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To the detriment of a meaningful social life, Maysea Heston, a young, highly trained ER nurse, devotes long hours to caring for others. Sea’s off hours are mostly filled with mindless distractions—movies, cigarettes, beer, and naps—salves that reset her energy for the next round of tending, even if she neglects herself. After a severe bout of flu, she reluctantly agrees to rest at her supervisor’s remote oceanside timeshare.
But she never makes her flight. She’s taken.
Waking in an unfamiliar bed with an unfamiliar man seated across from her, Sea quickly realizes she's a captive. Her life now depends on the mindset of this stranger who insists on calling her Baby. While he dotes on her and shows her compassion, there are no answers to be found. Who is he? What does he want? Why her?
As she plans her escape, her constricted world expands into one of survival, instinct, and psychological strategy. Little does she know how this obsessive, delusional, insanely handsome man will come to nourish the living, breathing, and vibrant parts of her she never knew existed.
But she never makes her flight. She’s taken.
Waking in an unfamiliar bed with an unfamiliar man seated across from her, Sea quickly realizes she's a captive. Her life now depends on the mindset of this stranger who insists on calling her Baby. While he dotes on her and shows her compassion, there are no answers to be found. Who is he? What does he want? Why her?
As she plans her escape, her constricted world expands into one of survival, instinct, and psychological strategy. Little does she know how this obsessive, delusional, insanely handsome man will come to nourish the living, breathing, and vibrant parts of her she never knew existed.
173 pages, Kindle Edition
First published August 12, 2022
6 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews
November 3, 2022
I received a copy of this from Booksprout and this is my freely given opinion.
This is the first part of a contemporary duology that was part kidnap psychological thriller erotica that was very intense and compelling. Sea is an ER nurse who is burnt out a bit from the intensity of her job. She seems a bit emotionally vulnerable and alone in the world after losing her parents, and likely from the daily trauma and intensity of her job, which recently included an external emergency where there was an explosion nearby causing mass casualties and deaths at her hospital. As a nurse myself, I connected with this - maybe not the mass casualties, but definitely with the compounded trauma and emotional toll of caring for others at the worst point of their lives, so I think that was a bit of an emotional tether for myself and the main character.
Regardless, she was sent on vacation to a timeshare by a supervisor to recuperate a bit of herself, and on her way to this retreat, she was drugged and kidnapped. She woke up to find herself being held hostage in a luxury home by a strange man she does no know, but acts as though he knows her intimately. He appears to be delusional and in order to stay alive while she works out how to save herself, Sea lives in his world, considering she doesn't know what the situation is and whether or not she will end up murdered or otherwise. He calls her Baby, and dictates her daily regimen. He keeps her isolated but treats her well, and she concludes that he thinks she is his wife/partner. She calls him Del, and does what she can to follow his dictates and keep herself safe, and eventually she starts to trust him and crave his attention, in spite of herself. As they spend more time together, she finds out more clues about Del and his relationship with who he thinks she is, and at the end of part one, we find out the names of who he thinks she is, Bayley Beale Tyler... Baby. This name is familiar to Sea, but she cannot tweak out exactly why as yet.
This was all written from Sea's perspective, and was a very emotionally intense and compelling read, as we go from the point of her being in fear at the kidnapping, to the forced intimacy and pretense, with the continued element of uncertainty and fear to keep herself safe, and trying to figure out the mystery of why she was taken and how to get away. Then the development of a relationship between her and her captor, and finally the cliffhanger end with the large clue as to why all this is happening to Sea.
One quibble I had was that the story had a LOT of pop culture references to various movies/celebrities, etc. I found it a bit annoying, but really, a minor quibble.
The next book in the duology is On.
