Madison Frost isn't the spoiled rich girl one might assume. She spends her days studying hard at school and taking care of her alcoholic mother since her absentee father refuses to help, too caught up in his business. When Madison is kidnapped by a dangerous, but horribly attractive, hired man named Ghost, she doesn't think things can get worse. As she and Ghost get to know each other, they discover they have far more common than they ever expected, but the secrets behind her kidnapping might tear them apart for good.

CAPTIVE by Brighton Walsh is a fast paced, emotional thrill ride. With short chapters and consistent altering of Madison and Ghost's perspectives, the story hooks readers early on and unashamedly encourages the reader to keep reading in hopes of a secret or two being spilt.

The slow-burning, heavy romance is expertly done. Both Madison and Ghost psychologically struggle with the feelings they have for the other, making their relationship feel real and gritty, yet somehow still sweet and warm. Their emotional connection is heartbreakingly sincere, and it is nearly impossible not to hope for a happy ending for them.

As much as I enjoyed the romance, I did wish for stronger suspense at times. The mystery starts off well in the beginning, but the excitement fell away too soon. It feels forgotten in parts, and the twist around it wasn't as climatic as it could have been.

CAPTIVE makes for an excellent new adult read for those seeking a complex relationship and a story packed full with emotion. Though I had a few issues with it, I would definitely recommend this book from Brighton Walsh, and I can't wait to read more from her.

Book Summary

Madison Frost is desperate to escape her life. The daughter of a prominent business man, she has everything she could ask for. Except a father who’s present in her life, a mother who doesn’t spend her days drinking herself into oblivion, and anyone to talk to outside the four walls of the prison she calls a home. Madison dreams of someday leaving her life behind. She just never thought being kidnapped is how it would happen.

Now she’s being held captive by a man who’s as frightening as he is sinfully gorgeous. Enormous, muscular, and filled with secrets, the man they call Ghost is an enigmatic mercenary as dangerous as he is compelling, and Madison is trapped with him. She doesn’t know who hired him or why, but the more time she spends with him, the more she realizes he's not what he seems. Beneath his rough exterior lies an unexpected gentleness, and a heart as broken and battered as her own.

But as Madison lets her walls down for the first time in her life, Ghost holds tight to his, hiding secrets that could rock her very foundation.