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Finders Keepers #1
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An interconnected standalone featuring mature themes.
SOMETIMES GOOD THINGS COME TO THOSE WHO WAIT
For centuries, all the men in my family have captured their brides.
At forty-six, I wonder if I’ll ever find mine.
But suddenly I see her, and everything changes.
SOMETIMES GOOD THINGS ARE TAKEN
I’m Amos Shay, and I’ve finally found my woman.
No is not an acceptable answer, Mercy.
This is what it means to be a Shay.
SOMETIMES GOOD THINGS COME TO THOSE WHO WAIT
For centuries, all the men in my family have captured their brides.
At forty-six, I wonder if I’ll ever find mine.
But suddenly I see her, and everything changes.
SOMETIMES GOOD THINGS ARE TAKEN
I’m Amos Shay, and I’ve finally found my woman.
No is not an acceptable answer, Mercy.
This is what it means to be a Shay.
330 pages, ebook
Published January 14, 2022
410 people are currently reading
2401 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 237 reviews
June 26, 2023
An OTT H who’s obsessed with the h- yup, I liked it.
Look. I know. I KNOW many people are looking at me like, girl, really… you liked this? But yes. Yes, I did lol. Somehow, M. L. Marian convinced me to believe all the non traditional things that were in this book.
Amos’s 46 and is ready for his woman, Mercy 33. So what does he do? He retires so he can dedicate his time abducting her, loving her, and getting her to love him back. Mercy has been working for him for a while; in fact, she even lives in a building that he owns; she just doesn’t know it lol. Mercy’s been attracted to Amos for a while, but being a virgin, super meek and shy means that she’s not willing to put herself on the line or ask him out. He’s an attractive, muscular, virile man- why would he wanna be with a woman that suffers from PCOS? Oh Mercy, if you only knew 😈.
When she’s sleeping, he sneaks in and and watches her. He’s been watching/spying on her for a while. Now that he’s retired, it’s time to take what’s his… and boy, does he take 😅😈. He takes her with him (after she’s knocked out) to their new secluded house, with state-of-the-art lock mechanisms and located miles away from civilization. That way, it’ll just be the two of them. Amos is big on ensuring they get to know each other, in EVERY way. Some of these ways were… um… different, but I understood his thinking process. I’m glad we get Mercy’s perspective because I was thinking the exact same things as she was lol.
This is on the slower burn side (full smexx at around 80%) but Amos starts pleasing Mercy around 25%. Lots of f0repl@y before the big event, which made the “slow” ish burn very tolerable. Here’s where people might cringe, Amos is NOT afraid of bodily fluids… of any kind… during any time of the month 😬😅. In fact, he wants Mercy to be comfortable with being around each other at ANY point… whether they’re bathing, using the facilities, changing tampons, etc 🙈. Mercy finds it difficult to comprehend that this man would wanna be THAT comfortable with each other (and I totally sided with her on many things lol) but, somehow, Amos convinced me.
I know this isn’t everyone’s cup of tea. I didn’t know how I was gonna feel reading this, but Amos wants there to be the level of intimacy that couples could have when they’re soul mates, and I appreciated that. Mercy has a hard time trusting because she grew up in the foster system and has been alone all of her life, and he wants to close the barriers between them.
The smexxy times… okay, besides the couple of “different” beginning ones, once we got to the good ones, holy smokes they were 🔥. Amos is all about having Mercy feel pleasure, and he’ll keep giving her Os to make it all feel explosive for her. I love a man that’s so connected to his woman that he knows what she needs, and Amos does 😉.
The last one was a little.. different… but there were trigger warnings listed, so I just glazed over it lol (Amos has a nursing fetish).
The PCOS scenes were no joke ugh. I felt that on a deeper level. Mercy having fertility struggles is something so many women face, and I just wanted to hug her. Amos was supportive and validated her in the sense that she’s more than a womb, and more than being required to birth babies, which is very swoooony ❤️🥰🥰🥰. Many women face these issues, and it’s something that broke my heart while reading this 🥺❤️.
Overall, I enjoyed it
⚠️safety squad⚠️
-no cheating/sharing/owd/omd
-h is a virgin/no condoms
-noncon/dubcon situations (on the mild side)
-praise kink/blood play/spanking
-PCOS/depression/fertility issues
-stalking/spying/abduction
-HEA/1 year later/3.5 years later
Look. I know. I KNOW many people are looking at me like, girl, really… you liked this? But yes. Yes, I did lol. Somehow, M. L. Marian convinced me to believe all the non traditional things that were in this book.
Amos’s 46 and is ready for his woman, Mercy 33. So what does he do? He retires so he can dedicate his time abducting her, loving her, and getting her to love him back. Mercy has been working for him for a while; in fact, she even lives in a building that he owns; she just doesn’t know it lol. Mercy’s been attracted to Amos for a while, but being a virgin, super meek and shy means that she’s not willing to put herself on the line or ask him out. He’s an attractive, muscular, virile man- why would he wanna be with a woman that suffers from PCOS? Oh Mercy, if you only knew 😈.
When she’s sleeping, he sneaks in and and watches her. He’s been watching/spying on her for a while. Now that he’s retired, it’s time to take what’s his… and boy, does he take 😅😈. He takes her with him (after she’s knocked out) to their new secluded house, with state-of-the-art lock mechanisms and located miles away from civilization. That way, it’ll just be the two of them. Amos is big on ensuring they get to know each other, in EVERY way. Some of these ways were… um… different, but I understood his thinking process. I’m glad we get Mercy’s perspective because I was thinking the exact same things as she was lol.
This is on the slower burn side (full smexx at around 80%) but Amos starts pleasing Mercy around 25%. Lots of f0repl@y before the big event, which made the “slow” ish burn very tolerable. Here’s where people might cringe, Amos is NOT afraid of bodily fluids… of any kind… during any time of the month 😬😅. In fact, he wants Mercy to be comfortable with being around each other at ANY point… whether they’re bathing, using the facilities, changing tampons, etc 🙈. Mercy finds it difficult to comprehend that this man would wanna be THAT comfortable with each other (and I totally sided with her on many things lol) but, somehow, Amos convinced me.
I know this isn’t everyone’s cup of tea. I didn’t know how I was gonna feel reading this, but Amos wants there to be the level of intimacy that couples could have when they’re soul mates, and I appreciated that. Mercy has a hard time trusting because she grew up in the foster system and has been alone all of her life, and he wants to close the barriers between them.
The smexxy times… okay, besides the couple of “different” beginning ones, once we got to the good ones, holy smokes they were 🔥. Amos is all about having Mercy feel pleasure, and he’ll keep giving her Os to make it all feel explosive for her. I love a man that’s so connected to his woman that he knows what she needs, and Amos does 😉.
The last one was a little.. different… but there were trigger warnings listed, so I just glazed over it lol (Amos has a nursing fetish).
The PCOS scenes were no joke ugh. I felt that on a deeper level. Mercy having fertility struggles is something so many women face, and I just wanted to hug her. Amos was supportive and validated her in the sense that she’s more than a womb, and more than being required to birth babies, which is very swoooony ❤️🥰🥰🥰. Many women face these issues, and it’s something that broke my heart while reading this 🥺❤️.
Overall, I enjoyed it
⚠️safety squad⚠️
-no cheating/sharing/owd/omd
-h is a virgin/no condoms
-noncon/dubcon situations (on the mild side)
-praise kink/blood play/spanking
-PCOS/depression/fertility issues
-stalking/spying/abduction
-HEA/1 year later/3.5 years later
![Profile Image for Lori [semi-hiatus].](/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fi.gr-assets.com%2Fimages%2FS%2Fcompressed.photo.goodreads.com%2Fusers%2F1652024485i%2F125758944._UX200_CR0%2C0%2C200%2C200_.jpg&w=128&q=75)
January 14, 2022
pls tell me this wasn't supposed to be hot 😬
rtc when i'm not lazy
safety is good
rtc when i'm not lazy
safety is good
March 17, 2025
amo was too weird for me for my liking. on some weird ass shit.