4 stars out of 5
This is the first part of a contemporary duology that was part kidnap psychological thriller erotica that was very intense and compelling. Sea is an ER nurse who is burnt out a bit from the intensity of her job. She seems a bit emotionally vulnerable and alone in the world after losing her parents, and likely from the daily trauma and intensity of her job, which recently included an external emergency where there was an explosion nearby causing mass casualties and deaths at her hospital. As a nurse myself, I connected with this - maybe not the mass casualties, but definitely with the compounded trauma and emotional toll of caring for others at the worst point of their lives, so I think that was a bit of an emotional tether for myself and the main character.
Regardless, she was sent on vacation to a timeshare by a supervisor to recuperate a bit of herself, and on her way to this retreat, she was drugged and kidnapped. She woke up to find herself being held hostage in a luxury home by a strange man she does no know, but acts as though he knows her intimately. He appears to be delusional and in order to stay alive while she works out how to save herself, Sea lives in his world, considering she doesn't know what the situation is and whether or not she will end up murdered or otherwise. He calls her Baby, and dictates her daily regimen. He keeps her isolated but treats her well, and she concludes that he thinks she is his wife/partner. She calls him Del, and does what she can to follow his dictates and keep herself safe, and eventually she starts to trust him and crave his attention, in spite of herself. As they spend more time together, she finds out more clues about Del and his relationship with who he thinks she is, and at the end of part one, we find out the names of who he thinks she is, Bayley Beale Tyler... Baby. This name is familiar to Sea, but she cannot tweak out exactly why as yet.
This was all written from Sea's perspective, and was a very emotionally intense and compelling read, as we go from the point of her being in fear at the kidnapping, to the forced intimacy and pretense, with the continued element of uncertainty and fear to keep herself safe, and trying to figure out the mystery of why she was taken and how to get away. Then the development of a relationship between her and her captor, and finally the cliffhanger end with the large clue as to why all this is happening to Sea.
One quibble I had was that the story had a LOT of pop culture references to various movies/celebrities, etc. I found it a bit annoying, but really, a minor quibble.
The next book in the duology is On.
4 stars out of 5
August 31, 2022
All I can say is wow!! The only thing I did not like about this book was the cliffhanger at the end. I cannot wait for the next installment in the series. This book had it all. It was longer than I expected from the description, but the length was very appropriate and appreciated due to the in depth descriptions of characters and the world they lived in!! Without such in depth details of the scenes in the book and what was on Baby/Sea’s mind I don’t think I would have enjoyed the book as much. It was very dark and erotic, but in the best way possible. I couldn’t put this book down as it ensnared me right from the prologue. I kept waiting for the e other shoe to drop as far as Del’s state of mind, but instead I kind of fell in love with the way he treated Baby/Sea!! He cherished her and treated her like a queen, and even though he had kidnapped her the way he treated her did not make it feel like a bad thing. Desperately waiting on book 2!! Thank you Carly Oberon.
I received a free copy of this book via Evernight and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I received a free copy of this book via Evernight and am voluntarily leaving a review.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 23, 2022
I was blown away by how wonderful this book is. I already enjoy psychology and abnormal psychology in particular, which is the area that deals with issues like schizophrenia and delusional disorders. I love that this book is all about how Sea can figure her way out while still maintaining the image of acceptance and cooperation so Del doesn’t become dangerous to handle. This book is without a doubt one of my new favorite stories ever! I can’t wait for the next one!
5 ⭐️s= Perfect story, exciting, engrossing, well developed complex characters, solid plot with few to no holes, descriptive environments and place settings, great mystery elements, realistic dialogue, believable reactions and behaviors, loved this story so much I’d buy it.
4 ⭐️s= Great story, highly entertaining and enjoyable, exciting storyline, well developed characters and settings, a few discrepancies but nothing that can’t be overlooked. Believable actions and reactions, realistic dialogue, a book I would consider buying.
3 ⭐️s= Good but not great story, noticeable discrepancies, grammatical and or spelling errors, undeveloped characters or unbelievable behaviors but still readable. Nothing majorly wrong with the story, just not interesting enough for me to continue. Would not buy the book.
2 ⭐️s= Not offended by the story, but not interested enough to finish. Unbelievable characters, poor writing, many mistakes, big holes or discrepancies, many spelling or grammatical errors, characters not believable, unlikeable or TSTL.
