I was disappointed with this book. I would not classify it as a thriller and there was not doubt in my mind what was going on with her father. No mystery there for me. Is Gabe real or not was the only question I had and the answer to that is easy enough to figure out. Time gaps in the story, especially towards the end left me feeling like the story wasn’t complete.
I understand mental illness can be “messy” but this book failed to show how someone might act and think in a way that is understandable to the average reader.
I received a complimentary copy of this book from the author through NetGalley and was under no obligation to leave a favorable review. All opinions are my own.

This was an interesting book with a good foundation for a story but sadly, although there were some excellent parts to it - it also felt like it ran on too far and was too indulgent so it isn't one I would really remember or recommend.

The Trapped Daughter by Jay Kerk is a wonderfully written thriller that makes my mother's heart cringe. Belle's situation is scary beyond comparison to anything I could have thought of myself.

Will Belle find her way out of her prison before it is too late?

Belle Andresson
Belle is in her twenties, and she is exceptionally talented. Yet, Belle has disconnected with self and her physical life. I was so sucked into her world. She is sweet and wants to believe what her father is telling her, but she can't seem to allow herself to let go of Gabe. Belle is pushing everyone close to her away, but she can't see how much her actions are hurting them.

Richard Andresson
Richard is Belle's father. I felt so bad for this man, watching his daughter go through this and not being able to make her better. It must be devastating for him to watch his talented daughter go through the same thing that his wife went through.

Four Stars
The author does a fabulous job of writing what Belle is going through. It's easy to believe her memories until you can see her pushing the few people who care for her away. The character Gabe is strong, arrogant, and yet needy in her memories. It is amazing what our minds can achieve. Honestly, I don't know if I would read another book like this. It is scary in a way that is beyond the typical thrillers or suspense. At least to me, that is. However, setting my fears aside, my rating is four stars. Honestly, once I got into The Trapped Daughter by Jay Kerk, I didn't want to put it down. Mr. Kerk does such a fantastic job of setting the scene with the setting, the characters, and lots of suspense.

I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy from the author. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

Thank you for dropping by! I hope you enjoyed this review of The Trapped Daughter by Jay Kerk.

This Guest Review is for Baroness' Book Trove.

Until the next time,
~Jen

If you would like to see other reviews like this one, check out BaronessBookTrove.com.

Wow! The Trapped Daughter is a well written thriller. Once I started it, I did not want to put it down. The characters were well developed. I never knew who to trust with the truth. This is the first book I have read by Jay Kerk, but it will not be the last.


Thank you to NetGalley and Jay Kerk for the digital arc in exchange for my honest opinion.

This book was not what I thought it would be based on the description but I thought it was really good. It's written in the first person perspective of Belle, who informs you she's being held captive by her father and his girlfriend. But all is not as it seems. Very powerful and raw, it's a deep dive into the mind of those who suffer from mental illness. Highly recommend.
Thank you to Netgalley and Dr, Jay Kerk for the arc.

Belle is a young woman who is living in Richard's mansion. Richard is her father, and according to Belle, he is keeping her there against her will... as a prisoner. Belle wants to leave and go back to the life she had before with Gabe. She is in love with Gabe, but she feels her father is sedating her and keeping her from her true love. Why would her father keep her away from the one she loves? What is going on with her taking medication she feels she doesn't need? There is more here than meets the eye. Jay Kerk did a great job with this story and the characters. I feel like he really captured Belle's feelings. I voluntarily reviewed a copy of this book from NetGalley.

With the theme of mental illness, this story really did take on a life of its own. I wasn't sure if what was unfolding was truly happening or if it was all something created by the mind. With everyone telling you one thing but to experience something completely different, I now realize can be a mind-f$ck for sure.
This book gets real about creativity, art, longing, love, and the belief that what you experience is the only reality. Within the instability I still wanted more for her, to either figure it out or totally absorb into it.
Fantastic read!

I guess I am in the minority here but I thought this book was terrible! Very hard to understand and know what was going on and there really wasn’t a “plot”. Very repetitive that I skimmed whole pages and I had no connection to the characters. I would not recommend this book.

I absolutely loved the first half of "The Trapped Daughter" - Kerk does a great job of dropping you into a mystery and letting you find your way out of it as the story builds.

The problem is that although it has a great foundation, it feels as though there's something lacking between the story that you're reading - and the ending that you get. To be honest, I actually have no idea how Kerk (or any reader) even GOT to the ending.

Despite the disappointing ending, I still enjoyed the strong start/middle of this book - but should you decide to read it, just know you will be disappointed by the ending.

But thank you to the publisher and to Netgalley for the chance to read this one - It was certainly an interesting trip!

I am a huge fan of psychological thriller books. However, I have a tough time thinking of this book in that genre. I appreciate the author taking on a story about mental illness and the highs and lows a person deals with.

I felt this story was so very repetitive with Belle saying/thinking the same thing over and over in most of the chapters. The ending seemed rushed and really didn't explain Belle getting "better" or truly how/who she was during her lows. I think a little more back story from someone's perspective would have gone a long way with this story. The characters just weren't very defined.

This wasn't a bad book, just not one I enjoyed.

The Trapped Daughter was an unusual read. The point of view was completely from the main character, Belle. Belle is being held prisoner and on high doses of medication. Are things as they seem? This was a fast read

✨ The Trapped Daughter by Jay Kerk - ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️
This is a story of a girl whose father has trapped her In her own house...

