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Bait  By  cover art

Bait

By: Jade West
Narrated by: Evan Garrett,Posey Clifford
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Publisher's summary

A stranger online. Dark hair and even darker eyes that knew my dirty desires before I did. A fantasy that should never be spoken. But he pulled the confession from me. And now he's coming for me. Rough. Dirty. Dangerous. It's supposed to be one night to get me off and make me forget. He'll make me his and I'll pretend I don't want him to. I'll run and he'll chase. Because I asked him for this. I begged him for this. Tonight, in the darkness, he's the hunter. And I'm the bait.

©2017 Jade West (P)2017 Audible, Inc.
  • Unabridged Audiobook
  • Categories: Romance

What listeners say about Bait

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Trigger Warning

Trigger warning! I started this review that way because I feel the greatest readers gravitate towards authors who write without holding back. I do agree that this Audio may have triggers for some, but for others, such as me, I absolutely loved it. I feel the author did a great job of including the danger in the situation that the characters are asking to participate in while also explaining the mental process that could be motivating the need for the taboo even over self preservation. This Audio was hot, hot, hot. Sexy as sin with a really good story included. Both narrators did a fantastic job. I love the sexy accent on the female narrator. I could feel the chemistry between them which only added to my need to consume as much in one sitting as possible. I loved it!

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35 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Savage, dark, brutal, and utterly addictive!

Before I even get started on my actual review I wanted to put in a disclaimer of sorts: this book has a lot of scenes people could find triggering depending on their perspective and personal experiences. The sexual acts within are done with consent but this is new territory for many (which I'll touch upon further on within this review) and it's basically consentual nonconsent. If you're wondering what the heck that means, it means that the characters decide together that one is going to be forcing the other person into the sexual act but it's more or less like role play in the sense that they're not actually being forced since they're asking ahead of time for this to happen. I feel that still sounds confusing so let me rephrase: predator catches prey and prey fights while predator has his way with her. Sounds like it could be really triggering right? Could be, but that's why I said it's a matter of perspective: some people find solace and healing in being able to change things this time around. Maybe they went through a situation they couldn't control and didn't give consent so the fact that they get to choose that it will happen and rewrite the bad memory with a good one (and have the control to make it stop if a safe word is agreed upon in some situations but that's not always the case). Thus I will hereby give my one and only suggestion that I believe an understanding in the power of submission is truly important when reading not just this novel but pretty much any Jade West novel really since all of the ones I've read thusfar have domination and submission dynamics between the main characters and could be confusing to those with no experience in novels like this or the lifestyle behind it. I would never want someone to have a bad experience with such an amazing novel because they didn't know what they were getting into and didn't get a warning that they may need to do a little research to comprehensively understand the mentality behind it first.

Onward to my rambling review:
I listened to this one again after I had been listening to the Buy/Sell/Own My Soul series by Jade and it had rekindled my love for her other books as well since it's been a while since I listened to her novels. Two important things of note: firstly, my review from my first listen somehow disappeared (a tragedy, since I will excited to re-read it to see the change in my thought process between the first and second listen in about the span of a year) and secondly, this book is god-tier in my eyes. What do I mean?

