Monster (Impossible, #1) - Julia Sykes 3.5 StarsOkay this was a bit tough, but I need to be honest here. When I started reading this, I was expecting a darker read since it's a kidnapping story. It most definitely wasn't but I did enjoy it.Dr Claudia Ellers is leaving her job one night when a gun is shoved against her head and she is pushed into her car. Her kidnapper Bradley Smith directs her to drive to his apartment in a seedy neighbourhood, when they get inside she sees Sean Reynolds lying on a bed bleeding and pale from a gunshot wound.The chemistry between Sean and Claudia was instant, Sean was immediately protective of her. He was sweet, thoughtful and always considerate of her situation. You see Bradley wants to kill Claudia because they don't need her anymore but Sean won't allow it because she's saved his life. There was a lot of potential for some really dark reading here, but it just never came through. I'm ashamed to say this but Claudia was entirely too mouthy for a kidnap victim and Sean let her get away with way too much. The bedroom scenes were mildly to scorching hot in my opinion there was just way too much teasing and no actual action! I mean the guy has some serious kinks, he's this supposedly twisted guy, but whenever he and Claudia did something, I was like "Okay and then?" Don't let me start with his constant regret over how he treats her!!! I mean "hello???" The woman wants to leave and you're not letting her, and now you wanna tell me he regrets??? Own it!!!I hesitate to say this but I might have enjoyed it more had she and Bradley had a relationship... I didn't hate it, it's just that I was expecting a lot more from this book! It was engaging, but I need a lot more from a hero, I expect him to be confident both inside and outside the bedroom and I love a sassy heroine who doesn't take shit! But the hero shouldn't be submissive and I'm very sorry to say this but Sean was at times very alpha but then he'd change into this weak man! These are all personal preferences so I won't give the book a low rating because of that, it was well written.The ending was pretty good, actually it was a cliffy. But I won't be rushing to read the next one, although I am interested in what happens next.