Category: Erotica

Erotica, LGBT, New Adult, New Adult Romance

My Review: Caught Stealing (Leighton U #2): by CE Ricci

nicholasjgoodsell
Publish Date: August 9th, 2023
Number of Pages: 422 Pages
Publisher: Deserted Press LLC
Genre(s): LGBT, Erotica

Total Star Rating: 4.5 Stars

I don’t know if he’ll forgive me for falling in love with you.❞

— CE Ricci, “Caught Stealing”

What It’s About:

The official synopsis:

It’s not stealing if he’s meant to be mine…

Let me tell you how Holden Sykes operates. As the campus playboy and one-and-done king, he doesn’t do strings. Or repeats. Or names, for that matter. So when he tries making my best friend the next notch on his bedpost, I react poorly.

Some would call it jealousy or an unrequited crush, but friends protect each other from making mistakes. The same ones I’ve already made. Which is why driving Holden away seems like my only option.

Too bad he’s not giving up without a fight. Each prank leads to another until he turns this into a game far more precarious than intended. One filled with stolen moments and heated glances, drawing me into his orbit.

But the undeniable attraction simmering between us leaves me caught in the crosshairs of an impossible decision. Loyalty…or love.

*Caught Stealing is the second in a five book standalone college sports romance series featuring a road-tripping rubber ducky, two guys fighting for the upper hand, and enough cock-blocking shenanigans to make your cheeks flush. Not suitable for anyone under 18 years of age*

~~~

CE Ricci has become a go-to author for me for MM romance for a reason, and the main one is how easy it is for me to get swept up into her books and truly enjoy the story. What can I say; I just really enjoy her writing and really connect with it and her characters!

Caught Stealing is another one that was definitely a hit for me. It wasn’t perfect, but it definitely grabbed my attention and was a thoughtful and truly engaging story throughout as you see what happens with Phoenix and Holden.

Holden is a total player, man-whore type character with the list of who he hasn’t been with is probably shorter than who he actually has hooked up with…you get the idea. Well one night, Phoenix is one of his conquests at a college party where they meet, sparks instantly fly…but then Holden was so drunk that he doesn’t remember any of it the next day. But of course Phoenix does, which makes the brutal sting of rejection all that more sharp, and thus starts his resentment towards Holden.

It doesn’t help that Holden starts a flirtationship with his roommate and childhood best friend, Kason, two years later during their senior year and still acts like their tryst still never even happened…

That’s the main premise that leads into this story, which is a lot of banter, side eye, sneaky lustful looks, and “hate to still be attracted to you” kinda vibes. I was totally here for it all! I know that sounds bad, and there’s definitely a line that may be toed or crossed with people with this, but I still believe it was handled well in this case with this book. I could be wrong in some people’s eyes, but everyone can have their own opinion on the matter, and it definitely gets addressed in this book too.

I also love that even though this is book 2 in the Leighton U series, it can definitely still be enjoyed as a standalone title without much ruined for readers who hadn’t read the previous title, Iced Out, before starting this…although, I personally say why WOULDN’T you read Iced Out because it was so so good! There honestly wasn’t much if anything spoiled from book 1–you know the characters end up together in the end so that’s not exactly spoilery–and you may even notice a scene from book 1 given more attention and new context too!

~~~

What I Liked:

  1. The Prank War! The banter between Phoenix and Holden is a major highlight, and as Holden is starting to swoop in on Nix’s friend/roommate, battle lines get crossed and a prank war begins! Definitely some comedy mixed in with some heat as things get more and more tense between these two
  2. The Sneaking Around! Like I said before, this part may or may not sit well with some readers because it toes the line of cheating, but I think it was fine in this book and even Holden admitted that him and Kason were never exclusive. It does get addressed, but it also toeing the line of taboo and forbidden also added to the hot factor and definitely raised the heat and sexual tension in this story.
  3. Holden As The Reformed Player…I’m such a sucker for the player/rake who falls super hard once they discover their attraction to the other MC is more than just lust. Holden is a great example of that! He’s definitely slept his way through campus, but once he discovers he has true feelings for Phoenix, he becomes this devoted, thoughtful, and caring guy who really wants the affection from him. A golden retriever kind of character if you will…plus it’s hot when he still wants to get down and dirty with some spicy scenes too!

