Category Archives: Dark

Dark, Dark Dark and more Dark, Dark Romance

#Audio #Review #Dark #Stalker #Duet #Cliffhanger – Haunting Adeline, Cat and Mouse Duet book 1 by HD Carlton

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Haunting Adeline (Cat and Mouse Duet Book 1) by [H. D. Carlton]

The Manipulator

I can manipulate the emotions of anyone who lets me.
I will make you hurt, make you cry, make you laugh and sigh.
But my words don’t affect him. Especially not when I plead for him to leave.
He’s always there, watching and waiting.
And I can never look away.
Not when I want him to come closer.

The Shadow

I didn’t mean to fall in love.
But now that I have, I can’t stay away.
I’m mesmerized by her smile, by her eyes, and the way she moves.
The way she undresses…
I’ll keep watching and waiting. Until I can make her mine.
And once she is, I’ll never let her go.
Not even when she begs me to.

While not required, it is highly suggested to read the novella, Satan’s Affair, first.

This book was previously banned on Amazon due to the trigger warning. Please read reviews or go to the author’s website.

Goodreads

Review by Twinsie Angie

I purchased this book and audiobook.

SO I have seen this book on Tiktoc and was like hrrmmmmmm.  I mean I like dark but dark scares me.  Anywho, I went to an author event, and she was there. Thankfully I had VIP so my wait was only 20 minutes.  I jumped up and bought the duet without really knowing what the book was about except the following: 1. Stalker 2. DubCon 3. Hella dark.  I pulled up my big girl panties and dove in.  Also because of the gigantic size of the book, I purchased the audio. LAWD Teddy’s voice was like butter.  *Fans self*  He totally brought Zade to life for my in the biggest way possible.  Since I am giving out compliments, I gotta say Michelle was perfectly vulnerable as Addie.  She was also very sassy bringing Addie to life as well.

So lets discuss all that is with this book. Remember I said it was dark.  Well I guess I expected it to be darker….now don’t go thinking this is hearts and flowers ya’ll because that it is not.  Its not ok in parts and there is absolute dark themes but with that said….I expected worse.  I am worrying about my mental health at this time.

Addie was just doing her life.  She was drinking with her bestie and signing books when Zade sees her AND decided she was his.  Zade did “everything he could” to let her go…by everything he obsessed over her and checked in to her life in every aspect before ….well going after his little mouse.

Their relationship is crazy.  She is being overwhelmed by him and the more and more they are together he is becoming overwhelmed by her and her acceptance of him.

The side plot of who killed Gigi, I was like meh when it was discussed but yet at the end I was like OH SNAP….I mean didn’t see it coming.

The cliffhanger at the end, I thought I had it figured out and much like the whole damn book with situations when I thought I knew what was up…I was damn wrong!!!!  I am absolutely obsessed and need the next audio like right effing now!! Zade and Addie….I need the final.  From what I understand its super gory and I am there for it.  I mean I cheered when a box of body parts shows up at Addie’s door.  LOL  Again, I question my mental health.

H. D. Carlton is an International Bestselling Author. She lives in Ohio with her partner, two dogs, and cat. When she’s not bathing in the tears of her readers, she’s watching paranormal shows and wishing she was a mermaid. Her favorite characters are of the morally gray variety and believes that everyone should check their sanity at the door before diving into her stories.

Audio Book, Dark, Dark Dark and more Dark, Dark Romance, Horror

#Audio #DarkRomance #Horror – Where’s Molly by H.D. Carlton, narration by Michelle Sparks and Sebastian York

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A spinoff of the Cat & Mouse Duet…

“Molly Devereaux has been missing for more than two weeks, and police are still searching for the girl who seemed to vanish out of thin air. The world still wants to know… Where’s Molly?”

In my dreams, I never escaped the Oregon woods.

Life after death isn’t easy to accept, especially when I still feel like a ghost.

Now, I live deep in the mountains of Montana—the paradigm of beauty. But they are also the home of horrors.

Horrors that I only unleash at night.

When my pigs are allowed to feast.

It is strongly recommended to read Haunting Adeline and Hunting Adeline before reading Where’s Molly.

