Tracy‘s review of Kidnapping Kara by Alyssa Brooks
Kara Morgan—fiery, passionate, wild. But a drug addict? A stripper? Nearly a decade is plenty long enough to forget the wayward lover who ran out on him, but try as he might, Shaun Weston can’t kick Kara from his mind. Now, just when his luck can’t get any worse, her wealthy mother is waving a lot of money in his face and begging him to help save her daughter. To kidnap Kara.
Shaun Weston—caring, good-hearted, determined. But reasonable? Or right about her? Not on his life. Taken by surprise—while completely naked—then bound, gagged and hauled away caveman style by the one man she’s never stopped hurting for, Shaun is fit-to-be-tied angry…and maybe just a little turned-on. Okay, a lot turned-on.
Who knew she had such a kinky side? Or that he did too? And why is he back in her life now, determined to “save” her? Someone sure has their share of explaining to do—but with passions running this hot, who has time for talking?
Shaun Weston is approached by Kara’s mother. Kara’s mother convinces Shaun that Kara is doing drugs and stripping and he must go get her so that the mom can take care of her. So why should Shaun care? Well, he and Kara were in love 8 years ago. She left one night though and never returned. As much as his heart was broken and he says he doesn’t love her any longer, deep down he really wants to help her if she’s really doing drugs.
He finds her right where her mother said she’d be – in a run down, ramshackle apartment with strippers clothes hanging in the closet. Does Shaun question Kara at all and see if what the mom says is true? Nope, he just assumes that Kara’s mother is correct and kidnaps Kara to take her home. Kara manages to get away and events ensue that make Shaun finally question the information that Kara’s mother had given him. Kara and Shaun realize that they never stopped loving each other and decide to work things out.
I have to start by saying that this book didn’t set well with me. I’m not sure if it was Shaun doubting that Kara could turn into the person her mother claimed – even though Shaun knew that Kara’s mom had always tried to manipulate things to her favor? Or was it the attacking of Kara by Shaun that got to me? It wasn’t exactly violent but it was rough enough to disturb me. I’m not sure but I couldn’t seem to get past that. It seemed to me that in the first part of the story it was the “I hate you but you really make me hot” trope and I just wasn’t falling for it.
Then there was Kara herself who had lied to her mother and told her she was stripping even though she was a fine upstanding citizen who was trying to make something of her life. Did she want her mother to come after her? She acted like she didn’t but what did she expect her mother to do? Kara was trying to help different girls from the strip club where she did the books (along with the books for a carpet store) and one girl in particular, Chrissy. Throughout the story Kara feared that Chrissy would return to her abusive boyfriend so she had her at her apartment and she took Chrissy’s – hence the stripper clothes in the closet. Then at one point in the book Chrissy was never mentioned again. Kara’s brother had gone to her apartment and had met Chrissy therefore we didn’t need to know what happened?
I think the only part of this book that I truly enjoyed was when Kara’s mom went to Shaun’s house to try to “retrieve” Kara (like she was a pet) and Shaun stood up to her and told her how much he admired Kara. It was quite enjoyable to see the mom get a talking to.
In the end – not a book for me.
Rating: 2 out of 5
This book is available from Ellora’s Cave. You can buy it here in e-format.
You can read more from Tracy at Tracy’s Place
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