Hold Fast: A Navy SEAL Dark Romance Thriller by Olivia Rigal

Hold Fast: A Navy SEAL Dark Romance Thriller Reviews

• 
  Sable Sylvan

  I read all kinds of books, but I mostly read a.) paranormal romance b.) sweet but still erotic romance. This book is a contemporary romance, and it’s anything but your honey-sweet romance where there are two people writing letters to each other and kissing in the rain and eating fondue. So why is it getting five stars from me? Here’s why. Yes, I am a romance reader. However, above all else, I am a reader of literature, and believe that five star books exist in every category, (see: Chuck Tingle, erotician, to William Shakespeare, bard). This book is more in the company of the latter rather than the former. It’s a spoiler free review, of course, because to spoil a book this good would get me sent to Amazon’s SuperMax.
  
  1.) This book takes the best of romance and mixes it with the best of the mystery/suspense/thriller genre. For instance, the romance between the characters is believable, but it’s not the only thing driving the plot. The hero is of course drop dead gorgeous, with tats and scars, but he also has more than just a body. He has a brain, and so does she, but it’s the kind of mind that comes from needing a survival mindset, not some hoity-toity egghead pretentious stuff that makes you roll your eyes when there’s a reference to an obscure indie band. There’s real research that’s been done about the realities of domestic religious extremism as well as the experience that our citizens in the armed services live every day, which makes the portrayal of those harrowing worlds respectful.
  2.) This is a book that portrays not just two worlds (Sean’s world in the army and Courtney’s world in the church) but, through absence, portrays a third: the America that many readers know and live in. The regular world is touched by Sean’s world and Courtney’s world in liminal spaces, such as the airport scene with Sean, the marketplace scenes with Courtney, and our world becomes “the other” world. It’s easy to take a very normative view of our own reality, but this book challenges that normativity. What is “normal” to other people? How do they adapt to what the mainstream considers “normal”…and frankly, what’s that process like? There are worlds unlike our own, lived in by citizens of our nation, and these are not sparsely populated worlds. These worlds have a wide cast of characters, some good, some bad, but all realistic and complicated. If you like cartoonish villains, stereotypical princes and princesses, and over the top flowery descriptions, please go elsewhere, this is a book for adults.
  3.) This is frankly a very well written book. I read a lot of books, I majored in English, and so I have a combination of the voracious appetite of a romance reader as well as the breadth and depth of an academic. As this is a romance novel, and I have a big road trip coming up this weekend, I intended for this to be my weekend reading, but instead, I told myself, “I’ll read a few chapters before lunch.” Well, guess what. I’m writing this review barely three hours after starting the book. This NEVER happens with me and books. I’m usually great at pacing myself. This was a real page turner: my eyes never glazed over, I only had to take breaks to get something to drink because my mouth got so dry from being anxious about Sean and Courtney. The chapters are the perfect length, the action moves fast, and Stuff Actually Happens. It’s not, “Well, so Sarah told me that Kyle said that Becca was…” junk you read about. These are realistic characters with realistic problems, and better yet, realistic solutions to those problems that yes, require sacrifice and bravery and courage and follow-through, but which also, honestly, almost seem to ask the reader to believe in the couple like we believed in Tinkerbell as kids, except instead of clapping, we’re turning the page. It’s frankly a cinematic experience, each scene like a photographic still, the only sound track the sound of your heart beating hard and fast.
  4.) Although this book has dark themes and scenes, it also has brightness in the form of hope. For every betrayal the couple faces, the loyalty they have for one another overcomes it. For every bit of darkness in their life, they provide each other with light. There is trauma, but also relief. There is abject cruelty, but there is also empathy. Yes, there are bad things that happen, just like in real life. But just like in real life, there are also good things that happen. The foreward to the book mentions the famous Edmund Burke quote about how evil prevails when good men do nothing. Yes, there is evil, but as long as there are people like Sean and Courtney, it truly shall not prevail. If you liked Cormac McCarthy’s “The Road”, and the theme of having someone “Carry the fire” even in a dark world, you will get the message of this book too.
  5.) I strongly recommend this book to people who like the movies “Taken” or “Straw Dogs”, who were interested in the darkness of the level of some dark erotica works like “Tears of Tess” but who didn’t want a romance protagonist guy who was an anti-hero or straight-up villain, or who didn’t like the sex slave premises, who like romance but also like mystery/suspense/thrillers, who like military romances where the guy’s military experience is Actually Relevant, who like well-written literary works that are not over the top in terms of banging the message in and don’t look like a thesaurus and an MFA bro made a baby. While yes, dark for a romance novel, it would not be that dark as an action movie.
  