Important Note: This is a dark romance that contains dark subject matter. Please refer to the author’s website for content warnings

Goodreads

Amazon

Review by Twinsie Angie

I purchased this audio book.

I want to say Michelle and Sebastian did a great job of bringing the characters to life for me.  I enjoyed listening to the story through their interpretation.

Ok so this book I was interested in reading.  I mean we all read the Cat and Mouse Duet so of course we want to know WHAT HAPPENED TO MOLLY!!  I think I initially thought she died at the hands of the traffickers, so I was excited to read the story.

So the story, I think I expected more….like more violence?  Is that wrong?  Weird?  I dunno.  I know the author was in a bad spot mentally, so I understand why this wasn’t AS dark as Zade/Addie which I think people expected that level dark.  I mean it’s dark.  Molly is feeding pigs BODY PARTS but the gore/violence isn’t as bad???

I did like the story.  But that is it.  I liked it. Molly was interested and Cage was a nice antihero.  But I found myself putting the book down several times.  Its not that I didn’t like it but it was missing that “GAH I NEED TO KNOW!!!!!” factor??  I wanted more of the past for Molly but at the same time I guess we kinda know what happened to Molly at the hands of the bad peps.

Anyway, I did like to and thought the narration was great.

H. D. Carlton is an International and USA Today Bestselling author. She lives in Ohio with her partner, two dogs, and cat. When she’s not bathing in the tears of her readers, she’s watching paranormal shows and wishing she was a mermaid. Her favorite characters are of the morally gray variety and believes that everyone should check their sanity at the door before diving into her stories.

BDSM, Dark

#WOTR26 #Dark – Marked by Measha Stone

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With each passing moment, the nightmares worsen.
Tortured images of a past I cannot remember haunt me.
I know I’m in danger… I just don’t know why.

Then he comes to my town.

I can feel him watching me, studying me, always from the shadows—like a hunter stalking its prey.
The closer he circles, the more aware of him I become.
His nearness is toxic, and yet…

There’s something about the darkness within him that calls to me, that speaks to the scars of my troubled past.
Only a truly violent man could understand my demons.
His evil will either be my salvation or lead me to my destruction.

Goodreads

Amazon

Review by Twinsie Angie

Marked by Measha Stone

I received this book from the author for an honest review.

Oh man.  I admit I took this ARC not really knowing much except for its dark romance.  LOL  I like Measha’s stories so I was ready.

This book was EVERYTHING I could have wanted in a dark romance.  I mean Zack was *Chef’s kiss* dark and delicious.  He sees Harley while on a job but had to get to know her.  Know her he does *snickers*.

Harley’s life is awful. She has a sister who was murdered, and the town pretty much hates her for the loss of her sister and not her.  Wild town but that is the small-town dynamic right?  Everyone knows your business and has a say in it.

Harley finally feels free but mostly SAFE in the arms of Zack.  The two tumble down the story of her kidnapping and sister’s murder.  It was WILD!!!  I MEAN WILD!!!!  I had no idea what was going to happen next, but each scene had me saying “WHUUUUUU!!!!!!”  because Measha has the way of keeping you guessing while also busting your brain wide open with twists.

I am so excited for this series.  I cannot wait for book 2 based on the little bit we already know.  Any dark romance lover and any Measha lover will need this book to complete their obsession with her writing.

Measha Stone is a USA Today bestselling romance author with a deep love for romantic stories, specifically those involving the darker side of romance, all the possessive dominant heroes, and their feisty heroines. If you love a well deserved happily ever after, you will enjoy her books.

Dark, Horror

#WOTR26 #Dark #revenge #Horror – Dolly by Measha Stone, narration by Michele Blackstone

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He’s promised me sunlight.
Hope for a better future.
Freedom from this horror.
A life that doesn’t end in a dark cellar.

But, we’re trapped together.
Forced to live for the worst kind of people.
Desperate to survive for each other.

I crave his touch with every breath I take.
My heart aches for him.
He’s my hope for survival.
The man I want a future with.
I can have it all again, if only I trust him.
Even if that’s the only thing I can’t do.

Goodreads

Review by Twinsie Angie

Dolly by Measha Stone, narration by Michele Blackstone

I purchased the audio and paperback of this book.