1 ⭐️= Offensive, extremely poor writing, horrible characters, victimization, gaslighting, blatant abuse, unnecessary violence, child endangerment, or any other highly objectionable behaviors by Main characters. Would never buy this book, and do not recommend it to anyone.
I received a free copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review.
5 ⭐️s= Perfect story, exciting, engrossing, well developed complex characters, solid plot with few to no holes, descriptive environments and place settings, great mystery elements, realistic dialogue, believable reactions and behaviors, loved this story so much I’d buy it.
4 ⭐️s= Great story, highly entertaining and enjoyable, exciting storyline, well developed characters and settings, a few discrepancies but nothing that can’t be overlooked. Believable actions and reactions, realistic dialogue, a book I would consider buying.
3 ⭐️s= Good but not great story, noticeable discrepancies, grammatical and or spelling errors, undeveloped characters or unbelievable behaviors but still readable. Nothing majorly wrong with the story, just not interesting enough for me to continue. Would not buy the book.
2 ⭐️s= Not offended by the story, but not interested enough to finish. Unbelievable characters, poor writing, many mistakes, big holes or discrepancies, many spelling or grammatical errors, characters not believable, unlikeable or TSTL.
1 ⭐️= Offensive, extremely poor writing, horrible characters, victimization, gaslighting, blatant abuse, unnecessary violence, child endangerment, or any other highly objectionable behaviors by Main characters. Would never buy this book, and do not recommend it to anyone.
I received a free copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review.
April 26, 2023
For a health care professional, nurse Maysea Heston doesn’t live a healthy lifestyle. She works too much, smokes, and spends her downtime watching movies and drinking beer. Nearing burnout, her boss at the hospital insists that she take a vacation. Maysea agrees, but at the airport, someone drugs her, and she blacks out.
When the drugs wear off, Maysea finds herself in a strange bed, watched over by a man who calls her “Baby.” He thinks she’s someone else, a woman from his mysterious past. Maysea focuses on finding an escape and decides her best strategy is to play along. She nicknames her captor “Del,” short for “Del(usional).”
Escape proves impossible, but Maysea finds that captivity isn’t so bad after all. Del has a huge house, a lovely, if isolated, seaside estate, and caters to her every wish (almost). Over time, she finds herself inexplicably drawn to him. Is Maysea crazy? Will she ever find her way back to her old life? Does she even want to?
Off is a page-turner of a psychological mystery that morphs into a romance. Maysea is a prisoner in a gilded cage that, at first, she’s determined to escape. Whenever one of her attempts to find an escape failed, I was eager to see what she’d try next.
Maysea, as a character, is so well-developed that it’s difficult to realize she isn’t an actual person. Most of the book is a journey of self-discovery for her. On the other hand, Del remains just out of the reader’s reach, mysterious and perhaps unknowable. Their relationship is in flux as Maysea re-evaluates her life, which changes her perception of her situation.
While Off is, at its heart, a psychological suspense story, it’s not dark or scary. And as the relationship between Maysea and Del evolves, well, be prepared for some steamy adult content. Oh, did I mention there is a sequel?
When the drugs wear off, Maysea finds herself in a strange bed, watched over by a man who calls her “Baby.” He thinks she’s someone else, a woman from his mysterious past. Maysea focuses on finding an escape and decides her best strategy is to play along. She nicknames her captor “Del,” short for “Del(usional).”
Escape proves impossible, but Maysea finds that captivity isn’t so bad after all. Del has a huge house, a lovely, if isolated, seaside estate, and caters to her every wish (almost). Over time, she finds herself inexplicably drawn to him. Is Maysea crazy? Will she ever find her way back to her old life? Does she even want to?
Off is a page-turner of a psychological mystery that morphs into a romance. Maysea is a prisoner in a gilded cage that, at first, she’s determined to escape. Whenever one of her attempts to find an escape failed, I was eager to see what she’d try next.
