Hostage by Skye Warren and Annika Martin

CONTEMPORARY ROMANCE
ROMANTIC SUSPENSE​

Publication date: 01/27/2018
Kindle Unlimited: No
Cliffhanger: No
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I don’t normally read dark romance. It tends to depress me, and the world is depressing enough on its own, so I don’t need to read depressing crap, too. But on the recommendation of a friend, I read the first book in this series, Prisoner, and absolutely adored it.

 I waited and waited and waited for Hostage to be released, and about hurt myself 1-clicking at lightning speed when it came out. And once again, the authors didn’t let me down.

First of all, Hostage stands alone really nicely, so if you don’t want to read Prisoner before diving into Hostage, you don’t have to. (Although I don’t understand why you wouldn’t. It’s a great read.) The story is also told from both the hero and heroine’s POV, which I love. 

Stone is one of the more damaged heroes you’ll find in romance land. Horrifically imprisoned and abused as a child with his “brothers,” he doesn’t know how to love or how to accept love from anyone else. He’s devoted his life to caring for his brothers and dispensing vigilante justice to those who hurt them. But the brothers are also attempting to make sure what happened to them doesn’t happen to any other boys, so their actions aren’t all about revenge.

Brooke, the heroine, witnesses Stone beating and questioning one of his abusers, so he takes her captive with the intent to kill her. But of course, there’s just something about her that makes him decide to let her go instead. (He also becomes a little obsessed with her...but I digress...)

​Brooke is a little broken and damaged, too. She’s like a beautiful bird in a gilded cage. She longs to be free of her oppressive lifestyle, but she doesn’t know how to break away. Stone really sees her in a way that no one else does. He understands her, and that understanding is something she’s been craving her whole life. Their connection and chemistry is off the charts, and I loved their banter throughout the story. It’s immediately clear that they’re kindred spirits.

I’ll warn readers about a couple of things. The first is that Brooke is young. She’s 16 when she meets the Stone, who is about a decade older. They don’t have sex until she’s 18, but her youth does make this a bit of a taboo romance. Now, I personally don’t mind this particular age difference at all. Girls always mature faster than boys, and Stone is even more emotionally stunted than most men, so spiritually (if not chronologically) their age difference isn’t that huge, in my opinion.

The second thing I’ll warn you about is actually more of an endorsement than a criticism. If you’re squeamish about child abuse (like I am), rest assured that the authors don’t go into depth talking about what happened to Stone and his brothers. They give you enough information to know what went on (generally) without scarring you for life. (I was scarred for life by Lisa Gardner’s Say Goodbye, which includes the most disgusting and descriptive depiction of child abuse I’ve ever read. It’s horrific. Hostage is NOTHING like that.)     

Everything is wrapped up nicely at the end, too. I was a little worried there would be a cliffhanger, but there wasn’t. (Although, I can’t WAIT for the next book, because Stone and Grayson’s brothers definitely NEED to have their stories told.)

Long-story-short: Fans of dark, gritty, realistic romance with complicated, possessive alpha heroes won’t want to miss this one. It’s all kinds of fabulous.        

Does this book contribute to or help crush the romance stigma?
No rehab needed. This one’s clean and sober.  

Other reading suggestions
Definitely read Prisoner. And for more of our top gritty romance picks, check out this best of list.

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