January 22, 2022
OTT/ PCOS h/ older H and h/ taken
This book was sooooooo OTT y’all! I mean Amos was KINKY AS HELL and just like you would expect from reading caught you know they are just OTT alpha men who taken and take lol. I loved it.
-Amos is a true shay, they see their “one” and they take her and force her to marry.
-Stalking H— I LOVE a stalker! ESPECIALLY one who plays with his h while she’s sleeping and totally unaware 😈 He watches her sleep and paints her with his 🥜… yep! Puts it on her lips and nips and I think inside her mouth and coo-coo also lol.
-OTT alpha H who care takes and gives NO SPACE. Amos feeds her, washes her, makes her kiss him, watches her out in her tampon, and then changes it for her! Lol he makes her so these things she totally not ok with lol.
-Mercy the h is an introvert and a 33-34 yr old virgin. She’s totally naive and shy and innocent. She has like only kissed. So we’re talking SUPER INNOCENT.
-Older couple.. I think the H was a few years under 50 and the h was mid 30s. Honestly I like younger characters but it was cool that these were older.
-Mercy has PCOS, one fallopian tube and depression. She really is miserable and sad because she really wants a family. She’s been an orphan and grew up in foster care and all she wants it to give all her love to her own little babies.. and it feels impossible not only because of all her health issues that stop it from being easy, she has no one in her life to build a family with.
-Yalllll Amos is KINKKKYYY okurrttt? I honestly… y’all I’m kinda embarrassed to say…. BUT, I googled this ok because I had to know if this was like a kink people have and what’s the deal with it. This “dry nursing/nursing/adult nursing” kink is real and man…it did make me… cringe a bit lol. I mean I was kinda like well this guys almost 50 and idk… lol 😂 BUT I COULDN’T STOP READING !!! Don’t f*I king look 👀 at me like that ok. Lol read it your self.
-Their wasn’t actual sexy until 80% but their were other things he kinda forces… well more like manipulates her to do that keep it steamy but I coulda done with some more smexy times lol.
-Their is a 3 month, 1 year, and I think an even longer epilogue which was nice. I do wish the actual storyline/development was longer before epilogues but we do get a HEA and it is satisfying but i did wish it was longer but it is looking like the next book will be longer so yay!!
This book was good. It was filled with a steamrolling OTT alpha H who took his h and locked her up till she was understanding of her situation lol. We see Mitchell and Corina from ‘caught’ and meet Conner who is Amos younger brother. I am def ready for the next book already lol. This is a good light OTT dream for someone like me who loves a good OTT obsessed H lol.
This book was sooooooo OTT y’all! I mean Amos was KINKY AS HELL and just like you would expect from reading caught you know they are just OTT alpha men who taken and take lol. I loved it.
-Amos is a true shay, they see their “one” and they take her and force her to marry.
-Stalking H— I LOVE a stalker! ESPECIALLY one who plays with his h while she’s sleeping and totally unaware 😈 He watches her sleep and paints her with his 🥜… yep! Puts it on her lips and nips and I think inside her mouth and coo-coo also lol.
-OTT alpha H who care takes and gives NO SPACE. Amos feeds her, washes her, makes her kiss him, watches her out in her tampon, and then changes it for her! Lol he makes her so these things she totally not ok with lol.
-Mercy the h is an introvert and a 33-34 yr old virgin. She’s totally naive and shy and innocent. She has like only kissed. So we’re talking SUPER INNOCENT.
-Older couple.. I think the H was a few years under 50 and the h was mid 30s. Honestly I like younger characters but it was cool that these were older.
-Mercy has PCOS, one fallopian tube and depression. She really is miserable and sad because she really wants a family. She’s been an orphan and grew up in foster care and all she wants it to give all her love to her own little babies.. and it feels impossible not only because of all her health issues that stop it from being easy, she has no one in her life to build a family with.
-Yalllll Amos is KINKKKYYY okurrttt? I honestly… y’all I’m kinda embarrassed to say…. BUT, I googled this ok because I had to know if this was like a kink people have and what’s the deal with it. This “dry nursing/nursing/adult nursing” kink is real and man…it did make me… cringe a bit lol. I mean I was kinda like well this guys almost 50 and idk… lol 😂 BUT I COULDN’T STOP READING !!! Don’t f*I king look 👀 at me like that ok. Lol read it your self.
-Their wasn’t actual sexy until 80% but their were other things he kinda forces… well more like manipulates her to do that keep it steamy but I coulda done with some more smexy times lol.
-Their is a 3 month, 1 year, and I think an even longer epilogue which was nice. I do wish the actual storyline/development was longer before epilogues but we do get a HEA and it is satisfying but i did wish it was longer but it is looking like the next book will be longer so yay!!
This book was good. It was filled with a steamrolling OTT alpha H who took his h and locked her up till she was understanding of her situation lol. We see Mitchell and Corina from ‘caught’ and meet Conner who is Amos younger brother. I am def ready for the next book already lol. This is a good light OTT dream for someone like me who loves a good OTT obsessed H lol.
January 21, 2022
Absolutely AMAZING!!! That's all I can say about this book. The romance was emotional and believable and the sexy scenes were so descriptive, well written and enjoyable- the kinks were just top notch😍
This is by FAR the best captor/captive book I've ever read, as Mercy (the h) didn't put up too much of a fight and was more open to getting to know Amos, her kidnapper, before she made any solid judgements. But that doesn't mean that she didn't try get away...the girl was busy sizing up the windows and the locks🤣 but eventually gave up when she realised that her man will love and treat her better then anyone else ever could!
The relationship did not have any stockholm syndrom vibes at all and the progression of their romance seemed almost natural (I mean as natural as a kidnapping goes🤣)
But Amos, Amos, Amos...this man was made of magic😍 He was a master at pleasuring and keeping his girl calm and relaxed at all times- nothing was too good or expensive for her.
I mean if she doesn't want those Louboutin's I know someone who will...😳👉👈
SPOILERS FOR SEXYYY SCENES:
~ He made her hold his d**k whilst peeing😳
~He had a tit sucking/breast feeding kink...when I say that it was literally ALWAYS in his mouth🥵
~inserting/taking out tampons...WOW just WOW🙈🔥
This is by FAR the best captor/captive book I've ever read, as Mercy (the h) didn't put up too much of a fight and was more open to getting to know Amos, her kidnapper, before she made any solid judgements. But that doesn't mean that she didn't try get away...the girl was busy sizing up the windows and the locks🤣 but eventually gave up when she realised that her man will love and treat her better then anyone else ever could!
The relationship did not have any stockholm syndrom vibes at all and the progression of their romance seemed almost natural (I mean as natural as a kidnapping goes🤣)
But Amos, Amos, Amos...this man was made of magic😍 He was a master at pleasuring and keeping his girl calm and relaxed at all times- nothing was too good or expensive for her.
I mean if she doesn't want those Louboutin's I know someone who will...😳👉👈
SPOILERS FOR SEXYYY SCENES:
~ He made her hold his d**k whilst peeing😳
~He had a tit sucking/breast feeding kink...when I say that it was literally ALWAYS in his mouth🥵
~inserting/taking out tampons...WOW just WOW🙈🔥
February 24, 2022
🤐
CHECK ALL TAGS FOR SPOILERS.
P.S-That rating says it all.
P.P.S- BEILEVE ME WHEN I SAY THAT..........THIS BOOK IS NOT WHAT YOU THINK.
THOSE 1 OR 2 STARER REVIEWS FUCKING DESTROYED THIS BOOK. THIS BOOK...........THIS..........I CAN'T EVEN BEGIN TO TELL YOU HOW SERIOUS ISSUES HAVE BEEN HANDLED HERE.
CHECK TRIGGERS BEFORE YOU READ.
THIS BOOK HAS ME IN A TRANCE SO MUCH SO THAT I...........CAN'T EVEN IMAGINE HOW TO WRITE A PROPER REVIEW WITH SPOILERS.
EVERY REVIEW NO MATTER HOW PERFECT , WILL NEVER BE ABLE TO DESCRIBE HOW GOOD THIS BOOK IS.(NO OFFENSE TO ANYBODY)
AND I NVER EVERRR READ A BOOK WITH Hs who are 40+ BUT MADE AN EXCEPTION BECAUSE SHE WASN'T BELOW 30. SHE WAS 33. SO IT'S ALL GOOD.
