I am a huge fan of anything Tijan writes. A Captive Situation is part of her Kings of New York series and can be read as a standalone. Here we have Jake and Sawyer, two strangers who find themselves in a captive situation.  Sawyer’s life has recently been upended as her ex and her ex best-friend are getting married. Now in New York, the last things she expects meeting an intriguing man, witnessing something she should not have and being kidnapped.

Sawyer is not in a good place. She thought a change may be just what she needed, but Jake was not on her bingo card. Jake was protective, arrogant and determined. Their connection was on the insta side, but it was also steamy and fun watching them interact. Jake is finding hew new normal in the mafia world and what that means. Their journey was captivating and had me at the edge of my seat.

Happy reading!

A Captive Situation is the 3rd book in the Kings of New York series. This is a dark mafia romance and may contain some content that may be sensitive to some so please check the trigger warnings before reading. Sawyer finds herself in New York City to find a a cousin she has never met before, trying to fix a rift in her family all while running from her own issues. Sawyer finds herself in dangerous situations, one right after the other, with a stranger she is drawn too. Jake finds himself in a position he doesn’t want and on the wrong side of a contract. Will Jake be able to keep himself and Sawyer safe? Will they be able to fight their attraction or will they succumb to it? Enjoy this emotional rollercoaster full of ups, downs, heartache, growth, discoveries and spice!!! Fantastic addition and can’t wait to see what comes next!!!

4.5/5 Stars

Tijan never misses, and A Captive Situation is another hit. Book 3 in the Kings of New York series, this one can definitely be read as a standalone—but longtime readers will love diving back into this intense, suspenseful world. This book brings us mafia, kidnapping, and romance—all the chaos, drama, and chemistry you'd expect from a Tijan story.

I’ve been eagerly waiting for Jake and Sawyer’s story since it was announced, and it did not disappoint. Jake is the perfect grumpy, morally gray ex-cop—possessive, protective, loyal, and a total alpha-hole. Sawyer is all sunshine and sass, even while recovering from a brutal betrayal by her ex and best friend…and being kidnapped by Jake. But honestly, it worked out for her—the instant attraction between them was undeniable, and her nickname “Little Lunatic” was spot on. Sawyer was super relatable and easy to root for, and I have to say, I wouldn’t mind being kidnapped by Jake either.

Their banter was hilarious, their chemistry electric, and the spice? Absolutely fire. Bonus points for Sawyer’s outrageous, hilarious aunts—they were a riot.

The ending totally blindsided me—and that cliffhanger?? Please tell me we’re getting a book 4! I need more from this world.

The Captive Situation is the third book in the Kings of New York series but can be enjoyed as a standalone. Jake and Sawyer are an unconventional pairing, yet their chemistry makes for a gripping dynamic. Their journey is marked by peril and tension, creating a push-and-pull relationship that keeps readers hooked, rooting for them to find their happily-ever-after.

Sawyer is a fascinating character—despite her age, she retains a sense of naivety that leads her to react unexpectedly in high-stakes situations. But Jake understands her in a way no one else does. Their early interactions are laced with hostility and sharp banter, masking the undeniable attraction simmering beneath the surface.

Jake embodies the morally gray hero—intense, ruthless, and fiercely protective. He keeps his emotions locked away, but Sawyer manages to pull out a softer side in him, making him determined to shield her at any cost.

Brimming with heart-stopping suspense, passion, and danger, The Captive Situation is a compelling read with complex characters. Jake and Sawyer’s enemies-to-lovers arc unfolds with drama and deep emotion, keeping readers on edge as the story hurtles toward its breathtaking conclusion.

NGL, I’m a big fan of Jake… Sawyer, is a little more complicated, but I do appreciate her and think she provides a nice foil for Jake and allows Jake to do Jake things… They just work. That said. Jake is the sort of antihero here. He’s the ‘good guy’ who really isn’t. He’s historically been a fence sitter, and I’m not even going to say some of the stuff that goes down, but things are about to get even more complicated in NYC. Sawyer is the small-town girl with the cheating ex. She’s been ‘done wrong’ and needs a chance to reset and reconnect. Her path crossing with Jake’s was kismet, and the two were just inevitable. I love that he was drawn to her and also wanted to protect her. She is the catalyst that pushes him to choose who he is and where his loyalty lies… And it also forces others to do the same. Sawyer’s whole family was a *vibe* I was here for. The bombs that were dropped left me eager for Kings #4.

