REVIEW: Captive Beauty

CaptiveBeauty by Natasha Knight

⭐⭐⭐⭐

Synopsis:

Cilla

The Beast had Belle.
Killian Black has me.

How I got here doesn’t matter, even though he says it does. Says it was my choice. He doesn’t get it, though. It wasn’t ever a choice for me.

And now, he’s changing the rules.

The agreement was one month. For thirty days, I’d be his. He’s no longer satisfied with my body alone, though. He wants my soul, too. Wants every part of me. And even though I can pretend I’m safe when I lie beneath him, this man does something to me. Something wicked.

A thing that will break me.

Killian

Cilla made the choice. She offered the deal. I just took her up on it. So what if I changed the rules half-way in? I’m not apologizing for it.

See, Cilla and me, we’re the same. She’s dark. As dark as me. Something happened to her. Something bad. It damaged her.

But it’s not a hero she seeks. It’s an avenging angel. A dark knight. That, I can do. I’ll slay her dragons, but it’ll cost her, because in return, I want everything. And I’ll take it.

She’s mine.

Author’s note: Captive Beauty is a standalone romance. Think Beauty and the Beast, but twisted and dark in the best, dirtiest ways.

Review

Although Captive Beauty is referred to as “A dark Beauty and the Beast”, I am thankful that this book stands alone - separate if you will.  It is loosely based and has some very small parallels.

Killian is the Beast to Cilla’s Beauty.  He is dark, haunted and scarred.  He shoulders a lot of regret and rage.  He meets Cilla when her brother, Jones, steals drugs from him and then tries to resell it to Killian’s own men.  The crew then abducts both Jones and Cilla, who has no idea what is going on.  She was at the wrong place at the wrong time.  Once arrived at their destination, Killian’s threatens bodily harm to her brother as a form of punishment and warning.  Cilla, protective of her brother, does not want any harm to come to him.  As result, she tempts the beast by stating she will do anything to spare her brother effectively redirecting the beast’s attention and rage to her.  Intrigued, he readily agrees but, he is no hero.  For one month, he will have his Captive Beauty and everything she can possibly give – and more!

Cilla puts up a front.  She seems so confident and put together but she is not.  She has a dark and twisted past.  When she meets Killian, she is willing to put herself at the beast’s mercy.  Cilla knows she has no other recourse. She owes her brother a debt she can never repay and if she does not agree to the terms set, Jones will be severely injured.

This book touches on some dark themes but it does not delve too deeply.  It is a dark read that I enjoyed thoroughly.

Although this is a wonderful read, I believe that if Killian's relationship with his sister wouId have been explored more, it would have brought to life more of his character.  How kind and caring he once was compared to the beast he now is.  The same goes with Cilla’s past, it almost felt glossed over.  It's fair to say that I just want more of these characters.  I believe a duet would have satisfied me.  One in each of the main character’s point of view.

This aside, Natasha Knight, through her writing, makes you feel the angst, the dread and the pain these characters are going through.  The passion, the need and the want are palpable.  The push and pull of the characters was riveting.  When Killian would push, Cilla would push back.  She brought out all of the emotion in him, and he, her. 

They are evenly matched.  Killian is strong and angry.  Cilla although she seems strong is oh so fragile.  The more time Killian spends with her, the more his rage is tempered and the more he wants from his Captive Beauty.  Cilla on the other hand, slowly starts to trust Killian.  She starts to let go and hands over not only her body but her secrets as well.  She becomes stronger than she has ever been as result.  I absolutely loved this story and cannot wait to read another book by this author.