I'm that petty, no I'm not sorry. I rounded up, you're welcome.
I refuse to call this a romance and you can't make me! Bobby and Angelo's relationship was far too f*cked up from the get-go that it had no real hope of ever turning into what I would call a romance, or at least a proper one. It was fiery, it was violent, it was sinfully dark, which makes for great erotica, just not romance. But that's okay. This didn't need to be a romance. I'm not mad and I still enjoyed it. You could too, just don't be fooled.
Here's where the book falls short. The smut. *sigh* She wasn't stunning. It read...how do I say this? Very MF. Here's what I mean by that. If you've been reading romance awhile you know that for some time now, authors feel as if it is their sacred duty to come up with as many euphemisms for genitalia as they possibly can because saying things like cock and balls just isn't classy enough. Piercing member, totes hot. Warm crevice, ugh take me now, except not really because that's not hot and it never was!
In MM you can as gratuitous as you want. It's preferred in fact because the alternative makes everyone uncomfortable and in need of a shower. So was it hot? Kind of(?). The dirty talk was nice overall but it was still oddly flowery at points, especially that first time. I mean sis, there were lines I wish I could unread but I can't and now I have to live with them. That's not right. I'm a good person. I deserve better.
Anyways, this honestly wasn't bad. It was pretty good in many respects and to me it worked better than the previous book. It was perfectly dark, Angelo was hot, the kink was alright, and it was short enough to be entertaining, not annoying. It reads like a proper MM and earns its 3.5 stars. I took off half a star because Bobby's reasoning for wanting Aiden dead was stupid. Yes I'm that petty, no I'm not sorry. I rounded up, you're welcome.
March 25, 2018
OMFG. Loki Renard decided to visit the dark. Well, to be honest, she often visits the dark, but she went to THE DARK with this one. I mean, wow. Dang, just wow.
Just before anyone gets into reading this, it is M/m action, and it is dark and some people may think that it goes to extremes. I'm not one of those people, personally, and I think that it worked really well for both the characters in the story, which is the most important part, if you ask me. It's a standalone story, but it goes along with Broken Boy and Shamefully Broken. You don't see a lot of action that happened in the other books, but Bobby's name is familiar from both other books.
Bobby has tried to be the boss, but when it came to his vendetta against Aiden, he screwed up, big time. He got on Mason's bad side, which meant Mason was going to get him back. To do that, he set Bobby up with Alberto. More accurately, he set it up so Alberto ended up with Bobby. Alberto is perfectly happy with that. He likes breaking men, and it's going to make him very happy to break Bobby.
This is a pretty quick read. It's also filthy af. Those are good things. I really enjoyed reading it and I want to reread it, a lot.
Just before anyone gets into reading this, it is M/m action, and it is dark and some people may think that it goes to extremes. I'm not one of those people, personally, and I think that it worked really well for both the characters in the story, which is the most important part, if you ask me. It's a standalone story, but it goes along with Broken Boy and Shamefully Broken. You don't see a lot of action that happened in the other books, but Bobby's name is familiar from both other books.
Bobby has tried to be the boss, but when it came to his vendetta against Aiden, he screwed up, big time. He got on Mason's bad side, which meant Mason was going to get him back. To do that, he set Bobby up with Alberto. More accurately, he set it up so Alberto ended up with Bobby. Alberto is perfectly happy with that. He likes breaking men, and it's going to make him very happy to break Bobby.
This is a pretty quick read. It's also filthy af. Those are good things. I really enjoyed reading it and I want to reread it, a lot.
February 20, 2019
In Taken Boy, a young crime boss gets kidnapped by somebody much more experienced in the “life”–a hired gun, so to speak, who’s been tasked with taking over the young boss’s business to get him off the trail of a junkie.
As you can tell, the external plot is quite developed for a novella, but the story doesn’t focus on those events more than necessary. The real story is about what goes on between the young boss, Bobby, and his kidnapper, Angelo. Angelo is a fierce Dominant with a fondness for caning, and Bobby turns out to be a masochist, though the relationship between them is nonconsensual in the beginning. As the story progresses, the two form a bond. Loki Renard illustrates their connection expertly, all while delivering a delicious plot twist and a satisfying ending.