I usually really enjoy Tijan's work, but A Captive Situation left me feeling more confused than captivated. The story was incredibly fast-paced and intense—almost overwhelmingly so—but I found myself struggling to connect the dots, especially at the beginning. To be fair, I jumped into this book without reading the first two in the series, so that might have played a role in my disorientation. Still, I felt like I was constantly trying to catch up, and that made it hard to fully invest in the characters or their journey.

Sawyer, the FMC, read much younger than she was supposed to be, which made it difficult for me to connect with her perspective. And Jake—he felt like three different people throughout the book. His personality and motivations shifted so much that I had a hard time understanding who he really was or what he stood for.

The story didn’t really start to pick up for me until about halfway through. By then, I had already checked out emotionally. The mix of insta-love, hate, and intense trauma didn’t land for me this time. I wanted to care more, to feel more, but it just didn’t click.

I know Tijan can deliver emotionally gripping and complex characters—I’ve seen it before. But this one didn’t quite hit the mark for me. Maybe I would’ve felt differently if I had read the first two books, but as a standalone experience, I was left more frustrated than fulfilled.

Sawyer is a 36-year-old woman (who is portrayed much younger than that) who is visiting New York City for the first time in search of her cousin she has never met when she gets caught up with Jake Worthing, former cop/now a leader in the mafia.

This started out well enough for me. The beginning chapter when they meet on the subway, but it quickly lost me from there. I enjoyed the first two books in this series, but this was a struggle for me to finish. It was chaotic with Jake's storyline and Sawyer's family and ex-fiancé issues. It was insta lust then love, which didn't seem real to me. It wasn't believable.

Thank you to Amazon Publishing/Montlake Romance and NetGalley for an advanced readers copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Well damn, it’s been a while since I read a Tijan book but my goodness I just love them so much.

A Captive Situation is book three in the Kings of New York series but can be read as a standalone.

After reading the first two in the series I KNEW I just HAD to read Jake’s and boy was it captivating!

He’s big, he’s intimidating and he’s harsh. He’s hard as a brick and has a wall surrounding him to make sure nobody gets in. He’s dark and dangerous yet you can’t help but fall hard and fast for him.

Sawyer made me laugh. In a situation that would be terrifying to anyone else she had me laughing with her witty comebacks and catty remarks. She’s bold, she’s brave and a badass, especially after what her ex put her through.

These two together? Somebody call the fire brigade because it is absolute FIRE. The chemistry is off the charts hot, the connection between them is instant, they’re different but they go so so well together.

I just need to take a moment to praise those side characters because her family? They were a barrel of laughs. Honestly, I was giggling away at their antics. I loved them all.

Tijan did an amazing job brining Jake’s story to life. After loving the first two I was worried I wouldn’t like this one as much but I was wrong, so wrong. Sawyer and Jake’s book was everything I hoped it would be.

A Captive Situation is a dark and delicious read. It’s a book about Mafia and those toeing the line. It’s about love and what one would do to make sure the person they love is never harmed. It’s addictive and I couldn’t put it down until I had finished it.

If you love Mafia trope romance then this is the book for you. This is the third book in the Kings of New York series by Tijan. This book follows Sawyer and Jake. Sawyer is on a downward spiral and Jake just happens to get involved in it. Or maybe it’s the other way around. What starts as an innocent trip to escape circumstances at home, turns into Sawyer trying to escape from Jake and the mafia. Jake is the good guy/bad guy trying to keep them alive. He puts up with Sawyer’s antics and some hilarity ensues. There is sarcasm, endearing moments, romance and plenty of heat. We get to visit with previous characters and see what is going on with their lives. The end was surprising and I really hope another book is on the way. I highly recommend Tijan’s books and especially this series!

