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Caged
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132 pages, Kindle Edition
Published July 18, 2019
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November 14, 2019
Caged was a huge contradiction for me.
Undoubtedly this is a dark romance and generally this is a favourite genre of mine, but I felt like there were too many triggers for me to handle.
Nayla and Eddie, two people from entirely different worlds come together under very unusual circumstances. Things heat up pretty quickly and before long they both fight both one another and themselves.
Saying all these, I struggled to reconcile with certain issues in the book that -in my opinion- were left up in the air. Like the fact that Edie introduces Nayla to pet play and he doesn’t offer her an out or a safeword. One other objection is that the love came a bit too fast for my liking. Like they didn’t even have a proper conversation to see if they actually like each other. I’d prefer a few more pages in the end. To see how they handle their routine or if they're good together.
It’s certainly fast paced and well written. Alta has a unique talent of giving you front-row tickets to the action and I enjoyed it. Literally, I finished it in one sitting.
Undoubtedly this is a dark romance and generally this is a favourite genre of mine, but I felt like there were too many triggers for me to handle.
Nayla and Eddie, two people from entirely different worlds come together under very unusual circumstances. Things heat up pretty quickly and before long they both fight both one another and themselves.
Saying all these, I struggled to reconcile with certain issues in the book that -in my opinion- were left up in the air. Like the fact that Edie introduces Nayla to pet play and he doesn’t offer her an out or a safeword. One other objection is that the love came a bit too fast for my liking. Like they didn’t even have a proper conversation to see if they actually like each other. I’d prefer a few more pages in the end. To see how they handle their routine or if they're good together.
It’s certainly fast paced and well written. Alta has a unique talent of giving you front-row tickets to the action and I enjoyed it. Literally, I finished it in one sitting.
August 3, 2019
"He was the animal. Not me. He belonged where I was. He should be in this cage. He was the damn beast who needed to be confined."
I rarely ever give anything less than 3 stars. Usually if its not worth 3 I don't finish the book or write a review. Yet, I stayed with this book until the very end. And as much as I have loved some of Alta's other books, this one was a disappointment.
“Remember that, kitten. You’ve entered my world. And frankly, I’m getting quite tired of spanking this ass of yours.”
Told in dual POV, this standalone novel follows assistant D.A Nayla Bell and notorious mafia boss Eddie Vasco. Nayla has been building a case against Eddie, obsessed with putting him behind bars for the rest of his life. Eddie has had his eye on Nayla too, showing up to kidnap her. He intends for her to be the one in a cage, punishing her as his pet. She only wants to make it out alive. But what happens when you began to crave the punishment? She CAN'T fall for him, he is everything she has worked so hard to rid the city of. But when the time comes for her rescue, will she be able to walk away....or will she give it all up to be with him?
"I didn’t want a pet anymore. But I wanted her. I didn’t need her as my captive anymore. But I needed her."
The best way to review this is to break it down to a "hated" and "liked" list. I will say this though, if you still decide to read this and find yourself on the negative review side of the line....dont give up on this author. She has some other books that are well written and worthy of a chance.
“I’m about to show you what happens if you’re bad.”
What's Wrong with this Book:
Plot (or lack of) : There is somewhat of a plot, but its so rushed through its kinda difficult to recognize it. You have an asst D.A. and the mafia boss she is trying to take down....he kidnaps her, makes her his pet, suddenly they are both feeling more, and just when it begins to pick up on a promising story....well, its over. There are things that are left rather unsettled, and any "drama" is either pushed aside or easily handled that there is ZERO suspense or excitement. At the end, I was like....
....seriously, WTH was the overall point or goal?
Rushed Ending : As mentioned above, just when the story begins to pick up momentum, its over. I am going to blame it on the limited page count, 130ish is a novella. So much time was spent on events that added nothing to the overall plot development that it wasted the room that could have given the book a satisfying ending. Instead, its so sudden....a HEA that was too easy to fit such a story. You are left kinda like....
....I mean WTH just happened? And then there isn't an epilogue or anything to give us a taste of these two in the future.
