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Elite SEALs #1
Taken
Mia Russo had her whole life ahead of her. She was a junior studying physical therapy at UCSD, an avid surfer, and a triathlete—up until the day she became a human trafficking victim. Kidnapped by members of a Mexican cartel, she’s been held captive for over a year. Injected with heroin whenever her body is given to another man, she’s lost all hope of surviving.
SEAL Team 3 embarks on a mission to rescue trafficked girls being held outside Nogales, Mexico. Chief Petty Officer Ethan Patterson is a tough warrior on the outside, but deep inside, he’s broken. He still blames himself for the death of his best friend and SEAL team brother. Out of fear of experiencing another devastating loss, he has withdrawn from everyone.
SEAL Team 3 rescues Mia and six other girls. Mia’s instantly attracted to Ethan. Suffering from drug withdrawal, her life in tatters, she believes Ethan could never want her. After being violated by all those men, she’s not sure anyone will ever love her.
Ethan believes it’s his duty to maintain a professional distance from Mia. As the attraction between them simmers and threatens to burst into flame, he begins to wonder if he’s staying away to follow normal military protocol—or because he’s afraid.
SEAL Team 3 embarks on a mission to rescue trafficked girls being held outside Nogales, Mexico. Chief Petty Officer Ethan Patterson is a tough warrior on the outside, but deep inside, he’s broken. He still blames himself for the death of his best friend and SEAL team brother. Out of fear of experiencing another devastating loss, he has withdrawn from everyone.
SEAL Team 3 rescues Mia and six other girls. Mia’s instantly attracted to Ethan. Suffering from drug withdrawal, her life in tatters, she believes Ethan could never want her. After being violated by all those men, she’s not sure anyone will ever love her.
Ethan believes it’s his duty to maintain a professional distance from Mia. As the attraction between them simmers and threatens to burst into flame, he begins to wonder if he’s staying away to follow normal military protocol—or because he’s afraid.
- GenresMilitary Fiction
169 pages, Kindle Edition
Published September 26, 2019
27 people are currently reading
33 people want to read
About the author
Sabrina Devonshire
25 books192 followersSabrina Devonshire, an avid swimmer most of her life, can usually be found near or immersed in a body of water. If she's not seeking an endorphin rush in a pool, lake or ocean, she's usually writing or practicing yoga.
She received a John Woods Scholarship and an Arizona Commission of the Arts Professional Development Grant toward her participation in a 2007 Prague Summer Program writing workshop. She also studied writing in Arizona and northern California and has a M.S. degree from the University of Arizona.
Sabrina loves traveling to off-the-beaten-path places where outdoor adventure awaits. She especially enjoyed Peru, Belize, Costa Rica, Nicaragua, and Greece. Sabrina lives in southern Arizona with her husband. They are planning to live as expats somewhere south of the border and fun in the near future!
She received a John Woods Scholarship and an Arizona Commission of the Arts Professional Development Grant toward her participation in a 2007 Prague Summer Program writing workshop. She also studied writing in Arizona and northern California and has a M.S. degree from the University of Arizona.
Sabrina loves traveling to off-the-beaten-path places where outdoor adventure awaits. She especially enjoyed Peru, Belize, Costa Rica, Nicaragua, and Greece. Sabrina lives in southern Arizona with her husband. They are planning to live as expats somewhere south of the border and fun in the near future!
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January 10, 2020
I'm the author, so instead of posting a review, I'll post an excerpt for you.
The hotel room reeks of stale beer and cigarette smoke. The Hispanic, mustached man leering at me smells equally repulsive. Like sweat, mingled with ejaculate. He’s wearing a white, button-up shirt. A mass of curly dark hair pokes out from the open collar. A flabby potbelly hangs over the waistband of his skin-tight jeans that have a wet stain in the crotch.
My expression must telegraph that I don’t want to be here. The man clenches his jaw and I flinch as his palm strikes my cheek with a sharp smack. The creases on his sweaty forehead and around his mouth deepen. He’s been angry since he first saw me.
I don’t know why. Diego—one of the men holding us prisoner at the compound—said this guy particularly requested me, although I don’t think I’ve ever seen him before. I was blindfolded, hauled outside, and stuffed into the backseat of a car. That’s always how these deliveries of our bodies go. After hours riding in the back of a sedan, I was dropped off here. Diego told the man he’d return for me in a few hours. He introduced me to the man, but I don’t remember his name. Or even want to. There have been too many. I want their faces and names to blur in my mind and turn to vapor.
Always they want to fuck me. But first, they want to show their control and to make me recognize how powerless I am. The man orders me to turn around, to bend over. He asks me to do other things, too, but I pretend I don’t understand. He’ll never know I minored in Spanish and understand a hell of a lot more than he thinks I do. My accent isn’t too bad either and I have a few choice words en español that I’d like to say to this bastard.