P.P.P.S- I CRIED WHEN I READ THIS BOOK. THIS BOOK DESERVES MORE THAN A 5 STARS. IT'S DESERVES A CONSTELLATION.
CHECK ALL TAGS FOR SPOILERS.
P.S-That rating says it all.
P.P.S- BEILEVE ME WHEN I SAY THAT..........THIS BOOK IS NOT WHAT YOU THINK.
THOSE 1 OR 2 STARER REVIEWS FUCKING DESTROYED THIS BOOK. THIS BOOK...........THIS..........I CAN'T EVEN BEGIN TO TELL YOU HOW SERIOUS ISSUES HAVE BEEN HANDLED HERE.
CHECK TRIGGERS BEFORE YOU READ.
THIS BOOK HAS ME IN A TRANCE SO MUCH SO THAT I...........CAN'T EVEN IMAGINE HOW TO WRITE A PROPER REVIEW WITH SPOILERS.
EVERY REVIEW NO MATTER HOW PERFECT , WILL NEVER BE ABLE TO DESCRIBE HOW GOOD THIS BOOK IS.(NO OFFENSE TO ANYBODY)
AND I NVER EVERRR READ A BOOK WITH Hs who are 40+ BUT MADE AN EXCEPTION BECAUSE SHE WASN'T BELOW 30. SHE WAS 33. SO IT'S ALL GOOD.
P.P.P.S- I CRIED WHEN I READ THIS BOOK. THIS BOOK DESERVES MORE THAN A 5 STARS. IT'S DESERVES A CONSTELLATION.
December 22, 2021
I completely, utterly, 100% did not like this book...with literally every fiber of my being.
This book was loosely based on the Romans and Sabine Women, which I had never heard of before and did not research until after I had finished reading the book...some pretty interesting stuff there if you have some time and the stomach for it.
While the book was well written, it was the topic that I could not come to terms with. When I first read the synopsis, I thought this was going to be a dark take on Stockholm Syndrome. As a lover of dark books and Beauty and the Beast, I was sure I would love this. However, I very much did not.
What I didn't like about the book:
1. You know that feeling you get when you're talking to someone who is obviously a creeper and you're alone, maybe jogging in the park or just walking somewhere? You get that anxious almost vomit-inducing feeling in the pit of your stomach? That was what reading this whole book felt like.
I felt like the story was in a strange genre. It wasn't creepy like horror novels, but it definitely inspired a lot of anxiety while reading it. Even though I love dark books, I found this one to be just a little too extreme for me.
2. It's one thing to be a controlling alpha, kidnap someone for the sake of a story line, and even have your wicked way all over their body. HOWEVER, it is a completely DIFFERENT thing to . Like, what?!?! As someone who surfs the crimson wave once a month, I can tell you that if someone tried to do that to me, he would lose a godd*mn hand. And don't even get me started on the fluids + pinkie + insertion thing or the "helping him in the bathroom" situation.
If at least one of these things would have been left out, I feel I would have rated differently. However, the combination was too much for me personally.
3. I like exactly zero characters in this book. Connor was ok simply because he wasn't in the book enough for you to get a feel for his involvement in his family's shenanigans. But then the epilogue finally made him just as bad, so he's out too.
I think because I couldn't relate to any of the characters, it made it a very challenging read for me. If Mercy had been a stronger character who put Amos in his place more and maybe even left and came back, I feel I would have rated differently.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
This book was loosely based on the Romans and Sabine Women, which I had never heard of before and did not research until after I had finished reading the book...some pretty interesting stuff there if you have some time and the stomach for it.
While the book was well written, it was the topic that I could not come to terms with. When I first read the synopsis, I thought this was going to be a dark take on Stockholm Syndrome. As a lover of dark books and Beauty and the Beast, I was sure I would love this. However, I very much did not.
What I didn't like about the book:
1. You know that feeling you get when you're talking to someone who is obviously a creeper and you're alone, maybe jogging in the park or just walking somewhere? You get that anxious almost vomit-inducing feeling in the pit of your stomach? That was what reading this whole book felt like.
I felt like the story was in a strange genre. It wasn't creepy like horror novels, but it definitely inspired a lot of anxiety while reading it. Even though I love dark books, I found this one to be just a little too extreme for me.
2. It's one thing to be a controlling alpha, kidnap someone for the sake of a story line, and even have your wicked way all over their body. HOWEVER, it is a completely DIFFERENT thing to . Like, what?!?! As someone who surfs the crimson wave once a month, I can tell you that if someone tried to do that to me, he would lose a godd*mn hand. And don't even get me started on the fluids + pinkie + insertion thing or the "helping him in the bathroom" situation.
If at least one of these things would have been left out, I feel I would have rated differently. However, the combination was too much for me personally.
3. I like exactly zero characters in this book. Connor was ok simply because he wasn't in the book enough for you to get a feel for his involvement in his family's shenanigans. But then the epilogue finally made him just as bad, so he's out too.
I think because I couldn't relate to any of the characters, it made it a very challenging read for me. If Mercy had been a stronger character who put Amos in his place more and maybe even left and came back, I feel I would have rated differently.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
July 6, 2025
Amos (eldest son from Book 0.5) + Mercy’s love story
Idk about anybody else… but if the man I’ve been secretly pining for kidnapped me, wanted to make all my dreams come true, will give me all the O’s I can take, and then told me he was making me his wife - I’d ask him if we were going to the courthouse right neeeoow or tomorrow morning? LMAOOOO🤣 I’d be the easiest abductee ever. Like what’s the problem? AND I DONT GOTTA WORK NO MORE?! Booooy, say less.
Anywayssss…
🩷’d:
•Amos… he’s his daddy’s son, through and through.
•“Hold my c0çķ while I take a piss.” LMAOOOOOOOO y’all I choked on my spit, this man was NUTS but boy do I like ‘em nutty 🤣
•h’s internal thoughts “can’t I eat in peace?!” I was laughing so much bc she wasn’t even trying to be funny but was.
•H: “Your favorite number is five, you said? Since you like it so much, I’ll give you five seconds before I decide for you.” 💀🥵
•the dressing him scene 😂 (how did miss author even think of these shenanigans)
•Corina + Mitchell cameos🩷
⚠️ + Info:
— Dual POV
— Insta-obsession for H
— OM: H is jealous of a OM flirting w h, but she isn’t interested
— STALKING
— Age gap: h (33) H (46)
— Sedation
— Abduction
— PCOS
— Depression
— Virgin h🍒 • experienced H but not a man304
— 🌶️: Somnophilia, adult nursing, blood/peri0d play, spanking, dub + noncon, full on smex @ 81% + lactation kink
— Push away? I mean she tried, but it wasn’t successful so not really? Lol
— No: OWD, sharing, cheating, or 3rd act break up
— Separation: they have their first fight & are apart for hours
— Infertility
— HEA: Married w/ two children and 3 more OTW.
Idk about anybody else… but if the man I’ve been secretly pining for kidnapped me, wanted to make all my dreams come true, will give me all the O’s I can take, and then told me he was making me his wife - I’d ask him if we were going to the courthouse right neeeoow or tomorrow morning? LMAOOOO🤣 I’d be the easiest abductee ever. Like what’s the problem? AND I DONT GOTTA WORK NO MORE?! Booooy, say less.
Anywayssss…
🩷’d:
•Amos… he’s his daddy’s son, through and through.
•“Hold my c0çķ while I take a piss.” LMAOOOOOOOO y’all I choked on my spit, this man was NUTS but boy do I like ‘em nutty 🤣
•h’s internal thoughts “can’t I eat in peace?!” I was laughing so much bc she wasn’t even trying to be funny but was.