Maysea, as a character, is so well-developed that it’s difficult to realize she isn’t an actual person. Most of the book is a journey of self-discovery for her. On the other hand, Del remains just out of the reader’s reach, mysterious and perhaps unknowable. Their relationship is in flux as Maysea re-evaluates her life, which changes her perception of her situation.
While Off is, at its heart, a psychological suspense story, it’s not dark or scary. And as the relationship between Maysea and Del evolves, well, be prepared for some steamy adult content. Oh, did I mention there is a sequel?
September 13, 2022
This is the first book in the Off-On Duet let me start off by saying I HATE CLIFFHANGERS!!!!!! Okay now I feel better now that I have gotten that out of the way although I will way if you read the prologue you won’t stop in fact you will find yourself turning the page just to see where it all leads. I mean crazy meets crazy so to speak in the best way possible if you throw in the three D’s as I call them, and you get dark, delicious, and dirty in this one here which can be read in under an hour or so, but boy does it suck you in and get you all caught up along the way. Maysea (Sea) intelligent an ER nurse who doesn’t really think about herself too much, overworked caring for everyone but herself so when she gets sick offered a little rest time in a timeshare it seems like the perfect getaway, or it would have been had she made it to her destination. Del sexy as all get out a little on the insane side but sexy decides to take his obsession why her well we don’t know just yet but what he will do is show her that there is more to life than what she has been living when all along her plan is to escape go back to what she calls her normal but there are so many questions like do she really want to go back to her normal considering he has awaken something she didn’t even know existed within her, will she ever get away from him, is he as crazy as he portrays or is there more to him, why does he call her baby what is the significance of the name baby, he showed her that she really is a queen just by the way he treated her but where are they headed?.
I received a free copy of this book via Evernight and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I received a free copy of this book via Evernight and am voluntarily leaving a review.
September 17, 2022
This is the 1st part in a duet, and what an amazing beginning this story is. Maysea / Sea is a highly trained ER nurse, who dedicated long hours to others, and often forgets about herself. When Sea suffers from a severe bout of flu, she agrees to go to her supervisor’s timeshare to recover. Sea never makes the flight and is held captive by a man she does not know. Del is handsome, obsessive, and delusional, or is he? Who is Del and what is their connection? This is a well written story which is dark, raw, gritty, intense, and intriguing, with survival, twists, and emotions, which leads to a steamy and compelling page turner. This story ends in a cliffhanger, and I look forward to getting some questions answered in the next novel.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
October 1, 2022
★ Seductive and suspenseful first reel of a story - “Mercy Mercy Me.” ★
—>>> “This is the intimacy of us, the heart and soul of our life, one,” he whispered in my ear. “I’ll never lose it again.” Lord help me. What had I done?”
Baby/Sea and Del have a journey both in their hearts as well as their minds ahead of them in this first book, OFF. I was swept away by this seductive and suspenseful romance and am excited to see how they will navigate the rest of the path back towards each other in ON, when the fog continues lifting. Thoroughly enjoyed the analyzing and psychological strategizing as she deals with her situation.
—>>> “This is the intimacy of us, the heart and soul of our life, one,” he whispered in my ear. “I’ll never lose it again.” Lord help me. What had I done?”
Baby/Sea and Del have a journey both in their hearts as well as their minds ahead of them in this first book, OFF. I was swept away by this seductive and suspenseful romance and am excited to see how they will navigate the rest of the path back towards each other in ON, when the fog continues lifting. Thoroughly enjoyed the analyzing and psychological strategizing as she deals with her situation.
September 12, 2022
I loved this story. Sea falling in love with her kidnapper was only the beginning. I thought Del was crazy, then I thought Sea actually had amnesia and couldn't remember him, but did know him formally. After this ending, I don't know what to think. This book was so good. It was steamy, exciting, and I am absolutely going to read the next book as soon as it comes out because I need to know what happens. Great story!.
I received a free copy of this book via Evernight and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I received a free copy of this book via Evernight and am voluntarily leaving a review.