What I Didn’t Like:

  1. I Have Questions About Kason and Phoenix’s Friendship…This relationship raised some questions and I’m going to talk about them here…It seemed odd that a friend like Kason would have Phoenix give up his dream school to come to Leighton University with him like he apparently did, and then the lying to him and sneaking around that Phoenix does…I mean, if they’re childhood best friends they should’ve definitely been able to have a more open conversation about these things and not let them all fester and become so resentful like they clearly did…I mean, sure that makes for the plot and inner conflicts to become more apparent, but I do question if lifelong best friends would’ve gotten to that place in the first place? Possibly some plot armor or plot convenience here, but I could definitely be wrong with the terminology on that, but the relationship itself in this regard still seemed odd to me.

Conclusion:

Overall, another great MM romance title from CE Ricci where I believe if you’ve enjoyed her other titles, you’re almost guaranteed to really enjoy this one too!

The banter, the spice, the sexual tension, there are some similarities to book 1 that you may catch with the dynamics of the two guys in this one too; it’s another rivals-to-lovers kind of story, but there’s more history between the two MC’s in this one and the situation luckily isn’t EXACTLY the same as Quentin and Oakley’s relationship! The two stories definitely stand a part enough from each other too.

Definitely a book to check out if you’re a MM romance fan!

Thanks for Reading!

— Nick Goodsell

Erotica, Fantasy, Romance

My Review: The Never King (Vicious Lost Boys #1): by Nikki St. Crowe

nicholasjgoodsell
Publish Date: February 20th, 2022
Number of Pages: 204 Pages
Publisher: Independently Published
Genre(s): Reverse Harem, Erotica, Romance, Fantasy

Total Star Rating: 3 Stars

‘Open up, darling.’ He orders. I part my lips. He gets in close and spits in my mouth. ‘That’s all you’ll get from me.’“

– Nikki St. Crowe, “The Never King”

What It’s About:

The official synopsis:

The stories were all wrong — Hook was never the villain.

For two centuries, all of the Darling women have disappeared on their 18th birthday. Sometimes they’re gone for only a day, some a week or a month. But they always return broken.

Now, on the afternoon of my 18th birthday, my mother is running around the house making sure all the windows are barred and the doors locked. But it’s pointless. Because when night falls, he comes for me . And this time, the Never King and the Lost Boys aren’t willing to let me go.

NOTE: The Never King is a reimagining of Peter and Wendy . Characters have been aged up for this darker, grittier version. If you like your enemies to lovers romance with hot, ruthless, morally gray love interests, you’ll enjoy The Never King and the Lost Boys. You can expect hate kissing, fighting, bickering, and ‘touch her and I’ll unalive you’ vibes. Book one ends on a cliff.

~~Please check the author’s website for CWs.~~

~~~

Talk about short and sweet and to the point!

This was a dark and sexy retelling of Peter Pan, but with a reverse harem twist. I’ll admit it wasn’t the GREATEST retelling one could probably read on this story, but it’s definitely one to check out. It’s one of those books that’s not entirely there plot-wise or character development wise, but more for the vibes and the spice.

With the lack of character development, I’m mainly hoping it’s just because it’s book 1 and that much more of it will happen with the other books in the series. It’s a book that will definitely leave you with more questions than answers, so that’s why I seriously think reading the whole series is how you see the plot and character development as a whole.

This book was very short, so if it was longer I’m sure there would be more development in these regards. But this book can definitely be considered if you’re just looking for something quick and mindless and smutty.

~~~

Maybe we’re all mad, in our own way.”

