Book Review: Auctioned by Cara Dee

Reviewed by JustJen

Title:Auctioned
Author:Cara Dee
Series: Auctioned #1
Heroes: Gray/Darius
Genre: MM Contemporary
Length: 207 Pages
Publisher: Cara Dee
Release Date: June 28, 2018
Available at: Amazon and Barnes & Noble
Add it to your shelf: Goodreads

Blurb: Gray Nolan’s biggest problem in life was the torch he carried for his closeted coach. He was just another happy-go-lucky dude, a college student and hockey player, when his ordinary existence was interrupted, and he became a human trafficking statistic.

He and seven other young men were taken aboard a luxurious yacht where they were to be auctioned off to the highest bidder. Gray was beaten, shattered, and almost defeated by the time his buyer stepped out of the shadows in a swirl of his own cigarette smoke.

He was Gray’s new owner.

Darius Quinn had vowed never again to find himself in a situation like this. His days as a private military contractor were over. No more missions, no more risks, no more personal attachments. Yet, here he was, after weeks of searching, face-to-face with his broken prize.

It was time to get the knucklehead back to his family.

Quick and easy was Darius’s plan.

Then everything went sideways.

Review: This is classic Cara Dee and everything I’ve come to love from her writing. I can always count on something on the darker side, something that will grab my attention and keep my flipping pages til the end. I’m always happy to add another one to that list.

We met Gray in Power Play, as Abel’s hockey friend who was “dating” his married coach. Darius is from Camassia Cove, so he has ties, as this is a bit of a crossover, and while you get to meet them each in those stories, I don’t believe it is necessary. Those are quite different from this one as well, as this takes a turn on the dark side with human trafficking front and center.

Abel is taken, along with other gay boys of various ages, and they go through hell and back more than once before ending up being sold at a special auction on a cruise ship. It doesn’t take long for Able to realize his buyer was actually sent by his family to save him, though it did take some convincing. They had to continue the ruse in order to make their eventual escape, and the psychological up and down had Gray questioning everything.

If you are looking for more of a romance, I suggest trying the other books, as this one doesn’t have much in that area, though Gray and Darius do share a connection that is sure to continue growing. Things turn out to be a lot bigger than first thought, i.e., it is more than simply human trafficking, even if that’s bad enough on its own. And while the escape is almost certain, it isn’t seen out to completion but the promise of more is enough to leave me longing for the continuation. As I stated earlier, this is a page turner, and I wasn’t ready for it to end. I’m so happy there are more books planned and that we will get to see Gray and Darius again.

Overall Impression: I loved it!

*I received a copy of this book from the author in return for a fair and honest review.*