I thought I was done.
my End
I couldn’t take my eyes off her as the bullet tore through me, leaving me with nothing but the hope that I had done enough to save her. The darkness tried to engulf me—to brand me as its own and drag me to my fate.
my Darkness
Waking to see her tear-stained face above me was enough to make my heart stutter. I was alive and free from that place—but not from the toll it had taken on my mind and body.
my Strength
My story should have ended, but one woman kept standing in the way of that. The only way I could have her was to find a way to put the darkness to rest.
my End
I couldn’t take my eyes off her as the bullet tore through me, leaving me with nothing but the hope that I had done enough to save her. The darkness tried to engulf me—to brand me as its own and drag me to my fate.
my Darkness
Waking to see her tear-stained face above me was enough to make my heart stutter. I was alive and free from that place—but not from the toll it had taken on my mind and body.
my Strength
My story should have ended, but one woman kept standing in the way of that. The only way I could have her was to find a way to put the darkness to rest.
This is one of those rare times that I can say a second book
in a series does more good than just carry on with the plot. I swear it
would send the readers running to the first book Irrevocable to find the whole
story between James and Rose, if someone had just started with Bend Don’t
Break. For those who like me have read the first book, this answered some
lingering questions and gave me some closure to the story. This story is
intense and powerful. Darkness looms over these two characters and
traumatic events seemed to have guided their way for the last year.
Bend Don’t Break is James voice, his part of the story that
was not offered to us in the first book. It was so easy to forget he
wasn’t the bad guy, now we can see the turmoil that was brewing in him when he
was forced to treat Rose like he did at the Retreat. All he did was to
protect her, gather his evidence and try to establish a “normal” life
afterwards.
I can’t even begin to tell you about this story in detail,
just trust me when I say you need to read it and experience it but be prepared
for the after effects to stay with you for a long time. I love the dark
genre books and this story quickly became among my top ten. Bend Don’t
Break starts when James is in the hospital after the episode at the
Retreat. He wants to see Rose but isn’t allowed to for a month. The
author takes that moment in the first few pages to begin flashing back to his
time at the retreat when he finds Rose. She reminds us of events that we
had already seen but with a brand new light since we are seeing it from James
point of view.
We follow the progression to when he gets to see her and the
part that touched my heart the most was when she admitted, if she was to give
up her identity of Silver, she would be giving up any connection she had to
James. His identity during the assignment was Krik and he was struggling
to allow Kirk to die like it was planned with the agency. Melted my heart
to see how much she still needed him as things unfolded and danger lurked again
for them. Later during the story Rose is going to want to fight against
the enemy and show that she is the same strong woman she found herself to be
while being held captive. This was some intense reading for me as I
watched them fight for freedom of the past once again.
They both struggled with the nightmares and memories of that
time but James had to deal with the guilt. Who he portrayed himself to be
for that job was nothing like the real him, but yet it came so easy to fit in
with the criminals. Rose could have never believed she had it in her to
survive such an ordeal, but not only did she survive, she found a raw courage
in her soul and a love for her heart.
Powerful, intense, suspenseful and closure are the top four
words I would use for this book. I am so impressed with this author I
have already checked to see what is next from her that I can read. She
gave us a chance to let our emotions go and our mind fly with these
books. She took us to see the darkest of evil and the purest of love while
taking us on each step in the process. I felt so bad for Rose in the first
book, now my heart breaks for what James experienced. If you love dark
reads, you MUST put this series on your list to be read. Grab the tissues
and blanket and settle in for an emotional and epic ride.
Put myself? Last I checked I wasn’t the one to drag her into the Retreat. “I kept her alive and slightly less broken than she would have otherwise been.”
“The two of you adapted to a horrible situation, found comfort in each other—”
I didn’t want to hear it.
Stockholm Syndrome.
I wondered if the captor could get it, too. Was I even the captor? It seemed like I’d lost control of the situation long ago.
But I’d still been the one to beat her, rape her, bend her will.
Just like she’d bent mine.
I wanted her back so bad I couldn’t breathe. The more we talked about it, the worse it got. The harsh reality of it all forced me to face the possibility that I had to walk away if I wanted to do what was in her best interest.
“How long until I can talk to Trent?” I tried again, drawing back a modicum of control by changing the course of the conversation.
Dr. Combs sighed and snapped her portfolio closed. “If it’ll get you to talk, I’ll make the arrangements on one condition.”
I’d already sold my soul, there weren’t many more concessions I had left to give.
“I need to know you’re not going to try to reach out to Rose—or anyone else.”
Did that mean there was a chance she’d see me? Or was Dr. Combs convinced I’d stalk and abduct her anyway? That was quite a laughable possibility, but some sick-as-fuck part of me considered it.
Synopsis
Sometimes when you can’t go back, the only way out is to descend into the darkness.
my Captor
When I woke in that place, I just wanted to survive. But survival came at a cost, for which they demanded my will and body.
my Master
With pain came acceptance. Fully-dependent on the man who claimed me, I learned to appreciate what I had-life and relative safety.
my Protector
I watched him spill blood and tend my injuries. With betrayal came a revelation.
The only way out was to bring them all down or die trying.
Skye Callahan was born and raised in rural Ohio and has had an insatiable love of reading and writing since she was young. Thanks to the encouragement of teachers, family, and friends, she has found her passion in immersing herself in the imaginary worlds of the characters who live in her head.
Most of her early stories were paranormal, and although the paranormal world still has a special place in her imagination, her interest in BDSM and dark romance has led her to expand her writing endeavors.
Before she began writing full-time, she earned a M.A. in Public History and worked for a non-profit business consulting center. When she’s not indulging the voices in her head, she’s enjoying life with her husband and two ferrets.
Thank you so much for reviewing and participating in the tour!! <3
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