– Nikki St. Crowe, “The Never King”

~~~

What I Liked:

  1. How the Author Reimagined This Classic Fairytale! I’m very picky when it comes to retellings—I couldn’t tell you why—but this one was a story that really drew me in because of its promise to be dark and smutty. I find it fascinating when authors are able to turn what used to simply be a Disney animated movie and give it such a grittier and sexier makeover for the grown-up version of me!
  2. The Anticipation of More to Come! With this book being so short, I can definitely tell that I’ve only cracked the surface of this story and with three other books in the series, there’s plenty more to come!

What I Didn’t Like:

  1. The Book is Too Short…While part of me enjoyed that this was such a fast and easy read, I felt like so much got glossed over because of how short it was. Like I feel like literally everything would benefit if more was put into this book: the worldbuilding, the descriptions, the backstories, the side characters. When I finished the book, I felt like it was too short and sweet and too the point and there could’ve been a LITTLE bit more fun exploration of this twisted new version of Neverland.
  2. Not Enough Story/Character Development…There’s some very subtle hints with some of the characters, so there’s hope for more later on in the series, but there was just such minimal development amongst the cast, it felt like they weren’t entirely fleshed out. I could be totally wrong about this with it only being one book, but if you want to see character growth, this isn’t something you should expect a whole lot of in this book.

Conclusion:

Overall, It was hot and steamy and definitely lives up to the hype in those regards…BUT as far as retellings go, this one left more to be desired than I’d hoped.

I’ll admit I’m curious enough to want to keep going and see what possibly happens next because there’s some brewing tension with that Fae Queen at the end that definitely has some interest with me, but it really will depend how book 2 goes to see if I see this series being worth continuing

Thanks for reading!

— Nick Goodsell

Erotica, LGBT, New Adult, New Adult Romance, Romance

My Review: Want You Still: by CE Ricci & Marley Valentine

nicholasjgoodsell
Publish Date: February 8th, 2024
Number of Pages: 392 Pages
Publisher: Deserted Press LLC
Genre(s): MM Romance, New Adult Romance, Erotica, Romance

Total Star Rating: 4 Stars

I feel nothing. Yet, I feel fucking everything. ❞

– CE Ricci & Marley Valentine, “Want You Still”

What It’s About:

The official synopsis:

The heart always wants what it can’t have…

Duty, honor, and sacrifice. Dedicating my life to these elements, for family and country, leaves little for myself in return. It’s why I indulge in a no-strings hookup with a handsome stranger mere days before heading half-a-world away. Except one night turns into a week-long fling, creating a connection at the most inopportune time. And neither of us want it to end.

Staying in touch is easy at first, but dwindles to radio silence and distant memories as time passes. I didn’t expect him to reemerge in my life months later, now belonging to someone else.

It should be enough for us both to walk away. To push down this relentless, aching want. But we don’t… We can’t. Because the heart always wants what it can’t have.

~~~

What a hot and steamy forbidden romance this one was! CE Ricci and Marley made for a great writing duo with this book! I enjoyed it tremendously! The romance, the angst, the drama, the forbidden sneaking around, I was here for ALL of it. If you want a hot and angsty military MM romance, definitely get your hands on this book if you can! Will and Pierce make an awesome couple and even though the set up to their conflict/predicament in the story may feel a little farfetched, I was still all for the drama and see who was going to break first…

The story revolves around Will and Pierce, two 20-something year old men who randomly meet each other in passing in a small coastal town in Oregon, and they instantly connect and feel the sparks connect in a sizzling way. They act on their desires and end up having a week long fling that ends up leaving a bigger lasting impression on them than either care to admit…it’s funny how those things always happen when we least expect it. But Will is in the military and is due to be deployed for a year and he’s actually on his way to that and this trip was a total pit stop along the way. Pierce is moving up to Seattle as a much needed restart to his life, and similar circumstances.