“No entiendo.”
“You stupid bitch,” he says, switching to accented English. He grabs the tattered cotton shirt I’m wearing and jerks on it until the torn fabric exposes bra straps and bruised flesh.
So, he does speak English. I thought it strange that he didn’t. Most of these men my handlers sell me to—for a week, a day or an hour—are bilingual. They’re all involved in the drug trade in one way or another. Another cog in the wheel of this miserable international drug and human trafficking operation. They kidnapped me, stole me away from my life. Now my body is here for the taking for someone owed a favor or to celebrate a recent promotion in the organization. God only knows who this man is. He’s not wearing a neatly pressed suit or cloth-shined shoes like the top dogs I’ve been pawned off on. His sour body odor assaults my nostrils, making me sneeze.
“Take your fucking clothes off, God dammit.”
I pull what’s left of my T-shirt over my head and discard it. My hands tremble. The shaking intensifies. Sweat drips from my brow. Fuck. Withdrawal symptoms. It’s been hours since anyone shot me up with dope and my body’s craving a fix. The dependence sucks, but it sucks worse when I’m in these situations with full awareness. An intoxicating haze offers a layer of protection.
I shuck off my jeans. Remove my underwear. I stand naked in front of him, gazing at the floor. Right now, I’d give my life for one hit of heroin, just one. I need something to take the edge off, to help me endure what he’s about to do to me. I don’t want him near me. I want to run from this room, run away from what my life has become. Instead, I’m trembling, repulsed, afraid.
Sometimes before I’m taken from the compound, a Mexican woman visits my cell and applies layers of makeup to my face. Foundation and blush smear away my pallid complexion, my dead eyes are resuscitated with mascara and eyeliner. But today, nothing. My face and the rest of my body is naked and exposed.
The man wipes sweat from his forehead and one side of his upper lip curls up in a sneer. “Javier said you were a great piece of ass, but I’d say you’re a worthless bitch. You don’t smile, you don’t flirt. Are you a fucking dyke?”
“I’m not a dyke.” I place my hands on my hips. I don’t like men who smell and who think I’m just an object to be slapped around and fucked.
“You act like a fucking lesbian. And you’re so goddamn skinny.”
This emaciated and sickly body that turns him off is all that’s left of the body I once trained daily to keep healthy and strong. My mind—well, there’s not much left of that either. A person can’t be victimized like this every day—sometimes two or three times a day—without eventually falling into an abyss. I fought for a long time—pushing down the despair and depression—telling myself I would stay strong and find a way out. But days turned into months. One day I just gave up. I don’t remember exactly when it happened. I’ve long lost track of the day, the week. I’m not sure if it’s April or September.
The day I gave up, I knew I couldn’t deal with my emotions anymore. I didn’t want to fantasize anymore about breathing in the scent of salty sea air or walking barefoot on a soft carpet of grass. Or imagine eating fresh seafood on my mom’s outdoor patio in Del Mar, which overlooks the Pacific coastline. I didn’t want to ache to feel my mom’s hugs, to hear my best friend’s laugh, to actually salivate when I imagined taking one sip of a salt-rimmed margarita. I wanted to feel numb. Like a machine, instead of flesh and blood. So being violated wouldn’t hurt so bad anymore. So I wouldn’t feel that painful wrench in my heart every time I flash back to everything I lost.
I don’t want to think about the fact that I’ll never surf a Pacific wave again, I’ll never compete in another triathlon, I’ll never graduate from college or meet the man of my dreams or have his children.
My life will end in wretchedness. I’m no one now. I have no identity. I’m an empty shell. A spaced-out drug addict. A worthless, forgotten girl who partied with her friends on a Costa Rican vacation one day and became the personal property of drug lords the next.
The man spews out a stream of expletives. His eyes narrow to slits. I stare at him without speaking. I competed in Olympic distance triathlons and half marathons. Any weekend I wasn’t racing, I was riding waves on my surfboard. My friends and classmates all said I had the perfect body—muscular and well-proportioned.
It’s hard to believe I was ever an athlete. Weariness overtook my brain and slowly worried its way through every muscle, every bone. Now loose skin hangs off my bones. All my muscles have wasted away. I get dizzy and out of breath just walking across a room. None of us have ever been served a decent meal in this place. Sometimes they feed us rat stew. I’m constantly hungry. Night and day, I dream about spaghetti piled high on a plate—topped with enormous meatballs, juicy steaks, mountains of ice cream.
Acid is eating through the lining of my stomach. Being full would be nice, but right now I’d just like to have enough food inside my stomach that the pain eroding my gut would go away. It’s agony to be this hungry. All of us here are so hungry, we gobble down the rat stew like it is prime rib. I’ve gotten to the point that I’ll eat anything. Moldy bread. Cockroaches unfortunate enough to crawl into my living space.