Relationship of Eddie/Nayla : Maybe I should have listed this one first, because at the root of the issues with this book is the lack of relationship development between our heroine ane anti-hero. She hates him, he wants to punish her. He makes her his pet (cage, tail, collar and all), she wants to escape. He pets her and shows her the smallest glimpse of affection, she is suddenly in love and can't live without him. This isn't over the course of weeks or months, this timeline is more a matter of hours (maybe 48-72 hours). I am 100% for dark erotica where the captured falls for her owner/kidnapper (I mean Buttons and Lace is one of my most favorite books and series of all time), however this one epically fails at establishing and developing that kind of love story. No, this is an example of Stockholm Syndrome, or of a woman who hates her life and career so much that sleeping in a cage and being fucked twice is better than returning to that life. My mind is still trying to pinpoint at what point they even have a chance to develop "more".....
Pointless Filler : I am normally hesitant to read novellas (or books with less than 200 pages) because I have found very few authors that can write a well developed story in that amount of pages. Most of the time, its the author trying to cram too much important shit into the space....where there is just way too much going on to make sense of it all. This is the opposite side of the spectrum. The limited space of this book was wasted in some spots with events/dialogue that added absolutely zero worth to the story thats being told. For example, why are we told about another crime family in such detail when overall they don't even make an appearance in this story? Why waste so much precious space to give this complex tale of betrayal and corruption when in the end, it never amounts to anything and the conclusion is never actually well......concluded or wrapped up?
"All that was left was fucking broken as I’m sure he had intended to do. All that was left was sex, conquer, demand, hate, and beauty. A dark, awful, alluring beauty. Fucking beauty. That was what there was."
What I liked:
"Dirty" Scenes/Talk : Alta's gift of writing sex scenes and steamy dirty talk is showcased in this book.
“And if I told you I wanted to fuck you right now, what would you say?”“I would say no. Just so you can fucking take me anyway.”
You don't get a ton of action because the length, but what we do get is for the most part everything I expect from her. I am not a fan of the whole "pet" dynamic, but it was written in a way that it didn't make me skip over those parts.
"Back Story"/Prologue : Honestly my fav part (in terms of being invested/gripped by) is the prologue. Its sets up a scene of chaos and massacre. It is suspenseful and promising, setting a tone that isn't quite delivered in the rest of the book. However, the writing in those first few pages was so gripping and intense that its worth mentioning here.
Editing/Proofing : Its worth noting that the editing and proofing was on point, I didn't notice any spelling or grammar issues/errors from start to finish. This should be a given right? Authors should produce finished work that isn't full of misspelled words or bad sentences.....
....but trust me, its not uncommon to read books filled with errors (even from well established authors).
“Are you,” her voice cracked and her bottom lip trembled, “going to punish me again?” I smiled. “Oh, I plan to punish but in the most wicked of ways,” I said as my cock hardened immediately at the thought.
Overall, I found this book one of my least favs of 2019. Is it downright awful? No, I am sure there will be plenty of readers that thoroughly enjoy it. But for me, it lacked the necessary depth or development to be worthy of me recommending it 100% to others. Which is a shame, because Alta's talents far exceed what we are given here.
"Hunger. Desire. Passion sparked between us like a lightning storm at sea, rough and turbulent. This was wrong. This was right. This was everything it shouldn’t be, and yet it was absolutely perfect."
I rarely ever give anything less than 3 stars. Usually if its not worth 3 I don't finish the book or write a review. Yet, I stayed with this book until the very end. And as much as I have loved some of Alta's other books, this one was a disappointment.
“Remember that, kitten. You’ve entered my world. And frankly, I’m getting quite tired of spanking this ass of yours.”
Told in dual POV, this standalone novel follows assistant D.A Nayla Bell and notorious mafia boss Eddie Vasco. Nayla has been building a case against Eddie, obsessed with putting him behind bars for the rest of his life. Eddie has had his eye on Nayla too, showing up to kidnap her. He intends for her to be the one in a cage, punishing her as his pet. She only wants to make it out alive. But what happens when you began to crave the punishment? She CAN'T fall for him, he is everything she has worked so hard to rid the city of. But when the time comes for her rescue, will she be able to walk away....or will she give it all up to be with him?
"I didn’t want a pet anymore. But I wanted her. I didn’t need her as my captive anymore. But I needed her."
The best way to review this is to break it down to a "hated" and "liked" list. I will say this though, if you still decide to read this and find yourself on the negative review side of the line....dont give up on this author. She has some other books that are well written and worthy of a chance.
“I’m about to show you what happens if you’re bad.”
What's Wrong with this Book:
Plot (or lack of) : There is somewhat of a plot, but its so rushed through its kinda difficult to recognize it. You have an asst D.A. and the mafia boss she is trying to take down....he kidnaps her, makes her his pet, suddenly they are both feeling more, and just when it begins to pick up on a promising story....well, its over. There are things that are left rather unsettled, and any "drama" is either pushed aside or easily handled that there is ZERO suspense or excitement. At the end, I was like....