•H: “Your favorite number is five, you said? Since you like it so much, I’ll give you five seconds before I decide for you.” 💀🥵
•the dressing him scene 😂 (how did miss author even think of these shenanigans)
•Corina + Mitchell cameos🩷
⚠️ + Info:
— Dual POV
— Insta-obsession for H
— OM: H is jealous of a OM flirting w h, but she isn’t interested
— STALKING
— Age gap: h (33) H (46)
— Sedation
— Abduction
— PCOS
— Depression
— Virgin h🍒 • experienced H but not a man304
— 🌶️: Somnophilia, adult nursing, blood/peri0d play, spanking, dub + noncon, full on smex @ 81% + lactation kink
— Push away? I mean she tried, but it wasn’t successful so not really? Lol
— No: OWD, sharing, cheating, or 3rd act break up
— Separation: they have their first fight & are apart for hours
— Infertility
— HEA: Married w/ two children and 3 more OTW.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 19, 2022
Do not have any idea how to rate this...
Because...
The writing was good but the story itself I just personally did not jive with. I was craving some OTT alpha men who stake their claim and I got that...and then some. Amos is a Shay and in the Shay family they go after their women with the intent to keep forever no matter what. So when he sees Mercy, her future is set because Amos has a plan to make her his forever.
Mercy never sees Amos coming and lucky for her she is attracted to the silver fox. She has been working for him and always found him sexy and appealing. Little does she know what is coming her way...
Mercy was kind of one dimensional so I don't have a lot to say about her. She's been through a lot in life and hasn't had any real support, affection and love in her life so someone like Amos bulldozing into her life was just what she needed.
Amos...Amos Amos Amos. You dirty man. This guy took obsession to a whole new level and I'm not sure if I'm traumatized or amused. What do you ask is so scandalous about our hero? Well let me tell you some of his kinks.
So was this completely weird for me? Yeah, yeah it was. Amos loved in a twisted way but somehow it was sweet but also bizarre, cringey, and uncomfortable. But hey...whatever floats your boat.
I love monster smut.
Because...
The writing was good but the story itself I just personally did not jive with. I was craving some OTT alpha men who stake their claim and I got that...and then some. Amos is a Shay and in the Shay family they go after their women with the intent to keep forever no matter what. So when he sees Mercy, her future is set because Amos has a plan to make her his forever.
Mercy never sees Amos coming and lucky for her she is attracted to the silver fox. She has been working for him and always found him sexy and appealing. Little does she know what is coming her way...
Mercy was kind of one dimensional so I don't have a lot to say about her. She's been through a lot in life and hasn't had any real support, affection and love in her life so someone like Amos bulldozing into her life was just what she needed.
Amos...Amos Amos Amos. You dirty man. This guy took obsession to a whole new level and I'm not sure if I'm traumatized or amused. What do you ask is so scandalous about our hero? Well let me tell you some of his kinks.
So was this completely weird for me? Yeah, yeah it was. Amos loved in a twisted way but somehow it was sweet but also bizarre, cringey, and uncomfortable. But hey...whatever floats your boat.
I love monster smut.
October 12, 2022
Four crazy OTT jealous/possessive hero stars! ☆☆☆☆
I FINALLY FINISHED THIS BOOK! I'm so glad I did! It was one hell of a wild ride. There's lots of triggers and warnings, so be warned before you go into this this one!
detailed review to come ♡ my bookshelves contain spoilers!
safety:
virgin heroine
age gap (33h, 46H)
praise/period play/dubcon/spanking/adult nursing/somnophilia/biting & marking
kidnap/captivity
discussion of infertility/PCOS/depression
forced sedation
no OM/OW
no cheating/sharing
HEA ♡
I FINALLY FINISHED THIS BOOK! I'm so glad I did! It was one hell of a wild ride. There's lots of triggers and warnings, so be warned before you go into this this one!
detailed review to come ♡ my bookshelves contain spoilers!
safety:
virgin heroine
age gap (33h, 46H)
praise/period play/dubcon/spanking/adult nursing/somnophilia/biting & marking
kidnap/captivity
discussion of infertility/PCOS/depression
forced sedation
no OM/OW
no cheating/sharing
HEA ♡
December 6, 2025
Listen Amos is insane but he is definitely my type of insanity 🫣
January 18, 2022
In the words of deadpool......"what the sheit?!" 😂😂
Amos amos amos........what the shiet? I thought those mountain men following the girl into the bathroom to make sure she pees after smex was ott but amos?! Amos made sure she learned of his BODY!!! Even got a nip in the tip and iykyk 😂😂😂😂 if you dont, you can go read the book
The ages were a little older than I would have liked but it was different and something I don't see much. He is 47, shes 33? And a v. Somewhat of a stretch but knowing her past history of a foster child and not getting close to other men, it made sense 🤷 his past women were not talked about much.
The lactating kink you guys 👀 first time I'm reading about breast pumps I'm just saying okurrrr?! And sacking and milking to this degree 😂😂😂
Also, I have pcos and like the ages in the book, this was something I don't see written much about or talked about so it resonated with me. I was able to have my kids but there was a point in my life where I was visiting fertility doctors as well.
Anyhoo, I'm ready for Connors book with his woman and the pets!!!
Amos amos amos........what the shiet? I thought those mountain men following the girl into the bathroom to make sure she pees after smex was ott but amos?! Amos made sure she learned of his BODY!!! Even got a nip in the tip and iykyk 😂😂😂😂 if you dont, you can go read the book
The ages were a little older than I would have liked but it was different and something I don't see much. He is 47, shes 33? And a v. Somewhat of a stretch but knowing her past history of a foster child and not getting close to other men, it made sense 🤷 his past women were not talked about much.
The lactating kink you guys 👀 first time I'm reading about breast pumps I'm just saying okurrrr?! And sacking and milking to this degree 😂😂😂
Also, I have pcos and like the ages in the book, this was something I don't see written much about or talked about so it resonated with me. I was able to have my kids but there was a point in my life where I was visiting fertility doctors as well.
Anyhoo, I'm ready for Connors book with his woman and the pets!!!
March 18, 2022
Oh my goodness, how to rate this... it was quite eye opening and sometimes disturbing 😳. It feels like this was the author's creative writing exercise to see if they could come up with... interesting fetish scenes.
So the basic plot of this is that Amos (our hero) is the sexy silver fox boss of Mercy (our heroine). Amos comes from a family whose long line of males are all OTT stalker kidnapping alpha males. Basically, every male of their family goes crazy when they meet "the one" and steamrolls the poor woman, bringing her back caveman style to be their wife. Amos is no exception to this family tradition. He has been eyeing Mercy ever since he met her, and has decided Mercy will become his after he retires. Mercy on the other hand has massive self esteem issues and depression - she is still a virgin, never had a relationship, and has a lower chance of getting pregnant or having a family due to PCOS. Everything changes when Amos decides it's time to drug and kidnap Mercy to his home to become his wife.
So I have mixed feelings about this one. I think that some of the kinks were a bit too much for even me. I'm not particularly against things like sex during periods or stuff like that, but I felt pretty ill at the parts talking about tampon removal and insertion 🤢. Not really my thing. I didn't mind the "helping Amos pee and hold his weiner" thing, probably because I'm dick crazy and like most scenes having to do with men's genitals 😂. This author does not avoid using very visceral and gross wording. Stuff like "crusty" and talking about blood and bodily fluids. Some of it was hot, some of it... not so much for me.
Our "hero" Amos: this man is insane. He has NO sense of boundaries, and is extremely pushy and possessive. Does not take "no" for an answer. The type that likes pampering and doing everything for his woman... and I mean EVERYTHING. Including helping her pee, switch tampons, dress her, feed her, bathe her, etc. He is a trainwreck to read about, but he carries the book. Let's face it - if you read this whole book, you were probably reading it to see how far Amos is going to go next with his craziness 👀. The only thing I wish is that the author committed more to his weirdness. His crazy kidnapping and justification was just accepted as a family trait, and there wasn't really a climax about what he did.
Our heroine Mercy: honestly, she felt a bit bland to me. I know there's no way our heroine is going to top our crazy boy Amos when it comes to entertainment, but Mercy didn't seem to have much personality to me. I know she was depressed, but her reactions to all the craziness was really mild and she kind of went along with everything without too much struggle. The only major drama was her self esteem issues whenever Amos brought up children, and that just kind of fizzled out and was a non issue. It felt like that was the only major conflict with her, and she didn't really care much about him steamrolling her life and kidnapping her.