The man’s hand connects with my cheek again. I close my eyes and can’t help wincing when his hand smacks the other side of my face. I squint to look at him, relieved that he’s done hitting me—at least for now. A randy smile curls up the corner of his oily looking lips. “That’s better. At least you have some color now.”
I say nothing. I stand in front of him waiting to see what he’ll do to me next.
He grabs me roughly by the shoulder and shoves me toward the bed. I stumble backward. He lunges again, forcing me to sit on the mattress. “I’ll never be able to get it up looking at that sorry face. I want to see desire in your eyes.” He pulls a vial and a needle out of his pocket.
That’s what all the men want, to see that dazed, drugged-out expression on my face. It’s how they can immerse themselves in fantasy. Instead of looking at a frightened face, they can see stoned, heavy-lidded eyes and imagine that they’re seeing desire. As if I could ever desire any of these pigs. I could never lust after this repulsive man with his sweat and his smells or even any of the others with their shiny shoes and fancy shirts. The mere thought causes sour bile to surge up into my throat.
If only I had a knife. I’d slit his throat and then stab him again and again, his blood splashing on my face until the agony of what he has done, and all the others have done to my body and my soul was finally cleansed.
He presses his lips down as he prepares the needle. He injects himself first. He’ll inject me second with the dirty needle. His sweaty hand holding the syringe moves toward me. “You want this bad, don’t you?”
Yes, God help me, I ache for the liquid injection into my veins, to feel the warm, comforting haze that will follow. I want it bad. But I won’t let him see the desperation in my eyes. Unfortunately, my body gives me away. The slight tremor in my hands, the occasional tick in my jaw is worsening. If I go much longer without heroin, my muscles and limbs will perform a spastic dance I have no control over.
He grabs my arm with a jerk and I grimace when I feel the stab of the needle. The cold liquid enters my veins.
Relief rolls through me and the taut tension in my muscles slowly ebbs away. I despise my dependence. I never needed anything or anyone until I ended up in this place. But I won’t think about that now. I’ll savor this moment of escape. I no longer feel the acid burning in my belly, the deep ache in my muscles and bones. The man’s voice sounds far away, like he’s in another room or another plane of existence. I allow myself to journey far away. In my mind, I am gliding across the perfect blue wave on my surfboard, my body balanced, in control, strong. I barely notice when the man with the sweaty hands tosses me back on the bed.
The hotel room reeks of stale beer and cigarette smoke. The Hispanic, mustached man leering at me smells equally repulsive. Like sweat, mingled with ejaculate. He’s wearing a white, button-up shirt. A mass of curly dark hair pokes out from the open collar. A flabby potbelly hangs over the waistband of his skin-tight jeans that have a wet stain in the crotch.
My expression must telegraph that I don’t want to be here. The man clenches his jaw and I flinch as his palm strikes my cheek with a sharp smack. The creases on his sweaty forehead and around his mouth deepen. He’s been angry since he first saw me.
I don’t know why. Diego—one of the men holding us prisoner at the compound—said this guy particularly requested me, although I don’t think I’ve ever seen him before. I was blindfolded, hauled outside, and stuffed into the backseat of a car. That’s always how these deliveries of our bodies go. After hours riding in the back of a sedan, I was dropped off here. Diego told the man he’d return for me in a few hours. He introduced me to the man, but I don’t remember his name. Or even want to. There have been too many. I want their faces and names to blur in my mind and turn to vapor.
Always they want to fuck me. But first, they want to show their control and to make me recognize how powerless I am. The man orders me to turn around, to bend over. He asks me to do other things, too, but I pretend I don’t understand. He’ll never know I minored in Spanish and understand a hell of a lot more than he thinks I do. My accent isn’t too bad either and I have a few choice words en español that I’d like to say to this bastard.
“No entiendo.”
“You stupid bitch,” he says, switching to accented English. He grabs the tattered cotton shirt I’m wearing and jerks on it until the torn fabric exposes bra straps and bruised flesh.
So, he does speak English. I thought it strange that he didn’t. Most of these men my handlers sell me to—for a week, a day or an hour—are bilingual. They’re all involved in the drug trade in one way or another. Another cog in the wheel of this miserable international drug and human trafficking operation. They kidnapped me, stole me away from my life. Now my body is here for the taking for someone owed a favor or to celebrate a recent promotion in the organization. God only knows who this man is. He’s not wearing a neatly pressed suit or cloth-shined shoes like the top dogs I’ve been pawned off on. His sour body odor assaults my nostrils, making me sneeze.
“Take your fucking clothes off, God dammit.”
I pull what’s left of my T-shirt over my head and discard it. My hands tremble. The shaking intensifies. Sweat drips from my brow. Fuck. Withdrawal symptoms. It’s been hours since anyone shot me up with dope and my body’s craving a fix. The dependence sucks, but it sucks worse when I’m in these situations with full awareness. An intoxicating haze offers a layer of protection.