....seriously, WTH was the overall point or goal?
Rushed Ending : As mentioned above, just when the story begins to pick up momentum, its over. I am going to blame it on the limited page count, 130ish is a novella. So much time was spent on events that added nothing to the overall plot development that it wasted the room that could have given the book a satisfying ending. Instead, its so sudden....a HEA that was too easy to fit such a story. You are left kinda like....
....I mean WTH just happened? And then there isn't an epilogue or anything to give us a taste of these two in the future.
Relationship of Eddie/Nayla : Maybe I should have listed this one first, because at the root of the issues with this book is the lack of relationship development between our heroine ane anti-hero. She hates him, he wants to punish her. He makes her his pet (cage, tail, collar and all), she wants to escape. He pets her and shows her the smallest glimpse of affection, she is suddenly in love and can't live without him. This isn't over the course of weeks or months, this timeline is more a matter of hours (maybe 48-72 hours). I am 100% for dark erotica where the captured falls for her owner/kidnapper (I mean Buttons and Lace is one of my most favorite books and series of all time), however this one epically fails at establishing and developing that kind of love story. No, this is an example of Stockholm Syndrome, or of a woman who hates her life and career so much that sleeping in a cage and being fucked twice is better than returning to that life. My mind is still trying to pinpoint at what point they even have a chance to develop "more".....
Pointless Filler : I am normally hesitant to read novellas (or books with less than 200 pages) because I have found very few authors that can write a well developed story in that amount of pages. Most of the time, its the author trying to cram too much important shit into the space....where there is just way too much going on to make sense of it all. This is the opposite side of the spectrum. The limited space of this book was wasted in some spots with events/dialogue that added absolutely zero worth to the story thats being told. For example, why are we told about another crime family in such detail when overall they don't even make an appearance in this story? Why waste so much precious space to give this complex tale of betrayal and corruption when in the end, it never amounts to anything and the conclusion is never actually well......concluded or wrapped up?
"All that was left was fucking broken as I’m sure he had intended to do. All that was left was sex, conquer, demand, hate, and beauty. A dark, awful, alluring beauty. Fucking beauty. That was what there was."
What I liked:
"Dirty" Scenes/Talk : Alta's gift of writing sex scenes and steamy dirty talk is showcased in this book.
“And if I told you I wanted to fuck you right now, what would you say?”“I would say no. Just so you can fucking take me anyway.”
You don't get a ton of action because the length, but what we do get is for the most part everything I expect from her. I am not a fan of the whole "pet" dynamic, but it was written in a way that it didn't make me skip over those parts.
"Back Story"/Prologue : Honestly my fav part (in terms of being invested/gripped by) is the prologue. Its sets up a scene of chaos and massacre. It is suspenseful and promising, setting a tone that isn't quite delivered in the rest of the book. However, the writing in those first few pages was so gripping and intense that its worth mentioning here.
Editing/Proofing : Its worth noting that the editing and proofing was on point, I didn't notice any spelling or grammar issues/errors from start to finish. This should be a given right? Authors should produce finished work that isn't full of misspelled words or bad sentences.....
....but trust me, its not uncommon to read books filled with errors (even from well established authors).
“Are you,” her voice cracked and her bottom lip trembled, “going to punish me again?” I smiled. “Oh, I plan to punish but in the most wicked of ways,” I said as my cock hardened immediately at the thought.
Overall, I found this book one of my least favs of 2019. Is it downright awful? No, I am sure there will be plenty of readers that thoroughly enjoy it. But for me, it lacked the necessary depth or development to be worthy of me recommending it 100% to others. Which is a shame, because Alta's talents far exceed what we are given here.
"Hunger. Desire. Passion sparked between us like a lightning storm at sea, rough and turbulent. This was wrong. This was right. This was everything it shouldn’t be, and yet it was absolutely perfect."
July 26, 2019
Dirty, BUT -as always - super well written!
click here for links
Merged review:
Dirty, BUT -as always - super well written!
click here for links
click here for links
Merged review:
Dirty, BUT -as always - super well written!
click here for links
December 8, 2019
What did I just read. I cannot fathom it. I skipped. I regret reading this book. Will definitely be avoiding this author
July 21, 2019
Caged is an intense, forbidden, steamy, dark , twisted mafia romance that will take you on quite the ride. Eddie and Nayla's story will have the readers hooked from the start. The book just flowed and right away I knew that Eddie was going to be just amazing- with his stalkerish ways and Obsession with Nayla. Nayla is the one who also is one to watch. The twists were just fantastic!! Caged had me seduced by the powerful story that took place.