After their smutty week shacking up together, they agree to write each other letters like the good ole days. At first it goes along so well, and they really open up to each other. But distance being the big boundary between these sorts of relationships, it soons becomes apparent that time and distance causes them to slowly drift apart. But that doesn’t mean they necessarily forget each other….they simply turn into that one that got away and that big “what if?”…

I’m not going to lie, this love story isn’t going to be for everyone, and that’s okay. It’s both a beautiful story for these two men, but it’s also filled with pain and it’s messy at times too with things that happen that not everyone will be able to support them with at the end of the day based off what they’ve dealt with in their past and again, I’m not going to discredit anyone on that journey because if they can’t agree with choices made.

But no one ever said true love is easy and that everyone comes out of it unscathed. This story is a great example of that.

I will give a warning without giving too much detail for spoiler reasons and say that their is a CW of cheating to worry about in this book, and part of me felt like the person who was cheated on maybe handled the whole thing a little TOO well and there should’ve been more conflict there… but at the same time, I’m still happy to see a happy ending for every notable character in this story.

One thing I will kind of critique is how the predicament Will and Pierce get into. It felt not the most believable and one of those “what are the odds” kind of situations that I almost feel like could only happen in a book or a soap opera. But I still gasped and was at the edge of my seat as the characters discovered it for themselves all the same, so can I really critique this aspect of the story?

~~~

What I Liked:

  1. The Constant Forced Proximity! Will and Pierce at a certain point in the story constantly find themselves stuck in the same spot and are forced to talk about issues and things that are keeping them apart, and I loved it every time! I did wonder also every time how far things would go if it was just the two of them.
  2. The MM Spice! So much spice in this book! Even in the first chapter it’s there and all throughout the book, there’s definitely not a slow burn here!
  3. The Forbidden Romance! I’m just always a sucker for this trope. The more forbidden, the better for me
  4. The Letters After Their Eventful Week! I liked that the bridge between the two parts of the story were separated between the letters Will and Pierce exchange. I also especially loved how with the letters you see Pierce begin to pull away and drift apart from this whole relationship and become a good way to shift into the next stage of this book. Excellently done here in terms of writing!
  5. Characters From Other Stories Incorporated! I won’t give too much away from this, but if you’ve read other books from both these authors, you may recognize a side character or a few! I like little surprises like that! It definitely makes me want to check out another book from CE Ricci now because of this!

What I Didn’t Like:

  1. I Wish the Letters Showed Up More Throughout… I loved the small section of letters inbetween the two parts of the story and how these letters become a big part of the story to connect Will and Pierce for them to refer back to. Part of me wishes the letter writing would’ve continued or been more consistent in the story? Like maybe Will did go away for awhile and they did try to be friends and exchange letters as a way to keep in touch? Maybe, maybe not.
  2. I Felt So Bad For Wills Sister…She did absolutely nothing wrong to get what happened to her in this story, and part of me feels like she really did handle this whole situation TOO well…I feel like that all resolved itself too easily. Not that I WANT to read a book with lots of family drama because I have enough dysfunction in my own, but I still feel like there should’ve been MORE here.
  3. The Wedding Set Up Seemed Too Farfetched…The set up to the wedding, like Pierce seeing photos and it being the way it turned out….what are the freakin odds?? I didn’t feel like this was the most believable thing in the story. Like there’s no way Pierce would meet HER of all people and wouldn’t piece it together before the big day….I rolled my eyes at this twist, but like I said, I gasped a dramatic gasp all the same.

Conclusion:

Overall, this was a spicy, angsty, and forbidden MM romance that I totally devoured! I understand this won’t be a story that everyone can get into or support based off what happens and what choices certain characters make, and that’s okay! I can say I was able to look past these things and that while this love story gets messy at times, I still felt like it was meant to be and that everyone ended up with the right person!

CE Ricci never disappoints, and I’m becoming a fan of Marley Valentine now too! This one and “Without You” are my two books that I’ve read, and trust me when I say I’m not planning on stopping here!

Thanks for Reading!

— Nick Goodsell

Erotica, Fantasy, New Adult, New Adult Romance, Romance

My Review: Rise of the Cinder Fae: by Whitney Dean

nicholasjgoodsell
Publish Date: February 26th, 2024
Number of Pages: 680 Pages
Publisher: Independently Published
Genre(s): Fantasy, New Adult Romance

Total Star Rating: 4 Stars

So, I became the marionette. I moved when told, spoke when spoken to, and harbored guilt any time I needed to cry. Over time, I learned to be grateful for my strings because they meant I was still valuable. And if I was helpful, I had a reason to survive.“

– Whitney Dean, “Rise of the Cinder Fae”

What It’s About:

The official synopsis:

Born and raised in the forgotten and broken kingdom of Ashbury, Elora has spent years resenting the royals of Pumpkin Hollow, the kingdom that forced the fall of Ashbury and procured the town as its own. Separated by a mysterious glass bridge, Ashbury is treated as the orphan kingdom, left to squander and starve with only the promise of protection from King Jasper, preventing anyone outside their realm from coming to search for the magic that lay within the ashy valleys and red skies of Ashbury. Because twenty-five years ago, the Cinder Fae arrived.

As mysterious as the magic encompassing Ashbury, the Cinder Fae bargained for their lives by promising to keep the entire realm warm with their ability to mine mountainsides into coal. But Elora and the Cinder Fae hold a secret that could bring death to Ashbury and the mysterious winged creatures, who, despite Elora’s best efforts to pry, refuse to share where they came from or why they can’t return.

In her desperation to prevent the downfall of her kingdom and the death of her Fae friends, Elora drinks from an enchanted spring, convinced she can make the prince of Pumpkin Hollow fall in love with her and guarantee their safety.

But magic takes to give.

And Elora didn’t realize her heart would be the sacrifice.