I shuck off my jeans. Remove my underwear. I stand naked in front of him, gazing at the floor. Right now, I’d give my life for one hit of heroin, just one. I need something to take the edge off, to help me endure what he’s about to do to me. I don’t want him near me. I want to run from this room, run away from what my life has become. Instead, I’m trembling, repulsed, afraid.
Sometimes before I’m taken from the compound, a Mexican woman visits my cell and applies layers of makeup to my face. Foundation and blush smear away my pallid complexion, my dead eyes are resuscitated with mascara and eyeliner. But today, nothing. My face and the rest of my body is naked and exposed.
The man wipes sweat from his forehead and one side of his upper lip curls up in a sneer. “Javier said you were a great piece of ass, but I’d say you’re a worthless bitch. You don’t smile, you don’t flirt. Are you a fucking dyke?”
“I’m not a dyke.” I place my hands on my hips. I don’t like men who smell and who think I’m just an object to be slapped around and fucked.
“You act like a fucking lesbian. And you’re so goddamn skinny.”
This emaciated and sickly body that turns him off is all that’s left of the body I once trained daily to keep healthy and strong. My mind—well, there’s not much left of that either. A person can’t be victimized like this every day—sometimes two or three times a day—without eventually falling into an abyss. I fought for a long time—pushing down the despair and depression—telling myself I would stay strong and find a way out. But days turned into months. One day I just gave up. I don’t remember exactly when it happened. I’ve long lost track of the day, the week. I’m not sure if it’s April or September.
The day I gave up, I knew I couldn’t deal with my emotions anymore. I didn’t want to fantasize anymore about breathing in the scent of salty sea air or walking barefoot on a soft carpet of grass. Or imagine eating fresh seafood on my mom’s outdoor patio in Del Mar, which overlooks the Pacific coastline. I didn’t want to ache to feel my mom’s hugs, to hear my best friend’s laugh, to actually salivate when I imagined taking one sip of a salt-rimmed margarita. I wanted to feel numb. Like a machine, instead of flesh and blood. So being violated wouldn’t hurt so bad anymore. So I wouldn’t feel that painful wrench in my heart every time I flash back to everything I lost.
I don’t want to think about the fact that I’ll never surf a Pacific wave again, I’ll never compete in another triathlon, I’ll never graduate from college or meet the man of my dreams or have his children.
My life will end in wretchedness. I’m no one now. I have no identity. I’m an empty shell. A spaced-out drug addict. A worthless, forgotten girl who partied with her friends on a Costa Rican vacation one day and became the personal property of drug lords the next.
The man spews out a stream of expletives. His eyes narrow to slits. I stare at him without speaking. I competed in Olympic distance triathlons and half marathons. Any weekend I wasn’t racing, I was riding waves on my surfboard. My friends and classmates all said I had the perfect body—muscular and well-proportioned.
It’s hard to believe I was ever an athlete. Weariness overtook my brain and slowly worried its way through every muscle, every bone. Now loose skin hangs off my bones. All my muscles have wasted away. I get dizzy and out of breath just walking across a room. None of us have ever been served a decent meal in this place. Sometimes they feed us rat stew. I’m constantly hungry. Night and day, I dream about spaghetti piled high on a plate—topped with enormous meatballs, juicy steaks, mountains of ice cream.
Acid is eating through the lining of my stomach. Being full would be nice, but right now I’d just like to have enough food inside my stomach that the pain eroding my gut would go away. It’s agony to be this hungry. All of us here are so hungry, we gobble down the rat stew like it is prime rib. I’ve gotten to the point that I’ll eat anything. Moldy bread. Cockroaches unfortunate enough to crawl into my living space.
The man’s hand connects with my cheek again. I close my eyes and can’t help wincing when his hand smacks the other side of my face. I squint to look at him, relieved that he’s done hitting me—at least for now. A randy smile curls up the corner of his oily looking lips. “That’s better. At least you have some color now.”
I say nothing. I stand in front of him waiting to see what he’ll do to me next.
He grabs me roughly by the shoulder and shoves me toward the bed. I stumble backward. He lunges again, forcing me to sit on the mattress. “I’ll never be able to get it up looking at that sorry face. I want to see desire in your eyes.” He pulls a vial and a needle out of his pocket.
That’s what all the men want, to see that dazed, drugged-out expression on my face. It’s how they can immerse themselves in fantasy. Instead of looking at a frightened face, they can see stoned, heavy-lidded eyes and imagine that they’re seeing desire. As if I could ever desire any of these pigs. I could never lust after this repulsive man with his sweat and his smells or even any of the others with their shiny shoes and fancy shirts. The mere thought causes sour bile to surge up into my throat.
