TAKEN (Give & Take #1) by Kelli Maine

Taken by Kelli Maine
My rating: 1 of 5 stars

NetGalley free read...

I knew the moment Rachael tells Merrick Rocha the story about the hotel and how the original owner basically kidnapped his love to have her with him that this wasn't going to work out well.

I mean Merrick Rocha is a billionaire. Not only should he know the laws and that even he should not be able to get away with kidnapping, but there are so many better choices to the situation. Then there's Rachael, who's mother is so dependent on her that she would risk her daughters future to be selfish enough to keep her from taking a job that could not only change her live, but make her career. And that Rachael is so short sighted that she couldn't come up with alternatives to make sure her mother was taken care of so she could take the job. I mean, look at how easy it was for Merrick to send the woman off on a European cruise in order to give Rachael the ability to take the job.

One of the first things Rachael thinks is about her attraction to Rocha, even when she's first tied up. I'm mean, come on. that's a little ridiculous. Then after he unties her and takes her for a tour of the island, they both engage in flirtatious banter. I mean why does he need her so much? Why was he stalking her after she turned the job down? It just doesn't make any sense.

Then Merrick is trying to get Rachael to trust him and care for him so he can have sex with her, and what does he do? He has his attractive assistant, Joan, show up who it's clear he's had a sexual relationship with and then he has the woman do the sexual acts he says he won't do to Rachael unless she asks. It was jut insane. And for someone, Rachael, who's only had two sexual partners in the past, this is an extreme jump in trying something new.

I also though the writing was so convoluted and confusing. Merrick eludes to the fact that he will only kiss or touch Rachael if she initiates it or if she asks. But he kiss on her and touches her all the time. Even the time with Joan, he continually says no touching, but then he touches her. It makes no sense.

Then best line of the book though is when they get back together, of coures, and in her musings she thinks, "This is going to be a disaster-we are going to be a disaster. One of us is weak in insecure, the other f'ed up and emotionally detached, searching for a life-line."

The one thing I do like about the book is how its told completely from Rachael's point of view. All of her thoughts and exposition are as if she's telling the story in a journal. Referring to Merrick as 'you' when he does anything, i.e., 'you walked towards me.'

I may not know enough about business, but I seriously don't understand how Merrick, who took a few properties and made it into an international billion dollar company can have it taken away by his accountant father. Something just doesn't make sense to me. More should have been explained about this. Why would a man who didn't have time for a few small properties, now have so much time for a billion dollar international conglomerate?

My rating is actually 1.5 stars. I didn't hate it. There are things about the writing style I liked, I just feel like the story is was nothing special and there are too many questions as to motivations, why anyone would fall that quickly for their capture, even though he's not the typical capture.

I'm reading No Takebacks because I got it with this one through NetGalley, but it will have to very special and answer a lot of questions for me to consider reading the Give & Take #2.

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