Well, let's see... I could aim to sum it up through explanation of the unique and thoroughly interesting characters as well as the development of their relationship in uncharted and ambitious ways we've not seen before and I will but I first want to applaud Jade for providing exceptional and novel concepts in her books. I said something similar about the Buy/Sell/Own series but I need it to be known that I never tire of Jade's unrivaled writing and similarly describe both that series and this book as raw, gritty, and brutally honest in the very best of ways. Honest how, you might ask? Honest by delivering these characters to the reader with no apology, with artistic and fervent passion that people can then take or leave. All of the Jade West books I've read are the same in one important way: they are all outside of that comfort zone that dark romance authors seem to prefer to reside within. These invisible lines in the sand are rarely tested since it's easy to go with the grain and not test those waters knowing the criticisms that could be hurled your way as a result should one decide to be more ambitious than the raunchiest 50 Shades novel (I have nothing against 5o Shades by the way, not really anyway but the unrealistic BDSM relationship opened the floodgates for writers to pop in some spanking and a blindfold and call their book a dark romance to appeal to those that read that series and thought it was a realistic and healthy interpretation of such a lifestyle when we know it is not). Even the more recently popular kidnapping plots are sometimes tiptoeing around the edgy, gritty stuff and I have to say I despise when they instead just insert some dubious consent or Stockholm Syndrome type motive and call it a day. It feels like a cop out and it lessens the audience's trust in the character's ability to make decisions and it often ends up an indecipherable mess of feelings. Yes it's a kidnapping novel, I understand it's dubious from the get-go but I've seen it done tastefully where the character is in tune with themselves at the very least when all is said and done so there's not much of an excuse in my eyes for why the taboo can't be done in a tasteful and thoughtful way. All of that being so explictly said, Jade does not subscribe to this process whatsoever and I can really feel her defiance to that mold through her books. She doesn't curb the darkness of her books to keep them palatable for the masses and I deeply admire that about her and her writing. This book was one of the few truly dark and sadistic books that made me interested in dark romance of the 'deeper' kind, the sort that pushes the normal boundaries of the genre by pushing the limits of the characters in such an artfully done way. I've searched and searched but found only ONE book since this one by another author that sticks out in my mind as being it's equal in that way. It's like they're two pegasuses (or would it be pegasi?) in a field of horses that are happy to graze and waste their days never wondering what it would be like to fly. While the populace en masse may not be ready for these sorts of novels to the extent that they'll be best sellers on the New York Times Best Sellers List (but that would be awesome and they deserve it without a doubt), I can never get enough of them.

I want to add here that I've never listened to another book twice in Audible until now and I've had this app for about two years. That alone speaks of its' worth, at least to me. Not only is the writing stellar, but the characters are so unequivocally complex and contrary in their needs and desires that I can't help but feel a special sort of fondness for it. Two irredeemably broken people putting each other back together through what would typically be seen as repulsive actions to many people that aren't familiar or don't understand. These characters are endearing in their pain and in their need to give it to and take it from one another. A small subset of the BDSM community would be proud to know this exists (the characters are not part of such a community but I meant that there are people out there that do these things and find solace in it) and this book helps to normalize it all just a little bit. Jade doesn't pull any punches though; she doesn't try to make it look pretty or niche in any way, she just tells the story of two people and the unique way they find healing from their particular sexual interests. I feel we need more of this. More writing like this, getting it out there, it helps people understand the taboo and make it less.. well.. taboo, for lack of a better word. Heck, it may even help others scratch an itch they never knew was aching to be attended to. I can say for myself that I've searched high and low and books of the same subject matter (specifically I'm referring to not just the predatory nature of the sexual scenes but the actual chasing and catching prey acts) are just not around for the most part from what I can see, unless it's provided through a fantasy romance novel about shifters. While those have their own merits, it's often made to be about the nature of the beast side (the wolf side/lion side/tiger side, etc.) of the shifter and it's just fantasy when in this novel there are no wolves or other shifters but just people and their own intrinsic primal nature. It brings a certain note of reality to it when it's not diluted with fanciful imagery of wolves running through the woods and whatnot.

I can't express in words how much I enjoy the concept of this book as well as it's execution. It's definitely not for everyone, that is likely obvious, bit for me it was truly eye-opening. It opened me up to a piece of myself I never knew existed, something I never knew I'd find so intriguing. Jade is a master at that, showing me sides of myself I have never explored before and allowing me to view it, pick it apart and process it, and either put it away or unpack that and do with it what I will. Such is the mark of a genius writer, especially in the romance genre where the same old tropes have have been done and done to death.

I can say this: it's never a dull moment when reading a Jade West novel. I can say with certainty that you'll find yourself wondering when the last time is that you read something as unique in its' take on healing and increasing intimacy through these descriptive and fantastically primal sexual encounters that by all accounts would cause most people to become concerned it would end in a lawsuit. I suppose that's how you know you've met your match, when your darkness blends perfectly with that of another person. Thus I will end my second review of this freaking excellent novel by piling on my fangirlish praise for one of my absolute favorite books in the world and for it's unfailing determination to break the mold in the most delicious and brutal ways. Jade is truly a visionary in this and I always look forward to reading her newest books when they come out. Apologies that this is such a lengthy review but I only go out of my way to go into as much detail when I feel the writer deserves this much of my thought, time and effort to write it. Bravo, Jade.