If only I had a knife. I’d slit his throat and then stab him again and again, his blood splashing on my face until the agony of what he has done, and all the others have done to my body and my soul was finally cleansed.
He presses his lips down as he prepares the needle. He injects himself first. He’ll inject me second with the dirty needle. His sweaty hand holding the syringe moves toward me. “You want this bad, don’t you?”
Yes, God help me, I ache for the liquid injection into my veins, to feel the warm, comforting haze that will follow. I want it bad. But I won’t let him see the desperation in my eyes. Unfortunately, my body gives me away. The slight tremor in my hands, the occasional tick in my jaw is worsening. If I go much longer without heroin, my muscles and limbs will perform a spastic dance I have no control over.
He grabs my arm with a jerk and I grimace when I feel the stab of the needle. The cold liquid enters my veins.
Relief rolls through me and the taut tension in my muscles slowly ebbs away. I despise my dependence. I never needed anything or anyone until I ended up in this place. But I won’t think about that now. I’ll savor this moment of escape. I no longer feel the acid burning in my belly, the deep ache in my muscles and bones. The man’s voice sounds far away, like he’s in another room or another plane of existence. I allow myself to journey far away. In my mind, I am gliding across the perfect blue wave on my surfboard, my body balanced, in control, strong. I barely notice when the man with the sweaty hands tosses me back on the bed.
October 3, 2019
Very intense reading. Some not so nice events take place early on as we come into the story with kidnapped women. Mia describes it all and your heart just bleeds.
Ethan feels an instant connection, as he swoops in to rescue the women, Mia knocks him for a loop. Duty calls and he draws away.
The action doesn't stop as they realize Mia is in danger from the men who kidnapped her. The Seals work out a plan to take care of it.
First time reading anything by Sabrina. I really enjoyed it. Characters are strong, story is intense and the love interest makes it all a great evening!
Ethan feels an instant connection, as he swoops in to rescue the women, Mia knocks him for a loop. Duty calls and he draws away.
The action doesn't stop as they realize Mia is in danger from the men who kidnapped her. The Seals work out a plan to take care of it.
First time reading anything by Sabrina. I really enjoyed it. Characters are strong, story is intense and the love interest makes it all a great evening!
December 14, 2019
This is my first time reading anything by this author but after reading this it shall not be the last time! This book has an interesting plot that has possible triggers for some readers. It’s told from dual points of view – Mia and Ethan. There are some steamy scenes that are well written and fit well with the story.
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.
November 15, 2019
Mia is one strong as heck woman. Ethan is an amazing male lead. This whole book was wow from start to finish!
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.
September 20, 2022
There is content in this book that may be triggering to some and may make others uncomfortable. There is content such as trafficking of women and children, rape and abuse of women. The potentially triggering content is at the beginning of the book. This is a book about strength and overcoming trauma and horror from ones past. For me it was heartbreaking for the first bit of the book. Mia's suffering and the abuse forced on her is horrific. Ethan has had his own trauma in his past that still haunts him. There is action and some violence in the book, not a lot. The book seemed to be more about them both recovering from their past and their growth as a person and eventually as a couple. There is not a whole lot of intimate scenes between the two of them, but there are a couple and they are a little steamy. The book has a thread of suspense through it, will they get the bad guys kind of thing. This would not be a book for someone looking for a cheery, rainbows and sunshine book.
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.
August 10, 2021
DNF. This was just a dreadful take on the subject matter.
I stopped reading when she had arrived at the hospital. Really? Really? That is what would've happened? Having been rescued by SEALs in a planned operation she is just dropped off. No-one contacted her family? Nooo, she rang her mum having been missing for a year. Her mum thinks she might've just run off... so, she really knows her daughter well... her friends... aren't even concerned about her. Some friends. Then the nurse at the hospital diagnoses her by seeing some bruises and asking her if she is hurt anywhere else. Now, please... do not get me wrong. But, for someone who had been kidnapped over a year ago... raped repeatedly... hooked on drugs... yeah... that is really the way it would be played out.
I just can't even...
I stopped reading when she had arrived at the hospital. Really? Really? That is what would've happened? Having been rescued by SEALs in a planned operation she is just dropped off. No-one contacted her family? Nooo, she rang her mum having been missing for a year. Her mum thinks she might've just run off... so, she really knows her daughter well... her friends... aren't even concerned about her. Some friends. Then the nurse at the hospital diagnoses her by seeing some bruises and asking her if she is hurt anywhere else. Now, please... do not get me wrong. But, for someone who had been kidnapped over a year ago... raped repeatedly... hooked on drugs... yeah... that is really the way it would be played out.
I just can't even...