Also, I know this will sound shallow, but I now know I'm not really into descriptive scenes about how hairy the heroine is in erotica novels 🥲. I myself am not hairless, but I felt second hand cringe when it described her buttocks being unshaved and hairy. Not my cup of tea.
Safety:
* Heroine is a virgin, never had a relationship.
* Hero NOT a virgin, very experienced.
* No OM or OW
* Lots of dubcon and noncon things the hero does to heroine
* Some pretty non-traditional fetishes explored
* HEA with epilogue (with kids)
So the basic plot of this is that Amos (our hero) is the sexy silver fox boss of Mercy (our heroine). Amos comes from a family whose long line of males are all OTT stalker kidnapping alpha males. Basically, every male of their family goes crazy when they meet "the one" and steamrolls the poor woman, bringing her back caveman style to be their wife. Amos is no exception to this family tradition. He has been eyeing Mercy ever since he met her, and has decided Mercy will become his after he retires. Mercy on the other hand has massive self esteem issues and depression - she is still a virgin, never had a relationship, and has a lower chance of getting pregnant or having a family due to PCOS. Everything changes when Amos decides it's time to drug and kidnap Mercy to his home to become his wife.
So I have mixed feelings about this one. I think that some of the kinks were a bit too much for even me. I'm not particularly against things like sex during periods or stuff like that, but I felt pretty ill at the parts talking about tampon removal and insertion 🤢. Not really my thing. I didn't mind the "helping Amos pee and hold his weiner" thing, probably because I'm dick crazy and like most scenes having to do with men's genitals 😂. This author does not avoid using very visceral and gross wording. Stuff like "crusty" and talking about blood and bodily fluids. Some of it was hot, some of it... not so much for me.
Our "hero" Amos: this man is insane. He has NO sense of boundaries, and is extremely pushy and possessive. Does not take "no" for an answer. The type that likes pampering and doing everything for his woman... and I mean EVERYTHING. Including helping her pee, switch tampons, dress her, feed her, bathe her, etc. He is a trainwreck to read about, but he carries the book. Let's face it - if you read this whole book, you were probably reading it to see how far Amos is going to go next with his craziness 👀. The only thing I wish is that the author committed more to his weirdness. His crazy kidnapping and justification was just accepted as a family trait, and there wasn't really a climax about what he did.
Our heroine Mercy: honestly, she felt a bit bland to me. I know there's no way our heroine is going to top our crazy boy Amos when it comes to entertainment, but Mercy didn't seem to have much personality to me. I know she was depressed, but her reactions to all the craziness was really mild and she kind of went along with everything without too much struggle. The only major drama was her self esteem issues whenever Amos brought up children, and that just kind of fizzled out and was a non issue. It felt like that was the only major conflict with her, and she didn't really care much about him steamrolling her life and kidnapping her.
Also, I know this will sound shallow, but I now know I'm not really into descriptive scenes about how hairy the heroine is in erotica novels 🥲. I myself am not hairless, but I felt second hand cringe when it described her buttocks being unshaved and hairy. Not my cup of tea.
Safety:
* Heroine is a virgin, never had a relationship.
* Hero NOT a virgin, very experienced.
* No OM or OW
* Lots of dubcon and noncon things the hero does to heroine
* Some pretty non-traditional fetishes explored
* HEA with epilogue (with kids)
December 21, 2021
Read the author's disclaimer. Now read it again and take it to heart. I've read a lot of books that claim that they are dark, that hero is over the top and super possessive; this story delivers. Mercy is a layered character, surprising in a book like this, and in understanding her layers the reader gets to know her reasons for being as she is. Amos, well Amos just wants Mercy. If you're looking for an over the top alpha, well, here he is.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
October 16, 2022
Good god this book
tw: kidnapping, dub-con
*Sighs*
This book oh lord.
This is when people say mommy issues.
plot:
Just like his daddy but worse Amos, kidnaps Mercy and marries her and they have kids.
He would jerk off on her while she's passed out and LITERALLY push his cum inside her. And also in her mouth so she'd taste it when she wakes up.
Now the things this mf does.
Well, nothing stands in my way in business, and nothing will stand in the way of me getting Mercy.
Not the constraints of society.
Not even the woman herself.
I'm the only animal who gets the privilege of chasing her.
You know Mercy already had a crush on this man.
If he only asked her out like a normal man he would have married her much sooner without going through all this fuss.
It won't be rape
"It’s never going to be that way between us. I’ll make you want it, crave it. You’re mine, only mine. My woman. My wife. The mother of our babies. Can’t wait to put my baby inside you. Gonna hold you real still and tilt your legs up after so we know it takes."
Now tell me this wasn't CREEPY as fuck.
He had a whole kink of putting tampons inside her.
He liked watching HER put her tampon in.
He loved to pull the tampon out of her.
"What do you need?"
"Hold my cock while I take a piss."
"What? But—why?"
"I told you we were gonna learn each other's bodies. This is one of the ways. I want you to know what my cock looks and feels like when I'm soft, hard, or whatever. Take me out."
Motherfucker said i don't care how but you're gonna get close to me.
Mommy issues hit it's peak when this man (closing to 50years) asked this woman (33 year old) to dress him
And not the dressing up which is just buttoning his shirts
But the dressing up which includes pulling up his underwear and making him wear his underclothes.
Honestly the heroine Mercy was as weird as him.
Mercy was a 33 year old virgin.
But her character is so....dumb
I can't deny that I do feel wanted. It might be a mentally insane man wanting me, but at least someone does
Like sister no.
"Amos, it's not going to fit," I wail. "Oh, why did I have to get abducted by a man with such a big penis? I'd be happy with a small one. I can't do this, Amos. You're going to split me in two! Get off! Get. Off!"
"Amos," I pant. "I can't take any more. No...no more. You're gonna get stuck and we'll have to call an ambulance and—"
Now tell me why a thirty three old woman say that out loud.
I lost all faith in humanity.
Time for that sweet pussy to deep throat my cock.
Every word coming out of this man's mouth was concerning.
How would you feel about inducing your milk?"
"For you or for a baby?"
A faint grin tips his mouth. "You know me so well. How about we start with me and then a baby?"
"Let me get this straight. You want these"—I jiggle them in his face—"to start producing actual breast milk so you can drink it."
"Yep."
"Then if we have a baby, adopted or biological, you'll back off so he or she can drink."
"Actually, your body's capable of making enough for the both of us. Supply and demand, you know." His eyebrows waggle. "We demand, you supply."
Him wanting to be craddled and held like a child and wanting to drink her milk
And putting a pump on her tits while they're fucking was my last straw.
tw: kidnapping, dub-con
*Sighs*
This book oh lord.
This is when people say mommy issues.
plot:
Just like his daddy but worse Amos, kidnaps Mercy and marries her and they have kids.
He would jerk off on her while she's passed out and LITERALLY push his cum inside her. And also in her mouth so she'd taste it when she wakes up.
Now the things this mf does.
Well, nothing stands in my way in business, and nothing will stand in the way of me getting Mercy.
Not the constraints of society.
Not even the woman herself.
I'm the only animal who gets the privilege of chasing her.
You know Mercy already had a crush on this man.
If he only asked her out like a normal man he would have married her much sooner without going through all this fuss.
It won't be rape
"It’s never going to be that way between us. I’ll make you want it, crave it. You’re mine, only mine. My woman. My wife. The mother of our babies. Can’t wait to put my baby inside you. Gonna hold you real still and tilt your legs up after so we know it takes."
Now tell me this wasn't CREEPY as fuck.
He had a whole kink of putting tampons inside her.
He liked watching HER put her tampon in.
He loved to pull the tampon out of her.
"What do you need?"
"Hold my cock while I take a piss."
"What? But—why?"
"I told you we were gonna learn each other's bodies. This is one of the ways. I want you to know what my cock looks and feels like when I'm soft, hard, or whatever. Take me out."
Motherfucker said i don't care how but you're gonna get close to me.