I loved the first book in this series and was super excited to get the opportunity to read this one early! One of my least favorite ways to start a book is to find out one of the main characters had been cheated on by a significant other but usually I can move past it because they're usually not a main focus going forward. I read 10% of the book and I felt like the only things I knew about our FMC were about her ex and I hadn't even been introduced to the MC yet. Overall this book just ended up not being for me. Thanks for allowing me to be an early reader. All thoughts are my own.

“A Captive Situation” has a lot of moments, some outright humorous, other that are sad and reflective and some that seem to be from a dark romance vibe, and while these three went hand in hand, sometimes my brain could not connect these moments.

Sawyer left her town after his ex-fiancé admitted he cheated on her and got her best friend pregnant. Looking for something new in her life, she travels to NY to find her estranged cousin and mend the relation with him, but that’s when she finds Jake. He’s a stranger, very cute, a police officer and her kidnaper?

Yup, because Sawyer finds herself in a bit of a dangerous situation, Jake, now an ex-cop, needs to take her in for her own safety. Except Sawyer is not in the right headspace and she really does not like being kidnapped.

My favourite moments were definitely when Jake and Sawyer bantered. Jake had a lot on his plate, and it was nice to see how Sawyer, despite being deemed boring, earned an almost insult-like nickname from him. But coming from Jake, it was endearing. She was not boring at all, she just needed the right person to be with. Even though that made her close to danger.

The aunts were wild. That part I think it was probably humorous, because I thought that they would all perish, eventually. They’d put themselves in danger like nothing was happening. Just another Tuesday, while dangerous people want our niece! Jake had the patient of a saint!

Still, there were a lot of good and intense moments and now I want a book with Blake’s story! Because she’s really badass and cool and I need more FMC with that energy!

Falling into Place

Sawyer is broken after having given her entire being to someone who would betray everything, she thought they shared. Losing her best friend in this ordeal shuts her off emotionally which places her right in the path of a handsome stranger whom she can't seem to shake off. These set of events encompass this entire story in a way that was a bit confusing yet intriguing. As conflicted as I was, I could not put it down and needed to know how it all ended. This was a story filled with character growth and complicated plot developments yet entices more thought-provoking moments from the reader.

I voluntarily leave this review.

Tijan throws in a bit of comedic flair to offset her signature angst for a crazy and unconventional road to love.

Dirty cop / reluctant mafia family head Jake Worthing had secrets and layers that made him a dangerous person to take on. His saving grace was his word when given and his loyalty to those he cared about. This guy was dynamic and scary and impossible to resist!

Thirty six year old Sawyer led a life of acceptance and mediocrity, expecting it to remain that way for the rest of her life. But when her world imploded resulting in essentially a psychotic break, Sawyer finds herself floundering and a magnet for trouble. Completely out of her element Sawyer finds the strength and independence she compartmentalized and packed away years ago.

There was no doubt Jake was trouble but Sawyer had an underlying edge that no one saw coming including Sawyer. This couple was their own worst enemies as they battled their inner demons and often each other. Their back and forth and at times over the top reactions made this story lively and like watching a train wreck. Their attraction and odd devotion to each other's well-being was intense and in the end endearing.

The band of misfits that consisted of Jake and Sawyer's inner circle spiced this story up with dark humor and moments of unfiltered and unexpected truths. The contributions of the secondary cast to this work gave it a dimension that helped explain and reinforce Jake and Sawyer's unorthodox takes on life as well as their relationship.

Tijan as always keeps true to her writer's voice delivering a unique and absorbing story. Her works' emotional chaos and sophisticated plotting always have a purpose and leave her readers with an abundance of memorable jaw dropping and ah ha moments. Tijan's A Captive Situation will hold her audience's attention until the last word for a riveting read!

I received a copy of this book from the publisher/author to review for Stephanie's Book Reports.

