Review: Epilogue (The Dark Duet #3) by C.J. Roberts

Epilogue (The Dark Duet #3) by C.J. Roberts
BOOK 3 OF THE DARK DUET

Published June 11th 2013 by Neurotica Books, LLC

About the book
I’m writing this because you begged. You know how I love the begging. In fact, you probably know too many things and know them far too well.

Who am I?

Well, that’s what I’m trying to figure out. I was a whore in my youth, a killer since my adolescence, and a monster as a man. I am the man who kidnapped Livvie. I am the man who held her in a dark room for weeks. But, most importantly, I am the man she loves.

She loves me. It’s quite sick, isn’t it?

Of course, there’s more to our story than can be surmised in a few short sentences, but I’m at a loss for justifying my behavior back then. I assume if you’re reading this, I don’t need to make those justifications. You’ve already made your own.

You’re reading this because you want to know about the rest of the story. You want to know what happened that warm summer night in September of 2010, the night I met Livvie at The Paseo. It was the night my life changed all over again.

It didn’t happen exactly as Livvie said. She’s been very kind to me in the retelling of our story. The truth is far more…complicated.

My Thoughts
“I wasn’t sure what I would do if Livvie didn’t want to be with me. I didn’t necessarily having anything to go back to except killing and smuggling. Was I a better person? Maybe not. I was only better when I was living for her. I felt like a time-bomb.”

Wow! Epilogue is edgy, twisted, and sharp-witted disguised with a delicate veil of seduction. I was absolutely glued to the pages of this dark tale of redemption that served as the continuation of Livvie and Caleb’s love story.

Where Livvie’s account in Captive in the Dark and Seduced in the Dark were one of survival, Caleb’s story in Epilogue is one of redemption and the hope for forgiveness. I’ll admit up front, I was ready to forgive Caleb in book one… well before he displayed any redeemable qualities. There was something about this character where I felt not only drawn to his struggles but also sympathetic to his dark soul. In Epilogue, I feel he truly displayed the desire to become a better person and I was willing to give him a chance despite his past actions.

“Everything is in the process of becoming something else. It’s the law of change…I’m in the process of becoming something else Livvie. I hope it’s something good, something far removed from the monster you knew.” ~Caleb

It was clear how much he hoped to gain Livvie’s forgiveness for what he put her through, and their attempt at a new beginning was marred with obstacles, including Caleb’s self-doubt that he’d be able to change completely.

“Personally, I’d like to think a person can change for the better…a person has to have a reason to change. They have to believe their situation will be made better by changing. Otherwise, that person is at the disadvantage…”

Overall, I have to admit that I appreciated Caleb’s account in this book. He made me laugh with his crass, yet seductive narrative, and I was easily lured by his direct voice to the reader. Livvie and Caleb’s attempt at normalcy was imperfect to say the least, but at the end you can’t deny the obvious attraction and love they felt for one another. Was this a Prince Charming fairy tale? Hell no, but did it achieve the best possible Happily Ever After? I think Livvie and Caleb came as close as they could despite their horrific beginning.

As Caleb said, "there is no real ending, but only a place where you stop the story," and Epilogue achieved a conclusion where I never imagined one was possible. Well done! I'll never forget these two characters.

4 Suns

Review: Captive in the Dark & Seduced in the Dark by C.J. Roberts

Captive in the Dark (The Dark Duet #1) by C.J. Roberts

Published July 20th 2011 by CJ Roberts

About the book
Caleb is a man with a singular interest in revenge. Kidnapped as a young boy and sold into slavery by a power-hungry mobster, he has thought of nothing but vengeance. For twelve years he has immersed himself in the world of pleasure slaves searching for the one man he holds ultimately responsible. Finally, the architect of his suffering has emerged with a new identity, but not a new nature. If Caleb is to get close enough to strike, he must become the very thing he abhors and kidnap a beautiful girl to train her to be all that he once was.

Eighteen-year-old Olivia Ruiz has just woken up in a strange place. Blindfolded and bound, there is only a calm male voice to welcome her. His name is Caleb, though he demands to be called Master. Olivia is young, beautiful, naïve and willful to a fault. She has a dark sensuality that cannot be hidden or denied, though she tries to accomplish both. Although she is frightened by the strong, sadistic, and arrogant man who holds her prisoner, what keeps Olivia awake in the dark is her unwelcome attraction to him.

My Thoughts
He was my tormentor and my solace; the creator of the dark and the light within.

Well clearly this book has affected me to the point where I put off reviewing and sharing my thoughts on one of the most dark and disturbing novels I’ve come across in my reading career. At a point when I’d like to believe I’ve read just about every plot and storyline, it’s novels such as Captive in the Dark that make an explicit and in-your-face statement that prove I’m so clearly wrong in thinking that there’s nothing new out there, just variations of the same.

My journey into this truly twisted and beyond belief story started with what I thought was an inconsequential conversation over lunch with one of my favorite reading companions. I was sitting in a restaurant having lunch with Rachel and a few of us came up on the topic of novels that have scarred or impacted us in one way or another. Rachel brought up how Captive in the Dark immensely affected her. We’re talking sleepless nights and beyond comprehension disturbing.