January 19, 2020
Taken
Such a fantastic book. I really enjoyed reading this book. Although she is a new author to me, I was happy to take a chance and was quite happy with the story. It was exciting, thrilling to read. It was suspenseful, full of action, kept me on the edge of my seat reading about what was going to happen next. I loved the characters and the romance going on with the main characters. It was an excellent book. I won’t hesitate to read more by this author. ❤️
Such a fantastic book. I really enjoyed reading this book. Although she is a new author to me, I was happy to take a chance and was quite happy with the story. It was exciting, thrilling to read. It was suspenseful, full of action, kept me on the edge of my seat reading about what was going to happen next. I loved the characters and the romance going on with the main characters. It was an excellent book. I won’t hesitate to read more by this author. ❤️
November 24, 2019
Mia lives through a young woman's worst nightmare. Kidnapped and used as a sex slave. Rescued by Navy SEALS she meets Ethan, a SEAL with his own baggage. They bond as he attempts to keep her safe from the cartel. TAKEN is a hot sexy read you won't want to put down. Be aware it might have triggers for some readers.
November 13, 2019
This is a gripping romantic and suspenseful story about a very difficult and very real subject matter. Mia is abducted and held captive as a sex slave. She is drugged and violated relentlessly. Ethan is one of the SEALs sent in to recuse her and the other girls. Now he is tasked with keeping her safe. The attraction between them is fantastic. This is an intense and steamy story that I could not put down.
November 5, 2019
Mia was so cold an hurt so bad she just wished she could die an get it over.One of her captures or someone shes taken too will kill her one day.. As shes sitting with her arms around her legs trying to get warm she hears shots the women scream the a big guy with a Helmut an night vision glasses tells her they have to hurry.He finally pick a her up an carries her to the copter. When she looks so thin an bruised his heart breaks for Mia .She asks his name at first he gives her his last na!e but finally tells her it;s Ethan. There are so many twists and turns to this story will keep you riveted until the very last page and leave you begging for more .I love the way this amazing author brings the characters to life before your eyes and makes you feel their emotions and their pain.I can hardly wait to see whats next by this multi talented author.
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.
October 18, 2019
This is a great book about a young college student named Mia who has been kidnapped by sex traffickers and held captive for about a year. The beginning of the book tells a lot about the horrors of being trafficked - the abuse, rapes, use of drugs for control, and more. Then a SEAL team rescues her (especially one SEAL named Ethan). The author then tells about the tough struggles Mia has recovering from her terrible experience, but she is a pretty strong young woman. Then the kidnappers (the ones still alive) come after her and even her mother because they feel she knows too much. By this time Mia and Ethan are in love and there are some great sex scenes. One thing I was appreciating as I read this book was the use of comparatively short chapters to tell the story. It really kept things moving! Anyway, Mia begins to remember some things and the SEAL team needs to decide how to use this information to stop them. Can Ethan be successful with this? Can he keep Mia safe? Can they have an HEA? I highly recommend this book!
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.
November 5, 2019
This is a rollercoaster ride of a romantic suspense story
Mia is vacationing when she is captured and sold as a sex slave by the cartels she is held for about a year There is a fairly graphic depiction of the rapes and drugging to break the will of the captives. After about a year she and the other girls are rescued by a Seal team. Mia and her mother are still in danger so Ethan one of the seals is tasked with their protection only problem is that Mia and Ethan are developing feelings for one another. With the cartel getting ever closer determined to keep her quite as she knows to much Will Ethan be able to keep her safe and as she realises what she knows will it give the Seals the information they need to destroy the trafficking ring for ever.
Mia is vacationing when she is captured and sold as a sex slave by the cartels she is held for about a year There is a fairly graphic depiction of the rapes and drugging to break the will of the captives. After about a year she and the other girls are rescued by a Seal team. Mia and her mother are still in danger so Ethan one of the seals is tasked with their protection only problem is that Mia and Ethan are developing feelings for one another. With the cartel getting ever closer determined to keep her quite as she knows to much Will Ethan be able to keep her safe and as she realises what she knows will it give the Seals the information they need to destroy the trafficking ring for ever.
October 7, 2019
Two wounded souls find healing with each other
Kidnapped while on vacation, Mia becomes a commodity in the tragic, brutal world of human trafficking. Ethan is on the elite military team that rescues her and some other women from where they’re being kept in Mexico. Back in the States, it’s soon clear that Mia isn’t out of danger. The cartel that had her fears that she knows too much. It’s up to Ethan’s team to keep her safe while working to track down the men trying to kill her.
Mia and Ethan have an instant connection. Both of them suffer from PTSD—hers from abuse, his from his military service. But understanding what it’s like to have triggers allows them to be the support system that each of them needs on their journey toward healing.
Ms. Devonshire has created memorable characters and crafted a gripping cautionary tale that could have been ripped from the headlines. The writing is clean and crisp, the editing well done. Just be aware of possible triggers.
