"That means you're mine. Awar was already brewing, but for you, I lit a match and dropped it. Im going to let the whole city burn." - Jake

For me personally the book started out slow and took me a while to get into. I thought the second half of the book was a lot better than the first half, as the storyline/plot was much better and less confusing.

I liked Jakes character and loved learning how his background have transformed him into the man he became. Not only had he become a cop but he was a trained assain. But he also had so much love for people he cared about.

I feel like Sawyer appeared a lot younger than 36 years old. There were times when she was fiesty but others when she was meek and mild. Her actions were very immature at times.

I found their relationship odd, even though it was a 'Kidnapping', she had agreed to go with him initially. The book didn't really show us much on how their relationship developed from insta lust to marriage.

I feel like there were too many ideas in the book that were mentioned and not developed far enough as too much was mentioned, like mafia, kidnapping, past cop, lost son, lost family etc. They just wasn't connected seamlessly.

Overall, enjoyed the premises of the second half of the book and the themes, however I feel there were things missing for me that could have made this a great read.

Thank you to Tijan and Goodreads for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I'm sorry but this book was just not for me. The blurb sounded interesting but the story itself just fell short. For just getting out of a decade long relationship with a cheater, 36 year old Sawyer is so naive and more like a teenager. And Jake's whole family story cop/mafia was just strange. The conversations and plot were choppy and disjointed and I had a hard time following along. I've read books by Tijan before and enjoyed them, but I was just disappointed with this one.
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advance copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

A Captive Situation is the third book in the King of New York series by Tijan. This is the story of Jake (an ex-cop) and Sawyer, a tourist in New York, searching for her estranged cousin. I really liked the overall story, and I thought Jake was really hot, but honestly, I thought it would have worked much better if Sawyer had been in her early/mid twenties (she was 36, but she seemed really immature for her age). I'm rounding up to four stars, from 3.5.

The third book in the Kings Of New York series and while it was a little different than the first two books, I was so invested in this storyline. Sawyer and Jake, great chemistry between these two and as the story goes on, you start to realize there are more layers also.

Jake, he is a morally gray character to a “T.” Juggling the mafia life and being a cop, he is cold, calculating and brutal. He ends up kidnapping Sawyer when she witnesses something she shouldn’t.

Sawyer, there were times I got so frustrated with her character but she is a woman who came from a small town in Montana, had a narcissistic for an ex who was just horrible, so you will have to come to your own conclusions about her. But as time went on, she started to really come into her own, though sometimes her decisions weren’t always the best.

If there is such a thing as cosy romance but with mafia- this would be it! I love everything that Tijan writes and this is no different. It's not quite as dark as some of her other books but it's still unpredictable and will have you kicking your feet. Family is the main crux of this story in whatever form it comes. A perfect summer read.

Sawyer is definitely an interesting character - she’s been through a terrible betrayal and while still reeling from that her world implodes.

This was a really complex story. There’s lots of moving parts to this story and I did have moments where I had to pause to work out what was happening.

One definite highlight for me was Jake. He’s a true alpha male and I loved him!

Sawyer and Jake have nothing in common when they meet in the subway. She accidentally gets pulled into some bad circumstances with Jake, but they ultimately fall in love despite their differences. This story is dark and adventurous and funny and steamy. Jake isn’t a good man, but he will do whatever it takes to protect Sawyer and, by extension, her family. Loved it!!!

This is the third book in the Kings of New York series by Tijan. It has been a while since i was in this universe and was able to instantly recognize where i was again. Tijan is always an auto read author for me and i was so stoked to receive an arc of this! I really loved the story in the end but it was a bit slow for me to get into at first. Once we got rolling it was easy to fall back into the universe. I loved Jake and Sawyer in the end, and that was after me not loving her in the beginning as much. I found her to be a little too typical FMC give it all up for her man type, but it turns out she had quite a bit of sass in her, just had to wait for it to come out. One thing i always love about interconnected standalones is the crossover. I always look out for it and love when i see it! I’d rate this ultimately a 3.75.