My Rating : 4.5 stars *******
My Rating : 4.5 stars *******
August 13, 2022
I'm going to divide this review into two parts: A) What readers who are into this might enjoy, and B) What I hated.
Part I -- You might enjoy this
-If you like erotica with no plot;
-If you like non-consent;
-If you like pet play (cage, tail, collar, chain, eating from bowl, at "master's feet");
-If you like extreme public humiliation and beatings with hand, belt;
-If you like mafia stories (which seem all the rage lately -- unfortunately, as the authors have done absolutely no research into the subject);
-If you like an anti-hero ;
-If you like an ;
-If you can suspend A LOT of disbelief regarding plot cohesion, character cohesion, and D/s practices.
Part II -- I hated
- The Plot: So, apparently I actually need a cohesive, coherent plot to underpin my erotic scenes. As another reviewer also pointed out, why Eddie kidnaps Nayla is , but why he makes a pet of her is never explained ? There are so many other plot holes, such as: ?
- The Characters: So, apparently I actually need cohesive, coherent characters to underpin my erotic scenes. I've mentioned Eddie's inconsistencies, but Nayla is equally incomprehensible. She starts out strong and fights back (Eddie is another in a long, long, long line of "heroes" who punish women who very reasonably object to being kidnapped), but then she .
- The Punishments: So, apparently I actually need my punishments to not potentially kill or permanently harm the heroine (I know, my kinks are funny that way). Now, harsh punishments aren't my thing, but the belt wouldn't have permanently maimed her. What did have the potential to do so -- and the reasons I only gave this one star -- were 1) Eddie forces an over-size butt plug into a woman who has never had anal training. Even in fantasy, it's impossible to forget how dangerous this is; and 2) Physical punishments that turn into sexual pleasure are par for the course in this genre (as are public humiliation); mental cruelty and psychological mind games are a whole other story and I'm not sure what kinks they're supposed to fulfill. Not only is Nayla afraid for her , but, at one point, Eddie puts a too-tight collar on her; she panics, chokes, and has trouble breathing. He just stares at her, impervious to her distress. Finally, he tries to calm her down, but she could have easily lost consciousness in that time as not being able to breathe is one of the most frightening things one can experience. For me, this really crossed the line into psychological abuse and it was impossible to believe that Nayla could . Warning: this scene is very difficult and unpleasant to read.
On the plus side, for once Amazon's Publishers Note fully spelled out what to expect from this book.
I'm struck by how similar this book is to Measha Stone's Protecting His Pet -- the similar plot, the same punishments, the same level of deceit, the same bizarre motives and huge, glaring plotholes, the same danger of harm -- even death -- that the H puts the h in. If you liked that, you'll like this; if you didn't like that, you won't like this.
One star.
Part I -- You might enjoy this
-If you like erotica with no plot;
-If you like non-consent;
-If you like pet play (cage, tail, collar, chain, eating from bowl, at "master's feet");
-If you like extreme public humiliation and beatings with hand, belt;
-If you like mafia stories (which seem all the rage lately -- unfortunately, as the authors have done absolutely no research into the subject);
-If you like an anti-hero ;
-If you like an ;
-If you can suspend A LOT of disbelief regarding plot cohesion, character cohesion, and D/s practices.
Part II -- I hated
- The Plot: So, apparently I actually need a cohesive, coherent plot to underpin my erotic scenes. As another reviewer also pointed out, why Eddie kidnaps Nayla is , but why he makes a pet of her is never explained ? There are so many other plot holes, such as: ?
- The Characters: So, apparently I actually need cohesive, coherent characters to underpin my erotic scenes. I've mentioned Eddie's inconsistencies, but Nayla is equally incomprehensible. She starts out strong and fights back (Eddie is another in a long, long, long line of "heroes" who punish women who very reasonably object to being kidnapped), but then she .