  This book takes two experiences the vast majority of Americans will never experience (the life of a Navy SEAL who has effectively retired, and the life of someone experiencing severe abuse in a cult context) and not only portrays them realistically and respectfully, but creates two stories that on their own, would be strong enough, but which together, paint a part of the large painting that is our America.
  
  Regarding the religious themes: this book is by no means anti-Christian. I am saying this because I know that some people will see the words “Church” and “Cult” and assume that this book is anti-Christian. In fact, what this book portrays is a cult that twists the words of Christianity to use the Bible for insidious purposes. In this election cycle, the dangerous combination of exploitive rhetoric, the bystander effect, and extremism of any ideology have all been on everybody’s minds. This book is truly a book that explores current issues, without being heavy-handed, and which does so respectfully. What this book criticizes is cults, not Christianity, not religion in general, but extremism that leads to abuse of people, aided and abetted by the powers of rhetoric and exploitive personalities. This is not an anti-Christian book in the least.
  
  
• 
  Gilda

  I couldn't even muster up enough curiosity to finish this
• 
  Annelise

  I wanted to close the book halfway through, but I thought, maybe the next chapter...
• 
  Nina DuBois

  I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
  
  Hold Fast took me outside of anything I've ever read. I've read cult books, but nothing about religion and it definitely made me cringe. This book gave a very scary look to the twisted ways people view and use religion. Olivia Rigal did a great job describing the New Revelation cult and how they thought, the way they lived their lives, and what it was like for the people living in this community away from civilization. This book is dark, gritty, and sadistic.
  
  I liked that this book takes you outside of your comfort zone and delves into the ugly ways that people twist religion to fit their views and need for power. If you are a religious person, some things may offend you. I liked that it made me afraid for Courtney living in this community that she knew was wacked out of their minds. She didn't let them twist her mind and cloud her freewill. She was very strong and was always looking for a way to escape. I was afraid for her throughout the entire book. I was completely invested in her fate. Sean was amazing. I connected with him the most throughout the story. I liked that we get to see some of his military background. The knowledge that Olivia showed in military terms and weaponry made the action parts that much more interesting.
  
  There were moments where I wasn't sure how I felt while reading this book. I'm not exactly sure what it was. In the beginning I was very invested and interested in Courtney, but for some reason I lost connection with her. I almost stopped caring about her and became completely enthralled with Sean. He was more interesting. It irritated me that Courtney kept hanging on to her mother, looking for redeeming quality that should have been long lost. There was a little something missing for me, but once I read it to its end I was still very happy with this book.
  
  This book was very scary. Its like that terrible car accident that you can't look away from as you drive by. Your transfixed. That's what reading Hold Fast did to me. Its sad and sadistic. The characters in this book are pure evil. Courtney's mom Heather was crazy out of her mind. I can't believe a mother would do the things she did. Father Emmanuel and Brother Jeremiah were Satan spawn and they got what they deserved. I liked the romance and it helped drive the story. The characters were great and the driving force of the story. I recommend this book to people who are looking for something different that they haven't read before. Olivia will surely grab your attention from the very beginning.
• 
  Sara Smolarek

  Courtney lives in hell here on earth – the hell of a religious cult, a hell created by a zealot who believes himself to be the self-appointed prophet of God. She fights every day to survive, and to gain her freedom.
  
  Sean has been to hell. He also fought for freedom every day, and narrowly survived – but he returns every night in his dreams.
  
  This is not your usual guy-gets-girl romance. Authors Olivia Rigal and Shannon Macallan have spun a tale that is often very intense. Sometimes almost too intense. It is not a mindless warm fuzzy kind of read. There is ugliness here – the ugliness of fanaticism and abuse in multiple forms. There are some of the worst kinds of people here – the scum who set themselves above everyone else, living for their own pleasure at the expense of others’ hearts, minds, and souls. But there is beauty too – the beauty of a love remembered, the beauty of brotherhood, the beauty of fierce grit and determination, the beauty of vengeance, and yes – the beauty of freedom.
  
  If you prefer your books to be about people who have lived real life, not lead a charmed one and miraculously become billionaires by the time they’re 25, then this might be a book for you. If you like your heroes and heroines to be survivors of more than a drunken frat party, then this might be a book for you. If you recognize that not all scars are visible, then this might be the book for you. If you realize that those scars often make their bearer stronger, then this might be the book for you.
  
