Book Review: Captive (The Survival Race Book 1) by K.M. Fawcett

Captive (The Survival Race Book 1)
by K.M. Fawcett
January 12, 2020
404 pages
Rookie cop Addy Dawson must escape her alien captors. Caged with a brazen alpha gladiator claiming to be her mate, Addy refuses to breed warriors for the Survival Race—a blood sport where the last man alive wins. Nothing and no one will stop her from finding a way home, including the exasperating rogue determined to seduce her.

Years of killing for entertainment have turned Max into a hardened beast. The only time he feels human is when at stud. But when a fiery woman from his home world rejects him, her rebellious spirit awakens a part of his soul he thought long dead.

Bound together by a desire for freedom, Addy and Max will risk torture or worse to break out. But the hunted pair will never find refuge unless they can learn to trust each other with their lives…and their hearts.

"Fawcett delivers a suspenseful and captivating science fiction romance. A must read for all, but especially for fans of THE HUNGER GAMES." --Caridad Pineiro, NY Times & USA Today bestselling author


This enemies-to-lovers Sci-Fi Romance is a stand alone story that is part of a series. No cliff hangers.

Captive sounded like something that was up my alley until I actually started reading it. There was huge potential for this book but in the end, too many obstacles to overcome.

The story is about Addy Dawson who is caught in the middle of a forest fire only to blackout and wake up on an alien planet, in a cell, without her clothes, and next to a warrior who claims to be her mate. Max is a gladiator forced to breed and produce winning offspring to participate in the Survival Race, a deadly blood sport for the amusement of his captors. Max and Addy are pushed to the limit and decide to risk it all to escape.

First things first, while Captive may not seem long at around 384 pages, it feels long and drawn out. The beginning was great with the way the whole plot started to unfold and the initial meeting between Max and Addy but there’s just too much going on in this book that bogged down the flow and pacing. As if escaping bloodthirsty aliens wasn’t enough of a complication, the author decided to complicate matters even further by giving Max and Addy an additional person to care for. I’m trying not to spoil things but I feel the addition of this other person wasn’t necessary so early on in the plot and I think it messed up the reading experience for me on some level because I couldn’t buy into Max and Addy as a couple.

And Addy, I just couldn’t like her. For me, she wasn’t “alive” enough as a character to warrant all the attention she got from Max. To me, she was arm candy designed to make Max look like a hero and didn’t have much of anything to offer when she wasn’t with Max. To me, these two weren’t a couple because they fell in love but because they were forced together by the circumstances and just decided to accept it.

Captive could have been something entertaining to add to the Space Romance sub-genre but it fell really flat for me and it took me a while to get through it. There’s a bit of a plot hole with regards to the alien captors and communication with their captives. Overall, this book wasn’t for me at all.

Sheep Rating: 1 ½ reluctant sheep

AdriaR
Adria @ Adria’s Musings and Reviews
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About the Author:
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K.M. Fawcett is the author of the thrilling science fiction romance series, The Survival Race. She writes stories featuring underdogs and fish-out-of-water characters who find their place in the universe. She believes in happy endings and true love conquering all.

She and her husband—who wants the world to know he’s the inspiration for all her heroes, albeit toned down for believability—own Tenchi Dojo in NJ, where they teach traditional Okinawan karate and kobudo (weapons). K.M. incorporates two decades of martial arts experience into her stories to create strong, kick-ass characters who aren’t afraid to fight for the life and love they deserve.

Wielding the world as her office, K.M. exhausts many hours writing in parked cars (waiting for kids at drum lessons and ballet classes), on airplanes, at a local coffee shop, outdoors, and in her home library with two mischievous cats vying for attention.

Hang out with her on social media and subscribe to her newsletter for sneak peeks at upcoming books.