A Captive Situation continues the Kings of New York series, but you don't have to have read those to enjoy this one. Honestly, I read the first one and didn't care for it. It was slow and couldn't keep my interest. I am excited to say A Captive Situation was different!

Poor Sawyer-she's with a guy for 10+ years and gets dumped before their wedding because his side piece is pregnant. In the small town they live in, there is no escaping the gossip. Oh and that side piece-her former best friend. She runs to New York in an attempt to put it behind her and find her long lost cousin. Sawyer is a weirdo-in all the funniest ways! A few other readers felt she was immature, but I think she is just weird. I loved that about her. She is open and honest and only starting to realize what she actually deserves from others. Her family is hilarious!

Jake just resigned his post as an organized crime cop when he meets Sawyer on the subway. Then again in the police station. And she is with him during two attempted assassinations. He does what any man in his position would-kidnaps her. For her own safety.  Jake has not had an easy life. He lost his brother recently, and that was pretty much the only person he was living for. Now his family (of the Worthing Mafia) are trying to kill him. This leads to him and Sawyer being chased all over the city, attempting to avoid death and find a way to get the hit off them. Their relationship sort of fast tracks during all this danger and drama, but I really loved them together. Overall, if you like murder plots, mafia drama, and crazy families, A Captive Situation is a perfect pick!

A Captive Situation is book 3 in the Kings of New York, an Interconnected Standalone series. This book was deliciously good. I am a Tijan fan and this one did not disappoint. I could not put this book down from the moment I picked it up. Our two main characters are absolute lunatics, but you can’t help but love them.

“I don’t know who your new boyfriend is, but Beck is going to shit his pants when he sees him. He walks and breathes violence.”

Jake Worthing ex-cop turned Mafia Don is our Morally grey hero. He is of course ridiculously handsome and a billionaire with all his inherited family money. He wants nothing to do with his family or the mafia life. Sawyer escaped to New York after being jilted by her ex-fiancé and just happens to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. She’s innocent and kind of a lunatic. Her love of her family and the way they surround her is so awesome. Her Aunts are hysterical and add some comedic relief during suspenseful situations.

She was the reason my past was being unearthed inside of me, because I was willing to set the world on fire if it meant she would be unscathed by it.

This story has twists that I didn’t necessarily see coming and some things that were left unfinished. I am assuming that is in preparation of book 4 in this series (sneak peek at the end). I am hoping to find out more about Blake and Lane (hello Psyco!) but time will tell if we get to.

“I want you. I want all of you. Forever.”

Rating:⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Spice: 🌶️🌶️🌶️

Tropes:
Morally Grey MMC
Possessive MMC
Instant Connection/Slow Burn
Close Proximity
Enemies to Lovers
Main Characters in Peril
Mafia Romance
Touch Her and ☠️
Kidn*pped
Found Family
Dual POV

Thank you NetGalley for my ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review

This book started a bit slow for me, and I wasn’t sure I’d connect with the story, but I’m glad I kept going. It’s definitely different from Tijan’s other books, but in an interesting way.
Sawyer is quirky, emotional, and super loyal, even if her choices sometimes made me shake my head. Jake is intense, cold, dangerous, protective, and 100% morally gray. The chemistry between them is strong, though I didn’t always feel a deep emotional bond. I enjoyed the action and mafia drama, it added tension and suspense that kept me hooked. Sawyer’s journey from heartbreak to finding her strength was a highlight. Jake’s world is dark, and it was fascinating seeing Sawyer thrown into it. I also loved the side characters, especially Sawyer’s chaotic but loving family. While it wasn’t my favorite in the series, it’s still a gripping story with steam, danger, and heart. Curious to see what happens next!
Very grateful to the publisher for my copy through NetGalley, opinions are my own

"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.