I bought this paperback a year ago??  Like right when it came out.  I like dark books but I gotta work my way up to reading them.  I know I am weird.  ANYWAY!  I finally decided this was the time.    I saw the audio was available and since it was 5 hours that would only take me a day to read.

I want to start out by saying the narration was not my favorite.  I would have loved to have a female voice it AKA Dolly vs having a man AKA Ken Doll voice the story.  I also didn’t get drawn into the story with Michele voicing the characters and the story either.  I pushed through because I wanted the story. The story was where it was at.

Ok yall.  This book is a little slower to start but I wanna say PAY ATTENTION to the beginning 10-11 chapters because once we hit chapter 12-13, ITS GO TIME!!! I was there for it.  Dolly and Ken Doll are trapped and being abused by 2 horrible humans but why???  WELL, we soon discover why when they get free and go on their bloody revenge tour.  I was there for that as well.  The stuff we learn in each chapter had me saying YOOOOOO WHAT.  And also, a big GASP with “I did Not see that coming!!”  I mean I knew stuff would be flying outta closets but it got me good with the twists.

The story of Dolly/Abigail and Ken Doll/Brian was a good one.  The relationship between the 2 characters was sweet and loving one minute while total Bonnie and Clyde murders the next!!

Measha Stone is a USA Today bestselling romance author with a deep love for romantic stories, specifically those involving the darker side of romance, all the possessive dominant heroes, and their feisty heroines. If you love a well deserved happily ever after, you will enjoy her books.

Dark, Dark Romance, New Release

#NewRelease – Smoke and Silver, A 1940’s Dark Romance by Skye Turner

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Lisbon, 1943.

She lies to survive.

He kills those who cross him.

When Isla Devereaux is caught forging Lucien Duret’s signature, the man whose made a fortune by making people disappear, survival turns into seduction… and obsession turns lethal.

In a city built on betrayal, their love is a weapon.

And… someone is going to bleed.

Cover Design by: Megan J Parker/Emcat Designs

*Please note that this book takes place in Europe during WWII. Some readers should read with caution.

books2read.com/SmokeAndSilver

Dark, Dark Romance, Kindle Unlimited, Novella, Part of a Series, why choose

#Review – Curvy Thirteen: A Why Choose, Dark Romance Novella (The Curvy Thirteen Playlist Book 1) by Nicci Harris

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He calls me pup,
and wants me to play fetch.

I’m Vallie, but BookTok knows me as @CurvyandBooked.

Dark Romance is my jam, peanut butter, and marmalade.

Mafia. Bully. Why Choose. You name it, and I want to sit in my beanbag with my battery-operated boyfriend and read it.

Look, if I don’t need a chöochie ice bath after a romance, was it even a love story?

If someone didn’t bleed for looking at her, was the hero really that into her?

But it’s just fiction.

Until it’s not.

So, when I find a masked man in my living room skimming my favourite romance novel, all my dark desires become very real nightmares.

And he is not alone. He has a mentally deranged brother who wants to play house with me.

Soon, I’m torn between right and wrong, good and bad, and who needs saving from whom…
.
DISCLAIMER: Nicci never thought she would want to use a pen name until she wrote this absolute insanity. From this book, she has created her Nicci Harris, Black Label, brand. This is pure filth, with minimal plot, and features unhinged male main characters with mummy issues. Caution: the leading characters engage in questionable consent, and the narrative includes. It ends on a hfn/cliff

First, please check out the trigger warnings on Nicci’s sight. Not every sexual act in this book is consensual and there are topics that may be triggering for you. Your mental health matters first and foremost.

So I gave myself a reading challenge this year: Read a novella each week. Plus read all the other books I want to read but if I can at least read a novella, it’ll get some books read and it’s a good way to check out new to me authors as well.

I was in the mood for dark romance because I don’t actually read them a lot even though I write them and love them. I came across this series and am so glad I gave it a chance.

Vallie is a social media influencer and let her fantasies be known to the public. Well…that kind of backfired on her.

Her masked intruder was no longer a fantasy and became very very real but he has a request and she doesn’t really have a choice either but to go along with it.

I have to say that Tyler’s situation breaks my heart. I have a soft spot for the broken MMCs and I just want to give him a hug. I hope we find out more about his past.