This story thoroughly entertained me. Plus, it was hot, emotional, and the perfect length. It was everything I love in a dark romance. I’d recommend it to fans of dubious consent M/M with a heavy dose of kink. (If you don’t like dubious consent in your M/M, though, steer clear!)
As you can tell, the external plot is quite developed for a novella, but the story doesn’t focus on those events more than necessary. The real story is about what goes on between the young boss, Bobby, and his kidnapper, Angelo. Angelo is a fierce Dominant with a fondness for caning, and Bobby turns out to be a masochist, though the relationship between them is nonconsensual in the beginning. As the story progresses, the two form a bond. Loki Renard illustrates their connection expertly, all while delivering a delicious plot twist and a satisfying ending.
This story thoroughly entertained me. Plus, it was hot, emotional, and the perfect length. It was everything I love in a dark romance. I’d recommend it to fans of dubious consent M/M with a heavy dose of kink. (If you don’t like dubious consent in your M/M, though, steer clear!)
April 4, 2018
Interesting
This was a quick, twisted, dark short story. Bobby is an up and coming gangster who takes no prisoner. Angelo is making it his duty to teach Bobby a thing or two!
This was a quick, twisted, dark short story. Bobby is an up and coming gangster who takes no prisoner. Angelo is making it his duty to teach Bobby a thing or two!
April 12, 2018
When a demon meets the devil, hell may never be the same again!
Robert Wachowski (better know as Bobby Cornoli) is at the top of his game. Upstart mob boss, all around tough guy, seems he has it made. Does he really? Bobby's smug satisfaction with his achievements strokes his ego to the point where he feels invulnerable. Little does he know where his recklessness has landed him. As he chuckles and chortles over putting one over on the infamous Aiden Taylor-Chapman, Bobby soon learns his true place in the world. Drugged, kidnapped, and securely imprisoned, Bobby awakens to a nightmare! Angelo Vitali's no youngster. He's been in the mob longer than Bobby's been alive. To all outward appearances, Angelo's totally legit. But things are seldom as they appear, and nothing could be truer when it comes to Angelo Vitali. Bobby's grabbed Angelo's attention in ways Bobby can't begin to comprehend. What does Angelo want? Simple, really. Everything. Every...single...thing! Filled with outrage at this insanity, Bobby does everything he can to goad Angelo. He can't conceive of a world where anyone but him is in control. But Angelo seemingly holds all the cards. Bobby thinks he's the cruel and vicious one? He's no idea just how much Angelo is capable of. As the net closes tighter, and the world shrinks to just Bobby and Angelo, how far will Angelo go? Maybe owning Bobby, worldly possessions, body, and soul, might come close to enough. With the walls closing in, everything on the line, exactly what will Bobby do? Is he willing to sell himself to save himself? Is that even possible? Maybe the better question is, is there anything Angelo won't do to get what he wants? Ultimately, when a demon goes up against the devil, who truly holds the power?
Taken Boy is one the darkest, yet most intriguing, stories I've read. Bobby Cornoli is totally irredeemable. Yet he's a choirboy compared to Angelo. This isn't a tale of good versus evil. There are just shades of darkness set against a backdrop of evil and depravity. Bobby's arrogant, clueless, a self-proclaimed badass with delusions of grandeur. Then Angelo, the true evil, arrives. Controlled and ruthless, Angelo's a study in contrasts. Outwardly, he's the epitome of beauty and graciousness. Yet he has an innate need to utterly control and consume everyone and everything. The interplay of shades of gray and black with levels of malevolence is intensely gripping. It's also what makes this story irresistible in an incredibly gut-wrenching way. Cruelty and maliciousness jump off the page and grab you by the throat. Once Bobby's in Angelo's hands, his very life hangs in the balance. Yet Bobby can't back down. He goads Angelo, fights him every step of the way. And Angelo? He may be the devil incarnate but he's gorgeously seductive. Malevolence wrapped in beauty is still pure evil. And he knows the power he wields. He also holds no illusions as to exactly who and what he is. Therein lie both his greatest power and biggest weakness. Loki Renard has created a story where these two characters play off each other in a choreography as intricately formed as the greatest of symphonies. The raw emotions, rich characters, and deep passion of Bobby and Angelo are laid out in the most tangled and twisted of plots. But despite the darkness, or perhaps because of it, this story is one of the most riveting I've read in a long time. Congratulations, Ms. Renard! Taken Boy is one of the best dark romances I've ever read. Five stars hardly seems enough for this amazing story!