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13 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

This one creates its own category

This story was enlightening on some aspects because it was more than just a romance that over comes demons of the past, Mrs West brought us facts intertwined with with an unconventional prefferences, creating a love story that steps outside the box the genre holds itself in.

My only struggle with this audiobook was with the female actress, not sure why as i would hear her performance my visual of her was not matching the description of the character as the book continued i was able to get over this.

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8 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

One of my favorite books, but not for narration

Bait is one of my absolute favorite books I've ever read. I loved it so much I also bought the audio book. Unfortunately, even with the whispersync deal, it was not money well spent. I think that if I'd have listened first, I would have given up and missed out on a great book. The male voice was fine, though not what I had imagined he'd sound like. It was Abigail's voice that killed it for me. Great story though!

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5 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    2 out of 5 stars

no good

couldn't finish the story. the narrator was boring and the story left me wanting. I would not recommend

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4 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    2 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
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    1 out of 5 stars

Way too dark. Not a romance. Couldnt finish

I couldnt connect with the charactwrs for what drove their sexual desires were morbid. As a sexual assault victim, i cannot comprehend why anyone would want to experience it. in this story, it was not a true experience because both parties were aware of the other. but when you have no control, its a different animal. narration was great. story well written. just did not care for the characters dark side. it was a bit too much and i am far from vanilla.

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3 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    1 out of 5 stars
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    1 out of 5 stars
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    1 out of 5 stars

terrible female narrator

Couldn't get pass chapter one! The female narrator's voice is migraine inducing. Total waste of credit.

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3 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

Love even more than the book

I don’t even know how it is that this last wave of audiobooks by Jade West has made me an even bigger fan, but they have. Even though I have read all of the books, the audio upgrade was cheap so I went ahead with it and I am so very glad I did. The audios are amazing. Although the storylines are unconventional and not for the average reader, I’m not the average reader, so we are a match made in heaven.

The narration is perfect. I believe these are new narrators to me since I don’t listen to many audios with British accents, but I loved them so much. Perfect for the characters. I was easily lost to their voices.

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  • Overall
    2 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars
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    2 out of 5 stars

Bait is rather bland

I don’t care for Dark Romance; to me that genre is dark in and out of the bedroom, usually involving criminals and dubious to no consent. Here, there’s no mafia or thug element; both Abigail and Leo have ordinary office jobs. The kink is invited and at all times consensual, even if the role play is rough. I was actually a bit surprised considering all the warning reviews.

There’s a half dozen scenes in variations of their shared kink. The female narrator takes a bit for me to get used to because she uses a little girl voice, like Jennifer Tilly or (shudder) Moaning Myrtle. The male narrator was a better fit, delivering deliciously dirty talk.

It was odd that chapters begin with quotes from the likes of Nietzsche or Hemingway, as if the author was trying way too hard to be deep. However, there really isn’t any story beyond Abigail and Leo’s present kink and the past trauma that led them there. I think I’d have preferred erotica in short story or novella form instead of all the brooding over loss and betrayal. Do they have anything else in common? Do they date or get to know each other? Other than a shared kink born by trauma, there’s nothing to explain why they’d fall for each other. Ultimately, the dirty deeds weren’t enough to get the rest of the book past okay.

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2 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

It was good...

...but by the 3/4 way through I wanted it to end.

I can’t explain why. They were dealing with deep scars. The characters were well developed. The story wasn’t really slow to develop. I like dark romance. So I really can’t explain the reason for my being ready for it to be over.

Yes, I suppose it could hit triggers for people but it is fiction. Nothing without consent even when they pretend no consent.

The story was good, and I did love the narrators although I didn’t know them based on their name. The English accents were perfect for the story. They definitely gave the story more depth.

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