  I received an ARC of this book in return for an honest review, and that’s what you’ve got here. But honestly? I’d have wanted to read it anyway. I hope you will too.
  
• 
  Patricia Hoffstaetter

  I found this book to be interesting, fascinating and thought provoking there is dark undertones about just how far people will go in the name of religion. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book. This story covers Courtney who was brought by her mother to a religious commune at the age of 16yrs old, every-time she has tried to escape she has been caught and severely punished. In order to protect herself, Courtney married a gay man (Daniel) they have been married for 5yrs in a platonic marriage. Jeremiah a cruel sadistic man has decided he wants Courtney as his bride and will do anything to ensure it happens. Sean is a retired navy seal and is asked by Courtney's father to look for her plus he is still in love with her after many years. What you will find in this story is drama, suspense, a religious commune, ruled by fear, physical abuse, mental abuse, fear, courage, determination to escape, rescued, caught, murder, coming to rescue Courtney with friends, blowing up things, shooting, rescued, burning chapel, people going into burning chapel, mass suicide, leaving, emotion feelings. The story-line and plot is well thought out and written with just the right amount of drama, suspense and intrigue. The characters have individual personalities with feelings of fears, needs and desires. I would recommend this book to people that like to read a exceptionally well written book with a happy ending. You will not be disappointed.
• 
  Tiffanee

  This book is about Courtney, a 23 year-old woman being held captive by a religious cult, and Sean, a 25 year-old Ex-Navy Seal medically retired. Once upon a time these two where neighbors, best friends, and both had a secret crush/love for the other. Courtney is making the best out of a terrible situation and she is so strong. Courtney trials from trying to escape just leave you holding your breath and waiting for the next shoe to drop. However, she can't put her trust in anyone but Daniel and even then she can only trust him so far.
  
  Sean's life was all about the Navy until he was injured and his team was killed. Then he comes home and right off he's all about finding his girl now that he realized something was wrong. He shows some weaknesses which I liked but he was all Alpha male. He knew right away something wasn't right when he saw her again and went after what he wanted.
  
  Courtney's mother (Heather) and Emmanuel were just plan crazy. Heather gave me goosebumps throughout this book and half the time I thought she had some mental illness or a brain disease (Cancer maybe?). Emmanuel was a really well written character along with both his sons, you could feel the evil coming off the page's. I loved little Jennie and Courtney's relationship and sweet it was.
  This was a well written book and I look forward to reading other books by these authors. I received this ARC in exchange for a honest review.
• 
  LovetheRhageBDB

  Courtney, I know what hell is, I now live it every day. My mother brought me to a religious cult compound when I was a teenager. Eight years later, I have almost given up hope. I tried to escape multiple times, each time I have been punished. I live in a world that has arranged marriages and women are to serve and bare more children for the flock. I dream of a better life, however, there is no one to save me. My dad is dead and the love of my life is in the navy somewhere....I don't know.
  
  Sean, I know what hell is, I left to join the Navy when I was 17. The first chance I got I joined Navy Seal training. I have been to war, I have the scars to prove it. After the last mission, I am the only survivor and now I have been medically discharged.
  
  Back home, things have changed. My mom remarried. Bill, my new step dad, is Courtney's dad. He has not seen her since the divorce. He lost everything trying to find his daughter. I have not seen Courtney since I left, I have thought about her the whole time I was gone. I promise myself I will look for Courtney and bring her home.
  
  This book is incredible! I almost put it down; some of the things in the cult were hard to read. However, it was worth it to keep reading to see how it ended. Courtney is still a fighter after living in those conditions and Sean is Courtney's avenging angel!
  