✨ SYNOPSIS :
Have you ever been trapped somewhere? I have.
Have you ever found that the world does not believe you? I did.
I have been betrayed by the people I trusted the most. They coil around me like snakes, lulling me with whispers about protection and safety and for your own good.

They offer up pills like sweets, promising me relief. Just take the meds and everything will be fine, Belle – the meds, Belle, the meds. Everything will not be fine, and it never will be. Justice is gone from the world. I have been wronged by Gabe, the man I loved most, and when I turned to others for backup, they sided with him because he’s a star. When I ran to my father for safety, he locked me up in his great big mansion and threw away the key. Now I drift like the ghost Gabe pretended I was, my bare feet tasting the coldness of rich tiles, my breath turning to ice.
Gabe isn’t real, they tell me. They insult me, they spit at me, then smile and pretend that they wish to help. Meanwhile, Gabe is out there, luxuriating in all that I won for him, and I suffer and burn.

✨This book came as a disappointment to me ! Being a huge thriller junkie, I found this book a tad bit too predictable. It was really obvious to me where the plot was going.
Overall, this book kept me entertained enough to finish it. I would suggest this book for anyone who is new to the genre and experimenting with some short stories.

Thank you for letting me read this book! As soon as I saw the title I knew I wanted to read! & then there the very interesting summary that I was so hyped to get into! This book definitely kept me on the edge of my seat on what was going to happen next! There were some parts that were slow / confusing but over it was a great and interesting read!

What a whirlwind of a thriller! I loved this book! This thriller is about a girl about college age Belle, who is being held prisoner in her father's house against her will. He says she is sick and delusional. Or is she? She tells a different story. All that Belle wants is to be released and back out in the world with her boyfriend Gabe. But what is the truth? It has so many twists and turns, just when I thought I had it figured out, I found out I was wrong. This is the first book I've read by Jay Kerk, but I will be reading more. Thanks to the author, Jay Kerk Books, and Net Galley for giving me the opportunity to read this book.

The Trapped Daughter by Jay Kerk is a slow psychological thriller that was not as engrossing as I thought it would be, from the blurb.

I felt like I was on a merry-go-round, and I desperately wanted to get off! It is quite easy to determine what is going on with Belle and I felt the relentless pursuit of Gabe and the constant harping on about her situation quite tedious.

So much more could have been done with the storyline (a fantastic premise!). I kept reading because I hoped for a shocking plot twist. It didn’t come. And while the ending of a psychological thriller should still leave a little to the imagination, I did not find this ending satisfying in the least.

#netgalley #thetrappeddaughter #jaykerk #jaykerkbooks

This one was weird... Of course, I've come to expect that from Jay Kerk, and it's usually a good kind of weird. I found this one a lot slower going than my previous experience with his work though, and I admit I struggled with it a little bit and skim-read a fair chunk of the middle as a result...

I like the premise and I like the way things wrapped up, although it felt a little tidy, like it was hurriedly explained given the tremendous amount of detail that preceded the revelations, I still think it was an interesting approach and concept for all that though, and if you like your psychological thrillers a bit of kilter, this one might be for you.

I was addicted to reading this. I honestly loved the subtle psychological trails of whether or not Belle was mentally ill or if she was being held captive by her father. It was a wonderful book, especially in 1st person, it really captured the thought process (or lack thereof) of a desperate girl wanting her freedom.

I honestly admired Belle's character so much, I'm not sure whether it was the abruptness of her personality or the way in which she sees the world but I honestly loved her so much.

The writing kept me hooked from the first sentence right until the end, the only thing which disappointed me a little bit was the transfer from Belle's truth to the actual truth. There seemed to be a very drastic split between one chapter and the next and I found myself a little bit confused.

All in all though, I loved this book and would definitely recommend it to anyone! #NetgalleyReview

I received a complimentary copy of The Trapped Daughter from NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.

Excellent psychological thriller! I think I had it figured out by the end, but it was still good fun watching the chaos unfold. Some of Belle's situations were sad or just plain frightening. What a great point of view--I always love an unreliable narrator!

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC.

Why is Belle a captive in her father's house? Why is his personal assistant turned lover helping to keep her prisoner? Dr. Rossetti waiting in the wings to take her away. They are drugging her, hoping she'll forget. It is clear that something has happened but what?

Belle tells her story between the present and in flashbacks. She is convinced that Gabe is the reason she is here. Belle makes efforts to alert the outside world of her situation but to no avail. After biding her time, the opportunity comes for her to make her escape. Out in the real world things just aren't adding up. She can't make contact with Gabe. His number is disconnected. so she has to go to his work where she is threatening the staff to get him to come. But he doesn't come Her father does-with Dr. Rossetti.

Belle wakes up in the mental ward. Two months later she is living at her dad's and loving life. Huh?

This book had great suspense and build up but it ended too quickly, wrapped up too easy. And I still have questions? When was Belle Gabe? Was she famous? Was Gabe some sort of a nom de plume? Was her best artistic work when she was psychotic? Was she bipolar? Paranoid Schizophrenia?

I feel that some of these answers could have been given without tarnishing the message of the story.

This is a really fast read. It drew me in from the beginning and even though I had an idea of what was happening with the main character the writing kept me wanting to keep reading. The ending was wrapped up nicely. Thank you to NetGalley and Jay Kerk for the opportunity to read this book!!