Well rather than that putting me off, it intrigued me and I expressed my enthusiasm over wanting to dive into the book. Yes, I’m weird… I know... And if you’ve ever gotten that “Are you crazy?!?” look from Rachel like I have many times, you’ll know that she wasn’t kidding around but it only fueled my intrigue in discovering what this was all about. I didn’t heed her warnings, but rather jumped feet first into what became an abyss of darkness and disturbing.

So I’ve learned two things here… when Rachel says, “I just can’t recommend this book,” or “This one really affected me” I’ll have to put more stock into the fact that she knows what she’s talking about. A mistake I’ll never make again. And secondly, to say I regret reading this book would devalue the emotional limits I realized. I say that because in a sea of novels that barely move me north or south on the reading compass, it’s the ones that either strike an emotional chord or punch my psychological balance that I have to claim are the books worth my attention. I was both moved and disturbed in so many ways that I can honestly say, I’ll never forget Livvie and Caleb.

There were so many difficult excerpts in this book to read, but I was glued to the horror the entire time. And what disturbed me most was that as much as I wanted to abhor Caleb for what he did to Livvie, his backstory and moments of vulnerability humanized this monster in my eyes. I’ve come to the sad fact way back when I read Stolen by Lucy Christopher that I’m a prime candidate for Stockholm Syndrome and I’m not making light of this in any way because it’s been more than once that I’ve found myself feeling compassion for someone who torments, violates and devalues another human being. I place the utmost value in compassion for other humans, so it truly disturbs me that I would fall for a damaged and cruel person such as Caleb. I can’t explain why I did, but at the end of the novel, my brain was searching for ways to save this creature from his own demise, which was the hardest realization in this entire experience.

Livvie grabbed on to my emotional heartstrings and did not let go for one moment. She was a fighter from the beginning to the end and there was a brief moment toward the end of the novel where I felt she finally broke. I was on the verge of hysterical tears. I wanted to protect her and the entire time I hoped someone would save her, so on some level I feel like I betrayed this character when at the end; I wanted her to forgive Caleb.

There’s so much that happens in this novel that sheds a disturbing light on a world that many of us are oblivious to its existence. To say I knew that human trafficking existed is one thing, but to learn the horrors of it is quite another. At the risk of continuing to babble on, I’d just like to say that this story is not for everyone and the jury is still out as to whether it was for me. I will tell you this… I continued on to book two and I will most definitely read the final installment, but it has forever altered my belief that I know what I’m getting into when a trusted friend warns me to the possible damage a book can do.

4 Suns

Seduced in the Dark (The Dark Duet #2) by C.J. Roberts

Published August 30th 2012 by Neurotica Books

About the book
The exciting, titillating, and action-filled conclusion to Captive in the Dark.

What is the price of redemption?

Rescued from sexual slavery by a mysterious Pakistani officer, Caleb carries the weight of a debt that must be paid in blood.

The road has been long and fraught with uncertainty, but for Caleb and Livvie, it’s all coming to an end.

Can he surrender the woman he loves for the sake of vengeance?


Or will he make the ultimate sacrifice?

My Thoughts

Once upon a time, Caleb held me captive in the dark, now he used it to seduce me. ~Livvie

She kisses my scars and I create new ones for her. ~Caleb

It was no surprise that I was going to continue this dark and disturbing novel where Caleb and Livvie continue their journey toward destruction. But what struck me most of all was that I was hoping the entire time they would find their salvation. Seduced in the Dark continues Livvie’s story of torment where she’s finally been released from Caleb’s twisted plans of revenge that involve using her as a pawn.

While Livvie is held under medical observation by Dr. Sloan, she is also questioned by Agent Reed as they both try to uncover the truth behind Livvie’s abduction. The story unfolds with a series of flash-backs sharing moments between Caleb and Livvie that were both gruesome and tender in equal measure. When Livvie is finally released from Caleb’s clutches she appears to be damaged beyond repair, but a single fact remains… she wants to somehow reunite with Caleb despite the horrors he put her through.

Again I have to admit, I wanted these two characters to somehow find a way to make it work. Their story began with a dark and evil plan of revenge, but as time went by it was clear that Caleb was trying to find a way out of the twisted reality he created for himself and Livvie. The entire time, I had this compounding urge to want their story to be re-told… offer them a different beginning with a possibility for a happily ever after, but chapter after chapter it was clear that a time for do-overs was long passed.

When Livvie is finally released from medical observation, I have to say once again that I was proud of her strong sense of survival. There was no doubt that in some sense she was broken, but in no way was she giving up. I applauded her sense of resolve and I admired her will to move on.

As far as Caleb was concerned, do I feel he did enough to redeem himself? No, and I don’t think he ever will. Did I accept the flaws and dents in this character? Absolutely, and with a huge sense of compassion. His backstory got to me … it really did. I won’t use that as an excuse for what he did, but I will use it as a means for understanding his motives.  And, at the end of the day when the crime has been committed – motive is all you have to help you understand.

Overall, this second installment hooked me deeper into Caleb and Livvie’s damaged lives and I have a huge sense of curiosity to see how their story continues. I will state again that this series is not for everyone, so you must proceed with extreme caution. That’s more than I can say for myself because I still feel emotionally battered.

5 Suns