• 
  Ann

  This is a really dark love story. Courtney lives in a religious cult. She was brought there by her mother after she divorced Courtney's father. Courtney hates living in the cult and has tried to run several times. She has been told that her father is dead, and thinks that the boy next door that she loved (Sean) was killed overseas. Sean comes back from his overseas service haunted by what happened in his last mission. When he gets back he finds that his mother has re-married to Courtney's father (Bill). Bill was awarded custody of Courtney in the divorce proceedings but has been unable to find her after her mother took her away. The last clue they have pointed towards a small community in Maine. Sean decides to go and check out the lead that they have and finds Courtney. He tries to rescue her himself and gets her away, but they are found within a few days. This story was really dark and showed some of the realities of people who find themselves in over their heads in a cult they no longer believe in but can't leave. I could not believe just how far the leader of the group would go just to keep one woman from leaving. This story will stay with you for a long time after you finish reading it.
• 
  Ulla Bisgaard

  Four stars Hold Fast by Olivia Rigal and Shannon Macallan
  Genre: #Contemporary, #Romance, #Drama, #Dark
  Audience: Adults 18+ ( some content that might be disturbing to others)
  
  
  Review Conclusions:
  This is a story about love, determination and damaged souls. It's dark and compelling. It's not a story for the faint of heart. The story has so much heart, and makes you believe that the love of a good man/woman, will help you overcome anything. Last it's also a story about going for what you want, and about never giving up, no matter how bad things get. The story is well written with well defined characters you can relate to.
  If you are into the darker types of romance, I warmly recommend it.
  
  Synopsis:
  Before Sean leaves for the army he and his girlfriend Courtney promise to wait for each other. Later Sean returns wounded from the war, and find out, that Courtney's mother has kidnapped her. Courtney's father only know that she is on a religious compound with religious fanatics.
  Courtney now lives a life in fear. Any small infraction are punished. Woman are treated as property. Now it's up to Sean to find and save Courtney from the nightmare she are living.
  
• 
  Reader By The Mountains

  This book was one of the quickest that I have read. I am not a big military romance person but this is something that captivated me from the start. As a stand-alone romance, this had me going because I knew that every little bit of information was going to be there. Every sexy bit. Every teeth clenching bit.
  
  It brought me back to the ages of domineering men who don't know the meaning of no. I don't mean present times either.
  
  Courtney is stuck within a cult because her mother is absolutely in love with the cult leader who in turn is obsessed with the fact that men should rule all and only male heirs will proceed forward. She needs to be rescued. But only one can save her.
  
  Hold Fast is an absolutely thrilling book -- even if I am only 25% in because I just know as more details are released that I am going to love this book forever and ever.
  
  I cannot wait for their reunion because that is always the best part to me.
  
  With this review, I dub this book to be a 4.5 out of 5 stars.
  
  Blog you later, awesome book nerds.
  
• 
  Samm Lynn

  I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
  
  The story is good and well written. The author does an excellent job of describing the compound where Courtney is held and life there. Courtney's character is really fleshed out and the reader can really connect with her.
  
  I guess my problem is I didn't really see the romance, as there is very little interaction between the 2 main characters. They knew each other before he joined the military(he was 18) and before she was taken away by her mother(she was 16). They were friends but not boyfriend/girlfriend. Eight years later, he is home with a medical discharge and she is contemplating running away form the cult again. The story read as more of a survivor's tale with a happy ending than a romance. Besides Courtney, the other characters in the book seemed like characters written in a book with no life breathed into them.
  
  It is probably just that I didn't really enjoy the story and struggled to get through it.
• 
  Dee Archer

  Sean is a Navy Seal returning home after a long service overseas. He is a Wounded Warrior with a severe case of PTSD. Now he is retired but everything has changed since he left home. The biggest heartbreaking change is that his secret love and best friend, Courtney, has been missing for eight years. His number one mission now is to find Courtney and bring her home. Courtney has been imprisoned within a hidden cult buried in the mountains, led by a cruel fanatic and self proclaimed prophet. She has tried running twice but each time has been recaptured. It is heart-wrenching to see the amount of abuse, brain washing and intimidation that thrives in secret, religious fanaticism. It's a snapshot view of what goes on in the real world. The journey through the madness is intense, suspenseful, emotional, unbelievable and plays out with some surprising twists. I was given an ARC in exchange for an honest review. This is an excellent, well crafted thriller and romance. Five Stars.
• 
  Christina Balaz

  After reading the blurb I was excited to get started as it is a little different to what I’ve read before. I really enjoyed it, it was a little different to what I’m used to but it was great. Once the story started developing and we got to know more about the characters, it turned out to be a great read. I liked the connection I had to some of these characters, it made me feel like I was living their lives with them.
  It is a good collaboration between authors Shannon and Olivia. There were great scenes throughout, very well written and I liked the fact it all worked so well together. It was fast paced and easily enjoyable, loved reading about what Sean and Courtney went through and their second chance at love. Loved their connection too!
  
