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4.5 Stars!!

**WARNING: This is a dark romance involving sex trafficking. This review also may have spoilers**

My life had a plan. Until he invaded it and stole it all away. My captor took me and I became a pawn. His strategy changed and he sent me away to WAR, because money is everything in this world. In my WAR, though, I found peace. I couldn’t help but find love where I least expected it, with a man who lived a battle every day of his life …all inside his head. But then my captor came back for me. Yet, this time, battle lines had been drawn and I was protected. So we thought. Even though my WAR was raging, my captor would fight to the death. The good guys always win, right? Not always. All’s fair in love and WAR, right? Not this time.

Webster is a tricky lady. I read the summary above and I thought I understood what this book was about…kidnapping, revenge, going to war with the enemy, sex trafficking. The plot sounded a lot like The Dark Duet Series, one of my favorite series, so I thought I would try this book. I feel a little guilty because I started this book thinking it was going to be your typical Stockholm syndrome romance, but it isn’t.  This book took me by surprise and I really loved it!!

This is a very dark story involving sex trafficking of a minor. Baylee is a 17 year-old girl kidnapped by her neighbor, Gabe. In the beginning, the story is told between Gabe and Baylee’s POV. Gabe does terrible things to Baylee, but in his head, he really loves her. Baylee finds herself struggling with her feelings because he does terrible things to her and yet she does find herself yearning for him at times. The writing is so good. I felt like I was right there with Baylee. I was completely disgusted with Gabe, but then I was confused about whether he actually loved her; I was hoping he loved her. Some scenes were erotic and disgusting at the same time. I started questioning my sanity too.

I thought I knew where the story was going, but Gabe sells Baylee and in comes War. Oh my sweet sweet War. At this point, I completely understood the summary. It was a little play on words, but it clicked together who this WAR was about. Now the POV switches between War and Baylee.

War is this incredibly damaged man who suffers from his own mind. War is such an interesting character and I could feel every panic and delusion in his head. It was so real for him and I sympathized with him. He actually had no idea he was participating in a sex trafficking auction; nonetheless, he finds himself drawn to Baylee and can’t let her go. Baylee somehow calms the storm in his head.

“My Baylee. My Peace.”

“She blinds me with her innocence. Her humor. Her wit and charm. I’m a blind man seeing for the first time when around her. She’s my savior.”

Baylee and War fall in love and it’s easy to fall in love right along with them because they really are quite cute together. They heal and complete one another.

“Nothing else exists with War. Just us.”

“War is my happily ever after.”

Even though War waits for Baylee to turn 18, I still struggled with her age. Baylee is still so young and she’s a victim in every sense. I did really like War’s dad and I appreciated his concern over the age difference as well.

“And son, how old is your girlfriend?”

Together, they try to answer the questions about her family, Gabe, and the sex trafficking. There are so many unanswered questions and I have many theories that are forming in my head about why she got kidnapped and what has happened to her family. Then there is the threat of Gabe. The book leaves us a huge cliffhanger regarding Gabe, Baylee, and War. Can War really save Baylee? Will they get their happily ever after? Well, I don’t know because I have to wait for book 2 to come out…=(. I desperately need to find out all the answers and I’m hoping War and Baylee find their happy ending.

If you are okay with dark romance and a little bit of mystery in your novels, then give this book a chance. I will say that this type of book isn’t for everybody. The theme is difficult and the scenes can be quite graphic. It’s disturbing, but there is light. I actually think there is more light than dark because War and Baylee’s love shines that bright. The writing is superb and it will draw you in. I definitely recommend this book. Happy reading! J