~~~

First and foremost, I want to thank Whitney Dean for the E-ARC she sent me of this book in exchange for an honest review!

So this was my first Whitney Dean novel, and now I MUST read her other books because it’s obvious she’s got the writer’s gift! Girl can freakin’ write!

This story is a retelling of the classic fairytale of Cinderella, but honestly, this has so many new things added to it that it doesn’t even feel like a retelling most of the time! Only in the most basic sense of the idea and with the character arc’s of most of the cast. But I can’t stress enough how much it branches off from the original story and becomes its own entity of a romantasy/adventure story that the author weaved together!

As it being a romantasy title, the romance was a major highlight to point out! The slow-burn, enemies-to-lovers development between Finnian and Elora was excellently done in my opinion! Both were great characters on their own, but together they absolutely made sparks, stars, and just about every celestial thing you can think of fly. So so good! I loved how flawed they were and how flawed their relationship was and how we got to see it all grow as the plot thickened. I had to absolutely keep reading to see what would happen next, and most importantly, when they would FINALLY KISS!

When they finally did, it was great! When things got taken further, even better! There is some great spice in this book I will add! Fin sure knows what he’s doing *wink*wink*

~~~

With her life already at stake, I can’t imagine what I would do to protect her if I fell in love with her.“

– Whitney Dean, “Rise of the Cinder Fae”

What I Liked:

  1. Finnian! He is just total book boyfriend material…He’s kind of cold, aloof, and arrogant at first but ohhhhh man does he get good as the story progresses!
  2. All The Shocking Reveals! I was surprised at how many shocking reveals the author was able to put into this story! Like EVERY character it felt like had some sort of twist or reveal to Elora at some point, even a few character introductions were shocking reveals themselves!
  3. The Two MC’s Character Growth! Elora and Fin really grow and develop as individuals and as a couple in this story. The author does a wonderful job of showing their personalities and watching them bloom as a couple, and the relationship is FAR from perfect, which actually made it feel more relatable and even more realistic than a lot of other book romances.
  4. Some Great Side Characters! I especially want to shine a light on Fin’s sister, Irina, and his mother, Honora. Both are freakin’ QUEENS in their own rights and are just total comfort characters that remind you that there are still good people in this world when you feel at your lowest and when you feel all alone in this crazy world!

What I Didn’t Like:

  1. Possibly Overwhelmed at 75%…This might be a ME problem with this one, but I was getting a little overwhelmed around the 70-75% with all that was going on at this point and I will admit some of the twists maybe felt a little excessive or maybe even unnecessary by that point? Like maybe this area of the book could’ve been condensed a little bit where I think it didn’t necessarily need to be as long of a book as it was. The added spice was great though!
  2. There’s Not A Lot Revealed About the Cinder Fae…I wanted to know more about the history of the Cinder Fae because it’s pretty clear there’s a lot more there that isn’t told to us in the actual book…and I WANT ANSWERS!! I want them like NOW!!