I really enjoyed A Captive Situation. Both Jake and Sawyer were great characters. Jake was such a protective, possessive man who was fiercely loyal to those he loved and who were loyal to him. He was also smart in a really cunning way, he would’ve done anything for his select people including tapping into his cold side. Sawyer was also a great character. She had so many sides to her and we saw her come absolutely alive within her relationship with Jake, she just absolutely shone with happiness even when crap was going down and getting dangerous. She was so bloody loyal too and would’ve done absolutely anything for her family and even complete strangers, she was just so genuinely good. The heat between Sawyer and Jake was pure fire. I really enjoyed seeing all of the secondary characters from Sawyer’s crazy, loving family to Jake’s people. I loved Blake and hope we see more of her. The decision that Jake made in the end, i understood it but i have no idea what it means for the other characters and its going to be interesting to see where this storyline is taken next and who’s caught in the crossfire.

Rated 4.5 Stars

Wild doesn't come close to describing A Captive Situation. I loved this book. It was violent and action packed. I devoured it in one sitting. I enjoyed it so much. It was highly entertaining. I loved the way the suspense was woven into the story. It definitely had my adrenaline pumping. The story was interesting and kept my attention from start to finish. I loved the characters Jake and Sawyer. Sawyer was not at all normal which I found so endearing. I loved how fiercely protective of her Jake was. I loved them together, they complemented each other perfectly. I thoroughly enjoyed this book and can't wait for the next especially after that snippet of what's to come. I highly recommend this book.

This story is about Sawyer a thirty-something woman who is going through a tough time because her fiancé left her for her best friend. So she goes a thousand miles away in hopes of finding herself and what she wants in life. It's during this time that she meets Jake. He's extremely attractive, broody, and also a jerk, or so she thinks. Their first and second encounter is a little odd but when fate brings you together...who are we to argue? This is an insta love, chaotic kind of plot where the characters are on the run from some bad guys. Overall a little slow at the start but when it picked up it had my attention.

So so sorry for the late review, school has been hella hectic.
And thank you to Netgallery and the publisher for my very first ARC!!

I requested this bc icl the cover caught my eye, even tho I have a strong dislike for real people on covers, idrky but this cover drew me along with the title.

A captive situation is about our fmc, Sawyer, who is in nyc to escape the horrors of recent events. Whilst minding her own business on the subway, she encounters this yummy guy, our mmc Jake. Jake has ties with the mafia, but worked as a police officer, however he recently quit. A crazy turn of events made Sawyer & Jake become known to each other, which dominoed into them developing feelings, big big feelings, but would it work, ex mafia & sm1 running from her problems?

This story had soooo much more potential. The premise seemed really exciting to read but unfortunately not executed as well as I hoped.

The spicy scenes were COOKINGGG however sm times I was side eyeing them bc it js wasn’t the right place to do it! There’s bigger matters at hand! However u could also interpret this as how connected they felt, when they’re with each other, nothing else matters.

Sawyer and Jake are in their 30s yet they acted like teenagers which reallyyyy put me off, their action did not convince me they were mature. At times I was like ‘girl what are u doing?! Act ur age please!!’ to Sawyer 😭😭. She is hellaaaa stubborn like I guess I can see it from her pov the mafia doesnt seem real LOL therefore I get why she didn’t understand how serious her situation was at times

Sawyers aunt are present as a support system, and low-key they were funny but I was imaging 50/60 year olds behaving the way they do and js laughed bc it’s lowkey cringe 😭🙏🏽 but they’re cool for having Sawyer’s back and just being overall very welcoming to the other characters, girls support girls frfr

Jake’s development was rlly cute tbf, I rlly liked his chapters but sm times his rational wouldn’t make sense and irritated me, but overall a very nice guy!

It was a little slow at the beginning but the suspense & tension reallyyyy picks up second half of the book, very intense but I enjoyed it!