  ARC received in exchange for an honest review
• 
  Elissa

  When does a simple Romance become a taut psychological thriller? When Olivia Rigal and Shannon Macallan combine forces to create a gripping and suspenseful novel. Sean, ex-Navy Seal, is working through PTSD after recovering from his latest series of injuries which were sufficient to qualify him for a medical retirement at age 25. His focus on self shifts when he discovers his childhood sweetheart who had been snatched by her mother into a religious cult might have been spotted in northern Maine. Exploring in detail both the tension and boredom of military service in a battle zone plus day-to-day life in a fanatic-driven commune, the story fully engages us in its well-paced, character-driven action. I wonder if the movie rights have been optioned yet?
  
• 
  Betty

  WOW!
  This is a fast paced and pretty heavy read.
  *Not recommended for the lighthearted.*
  
  The mixture of the fast pace and almost soft moments just pulled me in and wouldn't let go. I literally read this book in just one day!
  The brave Navy SEAL and the milk carton lost girl find each other once again after so many years and more then enough physical and mental scars to share between them. With a brainwashed mother, a camp full of faithful prophet followers and endless blood filled nightmares getting in the way you find yourself pushing for these two to make it through every obstacle.
  
  I'm in awe of this brilliantly written story and look forward to reading more from this magnificent author.
• 
  Juliana Ignácio

  I received this book in exchange for an honest review.
  One of the best and most tense stories I've read.
  I couldn't put this book down until I finished everything.
  Through much of the story I suffered with Courtney and all she faced with the religious fanatics, always trying to find a way to escape that life.
  And Sean, who faces his own demons after returning from Afghanistan, go in search for Courtney to try to live the love they felt as teenagers.
  The story is very well written and the characters are very interesting.
  The whole time we were hoping that things get better for them.
  It's a great story. I highly recommend it.
  
• 
  Julie

  Fast paced action, suspense. Not a mushy gushy romance! Wow, what a great book. There was so much detail. They say it’s the little things that make it great. So many little details have been added to bring this story to life. Things you might notice but don’t really think about in real life. These authors did their homework bring those little things to the forefront. They made the story just pour out of the book and come to life. Each character has so much depth and personality. Definitely a book you can sink you teeth into.
• 
  Claudia

  Courtney and Sean have a strong bond. A bond that never wavered even after spending many years apart. Many things have changed but Sean's love for Courtney. Sean's Seal training comes in handy when he realizes what happened to Courtney while he was away. Once back together its like time stood still but their happy moment is broken. Once again he calls upon his seal training to rescue her for the last time before she's killed or forced to live a fate worse than death. A book about hope, love, and fighting for those you care about and love
• 
  Victoria

  3.25+ RATING- A definite guilty pleasure read. The beginning started out pretty good - retired Navy SEAL comes home and finds his childhood crush has been kidnapped by religious cult. The end dragged a bit and definitely a NA vibe.
  
  Note: At the time this review was posted, this book was available to borrow through Amazon's Kindle Unlimited program.
  
  To see other books available to borrow through Kindle Unlimited or SCRIBD, check out the Subscription Addiction group
  
  
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• 
  Stormie

  This is a DNF for me. I'm kind of surprised at all of the 5 star reviews to be honest. The romance between the characters is not believable. It's kind of awkward and cheesy at times. The cult situation is awful and sad. But overall I just don't like this. Personal preference I think. I just like more depth to the characters and if this is a second chance love story then I need some kind of backstory or explanation to make me believe their romantic connection and there was none of that.
• 
  Wanda Ladd

  Not impressive
  
  I don't like to give poor reviews but I like to be honest. This book feels like a first attempt, and needs much more depth. The plot was good and it could have be developed into a much better story. It lacked character study. I just couldn't get close to them. Not enough feeling, no humor. It was slow and I pushed myself to finish. Very predictable. Keep trying !
• 
  Sam Spencer

  This book
  To be honest, the start of this story was so boring that I actually turned off my Kindle app and had no problem going straight to sleep.
  But then, when I least expected it, it was like an explosion of emotion and movement
  Out of nowhere ACTION
  This book was a sleeper cell. This book is a grenade waiting to explode.
• 
  Mimirureviewbooks

  This review is from: Hold Fast (Paperback)
  I received a free copy in exchange for an honest review. This's my first book by Shannon Macallan and will not be the last. I love the story of Sean and Courtney!!!! The plot was sad, powerful, intriguing, demanding, full of emotions and uplifting but with a great finale. Gotta read it!!