September 14, 2022
Suspenseful Cliffhanger
Maysea wakes up in an unknown place with an unknown man who thinks he knows her. She isolated with this stranger and has to figure out how to get out of this situation, if that's what she really wants.
This was a mysterious, suspenseful, twisted romance that keeps you intrigued all the way to the cliffhanger ending. This next book should be very interesting and I hope it will answer all the mysteries of book one.
I received a free copy of this book via Evernight and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Maysea wakes up in an unknown place with an unknown man who thinks he knows her. She isolated with this stranger and has to figure out how to get out of this situation, if that's what she really wants.
This was a mysterious, suspenseful, twisted romance that keeps you intrigued all the way to the cliffhanger ending. This next book should be very interesting and I hope it will answer all the mysteries of book one.
I received a free copy of this book via Evernight and am voluntarily leaving a review.
September 16, 2022
Marsea is an ER nurse that works long hours for the care of others. She really neglects her self at times. When she gets a bout of the flu, she agrees to rest at her boss's time share. She is abducted before she makes it to her flight and wakes up in an unfamiliar place and with a man she does not know watching her.
The man is handsome, but you do not know if he really knows her or if he is crazy. You learn more thru the book but look out for the cliffhanger, cannot wait for the second half.
I received a free copy of this book via Evernight and am voluntarily leaving a review.
The man is handsome, but you do not know if he really knows her or if he is crazy. You learn more thru the book but look out for the cliffhanger, cannot wait for the second half.
I received a free copy of this book via Evernight and am voluntarily leaving a review.
September 1, 2022
When Sea heads of for a well earned rest for once in her busy life, she gets kidnapped by Del, he calls her Baby and turns her world upside-down! This boo kinds on a cliffhanger. With steamy twisting scenes, desires, emotions and more I can't wait for book 2!.
I received a free copy of this book via Evernight and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I received a free copy of this book via Evernight and am voluntarily leaving a review.
September 12, 2022
A fantastic, riveting read. Deliciously dark and dangerous, not for the fainthearted. Well written, with beautifully crafted characters. This is part one of a duet and does end on a cliffhanger. Cannot wait for the next book.
I received a free copy of this book via Evernight and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I received a free copy of this book via Evernight and am voluntarily leaving a review.
September 13, 2022
I cannot even fathom the idea of living with someone who is in a different delusional dimension than you. Del? Sea? These two are, so, I don't know, caring, crazy, tied together in the wildest of ways. I don't want to give anything away, but dayam, I need to find out what happens next.
I received a free copy of this book via Evernight and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I received a free copy of this book via Evernight and am voluntarily leaving a review.
November 19, 2022
I wasn't sure what the twist would be in this story and was nicely surprised. The progression to the next book allows the strengths of the main character to impact the storyline in a very well paced manner that is quite believable. How to impact, without shattering, another's soul and raison d'être.
Mistaken identity at the next level!
Mistaken identity at the next level!
September 14, 2022
This is a duet so the cliffhanger was expected... I really liked the plot and all the question marks, it's a very good start and I can't wait for the next book.
I received a free copy of this book via Evernight and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I received a free copy of this book via Evernight and am voluntarily leaving a review.
October 19, 2022
This book is good it keeps you guessing. Who is he? Does he really know her and she just forgot? Is he crazy?
The cliff hanger caught me at the end! Can't wait for the next book to figure out the mystery!!.
I received a free copy of this book via Evernight and am voluntarily leaving a review.
The cliff hanger caught me at the end! Can't wait for the next book to figure out the mystery!!.
I received a free copy of this book via Evernight and am voluntarily leaving a review.
November 24, 2022
Always on edge!
This author has the perfect balance of suspense and sensuality. The main character has to walk that line to stay safe and sane herself.
Great read it draws you along. I can't wait to read part two!
This author has the perfect balance of suspense and sensuality. The main character has to walk that line to stay safe and sane herself.
Great read it draws you along. I can't wait to read part two!
Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews