i did enjoy the narration and the narrator did a great job but the story itself really wasnt for me, it felt forcet and the chemistry wasnt really there

I have noticed that this is one of those books people love or hate. I wouldn't say I hate the book but I will say that it wasn't for me. Let's get into it. First, this is a Beauty and the Beast retelling, this is my favorite Disney film so you already get a point in the win column for me. The book is a "dark romance" meaning it has rougher spicy scenes, including breath and blood play. However, like the original, it's hard to see the romance in this book, with the focus being on the kinks instead of putting in chemistry between our MCs. The FMC is kidnapped, watches her dad's finger gets cut off, is branded, forced to harm people, and manipulated, but she falls in love with the MMC. He doesn't really do anything to warrant this except he's great in the bedroom. I do like that our FMC doesn't try to change the MMC and accepts him the way that he is. I also like the nods to the source, even in slight ways (dropping and chipping a coffee cup, etc.) I think if there were more romance in The Dark Romance it may have been better, but it's just pure Stockholm syndrome and unhealthy interactions. The narrators were ok, they both have great voices, however, I was not a fan of the male's female voice, she sounded really whiny and it made her a bit irritating. Otherwise, he has a great voice and is easy to listen to. Overall, this wasn't for me, but you may love it.

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️.5

If you like your fairytales dark, obsessive, and borderline Stockholm Syndrome-y, then Captured Beauty might be your next guilty pleasure.

This Beauty and the Beast retelling throws out the roses and talking candlesticks in favour of mob debts, captivity, and dangerous attraction.

Our "Beast" is Kairus, a brooding, growly, possessive antihero (big alpha energy, minus the fur). He’s not here for romance…just revenge. When

Azeira's father can’t pay his debt, Kairus takes Azeira as collateral, expecting nothing more than a pawn in his game.
But, surprise! Azeira isn’t the meek little captive he expected.

She pushes back. She questions him. She sees something more in the monster.

What follows is a dark, twisted game of control, desire, and unexpected emotions as the captor and captive find themselves drawn to each other in ways neither anticipated. But is their connection real? Or just the result of forced proximity, tension, and a really intense hostage situation?


What Worked?

-Dark and Steamy Vibes – If you love possessive, dominant love interests and high-stakes forbidden attraction, this book delivers on the tension (even if it doesn’t always sizzle).

-Azeira Has a Spine – Unlike many "captive heroines," Azeira actually fights back. She questions Kairus, challenges him, and refuses to just be a helpless damsel (which is always a plus in dark romance).

-Beastly But Not Feral – Kairus isn’t just a brute, there are layers to his obsession, and his protectiveness toward Azeira adds some much-needed softness to balance out the darker moments.


Where It Fell Short…

-Where’s the Chemistry? – For a dark romance, I expected more tension, more longing, and more explosive emotions. Instead, their connection felt a little… flat. (It’s hard to root for a romance when you’re not feeling the sparks!).

-Pacing Issues – Some parts drag, while others rush through important emotional beats, making the relationship feel underdeveloped.

-Dark… But Not Dark Enough? – If you're expecting a truly gritty, high-stakes captor/captive romance, this one dips its toes in the dark, but doesn’t fully commit. (It wants to be edgy, but never quite takes the plunge.)

Should You Read It?

If you love:
✔ Dark, obsessive antiheroes
✔ Fairy tale retellings with a twist
✔ Forced proximity & captor/captive romance tropes
✔ Audiobooks with solid narration

Then Captured Beauty might be worth a try!

Thank you NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for the ARC of this audiobook for my honest review

what a way to ruin beauty and the beast for me. I thought none of the characters were likeable, the friends just dumb … like “he’s really holding you hostage AND won’t let you go out”… wdym thats usually what being kidnapped means. Belle is supposed to be kind and pure but in this story she’s just crazy, dumb and H*rny. And beast is also just crazy and toxic and disgusting, and he barely even changed just became less cold, not a better person. The writing was really poor I felt like they wear only focussed on writing all the smut scenes and yeah, no thanks.

Tay Mo'Nae's *Captured Beauty* is a dark and captivating fairytale retelling that will leave you breathless. This isn't your typical romance; it's a raw, emotional journey into the shadows, where beauty and beast collide in a story that's as thought-provoking as it is enthralling. The audiobook, narrated by Myles Washington and Tamika Antoinette, brings this intense story to life with incredible depth and nuance, making for a truly immersive experience.

From the very beginning, I was hooked. Mo'Nae doesn't shy away from the darkness; instead, she embraces it, crafting a world where "there were no sunshine and rainbows... only dark desires and twisted needs surrounded by shadows." This quote perfectly sets the stage for the complex relationship between Kairus "Beast" Navarro and Azeira Marks.

Beast is a man haunted by his past, a figure who embodies violence, possession, obsession, and danger. Yet, Mo'Nae skillfully humanizes him, allowing readers (or listeners, in this case) to glimpse the vulnerability beneath the hardened exterior. Azeira, initially presented as the "good girl," is forced into Beast's world when her father incurs a debt. However, their connection is far from random; Beast has harbored an obsession with Azeira long before she becomes his captive.

What unfolds is a transformation for both characters. Beast, with his constant pronouncements of "making Azeira dirty," inadvertently awakens a hidden strength and passion within her. As Azeira herself reflects, "Beast unlocked something in me that was hidden deep. Something that had been begging to come alive for a while now.” Conversely, Azeira's presence softens Beast, becoming the "perfect catalyst that calmed the raging beast within me." Their love story is unconventional, a slow burn filled with tension, action, and undeniable chemistry. Washington and Antoinette's narration perfectly captures the push and pull of their dynamic, the intensity of their connection.

Mo'Nae expertly balances the dark elements with the romantic ones, pushing boundaries with kinks and tropes while maintaining a compelling emotional core. The story is a testament to the idea that love can blossom even in the darkest of circumstances, that beauty can be found in the most unexpected places. *Captured Beauty* is a powerful and unforgettable read (or listen!) that left me craving more. Five stars.

I picked this book up solely because it said it was a retelling.
However, It really isn’t that. This easily would have worked better if focused on mafia romance.
The characters felt flat and underdeveloped so there wasn’t any built interest between Kairus and Azeria even though the book covered 4 months.
I feel the book needed help and also because we couldn’t connect to the characters phrases such as “his duck was as big as a king sized snicker bar” or when they talk about tattooing names on her skin in ch 30-31, “beast”, “I want you to bleed for me”
This book reads more as a slow burn , Stockholm syndrome mafia book more than the redemption and character development of beauty and the beast.
I feel narration alone bought the book its second star but the book felt very choppy.

I'm not sure I could say I liked this because there was just no chemistry between the two main characters. I am a big dark romance lover and find it so Rare to find a dark romance with a black couple but this missed the mark for me in ever aspect there is.

I thought this was very good and I will have to add this to the shop shelves. Thank you for the chance for us to review.

Thank you NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for the arc of the audiobook of "Captured Beauty" by Tay Mo'Nae.

I was very intrigued by the premise of a beauty and the beast retelling. When Azeira's father fails to repay a debt owed to Kairus, she is taken as collateral and forced to live with him for six months until the debt is settled. Now serving as his maid, she finds herself in a grand estate, free to explore its breathtaking garden, expansive library, and a hidden music room. Over time, as she shares her days with Kairus, Azeira begins to see past his cold, beastly demeanor. Slowly, she breaks through his defenses, uncovering the pain of his troubled past and helping him confront the lingering wounds of his childhood.

This book is extremely dark and spicy. Unfortunately, I couldn't get into the story. I thought the MC's lacked chemistry. I did enjoy the narration of the FMC; but found the male narrator a bit irritating.

Solid plot and romance, with just the right touch of darkness. I liked the overall story and the suspense was done very well 👏🏻. However, I do feel at times the two main characters lacked some chemistry, and it was kinda forced?
Thank you NetGalley for this ALC!!! 💫

I was excited to try Captured Beauty by Tay Monet, but unfortunately, it didn’t work for me. As an audiobook listener, the experience was challenging due to frequent audio lags and long pauses, which disrupted the flow. On top of that, the pacing of the story felt uneven, and I struggled to connect with the characters or the plot. I ultimately couldn’t finish this one, though I can see how others might enjoy it.