Also, I can’t wait to meet Dexter. The older brother to Tyler and Donnie. Should be fun.

I really don’t think Vallie knows what she’s in for and I have a feeling that Dexter is far worse than Donnie.

I can’t wait to read the rest of the series.

Can be read in KU – https://amzn.to/49i6a8z

Dark, Dark Humor, Dark Romance, M/M, Mystery, Part of a Series, Psychological Thriller, Review, Suspense, Thriller, Trigger Warnings, Writers on the River Attending Author

#WOTR26 #Review – Unhinged (Necessary Evils Book 1) by Onley James

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Adam Mulvaney lives a double life. By day, he’s the spoiled youngest son of an eccentric billionaire. By night, he’s an unrepentant killer, one of seven psychopaths raised to right the wrongs of a justice system that keeps failing.

Noah Holt has spent years dreaming of vengeance for the death of his father, but when faced with his killer, he learns a daunting truth he can’t escape. His father was a monster.

Unable to ignore his own surfacing memories, Noah embarks on a quest to find the truth about his childhood with the help of an unlikely ally: the very person who murdered his father. Since their confrontation, Adam is obsessed with Noah, and he wants to help him uncover the answers he seeks, however dark they may be.

The two share a mutual attraction, but, deep down, Noah knows Adam’s not like other boys. Adam can’t love. He wasn’t born that way. But he refuses to let Noah go, and Noah’s not sure he wants him to.

Can Adam prove to Noah that passion, power, and protection are just as good as love?

Unhinged is a fast-paced, roller coaster ride of a romance with an HEA and no cliffhangers. It features a dirty-talking, possessive psychopath and a sweet cinnamon roll of a boy with Daddy issues and a core of steel. There’s gratuitous violence, very dark humor, enough steam to fog up a hundred car windows, and something a lot like love. This is book one in the Necessary Evils series. Each book follows a different couple.

 

Goodreads

 

Amazon 

 

Kelly’s Review

I have no idea why this book had me hooked, but Adam’s father says never ask a question if you can’t handle the answer. So, we aren’t even going to examine that. This story is absolutely intense! I picked this book up because a friend of mine who is a MM fanatic kept talking about how great the writing is and how sick and twisted the story was. Full disclosure, MM is not my jam, but I was so intrigued about the story itself. Then, I started reading….and reading….and then my heart is racing…then I am biting my nails, then I am flipping past some pages…then get back to the crazy plot. I couldn’t stop myself! I went into this downward spiral of page turning and reading.

Adam and Noah are basically an instant attraction or instant love but on a much deeper, almost scary level. However, their trauma explains some of their actions and decisions in their lives. The fact that Adam’s father trained Adam and his brothers to be assassins will run deep within the story. There is literally never a dull moment, clear up to the very end of the book. When you read this, it will stay with you. You must love all things twisted to get through this book. Go ahead, try it! You know you want to!

 

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Onley James lives in North Carolina with her daughter, her daughter-in-law, son-in-law, and a menagerie of animals, both good and evil. James splits her time between writing m/m romance and mainlining dangerous levels of caffeine and attempting to maintain her ever-slipping sanity.

When not at her desk you can find her whining about how much writing she has to do while avoiding said writing by binge-watching unhealthy amounts of television and doom scrolling on social media. She loves true crime documentaries, anti-heroes, and writing kinky, snarky books about morally gray men who fall in love with other men.

Stay up to date: www.onleyjames.com/newsletter

Find me on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/OnleysOubliette

Want more: linktr.ee/OnleyJames

Bully, Dark, Dark Romance, Fantasy, Fantasy Romance, Kindle Unlimited

#Review – Savage Fae (Ruthless Boys of the Zodiac Book 2) by Caroline Peckham and Susanne Valenti

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There’s more to my brother’s murder than I realised…

Shadows in the halls, mysteries lurking around every corner.

Whoever killed him is covering their tracks well.

And now I’m walking a dangerous line between getting close to the four kings for information and wanting to crawl deeper under their skin for my own desires.

I can’t trust anyone.

I can’t let my guard down.

And I must keep the urges of my body separate from my heart.

But I’m starting to break all of my own rules.

I just hope I’m not falling for my brother’s killer.

