I could not get into this book even though I tried many times. I tried to skim the book and in the end, just did not finish it.

I enjoyed this story. The characters were interesting and I loved the setting. At times the story became overly dramatic and during those scenes I would lose interest.

This book this arc was provided by netgalley. My review is 100% honest and my own opinion of the book.

Alicia is a recent graduate of Parsons school of design. She goes to Europe to experience new things. This is where she runs into her ex, Chase. Chase is an ex-marine on special missions. Chase wants to keep the ones that he loves safe but the Russian cartel has other thoughts. With everything going on, Alicia is in the wrong place and the wrong time proceeding to trust her into Chase's past.

This book was slightly hard to get into but after a bit I was able to engage with the story. I fell in love with the characters. I'll be honest I did read book 2 before reading book 1. So it would help if you read the first book within the series. This is 100% my fault for I had gotten the arc for both books and just didn't read the clearly labeled books. Once I read the first book it cleared up a lot of confusion and holes that I was questioning.

The struggle and pain that the main character had to go through was very relatable even if the situation was not. But the struggle that they had within their relationship and the push and pull of a second chance pushing them together was realistic. I am looking forward to reading more of this authors work.

DNF @ 20%

I could not get into this book as much as I tried. Personally it seemed like it was all over the place.

I tried my best but I just ended up trying to skim the book instead of enjoying it.

This was not good. I didn’t hate it but I didn’t finish it either. I was taking a little bit of a swing with this one and it just didn’t land for me.

Good characters and good plot. I enjoy the writing style of the author. I have read others by the author and enjoyed them.

Many thanks to Netgalley and the publisher/author for providing me with an e-copy in exchange for my honest review.

This book was exactly what I wanted it to be! I loved it. I will make sure to check out other books by this author. When I requested this I was just intrigued by the concept of it and I loved how it turned out. This story had a great plot and if you have read this and enjoyed it, This was so much. If you love a good romance story, I would say give this one a try. I will continue to follow this author. Way to go to this author for not letting me down.

It took me a minute to really get into the cadence of this book. Also, the beginning “history” prologue and the first chapter really don’t mesh well, and it takes them a few chapters to connect the pieces. Once they do, and I started grasp the overall rhythm of the story-telling, I thoroughly enjoyed the book! Looking forward to the next one!

I enjoyed this book but for me there was just something missing at times. I did initially find it hard to get into but once I got into the story I felt it flowed well. I really liked the two main characters, Alicia and Chase, and felt that their personal issues and reasons for being how they were was well described.. The passion between the two was believable in my opinion, as was the thread of their need for each each. I would definitely read more by this author though. Thank you to Netgalley for the opportunity to read this.

This book was really good and gritty. It won’t be for everyone but for those who like dark steamy books will enjoy this.

I liked this book. I was able to read it in less than a day. Chase and Alicia's story was full of love, suspense and intrigue. I loved all if the characters and how they fit in and had a part in how everything flowed. I will definitely be reading the other 2 books in this series.

Thank you to NetGalley for giving me a free review copy in exchange for an honest review.

Captive of a Commoner is the first book of a trilogy and my first read by C.J Pastore. Intrigued by the plot with a promise of the beautiful landscapes of Monaco, I picked up this book and wasn't disappointed. Alicia Cesare seeks her own identity, driven to make sense of the world even though she has achieved much on paper. She has mental wounds that need healing, and she needs to convince herself that affection from Chase Reardon will be a looped fairytale in her mind's eye. Cut to questionable choices, which lead to their paths crossing. Chase is far from perfect, even though he has remarkable achievements. Unresolved inner child wounds come to light, creating a realistic push and pull effect between the well-developed characters. Their conversations felt honest and authentic and so were their disagreements. The chemistry and passion between Chase and Alicia are beautifully written, which adds to the allure of the plot. There are numerous laugh-out-loud moments, especially with the Cesare family interactions and Chase's one-liners in bed, which were a warm welcome.
“Problem is, even in fairytales there’s evil.” The evil in this book is so unpredictable that you don't know when it will strike. The ending for me was rushed but given that there's book number two, I cannot wait to dig in! Overall, it was a 4-star read!

I struggled getting into this story and had an especially hard time connecting to the characters. The story itself didn't flow well either.

I did find this novel to be quite fascinating and intriguing. It certainly had me interested and had me wanting to read more and more.

The author has done a great job at writing this novel.

I enjoyed the book, but more on a face value level. The spicy stuff was hot and flirty and the infatuation the couple had that gripping intensity that you want.

On the other hand, I think this book has potential to be great if it was worked on a little more with a few area more fleshed out

The story seems good, but I feel like the book needs fleshed out more. Almost as if this was a first draft. There were a few inconsistencies as well. For instance, she mentioned that she had just started her period, but didn't have a tampon in, only inserting it after sex. The very next day she only had a panty liner. So her whole period lasted 12 hours and she used one tampon and one light liner?

Alicia Cesare has a lot to celebrate. A recent Parsons School of Design graduate and recipient of a fashion design award, she embarks to Europe.When I started reading I couldn't put it down. C.J. Pastore is magnifysent and amazing writer.I cannot wait to read more of there books.Keep up the great work.You should definitely read this books.Can't wait for the next book ..

I received an arc from NetGalley and this is my honest opinion.
I was a little unsure of this book and felt the connection/relationship was a little off. Was not my cup of tea. I finished the book but not sure I would read more in the series.

This was a tough book to get into. I struggled to finish it. I had a hard time connecting to the characters, which is my favorite part of a book.