The Abduction of Kelsey by Claire Thompson ~ Kitten Mercer

Book Title: The Abduction of Kelsey
Author: Claire Thompson
Genres: Dark, Erotica, BDSM
Book Links: Goodreads, Amazon
My Rating: ★★★★☆ 4 Stars

Formerly released as: Claiming Kelsey "Embark on a journey along a dark path of erotic control and forced submission."

James Bennett is captivated by his lovely but unattainable coworker, Kelsey Rowan. When she spurns his advances, he unleashes his long-hidden dark passions and takes her by force. Through a regime of erotic training, punishment and domination, James intends to mold Kelsey into the submissive and obedient wife of his dreams.

Kelsey had no idea her mild-mannered boss was secretly and dangerously obsessed with her. Held against her will in a secluded cabin, she is subjected to a relentless barrage of sexual training and mind control, counterbalanced by James' terrifying declarations of love. As Kelsey succumbs to his rigid control, she must summon the will to survive, while edging precariously close to the brink of madness.

Not for the faint of heart, The Abduction of Kelsey is a stark, probing look into the inner workings of a twisted mind, and the courage of one woman who never gives up in the fight to keep her spirit alive.

MY THOUGHTS:

Are you fond of cheesy sweet romance novels with a perfect alpha hero who sweeps the beautiful heroine off her feet, throw in a bit of drama before hearing wedding bells and they live happily ever after? Yes? Well, then, this isn't the book you're looking for. Go on now, look for other books, because you wouldn't find the proverbial rainbows and flowers here, not in any Claire Thompson book for that matter.

Warning: This isn't romance. This isn't a love story.

This is obsession at its finest.

James Bennett is normally the type of guy you would see driving a sleek black sedan or wearing tailored suits. At twenty-nine, he has a good job where he works as Vice President at a large commercial bank. He is at the peak of his career. With a satisfying job career and wealthy living, he is pretty much contented with what he has in his life. Until he sees Kelsey Rowan applying for a job at the office, and his world was turned upside down.

It was as if the two of them spoke a secret, special language. A language that didn't require words or prior knowledge to understand. While he knew it was corny in the extreme, he thought of it as a language of the heart. They were born for one another. She was his soulmate, and as odd as it sounded even to his own ears, he'd known that from the moment he'd laid eyes on her. ~ James

Kelsey Rowan is new at the office. With her gorgeous looks and compelling beauty, men are irresistibly drawn to her. But the last thing she wants is to get involved with someone new. A fresh start is something she's been looking forward to in her new life after a clean break from her past. Little did she know was that one night was all it took, and her life leaps into an abrupt turn to a path that is as dark and terrifying as any.

James has been slowly bidding his time to find the right moment to make his move to the beauty that he couldn't own. Until one night, opportunity comes knocking at his door, and this one in particular he couldn't resist.

The old James was gone, and good riddance. The new James Bennett was a man who took what he wanted—who claimed his woman with sheer, brute strength. Kelsey belonged to him. Whatever he'd dreamed of or planned up to this moment no longer mattered. Kelsey was his and he could never let her go.

"Embark on a journey along a dark path of erotic control and forced submission."

Whenever I read a Claire Thompson book, I get nervous as hell, but all the while feeling thrilled with what she has in store for her novels. And I admit this has been an utterly depressing ride. I find it somehow similar to Enslaved and Obsession: Girl Abducted, the only difference was how the characters were portrayed. Let me just warn you that The Abduction of Kelsey isn't your typical boy-meets-girl romance. This was something darker—a man's deep, intense obsession that started at first sight, and a woman forced to submit to this man against her will.

I love obsessive alpha males in books, but James was nowhere near an alpha, and he was obsessed in a way that would make the hairs at the back of your neck stand. He was an anti hero in every sense of word. The way his twisted mind worked was so sick that it would leave you cringing and wanting to put a bullet in his head. He was so consumed with his obsession for Kelsey to the point of kidnapping her, raping her over and over,and even threatening her with a gun just so she would obey. At one time he was brutal when losing his temper, and then the next he would feel guilt and would shower her with kindness and "his love and care." In his own sick and twisted way, he loved her. How sick man this man was. The things he did to her were beyond me. It repulsed me, to the point of putting this book down for a moment when the scene was getting worse before continuing it again. James may be a man with sheer strength and brutality, but deep down, he was anything but.

On the other hand, I admire Kelsey. My heart shattered a million times for her in this book but despite everything she has been through with James, in the end, she was the one who was strong enough not to break.

She'd nearly been beaten down, but in the end she'd come alive again, ready to fight, never giving up.

Ms. Thompson is such a great writer and story-teller. Her powerful writing pulled me in and made me feel as if I were with the characters, feeling the onslaught of their pain. I have to say I'm such a huge fan of C. Thompson, I love dark and taboo reads. She's one of the few authors I go to whenever I find myself wanting to delve into the darker side. I've read depressing stories about women who are victims of horrible kidnapping and rape, this book in particular is one I wouldn't forget.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Claire Thompson has published erotic fiction and romance since 1996. Her work includes the sensual exploration of D/s and erotic romance, as well as the darker side of BDSM. Her work includes in-depth exploration of both m/f and m/m relationships, in the context of romance and D/s. She has published over fifty novels and short stories, both in print and ebook format.

It is important to her to write about real people, characters she and her readers come to care about. She doesn't want to simply provide an erotic thrill or evocative description. With her D/s romances she seeks not only to tell a story, but to come to grips with, and ultimately exalt in the true beauty and spirituality of a loving exchange of power. Her darker works press the envelope of what is erotic and what can be a sometimes dangerous slide into the world of sadomasochism. She strives to write about the timeless themes of sexuality and romance, with twists and curves to examine the romantic side of the human psyche. Ultimately her work deals with the human condition, and the constant search for love and intensity of experience.