When I got this, I didn’t realise it was the third book of a series, and honestly u could read this as a stand-alone like I did, the story flowed well & I understood it all. However sm characters who are linked to the mafia business could be a little confusing, but it’s manageable. Those characters have made me interested in the first 2 books.

This book wasn’t particularly for me but I did enjoy the second half more than the first, so theres why it’s 3 stars :)

• 𝑩𝒐𝒐𝒌 𝑹𝒆𝒗𝒊𝒆𝒘 •

𝗥𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴: ☆☆☆☆ 4.5/5

Wow. I loved this so much the banter and connection between these characters... One part I really appreciated was the family. They made me laugh so much and sound like a fun bunch to hang out with; a bit dysfunctional, but real. I had such a good time with these characters, I honestly didn't want the book to end; but I also couldn't stop reading. It was pretty fast paced with lots of action and things happening. I hope for more in this series because I cannot get enough!

𝘛𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘬 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘢𝘶𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘳 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘨𝘪𝘧𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘮𝘦 𝘢 𝘤𝘰𝘱𝘺 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘣𝘰𝘰𝘬. 𝘛𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘪𝘴 𝘢 𝘩𝘰𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘵 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘰𝘣𝘫𝘦𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘷𝘦 𝘳𝘦𝘷𝘪𝘦𝘸, 𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘰𝘱𝘪𝘯𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘮𝘺 𝘰𝘸𝘯.

A lot of my reviews are also available with photo at my Bookstagram: @justmyfantasyworld

This story was absolutely crazy! Please don't get me wrong. I love a crazy story. But this was so far fetched it was off the charts. I did NOT like Sawyer at all. That woman was not living in reality. She was living in Lala land. I am actually impressed she stayed alive. Jake? He was just angry all the time. I felt bad for him. Did I like this story? Honestly? I have read way better by this author.

*I voluntarily read an advanced copy of this book for my honest and unbiased review*

This book had me at the first few pages. This is a great mix of serious, comedy, and romance. The character are great and if you like a morally grey guy this is the book for you!

This was my first Tijan book, and it captivated me from the very first chapter. Sawyer has just traveled to New York to get away from her current situation in Montana. She was sweet, a little bit naive, and had dedicated her life to one man - the mistake back in Montana. Jake was a broody, morally grey MMC, who runs into Sawyer for the first time in the subway and they were instantly attracted to one another. In order to protect Sawyer, Jake kidnaps her and hides her from being hunted. I liked how Sawyer developed from a woman who was unsure with the direction in life to someone who is more confident and sure of herself. You see her basically develop and backbone, which gave us some fun banter, great chemistry, and spice. The only issue that I had with this book was how choppy it was. I felt like I had to make assumptions about certain parts and I found myself wondering if I had missed some important aspects in the plotline. I also felt like the ending was a little bit too easy and left me with more questions if anything. Overall the story had good barebones and structure, but I wished the book connected the dots and tied up loose ends a little bit better.

Tijan delivers a high-octane, emotionally charged ride with A Captive Situation, a dark mob romance that refuses to hold back. From the explosive opening to its final pages, the novel immerses readers in a world of danger, desire, and power, all laced with the intense chemistry and unrelenting tension that fans of the genre crave.

What sets this book apart is the unique way the story unfolds—Tijan introduces the central conflict with a gripping premise and sustains that momentum with sharp pacing and a layered emotional arc. The romance is undeniably steamy, with spice woven seamlessly into the high-stakes narrative, amplifying both the danger and the desire between the lead characters.

Despite the gritty underworld backdrop, the storytelling remains clear and emotionally resonant. Tijan’s signature style—raw, bold, and addictive—shines through, making this a compelling start to what promises to be an unforgettable series. With its gripping plot and electrifying romance, A Captive Situation is sure to leave readers eagerly anticipating what’s next.