Mommy issues hit it's peak when this man (closing to 50years) asked this woman (33 year old) to dress him
And not the dressing up which is just buttoning his shirts
But the dressing up which includes pulling up his underwear and making him wear his underclothes.
Honestly the heroine Mercy was as weird as him.
Mercy was a 33 year old virgin.
But her character is so....dumb
I can't deny that I do feel wanted. It might be a mentally insane man wanting me, but at least someone does
Like sister no.
"Amos, it's not going to fit," I wail. "Oh, why did I have to get abducted by a man with such a big penis? I'd be happy with a small one. I can't do this, Amos. You're going to split me in two! Get off! Get. Off!"
"Amos," I pant. "I can't take any more. No...no more. You're gonna get stuck and we'll have to call an ambulance and—"
Now tell me why a thirty three old woman say that out loud.
I lost all faith in humanity.
Time for that sweet pussy to deep throat my cock.
Every word coming out of this man's mouth was concerning.
How would you feel about inducing your milk?"
"For you or for a baby?"
A faint grin tips his mouth. "You know me so well. How about we start with me and then a baby?"
"Let me get this straight. You want these"—I jiggle them in his face—"to start producing actual breast milk so you can drink it."
"Yep."
"Then if we have a baby, adopted or biological, you'll back off so he or she can drink."
"Actually, your body's capable of making enough for the both of us. Supply and demand, you know." His eyebrows waggle. "We demand, you supply."
Him wanting to be craddled and held like a child and wanting to drink her milk
And putting a pump on her tits while they're fucking was my last straw.
August 18, 2024
⭐️4.25
MCs:
Amos (46)
Mercy (33)
Tropes:
Dark Romance
Ex-Boss x Employee
Kidnapping
Pet names
OTT mmc
Age gap
Info:
Dual POV
No ow/om drama
No cheating
Virgin h (no manwhore)
Open door spice
Biting
Praise
Nursing fetish
Blood play (period)
Somnophilia
Dub-con
Non-con
Stalking
Kidnapping
Drugging
PCOS
Depression
Fertility issues
No third-act breakup
Epilogue
HEA
He literally retired so he could have time to abduct her and get her to love him back.
He may have had a rough start with the whole consent thing, but when their first time came around (80%), he was very thoughtful and patient. That kinda of made up for it, but only a little bit.
In the end, I was so happy they got to have their own family!! 🥹❤️🩹🫶🏻
Extra Safety:
- At first, the things he was doing to her or having her to him were a little too “rapey”. That’s why my review isn’t five stars.
- h is a 33 yr old virgin, and at first I didn’t want to read about that (I hate a virgin fmc). I was totally wrong, and I definitely understand. With her history and who she is as a person, I can see why she was never intimate with anyone.
- There is this gross guy who always flirts with h at work. There's no real omd. Just a dumb man who can’t be respectful to women.
- H has h hold his… whilst peeing. H inserts and takes out h’s tampons. This is definitely not for everyone. (I’m not even entirely sure it’s for me)
Quotes:
“After years of being ignored, I’ve perfected the art of blending into the background, even in a room of only eight people. Instead, I watch everyone else.“
~ All right, who wrote this about me??
”Sometimes good things come to those who wait, but sometimes good things are taken. Claimed.” 🤭
•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
pre-read
This looks kinda bad… but in a good way??
MCs:
Amos (46)
Mercy (33)
Tropes:
Dark Romance
Ex-Boss x Employee
Kidnapping
Pet names
OTT mmc
Age gap
Info:
Dual POV
No ow/om drama
No cheating
Virgin h (no manwhore)
Open door spice
Biting
Praise
Nursing fetish
Blood play (period)
Somnophilia
Dub-con
Non-con
Stalking
Kidnapping
Drugging
PCOS
Depression
Fertility issues
No third-act breakup
Epilogue
HEA
He literally retired so he could have time to abduct her and get her to love him back.
He may have had a rough start with the whole consent thing, but when their first time came around (80%), he was very thoughtful and patient. That kinda of made up for it, but only a little bit.
In the end, I was so happy they got to have their own family!! 🥹❤️🩹🫶🏻
Extra Safety:
- At first, the things he was doing to her or having her to him were a little too “rapey”. That’s why my review isn’t five stars.
- h is a 33 yr old virgin, and at first I didn’t want to read about that (I hate a virgin fmc). I was totally wrong, and I definitely understand. With her history and who she is as a person, I can see why she was never intimate with anyone.
- There is this gross guy who always flirts with h at work. There's no real omd. Just a dumb man who can’t be respectful to women.
- H has h hold his… whilst peeing. H inserts and takes out h’s tampons. This is definitely not for everyone. (I’m not even entirely sure it’s for me)
Quotes:
“After years of being ignored, I’ve perfected the art of blending into the background, even in a room of only eight people. Instead, I watch everyone else.“
~ All right, who wrote this about me??
”Sometimes good things come to those who wait, but sometimes good things are taken. Claimed.” 🤭
•••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••••
pre-read
This looks kinda bad… but in a good way??
December 23, 2021
Obsessive. Twisted. Over the top. But, what woman doesn't want a man who thinks she is the most beautiful thing in the world? A man who isn't afraid to show his emotions or shy away from his desires. A woman will forgive a lot of issues when she knows she is his sole desire. While crazy, this was fun to read.
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.
January 13, 2022
While I really enjoyed the prequel to this series, Claimed was more of a mixed bag for me. I am a fan of dark romance and have no triggers whatsoever, so this wasn't at all the case of the subject matter. The premise is fantastic - Shay men will find and claim their mate, whatever it takes. We got a little glimpse of this in Mitchel's story in Caught and it really worked for me there. Claimed is Mitchel's son's story. Here we have Amos who has yet to find his mate well into his 40-ies and Mercy who is in her 30-ies yet is completely naive and inexperienced as well as pretty severely traumatized by her past in foster care. Amos does a spectacular job of manipulating Mercy's life in such a way that she would land in his clutches. I was certainly here for the stalking and the manipulation as well as the eventual kidnapping. It's afterwards that things started going south. I spent most of the book being slightly creeped out. The entire dynamic just didn't quite work for me, starting with the endearments Amos used (sweet Mercy) and the kitchen sink of kinks that appeared to be thrown in out of nowhere with no context. Ultimately, I just couldn't connect to either character and that made it very hard to me to be fully invested in the story. I do think that M.L. Martin is a talented writer who built an interesting world, even if this particular couple wasn't quite my speed.
January 14, 2022
Can a captive romance also be sweet? Yes.
How? Amos Shay.
This was a completely unique story and one I could
not put down. Amos is possessive, protective and the perfect amount of crazy. He’s found his woman and there nothing and nobody that will get in his way. Not even her. There’s no line he won’t cross and I absolutely loved him for it!
Mercy was a very realistic character and I found her to be extremely relatable. She’s sweet, but not a pushover, and her reactions to what happens were on point. It takes a special girl to handle Amos and his ways, and she fits him perfectly.
I absolutely loved getting lost in this world and highly recommend this book - especially if you love captive romance! As with all dark romances please heed the trigger warnings. They’re there for a reason.
How? Amos Shay.
This was a completely unique story and one I could
not put down. Amos is possessive, protective and the perfect amount of crazy. He’s found his woman and there nothing and nobody that will get in his way. Not even her. There’s no line he won’t cross and I absolutely loved him for it!
Mercy was a very realistic character and I found her to be extremely relatable. She’s sweet, but not a pushover, and her reactions to what happens were on point. It takes a special girl to handle Amos and his ways, and she fits him perfectly.
I absolutely loved getting lost in this world and highly recommend this book - especially if you love captive romance! As with all dark romances please heed the trigger warnings. They’re there for a reason.
August 6, 2023
DAAAAAYYYYUMMMM!!! I don’t even know where to start with this one. It has some tropes I love: a stalker hero (yasssss) who actually literally kidnaps the heroine (also yasssss😈😈). The hero didn’t understand the concept of PERSONAL BOUNDARIES. and words like “no” had no effect on him. Even so, he wasn’t a villainous hero, just OTT to the next level.
And the feelz in this book were INTENSE. It wasn’t just a dark romance wrapped around smut—the heroines anxiety, insecurities and depression due to a broken and abused childhood literally had me crying big ugly sloppy tears.