A final note. Be an informed reader! This is an ADULT book. It contains explicit language, dark themes, and sexual scenes. If you don't enjoy this genre, this may not be the book for you. There are book synopses and reviews available on Goodreads and Amazon. Use these resources. DON'T LEAVE A NEGATIVE REVIEW WHEN YOU KNOW YOU WON'T ENJOY THE BOOK. It's not fair to the author. She works hard to provide quality work. If you know you'll object to a book's subject matter before you buy it, you're doing yourself and the author an extreme disservice.
Thanks for reading my review and happy reading!
Robert Wachowski (better know as Bobby Cornoli) is at the top of his game. Upstart mob boss, all around tough guy, seems he has it made. Does he really? Bobby's smug satisfaction with his achievements strokes his ego to the point where he feels invulnerable. Little does he know where his recklessness has landed him. As he chuckles and chortles over putting one over on the infamous Aiden Taylor-Chapman, Bobby soon learns his true place in the world. Drugged, kidnapped, and securely imprisoned, Bobby awakens to a nightmare! Angelo Vitali's no youngster. He's been in the mob longer than Bobby's been alive. To all outward appearances, Angelo's totally legit. But things are seldom as they appear, and nothing could be truer when it comes to Angelo Vitali. Bobby's grabbed Angelo's attention in ways Bobby can't begin to comprehend. What does Angelo want? Simple, really. Everything. Every...single...thing! Filled with outrage at this insanity, Bobby does everything he can to goad Angelo. He can't conceive of a world where anyone but him is in control. But Angelo seemingly holds all the cards. Bobby thinks he's the cruel and vicious one? He's no idea just how much Angelo is capable of. As the net closes tighter, and the world shrinks to just Bobby and Angelo, how far will Angelo go? Maybe owning Bobby, worldly possessions, body, and soul, might come close to enough. With the walls closing in, everything on the line, exactly what will Bobby do? Is he willing to sell himself to save himself? Is that even possible? Maybe the better question is, is there anything Angelo won't do to get what he wants? Ultimately, when a demon goes up against the devil, who truly holds the power?
Taken Boy is one the darkest, yet most intriguing, stories I've read. Bobby Cornoli is totally irredeemable. Yet he's a choirboy compared to Angelo. This isn't a tale of good versus evil. There are just shades of darkness set against a backdrop of evil and depravity. Bobby's arrogant, clueless, a self-proclaimed badass with delusions of grandeur. Then Angelo, the true evil, arrives. Controlled and ruthless, Angelo's a study in contrasts. Outwardly, he's the epitome of beauty and graciousness. Yet he has an innate need to utterly control and consume everyone and everything. The interplay of shades of gray and black with levels of malevolence is intensely gripping. It's also what makes this story irresistible in an incredibly gut-wrenching way. Cruelty and maliciousness jump off the page and grab you by the throat. Once Bobby's in Angelo's hands, his very life hangs in the balance. Yet Bobby can't back down. He goads Angelo, fights him every step of the way. And Angelo? He may be the devil incarnate but he's gorgeously seductive. Malevolence wrapped in beauty is still pure evil. And he knows the power he wields. He also holds no illusions as to exactly who and what he is. Therein lie both his greatest power and biggest weakness. Loki Renard has created a story where these two characters play off each other in a choreography as intricately formed as the greatest of symphonies. The raw emotions, rich characters, and deep passion of Bobby and Angelo are laid out in the most tangled and twisted of plots. But despite the darkness, or perhaps because of it, this story is one of the most riveting I've read in a long time. Congratulations, Ms. Renard! Taken Boy is one of the best dark romances I've ever read. Five stars hardly seems enough for this amazing story!