  3. No Map…I’m not sure if this is because I was reading an ARC or not, but there wasn’t a map to be able to see the world at a bird’s eye view, and hopefully there is in the actual book when it releases!

Conclusion:

Overall, a fantastic Cinderella retelling that got changed up so much that it almost didn’t even feel like a retelling at most parts! So much new and original material was added to the story, it felt like an entirely new story all together!

Romantasy fans will immensely enjoy this tale I think! I think especially fans of Throne of Glass or the Falling Kingdoms series or other series similar to these but also wanted a little more UMMMPH in the romance/spice department, if you know what I mean…

Thanks for Reading!

— Nick Goodsell

Erotica, Horror, Mystery/Thriller, New Adult, New Adult Romance, Romance

My Review: Haunting Adeline (Cat & Mouse Duet #1): by HD Carlton

nicholasjgoodsell
Publish Date: August 12, 2021
Number of Pages: 607 Pages
Publisher: Independently Published
Genre(s): Suspense/Thriller, Dark Romance, Mystery, Horror

Total Star Rating: 4 Stars

Because then I wouldn’t be true to myself, little mouse. I love that I scare you. I love that you try to run from me. The push and pull. The cat and mouse game. I fucking love it. And I think a part of you does, too.”

– HD Carlton, “Haunting Adeline”

What It’s About:

The official synopsis:

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.

Author’s Note: This book ends on a cliffhanger. For CWs, please check the author’s website.

~~~

I’ve always been a firm believer in how books are a way for us to explore ideas and circumstances that we wouldn’t necessarily ever experience in our real lives. Its a safe way for people to explore these ideas or even fantasies that we may have in a fictional and more controlled way that allows us to see how far we can go with things, but then also push away when we know we’ve reached our limit, and it can be as simple as shutting the book and putting it aside. People have all sorts of content that they find triggering because of past experiences, but not everyone wants to face those past experiences again or be reminded of them.

This one definitely explores a darker idea of having a stalker, but what if someone liked the attention? What if you liked being chased? The danger? It’s a work of fiction that explores these ideas that some people are definitely curious to look further into…

I’m not someone who comes with a lot of needs for trigger warnings personally, but I’ve found it interesting how different and how torn people are with them in the book community, specifically the dark romance community, which has really skyrocketed in popularity recent years. That brings me to this book, Haunting Adeline, which feels almost like the foundation of the sub-genre! If you’re familiar with dark romance or have even skimmed the surface of it, there’s no way you haven’t at least heard of the Cat & Mouse duet by HD Carlton. From my perspective, these books have put dark romance on the map whether you like it or not. But that also means I don’t believe these are truly the “gateway” to the sub-genre either…you definitely should work your way up to these because WOW these get graphic in more ways than one!

Not sure if this is relevant or not, but this is also not my first HD Carlton novel either; I did previously read Does It Hurt, which was a more recent standalone by her, and I was surprised how much I enjoyed it, so of course it lead me to checking out this duet, which is by far the author’s most popular titles.

