Epilogue (The Dark Duet: Book 3) Paperback – June 11, 2013

Who am I?Am I Caleb?Am I James?I've often asked myself this very thing and have always come up with a different answer. Perhaps the only answer that can be truthful is to say, "I am both."Such was the beginning of Epilogue and with these words I was drawn back into the Dark Duet series. Those words crushed me for the man who was, and is, Caleb/James.Being up close and personal with Caleb felt....... intimate. I experienced a connection and a love for Caleb the like in which I never have before - it was as if Caleb was narrating his story to me personally. As if this beautiful, dangerous and damaged man was laying his inner most thoughts, fears and feelings bare... to ME."Tell me I don't deserve you. Tell me all the things I already know."Caleb's telling of his story touched me deeply and had me laughing with him, feeling happiness and sadness for him, whilst also experiencing a sense of anger both at him and with him. Stripping his emotions bare for all to see rendered me to tears and made want to reach out, touch his cheek, offer him assurance and urge him to continue. His humour charmed me and the power of Caleb's voice culminated in emotions of every description to course through me."She wanted me. She wanted me as much as I wanted her....."Caleb's story always demanded to be told. Well I know I wanted to hear it - and who else but Caleb could make us understand and give us the answers we so desperately craved. There was much I desired to hear. Oh, don't get me wrong, I was completely satisfied at the end of Seduced, but if I was going to be privy to Caleb's narrative on how Livvie and Caleb arrived at the point at the end of Seduced ...well, the opportunity was one I wasn't going to miss!! From that point, a want to know became a need to know."Fear is part of it."Why Livvie? Why did he choose Livvie, and how was she to have such an effect on Caleb......how was she able to enter his heart and break down his defenses where others hadn't. Who was Caleb now? Was he very different to the Caleb then? What feelings did he experience that night in September of 2010, the night he met Livvie at The Paseo. I needed to know it all!"It was only natural for her to wonder about the ways I hadn't changed."Well, I could not have been more impressed with the execution and conclusion of Caleb's words in Epilogue if I tried. CJ Roberts has indeed done Caleb, and her readers proud.Caleb is an engaging, charming, sexy and witty narrator who completely captivated me. His is a story peppered with humour, inner conflict, cheekiness and honesty.Did Caleb slip effortlessly back into Livvie's life or did he have to fight like he has never fought before? How had Livvie coped without Caleb during his absence and how did Livvie move on and make a life for herself?"I always wondered--before--if you craved me like this. Did you?"We are afforded so much more than mere "answers" in Epilogue. CJ Roberts has written a raw tale in what I feel is an absolute must read for those of us who took Livvie and Caleb into our hearts. To bear witness to the struggle, the turmoil, the fun, the sensuality and the absolute passion between these two really is compelling reading and in no way constitutes "an alternative pov" tag.Epilogue does not simply fill in the gaps. It manages to give us an extension of the story where the reader experiences a journey so different and intoxicating it's akin to feeling a new phase in the lives of Livvie and Caleb. Epilogue is a frank, gritty, passionate and emotional read where feelings are stripped raw and the narrative is told in an almost voyeuristic manner.Oh yeah, I admit it....there was a time or two I actually answered Caleb, such was the intimate nature in the way he conveyed his thoughts, as if he were conversing with me personally."No one knew who we were or what we had been through to get to that moment."The sex is kinky and very, VERY hot .....oh and very, very consensual.....VERY consensual.These two have been programmed in such a way that sex, the sex they enjoy, is very much a part of them as breathing. How they express and feel, so much is sexual and experiencing the emotion built into these scenes will leave you breathless. Yep readers, these two definitely know how to get your pulse racing!"No questions, Pet. You'll like it. I promise. Or at the very least, I will."As I said, the manner in which this story is told really does make one feel like a voyeur watching two people in their most private, intimate moments and with this came the heart crashing feelings of witnessing Caleb attempting to assimilate into Livvie's life, trying to understand the woman she was to the woman she is, addressing his guilt and desperately wanting to be part of Livvie's life."My feelings toward her were on the tip of my tongue. I'd been holding the words in since the moment I had watched her walk out of my life..."Livvie was a revelation. This girl who we all empathized with, hurt with and who made us feel so desperately for the girl who lost her youth and her innocence and who, at the hands of Caleb experienced the most harrowing, confusing and conflicting of situations and emotions.....how did Livvie survive and maintain the capacity to forgive and love? Or did she? Hers is an inner strength we admire greatly."I want to ask you a few questions, Caleb, and I need for you to be completely honest with me. Can you do that?"I cannot urge readers enough to pick up and devour Epilogue as I did. To refer to Epilogue as merely "Caleb's pov" would so far off the mark because Epilogue is, in fact, an extension of the story and an absolute MUST READ.CJ Roberts is an author who knows how to deliver a story. This author loves, deeply loves her characters and it shows. She has never shied from telling Caleb and Livvie's story the way "they" want it told and has always remained true to her characters, even if that has been at the discomfort of the reader and for that I admire and respect her greatly.As a reader I love nothing more than to be tested. To be taken out of my comfort zone, to question my thought process and feel emotion to the point of tears and anger, to have my gut twisting and my heart aching....it's what reading is all about for me and it's bloody exhilarating. There's nothing better, and I can tell you that has been my experience with every book in the Dark Duet Series and Epilogue is no exception."Tell me I'm a sick bastard and you want me out of your life forever."Epilogue is Caleb's story and who better to trust with his story than the person who loves him most. CJ Roberts..... Caleb and I commend you. What a truly sensual, beautiful, emotional, provocative, passionate and raw story you and Caleb have given us."I know, Pet. We've come a long way from there. Yet, here we are...."Caleb spoke, CJ answered and I listened.Caleb and Livvie, you own my heart. .