I’m going to review as I read so I don’t forget anything.

If you haven’t read book 1, there may be spoilers in this review.

30% in – I’m 30% in and am liking this one a whole lot more than book 1. There’s also way more tension in this one and I’m chomping at the bit for Elise to…uh…do her thing with a few of the Kings. Or all of them. Whatever suits her fancy.

I think Ryder is my favourite and Gabriel is a close second. Ryder is broken and has clearly had some beyond horrible things happen to him when he was a kid. As someone who writes these sorts of characters, Ryder definitely owns a piece of my heart.

Elise is still trying to figure out who killed her brother and who tried to kill her as well. I also don’t like the school councilor. There’s actually not a lot of people I like at this school.

60% in – That scene between Elise, Leon and Dante? Holy moly, that was one of the hottest scenes I’ve ever read.

70%-100% – Things really started picking up from here. These ladies can definitely write some amazing action scenes. I felt like I was right there!

This series is only getting better and better and I can’t wait to find out answers to more secrets!

Can be read in Kindle Unlimited – https://amzn.to/4l87Wwl

Dark, Dark Dark and more Dark, Dark Humor, Dark Romance

#NewRelease #Dark – Love & Other Killers by Brynn Weaver

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Serial killers versus serial killer in a hot and twisted novella about family games, true love, and competitive carnage by the #1 New York Times bestselling author of the Ruinous Love Trilogy.

It’s the annual hunt for Sloane and her vigilante family of serial killers. Track the most cold-blooded psychos imaginable and take them down. This summer’s prey is Allan Munster, a churchgoing chicken farmer who slaughters more than fowl. The rules of the game: Divide into teams, devise a strategy, and make a move—the more cutthroat the better. May the best team win. The players are closing in. All eyes are on Munster. But there’s a hitch in the family sport this year. Someone might be watching them.

Amazon

Brynne is a fan of velociraptors, the Alien movies (well, most of them), red wine, and wild adventures. She can relate nearly anything you say to a line from the movie Hot Fuzz. She has been trying unsuccessfully for years to convince her husband that they should acquire a pet mink to add to their menagerie of animals (what could possibly go wrong with that plan?!). When not busy writing, Brynne can be found with her husband and son on their family farm in NS, Canada, or enjoying her other passions which include riding horses, reading, motorcycling, and spending time with family and friends around a raclette and a bottle of wine.

Dark, Dark Dark and more Dark, Dark Humor, Dark Romance

#NewRelease #Dark – Ship Happens, Slaycation book 3 by Lauren Biel

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Love hurts, but I like the pain

Maverick

The second I board the Bruise Cruise, I’m ready to indulge—top-shelf liquor, five-star meals, and maybe a little pain to round out the night.

What I don’t expect? Falling for the one woman guaranteed to ruin everything.

A federal agent.

She’s here to sink us, and I’m stuck sharing a suite—and a bed—with the enemy.

Frankie

Get in. Take down Jim and his crew. Get out. That’s the mission.

But nothing about the Bruise Cruise goes according to plan.

Especially not Maverick—handsome, odd, aggravating . . . and weirdly charming.

Which is a problem.

And then he tells me his secrets, leaving me with two options: jump ship or go down with him.

Ship Happens is book three in the dark romantic comedy series rocking the TikTok charts—and this time, all aboard means no one is safe. Expect savage banter, killer humor, and a romance that’s anything but smooth sailing.

Pack your bags, grab your life vest, and book your ticket—Ship Happens is your next slaycation! One click today!

Tropes:

  • Reverse age-gap
  • Serial unaliver x detective
  • Enemies-to-lovers
  • Forced proximity
  • One bed
  • Banter
  • Dark humor

Although this dark rom-com is “DIET” Lauren Biel, it still has adult themes. Full list of content warnings on my website. Please read responsibly!

Amazon

Lauren Biel is an Amazon Best Selling dark romance author who loves to write angsty emotional romances, Traumances if you will. When she’s not working, she’s writing. When she’s not writing, she’s spending time with her husband, her friends, or her pets. You might also find her on a horseback trail ride or sitting beside a waterfall in Upstate New York. She has a pretty normal life, yet her stories are anything but normal.