Title: The Controlled
Author: Becky Komant
Publisher: BK Press
ISBN: 978-0991811502
Pages: 292, Paperback/Kindle
Genre: Fiction/Suspense
Reviewed by: Lisa Brown-Gilbert, Pacific Book Review
Book Review
This an intriguing, adult suspense novel that tells the twisted tale of Sarah and Alex Ruiz; it is a story that seizes the reader’s attention and moves at such a compelling pace that the reader will not want to stop reading until the end. Rife with blackmail, violence, and sexual domination/perversion, Sarah quickly finds out that she is not living the fairytale life she thought she was going to have.Sarah is beautiful, resilient, and determined but she is trapped – she is caught up in her marriage to rich, charming, and desirable Alex. She loves Alex and desperately wants to be the best possible wife however, Alex is warped and has a terrible dark side, which he wields to completely dominate and control her in every possible aspect of life. Alex’s brutish domineering ways soon forces Sarah to take matters into her own hands but she makes some serious mistakes along the route to assert her freedom.
Sarah, wanting out of her marriage and knowing that she is powerless and broke on her own, forays into a career as a fitness trainer and national competitor. After some success, she receives a promising email from a famous photographer Gabe Benoit. Gabe expresses his deep desire for her and wants to shoot her for the cover of a famous fitness magazine. Full of renewed hope and longing for a real relationship, Sarah slowly places her trust in Gabe and his promises. Continually taunted with the promises of a better life and the magazine shoot – Sarah finds herself completely engrossed in an increasingly bizarre sexual online relationship with Gabe. As the constantly restricted situation with Gabe progresses, it is eventually revealed as an even more depraved scenario than she was initially led to believe.
Replete with plenty of plot twists, mystery and risqué adult situations, The Controlled, gives the reader the front seat to Sarah’s emotional journey as she attempts to free herself from Alex and his sick sad ways. Sarah is a strong female character that many female readers will find themselves able to relate to and root for as she struggles with her nightmarish situation. Moreover, as for the character of Alex, he is that character whom readers will love to hate. Author Becky Komant has a down to earth writing style that really works to present a crystal – clear view of the web of deceit that has Sarah trapped but fighting to reveal the truth. I recommend this book as an engrossing adult read – Story line is very real life.