Okay now onto the review of the actual book:

The story revolves around a young woman named Adeline who moves into an older, Victorian mansion that was her great-grandmother’s. Adeline is a budding author and its soon discovered about her grandmother’s mysterious murder that happened within the house.

The story is told in a duo-perspective as we also meet Zade Meadows, a definite anti-hero vigilante-type character who’s dark himself, but also comes out after dark to rid the world of other dark beings, like serial killers, rapists, human traffickers, etc. One night he goes into a bookstore, and he discovers Adeline at a book signing of hers, and becomes absolutely obsessed.

It doesn’t stop there.

Soon Addie is starting to feel a presence that is more than just possibly restless spirits in that old mansion as single roses mysteriously are left about, creaks and moans are heard in the dark of the night, and shadows dance at the end of her vision… soon it becomes clear she’s not always alone in that house at some point…

Normally they say an adult book is 18+ and I’d even normally be on the side of arguing “read what you want to read” with no censorship…..but this one was really something, I’m not going to lie. It gets pretty graphic. It’s truly not for every reader, and please look into the trigger warnings for this book because it is a lot and deals with some dark content with human trafficking too. And Like I say in this review, Zade Meadows is ABSOLUTELY NO DISNEY PRINCE…he’s not even a Damon Salvatore…well maybe he is, but if Damon Salvatore was XXX and not from The CW network if that makes sense? Maybe not still even…

This book comes with many warnings is what I can sum it up to. And I actually completely mean that.

~~~

What I Liked:

  1. The Murder Mystery Of Adeline’s Great Grandmother! I love a good whodunnit murder mystery story, and bonus points if a creepy house and romance/spice are in the mix, so right off the bat with that made this book feel right up my alley for that alone.
  2. The Overall Creepy Vibes! Creepy Victorian Mansion on top of a hill that Adeline inherits? Check. Roses being left randomly around the house? Check. Her great-grandmother was murdered in said house? Check. See’s creepy dude in a hoodie lurking outside at night? Also check! The Vibes are definitely here for this book and its a perfect choice for spooky season!
  3. How Morally Grey/Anti-Hero Zade Meadows Is! Call him an anti-hero or call him morally grey, either way I think we can all agree: Zade Meadows is a bad dude. He is a freakin’ piece of work. It doesn’t matter that he hunts down serial killers and human traffickers and kills them to make the world a better place in that sense, some of the things he does to Adeline in this book are ABSOLUTELY questionable and even atrocious at times…I mean no one’s perfect, but holy shit Batman are there red flags galore here! Despite all that, I will say it all adds to making Zade an incredibly enigmatic and and very enticing character. When he shows up, you pay attention and you perk up a little bit because you KNOW shit is about to go down more than likely.

What I Didn’t Like:

  1. That Gun Scene…Even as a human of the male gender variety, even I had to say OWWWWWWWWWWW when I read that scene.
  2. It Could’ve Been Shorter…I feel like this book could’ve definitely compressed a little bit and didn’t need to be 607 pages long. Maybe some more editing would’ve taken out some scenes that the book would maybe survive without? I don’t know, but I will admit it felt long and drawn out in some parts and just that it didn’t need to be as long as it is. Maybe this opinion of mine will change for book 2?

Conclusion:

Overall, this book was a dark and twisty and also extremely HOT book read that was a total binge-able guilty pleasure…It’s one you’re either going to absolutely love or absolutely despise with hardly any in-between! I personally enjoyed it and liked that it explored so many dark avenues in a safe, fictional, bookish way. I’m the type of reader where if a book comes with a ton of warnings like this one does, it makes me MORE curious and draws me rather than scare me away!

I’ll definitely be checking out book two, but I also can’t necessarily say this is a book I’d recommend to all the readers either. Try it if you dare but yes, it’s not for the feint of heart!

Thanks for Reading!

— Nick Goodsell