Review: Captive Beauty by Natasha Knight

The Beast had Belle.
Killian Black has me.

How I got here doesn’t matter, even though he says it does. Says it was my choice. He doesn’t get it, though. It wasn’t ever a choice for me.

And now, he’s changing the rules.

The agreement was one month. For thirty days, I’d be his. He’s no longer satisfied with my body alone, though. He wants my soul, too. Wants every part of me. And even though I can pretend I’m safe when I lie beneath him, this man does something to me. Something wicked.

A thing that will break me.

Killian

Cilla made the choice. She offered the deal. I just took her up on it. So what if I changed the rules half-way in? I’m not apologizing for it.

See, Cilla and me, we’re the same. She’s dark. As dark as me. Something happened to her. Something bad. It damaged her.

But it’s not a hero she seeks. It’s an avenging angel. A dark knight. That, I can do. I’ll slay her dragons, but it’ll cost her, because in return, I want everything. And I’ll take it.

She’s mine.

Author’s note: Captive Beauty is a standalone romance. Think Beauty and the Beast, but twisted and dark in the best, dirtiest ways. 

4.5 Stars
Review by Jen Skewes

I love reading Natasha Knight’s book because it has the perfect balance of darkness and light, the dark parts never being too overwhelming or too much to take.  Captive Beauty is no different but there is also the part of the book where emotions run deep with these characters.  It is about getting rid of the darkness from their pasts and finding the light. 

Killian Black is a dark character who has had a very dark and troublesome past.  He is ruthless in his ways and when he wants something he gets it.  He is the type of man that no one should cross for fear of what will happen.  Unfortunately Jones Hawking didn’t get the memo about crossing Killian.  When Jones finds himself in trouble it is his sister Cilla who comes to his rescue.  Cilla’s job in life is to always be there for her brother, to protect him in any way that she can.  But this time in order to protect Jones she needs to give Killian black all of her. 

Killian wants her for 30 days and by that he means that she will be his for the taking.  She will live with him for thirty days and give him whatever he wants, when he wants it.  Cilla feels that she has no choice.  She loves her brother and will do anything to protect him.  So she basically signs herself over to the devil himself.  Yes, Killian seems like the devil, he is ruthless in the way he treats her, but is he really the enemy she believes him to be?  Or in some way is he her protector?

I loved this book and loved Killian and Cilla.  Yes there are times when Killian could be a complete bastard but Cilla agreed to give herself to him.  She knew what he was asking for and knew that he would take it.  But there was so much more to this man that what you see.  When you start to peel back the layers you see that there is more emotion to him that you would think.  He does have a heart,  he does care and when it came to Cilla I think he truly wanted to protect her.  You could see it in his actions, the way at times he was softer with her and more understanding.  He also did some things that made you feel how much this man was more good than bad. 

Cilla was a tough girl on the outside, or at least she seemed to be.  She tried to fight, tried to stay calm and cool.  And by all means said what she felt.  But inside she was scared of so many reasons.  Afraid for her brother and what would happen to him, afraid of  liking Killian a bit more that she should have but also afraid of her past.  She didn’t want anyone to know what happened to her, especially Killian.  But he has a away of finding out everything.  And I think there is where the emotions began to come into play. 

Killian and Cilla both have very dark pasts and I think in some way they both understand the other.  They have a connection despite the fact that Cilla tries so hard to hate him.  And that is what I loved.  You could feel the emotion between them, you could feel that there was so much more to the two of them and their feelings than they both want to believe.  I loved Killian no matter how bad he was supposed to be.  No matter how wrong the situation was, I loved him and wanted him to redeem himself for the things he has done.  I wanted him to find his light and Cilla was that for him. 

There is a moment in this book when you truly see how much Killian really cared for her.  It was that moment when you knew that your heart broke for him but at the same time it made you happy to see exactly where his heart was.

Natasha Knight has done an amazing job with this story.  I felt everything with these characters.  There was just the right amount of darkness.  She created two characters that you will love, and feel for because of their pasts and all that they went through.  They were truly meant to be together and I loved every minute of their story.