When I read Books 1 & 2 of this series, I was completed entranced. I fell in love with the characters (yes- both of them) almost instantly. I certainly understood why the author had received the abundance of feedback that she said brought her to write this 3rd book. I was rather surprised when I happened across it. Although I knew I would eventually read it, I was almost unsure how I felt about it.Months later, while browsing for something to sink my teeth into, I found Book 3 resting quietly in my Amazon Wish List. I bought the book with the intention of re-reading Books 1 & 2 before entering unknown territory. Then I decided I would just open it up to gauge where the story was set to take place and what direction it was going. Needless to say, I never put it down. CJ Roberts has an incredible gift that makes you feel as if you are almost present. The story felt so magnificently real I wondered at times if this actually happened to someone she knew. You are afforded the opportunity to hear & feel the story from both angles and it's heart-wrenching and breathtaking in both respects.As she states in the book, she had written a very tragic love story, but it was a love story just the same.There are so many emotions that you struggle with while engaged in these books. Some unfamiliar and certainly less than comfortable. Regardless of what it provokes in you, you will not be disappointed. This series is amazing and I most definitely will keep it in my library to be read again.Update - Series Review after adding Audible versions also.When I first read Livvie's (Kitten's) story 10 years ago my heart ached, broke, and broke some more. The words on the pages were felt as much as they were read. Thanks to CJ Roberts, I realized how much I was drawn to the dark, twisted, and jagged edges of her love story.I have re-read this title multiple times and recently decided to add the audible version. Although I wish all titles were done with duet narration, Emily Durante did a decent job with the Duet. Since I have read this title many times previously, I was already mentally and emotionally engaged in the events as they occurred. I only hope the narration provides the same benefit to readers that are new to Livvie & Caleb's story. I think a male narrator with a more mature voice would have been more appropriate for the Epilogue. Caleb sounded very young. Although he was only 28, his life never actually allowed him to be a little boy or young adult so it didn't feel like a very good match.This series (Dark Duet plus Epilogue) deals with the dark nature of abduction for human trafficking. It is not romantic and it's not pretty; it's tragic.In Book One (Captive in the Dark), Livvie/Kitten tells you what happened to her, how she felt about it, what she hoped for, and how she managed to survive. She also explains how Caleb evolved, in her eyes, from an absolute monster to a bad man that had also been a victim.In Book Two (Seduced in the Dark), Livvie/Sophia goes on to share her struggle to comprehend everything that happened to her and sort through her feelings of betrayal, loyalty, and loss after her escape/rescue.If you have triggers, this series is likely not for you. If you are open to seeing what one woman can overcome and how her heart spoke to her, then this is a story you should hear. It is raw and incredibly well-written. It will mark your heart.The most powerful aspect of this series is the shadow it leaves. I read often and as much as time allows (hence, more Audible versions lately). I have read thousands of books and noticed that I have revisited pages for books I had previously borrowed through Kindle Unlimited. Sadly, I did not recall reading them or what occurred inside. I purchased the Kindle version of this series initially in 2012. Since then, random actions or names in other books often sparked the memory of this story. It takes hold and claims a space of its own. I'm really not sure how much higher your expectation should be.Book Three (Epilogue) occurs one year later and shares Caleb's viewpoint. The content is lighter and navigates toward the HEA that most readers feel they need. Admittedly, I felt I needed that for my own closure when I first read the series. But in hindsight, I realize that wasn't the purpose of the journey. Unfortunately, most of us aren't as strong or resilient as Livvie was so the author provided us the crutch that we needed at the time.