But it’s the kink in this book that had me cringing at times, even tho I loved so much else of this book. The hero has a weird fetish of inserting the heroines tampon into her. Or dry humping her while on her period so his abdomen is covered in period blood. Or holding his dick while he pisses. This didn’t do anything for me and just made me wince.
The things I loved about this book: a stalker hero, a hero so obsessed with the heroine he is faithful to her from the beginning, a captured heroine, deep heartfelt emotions, an older virgin heroine who was real and genuine and had insecurities and fears and beautiful dreams and yearnings, were all enough to make up for the more cringe aspects of the story. And it’s why I’m giving this 5 stars.
Safe in some ways: there’s no cheating of any kind. Hero is celibate after meeting heroine and there aren’t too many details of his past. Heroine is a virgin and belongs only to her hero. No sharing or ow/om drama (except a very very minor scene where a guy flirts with the heroine.) if stalking and kidnapping isn’t your jam, then it’s unsafe. Theres a HEA and epilogue years out
And the feelz in this book were INTENSE. It wasn’t just a dark romance wrapped around smut—the heroines anxiety, insecurities and depression due to a broken and abused childhood literally had me crying big ugly sloppy tears.
But it’s the kink in this book that had me cringing at times, even tho I loved so much else of this book. The hero has a weird fetish of inserting the heroines tampon into her. Or dry humping her while on her period so his abdomen is covered in period blood. Or holding his dick while he pisses. This didn’t do anything for me and just made me wince.
The things I loved about this book: a stalker hero, a hero so obsessed with the heroine he is faithful to her from the beginning, a captured heroine, deep heartfelt emotions, an older virgin heroine who was real and genuine and had insecurities and fears and beautiful dreams and yearnings, were all enough to make up for the more cringe aspects of the story. And it’s why I’m giving this 5 stars.
Safe in some ways: there’s no cheating of any kind. Hero is celibate after meeting heroine and there aren’t too many details of his past. Heroine is a virgin and belongs only to her hero. No sharing or ow/om drama (except a very very minor scene where a guy flirts with the heroine.) if stalking and kidnapping isn’t your jam, then it’s unsafe. Theres a HEA and epilogue years out
June 1, 2025
So I've been waiting for this book ever since I read Caught (which I absolutely loved). Amos stole my heart as a boy and I couldn't wait to see how adult Amos carried on the Shay tradition.
Based on the snippet at the end of Caught, I already knew that Amos was going to take the Shay tradition to a whole new level and he did not disappoint 😍
I thought I knew what I was signing up for, but Amos (and this book) were full of surprises. Yes, he's following the Shay tradition, but he's doing it in a way I never expected. Like all Shay men, he adores his woman, wants her to be happy and will do whatever he has to do to claim her but Amos pushes boundaries in a way I never would have imagined (and I loved it!). He's obsessive and over the top but it a way that is perfect for Mercy (whether she realizes it or not)
Mercy was a very unique character. She struggles with her own issues and there were so many moments that my heart broke for her. I may not have gone through what she has, but her struggles really resonated with me, and made me understand her motivations and responses to Amos's methods of "wooing"
Absolutely loved this book. M.L. Marian is an extremely talented writer. She writes Heroes that fall into this morally grey category and I love it! The combination of hot and sweet with the Shay type of crazy was just perfect. Cannot wait for the next book in the Series. I cannot get enough of these Shay men!
🔥 🥵 🔥
Heed the authors warning. You may think you know, but trust me, you have no idea 😁
Based on the snippet at the end of Caught, I already knew that Amos was going to take the Shay tradition to a whole new level and he did not disappoint 😍
I thought I knew what I was signing up for, but Amos (and this book) were full of surprises. Yes, he's following the Shay tradition, but he's doing it in a way I never expected. Like all Shay men, he adores his woman, wants her to be happy and will do whatever he has to do to claim her but Amos pushes boundaries in a way I never would have imagined (and I loved it!). He's obsessive and over the top but it a way that is perfect for Mercy (whether she realizes it or not)
Mercy was a very unique character. She struggles with her own issues and there were so many moments that my heart broke for her. I may not have gone through what she has, but her struggles really resonated with me, and made me understand her motivations and responses to Amos's methods of "wooing"
Absolutely loved this book. M.L. Marian is an extremely talented writer. She writes Heroes that fall into this morally grey category and I love it! The combination of hot and sweet with the Shay type of crazy was just perfect. Cannot wait for the next book in the Series. I cannot get enough of these Shay men!
🔥 🥵 🔥
Heed the authors warning. You may think you know, but trust me, you have no idea 😁
February 3, 2022
LOVED this so much. Every single thing about it ❤︎
Can't wait to read more from his author
Can't wait to read more from his author
December 27, 2021
I absolutely loved the prequel Caught: a prequel to Claimed, and while this full length story was good, I think it wasn't quite the perfection we saw in the previous story. A retelling of 7 Brides (or the Roman's and Sabines,) this one follows Amos, son of Mitchell and Corina, whom we met in Caught. Claimed went to places that I haven't seen in too many romance books, no matter how dark. However I didn't feel like the story was dark itself, more morally ambiguous. And I enjoyed all of it, even though most of it would not fly if this was real life. But I enjoyed it for the fiction it is. I can't wait for Connor and Rosanna's story.
And this may not matter to other readers, but there were ZERO errors, and that is something that I LOVE, because even one will immediately take me out of the story.
And this may not matter to other readers, but there were ZERO errors, and that is something that I LOVE, because even one will immediately take me out of the story.
January 19, 2022
4 stars
The idea of this "kidnapped" bride series shouldn't be appealing. Yet, it is. Technically, this book could be considered dark. However, I never felt that way because Mitchell in the prequel and now Amos never were malicious and evil with what they were doing. Is it out of normal societal boundaries? Yes.
In the case of Mercy, this wasn't ever going to be a real struggle. Amos loved her and helped heal her demons. He gave her the tender loving care that she had been deprived of. Was it still crazy? Absolutely. Did it still make me read? Yes.
There is some unusual kinks in here but I had to stop reading several times and ask myself, "do I like this?" It reminds me of several Tik Tok videos. My answer, "I think I do."
Can't wait until Connor's book.
The idea of this "kidnapped" bride series shouldn't be appealing. Yet, it is. Technically, this book could be considered dark. However, I never felt that way because Mitchell in the prequel and now Amos never were malicious and evil with what they were doing. Is it out of normal societal boundaries? Yes.
In the case of Mercy, this wasn't ever going to be a real struggle. Amos loved her and helped heal her demons. He gave her the tender loving care that she had been deprived of. Was it still crazy? Absolutely. Did it still make me read? Yes.
There is some unusual kinks in here but I had to stop reading several times and ask myself, "do I like this?" It reminds me of several Tik Tok videos. My answer, "I think I do."
Can't wait until Connor's book.
January 18, 2022
Sorry, not for me.
I didn't mind anything in the triggers, as in all sounded good!..
But when I read the book H just came across creepy and childish not like OTT alpha or 46 year old man..
The h..also the same though a touch better.
And some of the scenes.. her holding his 🍆 when he p€€s or.. him inserting her tampons😬
I preferred the prequel book about H's dad🤓
I will say that the writing itself is pretty decent, hence 2 stars..
I didn't mind anything in the triggers, as in all sounded good!..
But when I read the book H just came across creepy and childish not like OTT alpha or 46 year old man..
The h..also the same though a touch better.
And some of the scenes.. her holding his 🍆 when he p€€s or.. him inserting her tampons😬
I preferred the prequel book about H's dad🤓
I will say that the writing itself is pretty decent, hence 2 stars..
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 19, 2022
3.5⭐️
Wow. Weird...but wow. It's got some different erm kinks, you could say🤨
Wow. Weird...but wow. It's got some different erm kinks, you could say🤨
January 10, 2025
This was absolutely batshit but ngl I had a fun time 😭
January 15, 2022
So I don't even know how to properly describe this book. It is next level EVERYTHING!!!