A final note. Be an informed reader! This is an ADULT book. It contains explicit language, dark themes, and sexual scenes. If you don't enjoy this genre, this may not be the book for you. There are book synopses and reviews available on Goodreads and Amazon. Use these resources. DON'T LEAVE A NEGATIVE REVIEW WHEN YOU KNOW YOU WON'T ENJOY THE BOOK. It's not fair to the author. She works hard to provide quality work. If you know you'll object to a book's subject matter before you buy it, you're doing yourself and the author an extreme disservice.
Thanks for reading my review and happy reading!
December 31, 2020
Bad. So very, very bad
I. Can't. Even.
This book was written in a vacuum. A mid-level mobster (who was apparently gaining SO MICH POWER) is kidnapped and no one ever tries to rescue him (his crew). And he can't figure out how to save himself. Yet he's a rising mobster who is so cunning he needed to be stopped? But he couldn't think his way out? No bribery, fighting, secret dealings? Good lord.
You meet only one other character in the book (a lawyer). The book feels like it happens in a sensory deprivation chamber. There is literally nothing else around. The characters motivations, backstories, development are as deep as a puddle after a light rain. There is no plot outside of cheesy "BDSM" gimmicks and it relies on "two weeks later" "two months later tricks to give some semblance of movement.
Meanwhile this hardened, rising mobster (Bobby) gets everything taken from him with the signing of a few documents (really? Where were his lawyers? Two pages and your empire is just gone and no one wonders anything?). Within two weeks he's already submitting and by two months is in a mentor, lover, abuse relationship that is made to pass as a "dark romance." The "plot twist" put near the end is a mockery of writing it's so sad and unbelievable. Theater makeup is used, friends...that's right. Imagine a hardened mobster...using...theater makeup and playing dead...
This story was bad. Save yourselves. It inspires nothing, not even anger at how bad it is. It's no better than a fever dream.
Negative 5 stars.
I. Can't. Even.
This book was written in a vacuum. A mid-level mobster (who was apparently gaining SO MICH POWER) is kidnapped and no one ever tries to rescue him (his crew). And he can't figure out how to save himself. Yet he's a rising mobster who is so cunning he needed to be stopped? But he couldn't think his way out? No bribery, fighting, secret dealings? Good lord.
You meet only one other character in the book (a lawyer). The book feels like it happens in a sensory deprivation chamber. There is literally nothing else around. The characters motivations, backstories, development are as deep as a puddle after a light rain. There is no plot outside of cheesy "BDSM" gimmicks and it relies on "two weeks later" "two months later tricks to give some semblance of movement.
Meanwhile this hardened, rising mobster (Bobby) gets everything taken from him with the signing of a few documents (really? Where were his lawyers? Two pages and your empire is just gone and no one wonders anything?). Within two weeks he's already submitting and by two months is in a mentor, lover, abuse relationship that is made to pass as a "dark romance." The "plot twist" put near the end is a mockery of writing it's so sad and unbelievable. Theater makeup is used, friends...that's right. Imagine a hardened mobster...using...theater makeup and playing dead...
This story was bad. Save yourselves. It inspires nothing, not even anger at how bad it is. It's no better than a fever dream.
Negative 5 stars.
April 2, 2018
OMG!!! Ok first let me start off with, you REALLY should read the other books in this series: "Shamefully Broken and Broken Boy." This will get you in the mind set plus you will know everyone. In this one we pick up after Bobby brushed off Aiden giving him enough drugs to kill him. Bobby, isn't all that big. He thinks he is. But there is a bigger monster out there and his name is Angelo Vitali. Angelo just wants Bobby to walk away and stop getting in his way but he see potential in the boy. But first he has to break him.