Kidnapped while on vacation, Mia becomes a commodity in the tragic, brutal world of human trafficking. Ethan is on the elite military team that rescues her and some other women from where they’re being kept in Mexico. Back in the States, it’s soon clear that Mia isn’t out of danger. The cartel that had her fears that she knows too much. It’s up to Ethan’s team to keep her safe while working to track down the men trying to kill her.
Mia and Ethan have an instant connection. Both of them suffer from PTSD—hers from abuse, his from his military service. But understanding what it’s like to have triggers allows them to be the support system that each of them needs on their journey toward healing.
Ms. Devonshire has created memorable characters and crafted a gripping cautionary tale that could have been ripped from the headlines. The writing is clean and crisp, the editing well done. Just be aware of possible triggers.
November 7, 2019
I received a free copy of this book however all thoughts and opinions are 100% my own, and given completely voluntarily.
I loved this! It grabbed me from the first page, kept me til the last and enthralled me in between. Well worth your time to read it.
I loved this! It grabbed me from the first page, kept me til the last and enthralled me in between. Well worth your time to read it.
October 8, 2019
Sabrina's an amazing author. You are the main character and intimately feel their emotions. I do have a warning. The first two chapters are harsh. They're written in the first person and cover the end period of Mia's abduction by a Mexican drug cartel. There are descriptions of the painful reality...beatings, forced drug use, and unwanted sex.
After her rescue by Navy seals, you think the story is going to follow a typical pattern with Mia falling for Ethan, her rescuer. Not so fast. This is primarily an action adventure. The cartel comes after Mia, who is suffering from PTSD and withdrawals from drug addiction.
Many twists and turns later, the story does morph into a romance.
Really enjoyed it. You won't be able to put this one down.
After her rescue by Navy seals, you think the story is going to follow a typical pattern with Mia falling for Ethan, her rescuer. Not so fast. This is primarily an action adventure. The cartel comes after Mia, who is suffering from PTSD and withdrawals from drug addiction.
Many twists and turns later, the story does morph into a romance.
Really enjoyed it. You won't be able to put this one down.
October 7, 2019
If you're looking for a suspenseful, sexy read with a guaranteed HEA, TAKEN by Sabrina Devonshire is the book for you.
After Mia is kidnapped and held as a sex slave, she almost gives up hope. That's when an elite team of Navy SEALs rescues her and the other girls held captive by a ruthless cartel.
Still in danger, she tries not to fall for Ethan, the sexy SEAL who saved her and who is now tasked with keeping her safe. The attraction is mutual, and there's no denying their chemistry. But has Ethan let his guard down? Can he still keep Mia safe?
Pulse-pounding action and steamy bedroom scenes make this book an easy 5 STARS.
After Mia is kidnapped and held as a sex slave, she almost gives up hope. That's when an elite team of Navy SEALs rescues her and the other girls held captive by a ruthless cartel.
Still in danger, she tries not to fall for Ethan, the sexy SEAL who saved her and who is now tasked with keeping her safe. The attraction is mutual, and there's no denying their chemistry. But has Ethan let his guard down? Can he still keep Mia safe?
Pulse-pounding action and steamy bedroom scenes make this book an easy 5 STARS.
October 8, 2019
This sexy suspenseful read will have you turning the pages.
Mia was kidnapped while vacationing with her friends and sold as a sex slave. Wanting nothing more than to give up a sexy Seal and his team come to rescue her and the other that have been kidnapped by the Cartel. Still facing danger from the Cartel Ethan is ordered to protect her. Can she keep her feelings in check? Will Ethan be able to protect her and fight his feelings at the same time?
Can’t wait to read more from this author.
I was given a copy of this book and voluntarily leaving my review.
Mia was kidnapped while vacationing with her friends and sold as a sex slave. Wanting nothing more than to give up a sexy Seal and his team come to rescue her and the other that have been kidnapped by the Cartel. Still facing danger from the Cartel Ethan is ordered to protect her. Can she keep her feelings in check? Will Ethan be able to protect her and fight his feelings at the same time?
Can’t wait to read more from this author.
I was given a copy of this book and voluntarily leaving my review.
October 10, 2019
If you are looking for a nail-bitingly hot and sexy book, Taken (Elite SEALs Book 1) by Author Sabrina Devonshire might just be the answer. Navy seals to the rescue from a cartel sex trafficking ring. Mia, one of the girls held as a sex-slave was smitten by her rescuer, SEAL Ethan. Both are mutually attracted to one another, yet each has their skepticism to overcome. Will the couple's entrancement come to fruition? I can't wait to read the sequel to this seductive story.
October 28, 2019
This was a super read and I enjoyed every last page of it it is a really darkish intense read and may not be for everyone but if you don't mind some tough subjects then you should really enjoy Mia and Ethan’s story it was a super book and I cannot wait for more from this series.