After finishing the dark duet, I told myself the ending satisfied me. Yet I couldn’t shake my curiosity about how their story would unfold. I longed to see how Olivia and Caleb would take their past and turn their future into something resembling a new normal. So, I also read (and finished) the epilogue on the same day that I finished the second book.The epilogue was strangely “peaceful.” I expected something bad to happen the whole time, but it never did. Since this is a somewhat long epilogue, I guess that’s quite fitting, but it still irritated me. Still, I loved seeing their new dynamic and how she worked through her past with him.

What an amazing journey was to read this outstating story. The epilogue was simply brilliant!!, one that will take me a long time to recover from. The fact that this book was told from Caleb's POV made it richer and the intensity was just off the charts for me, the way he would describe the sexual encounters with Livvie, how he felt and his struggles left me hyperventilating in more than one occasion. Some times I wanted to hate his character, because of Livvie, and for all the pain and damage he did, it was a battle of what's right and wrong, but in the end I have made peace with the fact that I came to love and understand his character and all the reasons for the things he had done.I found Redemption. I found Forgiveness. I found LoveThe Livvie in this book is more mature, more sure of herself and she was ready to fight anything and everything including themselves for the sake of their love and future. But she was also mad at him and full of questions; I was happy to see that she just didn't go running into his arms, she needed answers and she wanted him not completely forget the past but to embrace who they are and be better for one another. There was also a very funny tone in the story, the banter between these two characters was sexy and witty. This book to me was absolute perfection, I adored every word from beginning to end.My friend and I were talking about it, and one thing we could both agree on was, that not only we will have a massive book hangover but we will also be horny for days as well, LOL!!! I have such appreciation and respect for C.J Roberts for writing this masterpiece and sharing it with us. I will miss Caleb/James, but I'm sure I will find him in my dreams...*wink

Why ruin a decent series by adding unnecessary stuff? This book is a boring and unnecessary description of Caleb's and Livvie's like in Barcelona. He basically does nothing for a year, she continues to study, work and go out with her friends, he is then introduced to her friends, the fight every once in a while the make peace. Blah, blah, blah. I confess that I kept on waiting for something to happen... I mean, at one point Livvie says that she is going to meet with Reed,the F.B.I. agent who followed her case in the second book, and I was ready for some conflict or action or something... But nothing happens! Well, nothing happens for the entire book!In addition, the whole reunion between Livvie and Caleb takes place because he finds out her location by stealing her old friend's computer and intercepting an email that Livvie wrote to her... And obviously, in the middle of the witness protection program Livvie tells her not-so-close friend whom she hasn't seen since her kidnapping her new name and address in Europe, etc etc etc... Even more worrying is the fact that she keeps close contact with both FBI agents from her previous life, who obviously know how to reach her, and even her mother, who is on another separate witness protection program, decides on a whim to contact her again, with no difficulty at all... Basically anyone could find Livvie with very little trouble... What a wonderful witness protection program?!?!

Epilogue is the third and presumably final book in the Dark Duet series and was obviously written for the fans. Given the title of the series, it's clear that there were only meant to be two books but the fans begged and the author delivered. I have to say, I couldn't pass up on a little more of Caleb and as I'm already invested in the series, I was curious to hear what Caleb had to say.At the end of Seduced in the Dark, there was an epilogue written from Livvie's point of view and we thought the series was all wrapped up. Then came Epilogue which is entirely written from Caleb's point of view and lets the reader know what happened AFTER everything went down. Can Caleb and Livvie's relationship survive in the real world? How will they cope with normalcy?I thought it was fascinating to see Caleb try to live a normal life and have a normal relationship with the woman he has come to love. When I say normalcy, I don't want you to think that either of them have forgotten the past. They are most definitely still battling their demons but I particularly enjoyed the role reverse in terms of power within the relationship and how this time, Caleb is the one who has to work for her affection. Livvie makes Caleb want to be a better man and that just melts my heart. He holds back what he wants and tries to give Livvie what she needs in order to be with her.I know this is a book for the fans and part of me feels like it was slightly rushed (I certainly found a few spelling/grammar mistakes that I hadn't found in the other books, but only a few) and to be honest, whilst I'm not entirely sure we needed this book, as a fan I wanted it. This is one of the most captivating book series I've ever read and it has certainly taken me beyond my boundaries. I have loved every moment of reading these books and I will definitely read anything C.J. Roberts writes in the future.

I am so glad we got an extended version of the epilogue it was such a perfect ending to one of the best series I have read! I loved every second of this book! I couldn't put it down. It made me love Livvie and Caleb so much more then what I did. Every emotion I have came out 10 fold! I had tears in my eyes throughout this book. It was well written had all the hot steamy scenes I loved reading from the past 2 books. I will say it again! Im so glad Caleb and Livvie got their happy after, they are perfectly suited for each other and after the life they both had to endure I'm so glad they can start a new one together as Sophia and James. This series will stay with me for a while! Heck I'm still thinking about it.