This is the third book in the Kings of New York Series. Each book can be read as a standalone. I have loved all of them. This is the story of Sawyer and Jake. Sawyer is going through a brutal break up. She was engaged to this guy and had been with him for two decades. It is so hurtful to invest that much time in someone and then them sleep with your best friend getting her pregnant. She has to get away to the big city. Yes she is a tourist there, but she also wants to reconnect with a cousin she lost touch with since they aren't an active part of her family anymore. When she sees a really hot guy on the subway, things could have been looking up. However, he quickly leaves the subway chasing after another man. Jake is a guy who got the head position in his mafia family. He is struggling. When he sees Sawyer on the subway his interest was peeked. When he runs into her again, it's because she saw something she never should have seen and now has a target on his back. He has not choice but to kidnap her for her own safety. The sparks are getting ready to fly all over the place and I can't tell you more about it. I really loved these characters. I don't mind a insta-love story once in a while and I loved the connection these two had and quickly built a long the way.

This is the third book in the Kings of New York series and can be read as a standalone, however I wouldn’t recommend it as there are interwoven storylines that won’t really make sense unless you’ve read the other books. I enjoyed the other books in this series, but this one for me was a little hard to get into. It didn’t flow as well as the other books in the series. Additionally, I think because it was a slow start, and the action didn’t really pick up until around halfway. Once the halfway point came through, I was more interested in the story, but it did take some time to get there.

Furthermore, Sawyer was kind of a hard character to relate to. At least in the beginning. She was quite the mess, and it was a lot. From the first chapter she came off as unhinged almost having a breakdown on the train which is where she sees Jake for the first time and then the next chapter, she’s stalking her cousin. Then having a breakdown on the side of the road so badly that a cop takes her to the precinct. Where she sees Jake again, and their journey really begins. She came off as younger than her 36 years which made the connection even harder. She did end up growing on me as the story progressed and she did grow a backbone eventually.

I liked Jake he is 100 percent alpha male, and I loved that. He’s all the things you’d expect from a man of the mafia. He’s cold and calculating. Intense and protective. And he fell for Sawyer from the jump. Jake is layered and it was motivating watching as he revealed more and more of himself as the pages turned.

I didn’t quite feel the emotional connection between them. But the carnal tension was there in spades. It took a bit for me to really see them as a couple I’m not sure why. It might be because Sawyer was working through some relationship trauma, so it took longer for their relationship to progress into something more than just tension. By the end I could see it more.
All in all, it was an entertaining read.

This is the third book in the Kings of New York series. Sawyer and Jake are a great couple with explosive chemistry! Their story is captivating, engaging, spicy and entertaining. There’s kidnapping, danger, action, heat, great characters, intriguing dialogue, betrayal and more. This is a fantastic mafia romance

This is the third book in this amazing series, and this is Jake and Sawyer’s story.
Sawyer is in New York to avoid the reality that her college sweetheart is marrying her former ex-best friend, while Jake is an ex-policeman, who is now an involuntary mafia boss, who is focused on avenging his brother’s death. A shooting has Jake taking Sawyer for her protection, which she does not take kindly too.
This is a well written easy to read, action-packed story, with family, friendships, emotions, angst, tension, grumpy / grumpy, forced proximity, danger, suspense, intrigue, enemies / lovers, touch her and die vibes, opposites attract, bad boy / good girl, misunderstandings, humor, witty banter, morally gray, palpable chemistry, and love, which leads to an entertaining, and unpredictable, addictive page turner.
I look forward to reading more from this talented author whose work I highly recommend.

This book so was so funny. I loved the FMC and her inner monologue. The MMC was so good for her. I hadn't read the other books in the series, but did not feel lost. Tijan always gives us a good time with her stories.

I really enjoy Tijan's books.

This one did take some patience to get going, but once the plot building the suspense and building romance kept me going.

If you don't like slow building books, this one is probably not for you -- but if you don't might a slow burn, and like suspense with your spice, pick this book up! Tijan doesn't disappoint.

Bold, addictive, and absolutely unputdownable! Tijan serves up a mafia romance packed with emotional tension and sizzling chemistry. Sawyer flees heartbreak, only to get tangled up with the brooding (and very hot) Jake Worthing—and the mafia. Fast-paced, dark, and deliciously dramatic, this book kept me hooked from subway meet-cute to the explosive finale. If you love high-stakes romance with complex characters, this one’s for you!