<b>Oh Jake Worthing! You are an absolutely perfect morally grey alpha hero. A little bit unhinged, a little bit ruthless, a little bit dangerous, a little bit broken, a little bit over the top possessive and protective..The mix is irresistible. This instalment of Kings of New York brings an adrenaline fuelled, fast paced and intense romance. Sawyer came to New York for a reset of her messy life but twists of fate brought her in middle of a bigger mess. A mafia war. But it also brought her in Jake's orbit. And she realises nobody ever made her feel this
alive.</b>

🖤 enemies to lovers
🖤 forced proximity ( he kidnapped her to save her)
🖤 Mafia romance
🖤 romantic suspense

Jake Worthing has been walking the line. A dirty cop. Also the new head of his mafia family now. His brother was the one who was keeping him tied to everything. There is a contract on his head by his own cousin who is also leading another organized crime cult of his own. He meets Sawyer in the police station while rescuing a family member and that was enough to put her under his enemy's radar. So he has to kidnap her. But Sawyer isn't ready to accept it. She will fight but she also cannot deny Jake is everything that she deserves as her man. They are in middle of a very dangerous game and Jake may have to make some tough choices.

I freaking loved Jake. He has been carrying a lot on his broad shoulders. Trying to balance the dirty cop and the mafia life. He is always trying to protect everyone at great cost of himself. His larger than life presence on the page is such a turn on..sigh.He is cold and merciless and calculating when it comes to eliminating enemies but he hides a big heart behind that mask. His life is constantly at peril and it's like a twisted game of chess with some really dangerous players. Sawyer wasn't making it easy. I swear the only reason I didn't give this book 5 stars is because she was getting on my nerves. I get that she isn't used to this kind of cat and mouse game. She is heartbroken and lost and confused. But omg she was being so stupid and uselessly stubborn even after Jake explaining her in details about the risk. She made idiotic decisions that put everyone at even more danger. Her trying to be sassy and fierce wasn't always so cool. Jake put everything on line for her and Sawyer kept on ruining his plans. Not to mention her annoying team of aunts who were supposed to be adorable.Their chemistry was crazy but the love part was a bit dicey. In the end, Jake managed to bring everything together. All the stars for Jake and Jake only.( And for Ashton cameos).

PS I NEED THE NEXT BOOK ASAP

I reviewed an early copy voluntarily

A Captive Situation by Tijan 🖤
Kings of New York, Book 2
Interconnected Standalone

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Adult • Romance
ARC Review
344 Pages
🗓️ June 3

🖤mafia/former cop romance
🖤h*te to love
🖤instant connection, slow burn romance
🖤kidn*pping
🖤morally gray MMC
🖤found family
🖤on the run for their lives

📌“I belonged anywhere I decided that I belonged.”

📌“I looked at Sawyer, and was rocked. She was mine. Christ. She truly was. I was looking at my future.”

What crazy ride was this?! Wow, these two were insane… two lunatics, completely unhinged. I LOVED them. 😍

This was deliciously unexpected and so very welcomed. It’s Tijan so I — obviously — went into it blind. And yes. Yes is the answer. I was there reading with my mouth open in a “what just happened?!” way, absorbing every little detail of this very captive situation. 😅

Unpredictable, unputdownable and most definitely unforgettable. This was such a fun read for me 😎

This is a ride! I’m new to this series (King of New York) and it’s quite a change of pace compared to the other books I’ve read by Tijan. This is a mafia dark romance trip that feels like a very fast train. Action, kidnapping, violence, insta-love, double crossing, changes of pace, I couldn’t get off the train anywhere 😮

Even with everyone in a hurry, it still felt choppy and I didn’t slow down for long enough to care about the growing relationship between Jake and Sawyer.

Jake is morally very dark grey, and quite a catch - ex police, mafia, crime family, all of it. Sawyer is a bit crazy. Needy and insecure, she bounces into Jake’s life and prints on him, even though there’s plenty of mistrust between them and so much (too much??) happening. Check TWs for violence.

Thank you Tijan and Montlake for the ARC. Opinions are my own.