- The Punishments: So, apparently I actually need my punishments to not potentially kill or permanently harm the heroine (I know, my kinks are funny that way). Now, harsh punishments aren't my thing, but the belt wouldn't have permanently maimed her. What did have the potential to do so -- and the reasons I only gave this one star -- were 1) Eddie forces an over-size butt plug into a woman who has never had anal training. Even in fantasy, it's impossible to forget how dangerous this is; and 2) Physical punishments that turn into sexual pleasure are par for the course in this genre (as are public humiliation); mental cruelty and psychological mind games are a whole other story and I'm not sure what kinks they're supposed to fulfill. Not only is Nayla afraid for her , but, at one point, Eddie puts a too-tight collar on her; she panics, chokes, and has trouble breathing. He just stares at her, impervious to her distress. Finally, he tries to calm her down, but she could have easily lost consciousness in that time as not being able to breathe is one of the most frightening things one can experience. For me, this really crossed the line into psychological abuse and it was impossible to believe that Nayla could . Warning: this scene is very difficult and unpleasant to read.
On the plus side, for once Amazon's Publishers Note fully spelled out what to expect from this book.
I'm struck by how similar this book is to Measha Stone's Protecting His Pet -- the similar plot, the same punishments, the same level of deceit, the same bizarre motives and huge, glaring plotholes, the same danger of harm -- even death -- that the H puts the h in. If you liked that, you'll like this; if you didn't like that, you won't like this.
One star.
January 22, 2020
Spoiler
The story felt rushed and made little sense. He’s a mob boss that kidnapped her but was angry when she lashed out or fought back seemingly for her life. He had a code of honor that kept him from hitting women in an abusive manner but he had no problem with technically raping her. That part was written in a way that doesn’t fully acknowledge the woman’s emotional state only the physical details, but either way the sex began without consent and was void of emotion for both characters. For me H’s character wasn’t consistent. Either he’s a good bad guy or he’s a ruthless bad guy but don’t straddle the fence. I have read books with dubious consent and even full out rape but the whole I won’t hit a woman but I’ll sleep with her after “punishing” her without making sure it’s what she wants is ridiculous. Even after the act he still said he wouldn’t hit her lol um ok. But he also mentioned he lost control *eye roll*. Yes she tried to kill you after being kidnapped, forced to walk around naked, forced to sleep in a cage naked and hearing your goons beat/torture her coworker. Why are you so shocked and angry?
The story felt rushed and made little sense. He’s a mob boss that kidnapped her but was angry when she lashed out or fought back seemingly for her life. He had a code of honor that kept him from hitting women in an abusive manner but he had no problem with technically raping her. That part was written in a way that doesn’t fully acknowledge the woman’s emotional state only the physical details, but either way the sex began without consent and was void of emotion for both characters. For me H’s character wasn’t consistent. Either he’s a good bad guy or he’s a ruthless bad guy but don’t straddle the fence. I have read books with dubious consent and even full out rape but the whole I won’t hit a woman but I’ll sleep with her after “punishing” her without making sure it’s what she wants is ridiculous. Even after the act he still said he wouldn’t hit her lol um ok. But he also mentioned he lost control *eye roll*. Yes she tried to kill you after being kidnapped, forced to walk around naked, forced to sleep in a cage naked and hearing your goons beat/torture her coworker. Why are you so shocked and angry?
February 12, 2020
what nonsense!
It started so well with a real mafia boss, a real mob onslaught and a district attorney assistant dedicated to put the boss in jail.
within a few pages, it turned into a kitten being spark and enjoying it.
saying "I don't want this" and "I don't know what's going on with me" plus a naked imbecile ashamed for one or two pages is not what make a book dark.
[spoiler] she played along, doing as the other girls did without any inducement in case he gets angry and (omg) spark her again [/spoiler]
I went 99 pages on 132. DNF, enough is enough.
waste of time and deception.
It started so well with a real mafia boss, a real mob onslaught and a district attorney assistant dedicated to put the boss in jail.
within a few pages, it turned into a kitten being spark and enjoying it.
saying "I don't want this" and "I don't know what's going on with me" plus a naked imbecile ashamed for one or two pages is not what make a book dark.
[spoiler] she played along, doing as the other girls did without any inducement in case he gets angry and (omg) spark her again [/spoiler]
I went 99 pages on 132. DNF, enough is enough.
waste of time and deception.
August 23, 2019
Rating: 2 Stars
Absolute disaster. I can't even call it a story. This was a 30 hour 'romance' with pet play and then declarations of love. How this passes for a story is beyond me. It had so much potential, but fell very flat. If you are looking for a book purely for the spanking and humiliation, you will love it.
