Review : Only the Strongest Survive by Ian Fox

Title : Only the Strongest Survive
Author : Ian Fox
Published November 19th 2011

*e-book courtesy of the author in exchange for an honest review*


From Goodreads : The novel opens with a hair-tingling scene, as two men kidnap Emely Donnovan, one of the wealthiest women in America.She finds herself locked in the basement of a remote house in the middle of a forest, watched over by one of her captors who makes her buy and sell stocks for him so he can get rich. Her challenge to survive becomes even more complicated when Emely’s captor falls in love with her.

*****



A few years ago, brothers Ronald and John lost millions and their family's company to Emely Donnovan, a very powerful business woman. Now the siblings seek revenge. Together they kidnap and bury Emely alive. John who's always been looked down upon and made fun of by his brother decides to go back and rescue her. She's now held captive in his basement. Wanting to get back the millions he lost, John makes Emely buy and sell stocks. Ronald suspects nothing. He still believes Emely is dead inside that coffin buried somewhere deep in the woods. Her plans to escape get a little more complicated over time. While John falls in love with her, Emely will need to figure out her feelings for him.


Only the Strongest Survive took me through an emotional rollercoaster ride. One minute I desperately wanted Emely to run for it every time she had the chance and the next I wanted her to stay with John. In the beginning I absolutely hated John for kidnapping Emely but throughout the book my thoughts changed. I felt bad for John who always seemed to be taking orders from his brother who doesn't  think he's capable of handling things on his own. The siblings have very different personalities. I knew for sure I didn't like Ronald but I just didn't know what to think of John. I hated the way he treated Emely but I loved how he grew as a person and became more confident. Emely certainly changed also throughout her captivity. Both were able to learn from each other and grow as persons. The author did an amazing job to make us feel empathy for a kidnapper!


I have to say Only the Strongest Survive exceeded my expectations. The suspense is breathtaking. Ian Fox wrote an incredible kidnapping story with a whole new twist. There's enough action to make you want to rush to the end to see what would happen next. We get to learn a bit about the stock market which I found very interesting. The story also alternates between Emely's past told by her coworkers and the present. With amazing characters and an action-packed plot Only the Strongest Survive is a book I couldn't put down and one that I highly recommend.



Warning : There's a few rape scenes!

5 out of 5 stars!