Alone

  Alone, Lisa Gardner

Amazon Blurb -

Alone . . . Massachusetts State Trooper Bobby Dodge watches a tense hostage standoff unfold through the scope of his sniper rifle. Just across the street, in wealthy Back Bay, Boston, an armed man has barricaded himself with his wife and child. The man’s finger tightens on the trigger and Dodge has only a split second to react . . . and forever pay the consequences.

Alone . . . that’s where the nightmare began for cool, beautiful, and dangerously sexy Catherine Rose Gagnon. Twenty-five years ago, she was buried underground during a month-long nightmare of abduction and abuse. Now her husband has just been killed. Her father-in-law, the powerful Judge Gagnon, blames Catherine for his son’s death . . . and for the series of unexplained illnesses that have sent her own young son repeatedly to the hospital.

Alone . . . a madman survived solitary confinement in a maximum security prison where he’d done hard time for the most sadistic of crimes. Now he walks the streets a free man, invisible, anonymous . . . and filled with an unquenchable rage for vengeance. What brings them together is a moment of violence—but what connects them is a passion far deeper and much more dangerous. For a killer is loose who’s woven such an intricate web of evil that no one is above suspicion, no one is beyond harm, and no one will see death coming until it has them cornered, helpless, and alone.

*****

This was the first book of Lisa Gardner I've read, and I really liked it.  Trooper Bobby Dodge has been called out to a domestic distubance with a possible gun.  He's a crack shot, and when he makes a split second decision, his life is never the same again.  Breathtakingly beautiful Catherine Gagnon is the survivor of a horrendous crime, now she has to battle her powerful judge father-in-law over the death of her husband, his son.

How far will someone go to protect themselves? When you let crazy out of the box, is it possible to ever put it back in?

DD Warren plays a small part in this, and to be honest, I didn't like her that much, BUT, I liked the book so much that I'll definitely read more of the series.  I'm sure my opinion of her will change since the series is based on her and she becomes the prominent character.   I do like Gardner's writing style, and this story had me going right through to the end. 

3 1/2 cannolis

Torn Asunder

Torn From You by Nashoda Rose

Amazon Blurb -

It is highly recommended to read "With You" the novella first.

*Warning: This book contains some very disturbing situations, graphic violence, strong language and sexual content. Over 18 years.

Love is like an avalanche. It hits hard, fast and without mercy.

At least it did for me when Sculpt, the lead singer of the rock band Tear Asunder knocked me off my feet. Literally, because he’s also a fighter, illegally of course, and he taught me how to fight. He also taught me how to love and I fell hard for him. I mean the guy could do sweet, when he 
wasn't doing bossy, and I like sweet.

Then it all shattered.

Kidnapped.
Starved.
Beaten.
I was alone and fighting to survive.
When I heard Sculpt's voice, I thought he was there to save me.

I was wrong.

*This is a love story with dark elements. Dark contemporary romance. No cliffhanger and next in the Tear Asunder series is Ream's story (the band's lead guitarist). 

*****

SPOILERS ARE COMING!

Wow!  What can I say about this crapfest!?!  Hang on cuz there's gonna be spoilers and I am going to rant about just how far fetched this book is and what a waste of good reading time.  Why did I finish it? Huh, I think it became morbid curiosity after a bit.  Look, I'm not one to rake an author over the coals, but this was just crazy.  It has a disclaimer on Amazon due to the "dark" subject matter as you can see in the above blurb.  Hhhmmm, being kidnapped and made a sex slave, could make a decent story. Hey, I really liked the movie Taken. Finding out your boyfriend is in the middle of it, well all bets are off, right?  Nah, not here, in this story the female protagonist Emily finds she can't help herself and loves him.  Never mind that he screws her in front of a bunch of disgusting men who "own" these poor girls.  Even worse, Sculpt, yeah you read right that's his name and I'll touch on the dumb names in a bit too, throws in her face that she didn't stop him, she consented every time they 

had sex.  Uh WHAT!?!

This is a sad tormenting subject because this horror does happen.  That they tried to make it a love story is ridiculous.  Sculpt's father Raul is the head honcho of this barbaric mess. Sculpt's mother was his prisoner/slave, hence Sculpt being born.  He is an MMA fighter and a singer in a rock band, ooooo weee how awesome. His mother escaped with him, now Raul wants payback and Sculpt want him dead.  His father wants him to fight for him and Eme is the prize that gets dangled like a carrot for an incentive.  See here's the thing, they were boyfriend and girlfriend and his father kidnapped her into his sick world and Sculpt went to rescue here.  The rub?  He never let her know he was saving her, his reason being that she wouldn't act afraid and the crew of depraved animals would know it was an act.

Foul language abounds by the guys and girls regardless whether there are ladies present or not in this 

book.  The love scenes are not romantic or moving at all.  Sculpt is an overbearing gorilla and Emily is a poor excuse for a lead girl.  One scene so hard to believe, a prisoner named Raven that Eme met before getting out is rescued by Deck after being held for 2 years and do they take her to a hospital or her family, or even the police? Nah, they let her stay with friends Georgie and Deck.  How absurd and completely unbelievavle is that?

Now about those dumb names.  While Sculpt's given name is Logan, only his mother and sometimes Emily call him that, then you have Crisis, Kite, and Ream.  Someone give me a break.  I don't recommend this book, and not because of the subject being too dark, but because it was terrible.

1 cannoli