I'm giving it 2 stars because the basis at the beginning was pretty good had it been explored more and I can't even call it Mafia.
Absolute disaster. I can't even call it a story. This was a 30 hour 'romance' with pet play and then declarations of love. How this passes for a story is beyond me. It had so much potential, but fell very flat. If you are looking for a book purely for the spanking and humiliation, you will love it.
I'm giving it 2 stars because the basis at the beginning was pretty good had it been explored more and I can't even call it Mafia.
July 22, 2019
Although the writing style is promising, the story and the characters are a total disappointment. This is a story of abuse and stockholm syndrome, not bdsm (ther isn't any consent from the heroine). I like to read bdsm stories for fun but abuse and humiliation is not for me.
March 24, 2022
This could have been a 5 star read if there were more pages for character development. It was a good story but you can’t really work any magic in so few pages. Here’s to longer books. The H kidnaps the h . He’s a mob boss and she’s an assistant DA out to send him
To jail so he cages her and treats her like a kitten to let her know how it feels… supposedly… but it’s clear that he’s just a bit kinky that way.
To jail so he cages her and treats her like a kitten to let her know how it feels… supposedly… but it’s clear that he’s just a bit kinky that way.
Read
August 1, 2021"This battle was over... for now. This song, this ballad of death had turned to an eerie sound of silence as the surviving mourners in the church stood to assess the damage."
And we have only gotten to page eight!
The war between the Vasco and Moretti Mafia families escalates as one or the other launches an all out attack during the funeral Mass of slain police officer Antonio Ricci in a Catholic church. They even kill the priest!
Amateurs! Couldn't they have waited until the cemetery when everyone would have been nicely grouped together? A couple of strategically placed Claymores and assassins with automatic weapons would provide a much higher death toll.
Nayla Bell, assistant DA, has been leading the investigation of Eddie Vasco, head of the crime family, but, despite her best efforts, he remains an enigma and slippery as hell - one could say untouchable.
I can see where this is going, she's gonna meet him and, despite her love of law and order, ditto her desire to bring him to justice, her lady parts are going to start tingling.
Ah, he's into spanking!
It's deeply unpleasant stuff dressed up in a BDSM setting - I gave up at the rape scene in Chapter 8 - and, it is rape, no doubt about it.
"Caged" is fairly well written - dumbed down deliberately perhaps - but the book is a brutal and nasty piece of work, and I mean 'nasty' in several senses of the word. Based on the first couple of chapters Eddie would face a life sentence, if not the death penalty, but I suspect that it will end in some kind of twisted HEA.
I skipped to the end and yes it does!
I have given 0 Stars to maybe one or two books, I only wish I could give a minus Star to this one.
And we have only gotten to page eight!
The war between the Vasco and Moretti Mafia families escalates as one or the other launches an all out attack during the funeral Mass of slain police officer Antonio Ricci in a Catholic church. They even kill the priest!
Amateurs! Couldn't they have waited until the cemetery when everyone would have been nicely grouped together? A couple of strategically placed Claymores and assassins with automatic weapons would provide a much higher death toll.
Nayla Bell, assistant DA, has been leading the investigation of Eddie Vasco, head of the crime family, but, despite her best efforts, he remains an enigma and slippery as hell - one could say untouchable.
I can see where this is going, she's gonna meet him and, despite her love of law and order, ditto her desire to bring him to justice, her lady parts are going to start tingling.
Ah, he's into spanking!
It's deeply unpleasant stuff dressed up in a BDSM setting - I gave up at the rape scene in Chapter 8 - and, it is rape, no doubt about it.
"Caged" is fairly well written - dumbed down deliberately perhaps - but the book is a brutal and nasty piece of work, and I mean 'nasty' in several senses of the word. Based on the first couple of chapters Eddie would face a life sentence, if not the death penalty, but I suspect that it will end in some kind of twisted HEA.
I skipped to the end and yes it does!
I have given 0 Stars to maybe one or two books, I only wish I could give a minus Star to this one.
August 1, 2019
Okay, I seriously doubt I would have forgiven Eddie that quickly. It would have taken a lot more than a couple happy endings for me to roll over willingly and expose my soft underbelly. I admired Naylas original attempts at freedom. Kitten definitely had claws.
This was easy to follow with some interesting characters.
Dylan's a horse's backside, but that's just my opinion.
I would have enjoyed being there for his big finale.
Eddie confused me. How do I put this without spoilers.. He claims the humiliation and degrading behavior is revenge. For? further along in the book, this changes, but not for the reasons one would normally lean towards. Was he lying to himself, his men or her about his motives? This was one of the areas that threw me off a bit and also a reason for a lower rating.
I'm not spilling what I know but darn if there wasn't a couple of surprises I did not see coming!
Overall as I expect from Hensley the story was entertaining and easy to read. Plenty of colorful characters to keep your blood boiling and your heart swooning.
I did read this in one sitting but it was not one of my favorites. For me, something was missing.
I would have enjoyed a longer story, but as most of you know I'm greedy like that.
This was easy to follow with some interesting characters.
Dylan's a horse's backside, but that's just my opinion.
I would have enjoyed being there for his big finale.
Eddie confused me. How do I put this without spoilers.. He claims the humiliation and degrading behavior is revenge. For? further along in the book, this changes, but not for the reasons one would normally lean towards. Was he lying to himself, his men or her about his motives? This was one of the areas that threw me off a bit and also a reason for a lower rating.
I'm not spilling what I know but darn if there wasn't a couple of surprises I did not see coming!
Overall as I expect from Hensley the story was entertaining and easy to read. Plenty of colorful characters to keep your blood boiling and your heart swooning.
I did read this in one sitting but it was not one of my favorites. For me, something was missing.
I would have enjoyed a longer story, but as most of you know I'm greedy like that.
July 22, 2019
I have previously enjoyed this authors work, so thought I might enjoy this. I'm glad I gave it a try, and I did enjoy it mainly. It was quite quick to read and had a interesting storyline. I liked the characters mainly, although Eddie didn't seem consistent in what he wanted at first. It wasn't really long enough for a great deal of depth to the characters, and their feelings seemed to just come out of nowhere. It was full of loads of erotic scenes surrounding spanking and being treated as a kitten, not my thing personally. I'm not offended and don't mind reading it in the context of a great storyline but I can't pretend to understand, therefore when it is a large part of the book, I find I don't enjoy the storyline as much.
If you like this author and enjoy these kind of erotic scenes I'm sure you will enjoy the book.
If you like this author and enjoy these kind of erotic scenes I'm sure you will enjoy the book.
July 23, 2019
Quick, dirty, and a little flighty, in my opinion. An assistant DA days kidnapped by a mob boss, thrown into a cage, and seems to change into a docile snowflake almost instantly. The story was off to a great start for me, but once the assistant DA gets nabbed, it's like she changes from the person she was, and I didn't really care for the story after that. Of course, it's a romance, so everything works out (no spoilers from me). I did like this because it was a quick read for me, but I didn't like the main female character all that much.
Please note that I did receive an ARC of this book, and the opinions expressed in this review are my own.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Please note that I did receive an ARC of this book, and the opinions expressed in this review are my own.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
July 24, 2019
Wow! This book is dark, gripping, hot, steamy & sweet - everything a reader wants from a mafia themed book.
Eddie Vasco is the head of his crime family. He's an alpha through & through who always gets what he wants.
Nayla Bell is the assistant district attorney tasked with bringing Eddie down & putting him behind bars. Her friend & colleague Dylan is "investigating" a rival crime family, the Moretti's.
From the very first page, this story is explosive. Every other page after, is just as explosive with all the twists & turns - so very intriguing!
I wholeheartedly recommend this book to everyone - It's a book NOT to be missed!
Well done Alta. I look forward to more from you in the future!
Eddie Vasco is the head of his crime family. He's an alpha through & through who always gets what he wants.
Nayla Bell is the assistant district attorney tasked with bringing Eddie down & putting him behind bars. Her friend & colleague Dylan is "investigating" a rival crime family, the Moretti's.
From the very first page, this story is explosive. Every other page after, is just as explosive with all the twists & turns - so very intriguing!
I wholeheartedly recommend this book to everyone - It's a book NOT to be missed!
Well done Alta. I look forward to more from you in the future!
July 24, 2019
Loved this book! Loved how Eddie, head of the Vasco mafia, ruled to show authority and ruthlessness to his soldiers but still had morals and a conscience and was still afraid of his mama! Nayla is an assistant DA trying to make DA and is not sure she even likes her job but it's what her social conscious family strives for. Both Eddie and Nayla are profiling each other, both are obsessively trying to figure out each other. Both think they have the other figured out.....until they meet....and they realize they don't...that each one doesn't even know their own wants and desires.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
December 6, 2019
Nayla is an assistant DA and Eddie is the head of one of the mafia families. An alpha male and a feisty DA are the main characters in this dark, gritty and twisted read and I loved every delicious page. If you have ever read an Alta Hensley book then you know what I mean when I say this book will take you on a twisted emotional journey with shocking moments that will pull you into the story. The story is well written and the characters are perfectly twisted. If you love dark, gritty reads while still being sexy and hot then this is for you. I can't wait to see what this author comes up with next. I voluntarily reviewed a copy of this book.
July 25, 2019
Whilst Caged was an enjoyable enough read, it just lacked something for me. If you like a hot and steamy read this book certainly fits. The storyline had a lot of promise, but there wasn’t enough depth of character. I was expecting more ruthless behaviour from the Don of the mafia and his soldiers. The book was rushed and needed more language development hence making it feel forced and unbelievable.
July 25, 2019
I love Alta Hensley. I love dark romance, but there is a fine line between dark and abusive. On occasion, this book crossed over. Having said that, Nayla was an intriguing character, torn between what was expected from an assistant DA and her surprising needs that Eddie uncovers. I though she was better developed than he was, but overall the book was a fast, mostly steamy read.
****I received an ARC and this is my honest review****
****I received an ARC and this is my honest review****
July 31, 2019
Nayla and Eddie are from opposite sides of the law. Nayla thought she could take down mafia don Eddie Vasco but the trick was on her. Eddie captures Nayla and is determined to punish her with spankings, pet play, cages, non-consent and other elements of kink. This story may have triggers for some readers. I enjoyed this dark read.
I received a copy of this book via Booksprout and am leaving a review.
I received a copy of this book via Booksprout and am leaving a review.
October 8, 2019
Just Okay
The story's description looked promising, for an author I'd never read, so I figured I'd give it a try. What I got was a relatively quick and mildly interesting read; a cookie cutter, slightly dark, mafia romance with some kink on the side. Although well written, both the character and storyline development was lacking for me, so I never actually connected with any of it. That's integral for me.
The story's description looked promising, for an author I'd never read, so I figured I'd give it a try. What I got was a relatively quick and mildly interesting read; a cookie cutter, slightly dark, mafia romance with some kink on the side. Although well written, both the character and storyline development was lacking for me, so I never actually connected with any of it. That's integral for me.
July 25, 2019
I loved this fast-paced dark read. Nayla is a DA and is out to show Eddie that he is not above the law. Then she ends up in his cage and his to use as he pleases. Eddie knows more than Nayla realizes, can he keep her safe, can she trust him? Amazing chemistry, great characters and a story that draws you in from beginning to end.
September 15, 2019
Agree with other 2 star reviewers.
This is not BDSM; there is not safe word. EVER. There's a lack of dialog, of apology, of plot.
These characters are driven together by trauma, and are calling it being in love. I'm not convinced.
Most of what I have to say are in the story highlights and comments.
This is not BDSM; there is not safe word. EVER. There's a lack of dialog, of apology, of plot.
These characters are driven together by trauma, and are calling it being in love. I'm not convinced.
Most of what I have to say are in the story highlights and comments.
July 29, 2019
***Loved all the elements of this book.
YES!!! I loved this book. I'm fine with all the elements in this book. I wish there was an epilogue telling what happened with Dylan and what happened when Nayla and Eddie got to where they were going.
I read this book through Kindle Unlimited.
YES!!! I loved this book. I'm fine with all the elements in this book. I wish there was an epilogue telling what happened with Dylan and what happened when Nayla and Eddie got to where they were going.
I read this book through Kindle Unlimited.
July 30, 2019
I so enjoyed this story. Nayla is an AD investigating Eddie, the head of the mafia family. This is a forbidden romance that goes wrong and right in all the right ways.
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 16, 2019
Story was a good one! I liked the heroine a lot. However, inconclusive ending made me give 3 stars. I felt like what the heck happened nothing got resolved. Where they went from there. What happened to the bad people.
September 10, 2019
Honestly the plot fell flat. I think it's a little pointless and strange. I'm all for pet play, but the connection with the mafia?? Nothing original, characters weren't well developed. I just found that the plot didn't make much sense!
April 5, 2020
It was okay, but some of the parts got me a bit agitated cause the way he treated her was just really disgusting but in the end it was an happy ending to I would recommend to someone with high tolerance and I dark mind.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 21, 2019
Exciting story!
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