In the beginning, I was all for Bobby getting his butt beat. He was such an evil to not only Aiden but to his sister, Ellie. But as we read on, and it flowed like butter, you are caught up in the breaking and emotion of it. Angelo didn't really want a "play thing" but Bobby intrigues him. He sees something and more. Bobby on the other hand make act tough but he is in desperate need for someone to guide him and to love him. Which he is really missing.
I'm no M/M reader but I have to say, it's really interesting. And then the shocking twist at the end. Holy Hell!!! I thought this was going to go sooooooo bad. But it worked out.
Loki you are rockin' it big time. I cant wait to see what happens next in "Perfect Evil."
In the beginning, I was all for Bobby getting his butt beat. He was such an evil to not only Aiden but to his sister, Ellie. But as we read on, and it flowed like butter, you are caught up in the breaking and emotion of it. Angelo didn't really want a "play thing" but Bobby intrigues him. He sees something and more. Bobby on the other hand make act tough but he is in desperate need for someone to guide him and to love him. Which he is really missing.
I'm no M/M reader but I have to say, it's really interesting. And then the shocking twist at the end. Holy Hell!!! I thought this was going to go sooooooo bad. But it worked out.
Loki you are rockin' it big time. I cant wait to see what happens next in "Perfect Evil."
March 30, 2018
Bobby Carnoli is The Taken Boy
Bobby's time to pay for the mistakes he's made has come. Bobby made the ultimate mistake by going after FAMILY. Mason Malone is furious over Bobby's attempt to get even with Aidan Chapman by abducting Mason's woman, Ellie Chapman. Bobby gave Aidan enough H to kill himself but Aidan went to Mason's instead, high as a kite. Mason is smarter and more powerful than Bobby, so Bobby has to pay now. Angelo Vitali is the mob's don and a very efficient monster. Bobby is abducted by a big man wearing a hood and beaten with a lexan rod and blindfolded and taken to another site where his punishment really begins and he's taught a variety of lessons. Being a tough guy, Bobby mouths off and tries to fight with Angelo but Angelo is more than ready for Bobby in every way. Bobby gets used, beat, plugged and punished in many ways as Angelo teaches Bobby how to learn respect and to submit. The lessons are brutal at times but justified and effective. Bobby is slowly learning that submitting is his only chance of survival.
Bobby's time to pay for the mistakes he's made has come. Bobby made the ultimate mistake by going after FAMILY. Mason Malone is furious over Bobby's attempt to get even with Aidan Chapman by abducting Mason's woman, Ellie Chapman. Bobby gave Aidan enough H to kill himself but Aidan went to Mason's instead, high as a kite. Mason is smarter and more powerful than Bobby, so Bobby has to pay now. Angelo Vitali is the mob's don and a very efficient monster. Bobby is abducted by a big man wearing a hood and beaten with a lexan rod and blindfolded and taken to another site where his punishment really begins and he's taught a variety of lessons. Being a tough guy, Bobby mouths off and tries to fight with Angelo but Angelo is more than ready for Bobby in every way. Bobby gets used, beat, plugged and punished in many ways as Angelo teaches Bobby how to learn respect and to submit. The lessons are brutal at times but justified and effective. Bobby is slowly learning that submitting is his only chance of survival.
April 14, 2022
I started this and after around 30% I started Angelo: Making a Monster as well because I was curious about Angelo.
When I'm reading a romance with the descriptor Dark, I'm expecting either delicious degrees of depravity when it comes to sex (dub-con, dark fantasies, primal etc) or gory murders with psychotic glee. Just saying that someone is a Don or a Mob boss isn't enough for me.
Anyway, there is at least some dub-con here and heavy impact play. And I so did enjoy the double twist in the plot that Loki pulled in the end.
I wish there was more interaction and play on page between those two to really show the depth of their connection.
When I'm reading a romance with the descriptor Dark, I'm expecting either delicious degrees of depravity when it comes to sex (dub-con, dark fantasies, primal etc) or gory murders with psychotic glee. Just saying that someone is a Don or a Mob boss isn't enough for me.