I normally don’t like retellings be this was done perfectly with the mafia aspect the narrators did a great job bringing the characters to life

Rating 1.75/5
Spice 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️.5

This book was very lackluster. There were too make mini time jumps, or scenery changes that I couldn't didn't know where I was in the story. There wasn't a smooth transition. I don't really expect much world building in modern romances, but I couldn't vision the world nor the characters. Heck, I don't even know what MMC and FMC appearances are. I only know FMC has caramel skin and honey blond curls? MMC is tall and has a scarred face... not to mention his manbits. Spicy scenes were good.....but could have been great if it was better written. I am also tired of the overuse of the word d*ck, so there's that.

Onto the characters....the WAS NO chemistry between the MMC and FMC, nothing nada, nothing they can really talk about, aside from bangity bang. Also, for one MMC is 1000% not emotionally mature (whether or not having a bad childhood). I didn't find him attractive, and his temper tantrums were a BIG turn off. I didn't even care for his POV either. FMC....was just the perfect toy to bend and be trained into what the MMC wanted...

This isn't my first dark romance, but this book wasn't for me. Nothing about the MMC I found was attractive, and was just basically legit Stockholm syndrome. And if this was the author's intent, then good job, you did it well.

I received the audiobook from Netgallery. Though my thoughts are honest and true, I wish the author best of luck. I thank the publishers for letting me listen.

Thank you to Netgalley the audiohouse, narrartor and author for the opportunity to listen to a complimentary copy of this book in return for a review based upon my honest opinion.

I thought this book had a good storyline, I was really excited to listen to it; but the execution did not meet its mark for me. I found the main characters did not have the right chemistry and I just could not buy the passion that was supposed to be there. I struggled with wanting to listen to this book. I think the narrartor did a good job but I do wonder if it was the narration that ruined it for me., perhaps I would have enjoyed it more if I had read it.

Just finished listening to the book, Captured Beauty. This book was just released on January 7th. This was a beauty and the beast retelling. When Azeira's father borrows money from Kairus and can't pay it back, she is taken captive for 6 months as collateral until the debt is paid back. So now she is living with him as his maid, she gets to roam the most beautiful garden and library, as well as finding a music room in his huge house. As she is living with him she slowly starts to see the man behind the "beast", she starts chipping away at his walls, and learning about his troubled childhood and helping him through the trauma. And she starts to realize she is happier with her new life here with him, much more than she ever was before him. This was an enjoyable audiobook, it was a dual narration which I definitely appreciate, although the male narrator's take on a female voice did bother me. Also I was left with the question, how did her father come up with the money he owed 2 months early, it was a lot of money and it was never explained how he came up with all of it so fast, even when she straight out asked her father how he did it. But overall it was an enjoyable audiobook! 🩶📚

Thank you to NetGalley and to the publisher for this audio ARC of Captured Beauty, in exchange for an honest review.

💜 DARK romance
💜 Forced Proximity/ captured
💜 Fairytale retelling (beauty and the beast)
💜 SPICYYYYY
💜 Opposites attract

This was... Ok. It is dark in the darkest ways. She's taken captive as a debt payment her father owes. Hello beauty and the beast! He is not kind or gentle with her in anyway. When they start forming a relationship it felt very one sided to me. He noticeably never says I love you back throughout the book.

The spicy is 🥵 and the audiobook was well done. I'm just not sure this one worked for me.
Thank you netgalley for this ALC.

This is a captivating read for fans of dark, emotional, and slow-burning romance, particularly those who enjoy exploring complex themes of captivity, kinks, and the blurred lines between beauty and beast, and are looking for a story that investigates the complexities of trauma, consent, and the power of love to transform even the darkest of souls.

3.5/4 stars! I love a good retelling, plus throw in that it's a dark romance. This was my first book by this author and it was on audio! I feel like the audiobook was done pretty will and maybe I enjoyed the book more because i did listen to the audio.

I was intrigued by this book first because it was a retelling. I wasn't sure what retelling it would be though. I thought it was done very well though. I loved the writing style for sure.

WOW!!!! Booktok is going to looooove this one! I couldn’t stop listening. I was hooked from the first minute! The narration was wonderful. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this audiobook.