First, please pay attention to triggers. There are a lot and if they aren't your thing, then walk away. Don't get mad because you didn't heed the warnings.
Next, if the triggers don't bother you, dive right in. Some things you have to suspend belief. This book will have you going ??? and "No way" a lot. It is why I like this author. This series is different from anything I have ever read.
I liked Mercy and Amos' story. I liked how we , as readers, could get their inner thoughts which really helped in this story. It is not a traditional romance but it is a great story, and I can't wait to read more from this author!
I did receive an early copy but as always all thoughts are my own!
First, please pay attention to triggers. There are a lot and if they aren't your thing, then walk away. Don't get mad because you didn't heed the warnings.
Next, if the triggers don't bother you, dive right in. Some things you have to suspend belief. This book will have you going ??? and "No way" a lot. It is why I like this author. This series is different from anything I have ever read.
I liked Mercy and Amos' story. I liked how we , as readers, could get their inner thoughts which really helped in this story. It is not a traditional romance but it is a great story, and I can't wait to read more from this author!
I did receive an early copy but as always all thoughts are my own!
January 16, 2022
Amos being a whole ass weirdo
January 14, 2022
Amos Shay isn’t for the faint of heart. I suspect even fans of captive romance might struggle to get on board with Amos’ extreme lack of boundaries. I’m pretty open and he shocked me more than once. While I was surprised at how hard the author just went for it here, I loved every single second.
You can probably read this book without having read the prequel because I feel like you get some pretty thorough explanations of what happened in the prequel. Having said that, you really don’t want to skip it. It’s really good. If you read it and didn’t like Mitchell though, you’re going to wait drop this right now and run. Amos is 1000% more intense than Mitchell. If you loved Mitchell, Amos might still be a bit tough depending on your triggers etc.
So like his father, Amos is the elusive gentle , sweet captor. He might ruthlessly have taken Mercy but he’s so insanely sweet and gentle and caring with her. I wish a Shay would come claim me. This woman has it made with his single minded devotion to her.
Now, Amos has absolutely ZERO boundaries. I mean ZERO. Mercy has PCOS and Amos doesn’t hesitate in the slightest about getting all up in her business. He learns how to put in her tampons. I know society has ingrained such heavy internalized misogyny within women that that might be a bit much for some readers. It didn’t bother me but it definitely surprised me. Outside of vampire romances I’m not certain I’ve ever seen an H be *this* unbothered by period blood.
Amos also has a lactation kink I’m here for it. I’m actually surprised I haven’t come across this more in my spicy reads. This was super hot 🥵.
Mercy is a bit of a doormat. I like doormat heroines, especially if the H is sweet like Amos. He might be keeping her against her will but it’s not to torment her. He’s so sweet and caring. It was clear that Mercy is an introvert who wanted to avoid confrontations so it tracks easily with her personality to have been complacent rather than combative.
This story did drag a tiny bit for me around the portion where Mercy gets acquainted with his family but that may have been mostly because I already knew Corina and Mitchell’s story. It definitely didn’t heavily detract from anything. I just found myself wanting to skim a bit.
Also, this is a slow burn. Honestly, it doesn’t exactly feel like a super slow burn because while Amos is prepared to wait until her period is over, the man isn’t remotely squeamish about the blood so it doesn’t stop him from doing other things, breaking down her walls. They don’t have sex until 80%. After being teased with knowledge Amos wasn’t above a little forced seduction I was hoping it would happen earlier.
Also the h is 33 year old virgin. It’s explained in the book and while I can see how she’s remained a virgin that long my mind still rails against it. I feel like it might have felt more authentic if she’d had a couple sexual partners in the past. I’m not entirely sure what purpose her virginity served in the story. I don’t think it would have made a huge difference if she hadn’t been a virgin. I know it’s completely possible for a woman to be a virgin at 33, especially one as introverted as Mercy - I still say it’s unusual and didn’t lend much to the plot.
So, it would appear Connor’s story is next. I didn’t note any others brothers mentioned. I really hope there are more Shay men waiting in the wings though. It would be so sad if we only get Mitchell, Amos & Connor. I need more. The book world needs more Shay men. So if there are no cousins or anything waiting to tell there stories maybe the author will bless us with the next generation.
Story 5/5, Heat 4/5, Angst 2/5
Slow burn, 80% - though lots of other non penetrative steamy scenes starting early and heavily peppered throughout.
No condoms, virgin h, no manwhore H, some non con and heavy dub con in the beginning, he drugs her to kidnap her, bit of somnophilia, lactation, lots of blood play (period), biting, gentle spanking. No OW drama, insignificant OM drama, push away from h, no separation. No cheating, no sharing, no cliffhanger and HEA.
Safety - if you’re good with the above triggers then this is a safe read. The OM drama is *tiny* in the very beginning of book and only meant to show Hs possessiveness.
You can probably read this book without having read the prequel because I feel like you get some pretty thorough explanations of what happened in the prequel. Having said that, you really don’t want to skip it. It’s really good. If you read it and didn’t like Mitchell though, you’re going to wait drop this right now and run. Amos is 1000% more intense than Mitchell. If you loved Mitchell, Amos might still be a bit tough depending on your triggers etc.
So like his father, Amos is the elusive gentle , sweet captor. He might ruthlessly have taken Mercy but he’s so insanely sweet and gentle and caring with her. I wish a Shay would come claim me. This woman has it made with his single minded devotion to her.
Now, Amos has absolutely ZERO boundaries. I mean ZERO. Mercy has PCOS and Amos doesn’t hesitate in the slightest about getting all up in her business. He learns how to put in her tampons. I know society has ingrained such heavy internalized misogyny within women that that might be a bit much for some readers. It didn’t bother me but it definitely surprised me. Outside of vampire romances I’m not certain I’ve ever seen an H be *this* unbothered by period blood.
Amos also has a lactation kink I’m here for it. I’m actually surprised I haven’t come across this more in my spicy reads. This was super hot 🥵.
Mercy is a bit of a doormat. I like doormat heroines, especially if the H is sweet like Amos. He might be keeping her against her will but it’s not to torment her. He’s so sweet and caring. It was clear that Mercy is an introvert who wanted to avoid confrontations so it tracks easily with her personality to have been complacent rather than combative.
This story did drag a tiny bit for me around the portion where Mercy gets acquainted with his family but that may have been mostly because I already knew Corina and Mitchell’s story. It definitely didn’t heavily detract from anything. I just found myself wanting to skim a bit.
Also, this is a slow burn. Honestly, it doesn’t exactly feel like a super slow burn because while Amos is prepared to wait until her period is over, the man isn’t remotely squeamish about the blood so it doesn’t stop him from doing other things, breaking down her walls. They don’t have sex until 80%. After being teased with knowledge Amos wasn’t above a little forced seduction I was hoping it would happen earlier.
Also the h is 33 year old virgin. It’s explained in the book and while I can see how she’s remained a virgin that long my mind still rails against it. I feel like it might have felt more authentic if she’d had a couple sexual partners in the past. I’m not entirely sure what purpose her virginity served in the story. I don’t think it would have made a huge difference if she hadn’t been a virgin. I know it’s completely possible for a woman to be a virgin at 33, especially one as introverted as Mercy - I still say it’s unusual and didn’t lend much to the plot.
So, it would appear Connor’s story is next. I didn’t note any others brothers mentioned. I really hope there are more Shay men waiting in the wings though. It would be so sad if we only get Mitchell, Amos & Connor. I need more. The book world needs more Shay men. So if there are no cousins or anything waiting to tell there stories maybe the author will bless us with the next generation.
Story 5/5, Heat 4/5, Angst 2/5
Slow burn, 80% - though lots of other non penetrative steamy scenes starting early and heavily peppered throughout.
No condoms, virgin h, no manwhore H, some non con and heavy dub con in the beginning, he drugs her to kidnap her, bit of somnophilia, lactation, lots of blood play (period), biting, gentle spanking. No OW drama, insignificant OM drama, push away from h, no separation. No cheating, no sharing, no cliffhanger and HEA.
Safety - if you’re good with the above triggers then this is a safe read. The OM drama is *tiny* in the very beginning of book and only meant to show Hs possessiveness.
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