Anyway, there is at least some dub-con here and heavy impact play. And I so did enjoy the double twist in the plot that Loki pulled in the end.
I wish there was more interaction and play on page between those two to really show the depth of their connection.
July 21, 2018
This was a strange read, I was rooting for Bobby and genienly felt bad for him having everything he worked on being taken away so simply, but then he just turned into a walking erection and the deph of his character desolved as fast as the cum on the sheets. Like wow! Seriously Bobby? if thats not stockholm I don't know what is. Then the book just kind of stoped? There was no closure for me, I kind of wanted more or at least recognition that Bobby was needed or wanted.
September 8, 2020
Bobby Cornoli had worked, struggled, and fought for everything he had. He was in a prime position where he had both minor and major players in the Underground on the run until he was faced with Angelo Vitali. To quote Angelo, Bobby "was a demon and every demon needed a Devil". This short, easy to read Novella is part of the House of Vitali collection that kept me in its grip from start to finish. There were a few times I was so shocked by a surprise that seemingly came out of the left field. It was then I realized how incredible Loki Renard had been when creating not only Angelo's world but her characters as well
March 11, 2021
In Loki Renard’s “Taken Boy”, readers get an introduction to Angelo Vitali (and Bobby) and a breathtaking eyeful of the level of viciousness he’s capable of doing to get results—and by results, he will only accept complete submission. But, he also likes the struggle to dominate. So. Very. Much. And I did too. So. Very. Much. Obviously, this is an enemies-to-lovers romance with a strong level of Stockholm Syndrome—sort of—because it becomes clear that Bobby wants to be there, which had me curious as to the other stories. So, I bought the boxset.
April 25, 2018
Dark meets darker!
This is definitely not for the feint hearted. It's brilliantly written. It's hot. And I loved it. Most of what I read is sweet and has a happy ending, so it's nice to read a very well written and described hot dark spicy story. There is a spark and chemistry between Bobby and Angelo. Both characters are well done. It's a great story to read. A real page-turner. I highly recommend it.
This is definitely not for the feint hearted. It's brilliantly written. It's hot. And I loved it. Most of what I read is sweet and has a happy ending, so it's nice to read a very well written and described hot dark spicy story. There is a spark and chemistry between Bobby and Angelo. Both characters are well done. It's a great story to read. A real page-turner. I highly recommend it.
January 25, 2019
Ok, but I expected something a bit darker
For being so strong, I thought that Bobby broke too easily. I would have liked for him to truly have been put through more than he could bear under Angelo, or for the isolation to have been more taxing on his psyche with Angelo coming to "rescue" him.
Both Angelo and Bobby liked to say that they were bad, but I didn't see a whole lot of evidence of it. They just seemed to both like a similar humiliation kink.
For being so strong, I thought that Bobby broke too easily. I would have liked for him to truly have been put through more than he could bear under Angelo, or for the isolation to have been more taxing on his psyche with Angelo coming to "rescue" him.
Both Angelo and Bobby liked to say that they were bad, but I didn't see a whole lot of evidence of it. They just seemed to both like a similar humiliation kink.
March 27, 2018
This is a intensely dark, dirty and very brutal tale - not my normal kind of reading but I just couldnt put it down.
There is no love in this book but the connection between the 2 characters, though very twisted, is compelling!!
Brilliantly written with some great twists and turns.
If you have read the other books in the serie this is a must read - but be warned it is a harsh story.
There is no love in this book but the connection between the 2 characters, though very twisted, is compelling!!
Brilliantly written with some great twists and turns.
If you have read the other books in the serie this is a must read - but be warned it is a harsh story.
March 31, 2018
If you have read Shamefully Broken and Broken Boy you would have been introduced to Bobby. The crime boss who was after Aiden. He has met his match with Angelo Vitelli. He is planning to break Bobby and he has his own dark, twisted ways to do that.
This story has quite a few twist and turns. There are some darker scenes, but it also made me laugh out loud.
This story has quite a few twist and turns. There are some darker scenes, but it also made me laugh out loud.
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