October 2, 2019
Rescued and Saved by her Soul Mate
Hard to put down this hot & sexy story.
Loved the current & timely storyline.
Written in a clear & concise manner.
Hard to put down this hot & sexy story.
Loved the current & timely storyline.
Written in a clear & concise manner.
September 24, 2022
This is a dark military romance. It starts with Mia being in a dark place and is rescued by Navy Seals, more specifically Ethan. Mia has to deal with all the issues and torment she's been through. Although back home Mia is still not safe and needs protected. Ethan has had a past traumatic event that makes him distant. Mia really likes Ethan but they both know that for various reasons there is no future for them. Ethan is married to the military and his missions. Once Mia is safe Ethan's job will be done and they will likely never see each other again. Slowly, over time Mia changes Ethan but will it be enough? They both overcome a lot by the end of the book.
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.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 4, 2022
This was an action adventure military romance.
First, this book needs trigger warnings. The first few chapters are graphic, dealing with human trafficking, forced drug use and sexual assault on underage girls.
Second, the writing was ok but the transitions did not make for a smooth flow of the story. In some parts of the book it was difficult to determine the passing of time unless it was explicitly stated.
Third, I am aware this was a work of fiction, however there is only so much suspension of reality I can accept. Specifically, the medical and mental health treatments are not even close to reality.
I am sure there are readers who will enjoy this book, but it was not my cup of tea.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
First, this book needs trigger warnings. The first few chapters are graphic, dealing with human trafficking, forced drug use and sexual assault on underage girls.
Second, the writing was ok but the transitions did not make for a smooth flow of the story. In some parts of the book it was difficult to determine the passing of time unless it was explicitly stated.
Third, I am aware this was a work of fiction, however there is only so much suspension of reality I can accept. Specifically, the medical and mental health treatments are not even close to reality.
I am sure there are readers who will enjoy this book, but it was not my cup of tea.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
December 27, 2019
Devonshire delivers another satisfying read.
Mia is kidnapped in Mexico by a trafficking cartel and sold as a sex slave. The horrific abuse she suffers—beatings, forced drug use, and rape—cause her to give up on life, wishing hers would end. When Navy Seal, Ethan, comes to the rescue, Mia’s emotions run the gamut, from despair to hope and then desire. The author makes you feel each one of them. Once Mia and Ethan get together there are some blazing hot sex scenes. But the bad guys are still a threat. Can Ethan keep Mia safe? The twists and turns along with the well-developed characters will keep you fully engrossed. I highly recommend this excellent new series.
Mia is kidnapped in Mexico by a trafficking cartel and sold as a sex slave. The horrific abuse she suffers—beatings, forced drug use, and rape—cause her to give up on life, wishing hers would end. When Navy Seal, Ethan, comes to the rescue, Mia’s emotions run the gamut, from despair to hope and then desire. The author makes you feel each one of them. Once Mia and Ethan get together there are some blazing hot sex scenes. But the bad guys are still a threat. Can Ethan keep Mia safe? The twists and turns along with the well-developed characters will keep you fully engrossed. I highly recommend this excellent new series.
September 17, 2022
We're dealing with the mexican cartel, when Mia and others are kidnapped for sex trafficking. But she's already been there a year, so don't know if there's another story where she was taken before this story. She's been through unthinkable things and heroine forced on her. What I find unbelieveable and when she's rescued and in the hospital she has sexual fantasies about Ethan. I find that hard to believe after what she's been through. HEA. I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
August 25, 2020
I met a few SEALs when the husband was in the Navy. The hero in this book seems to fit right into that group. The ones I've met always worked hard, played hard and loved, and hurt deeply. They always seem to feel responsible for those around them who are weaker. Ms. Devonshire has also done a wonderful job describing the pain and despair of a victim. This was a good, but intense read.
December 26, 2019
This is an action packed story. Ethan feels a connection to Mia. He doesn't know how to fell about that then she is in danger and his training kicks in. Do you think he will be able to protect her?
February 8, 2020
Emotional and fascinating! The writing draws you in and keeps you interested until the end.
This definitely will not be the last book I read from this author!
I received a copy of this book. This review was posted voluntarily.
This definitely will not be the last book I read from this author!
I received a copy of this book. This review was posted voluntarily.
March 30, 2020
A captivating read from beginning to end! An exciting storyline that leaves you breathless wanting more! Sexy steam filled chemistry! Emotionally heartfelt, enjoyable and fun! One heck of a twisted, intense rollercoaster ride! An amazing must read!
April 18, 2020
Enjoyable
I enjoyed this story. It’s full of lots of suspense, action, and a sweet romance. I will be reading more from this author
I enjoyed this story. It’s full of lots of suspense, action, and a sweet romance. I will be reading more from this author
June 15, 2023
It started very promising and it grabbed my attention till the heroine started to act stupid and I hate stupid characters
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