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This is the first book I’ve ever dnf’d. I made it to 69% before giving up and closing it. The plot is, simply put, boring. It’s essentially Romeo and Juliette, if Romeo was unhinged and Juliette was an inconsistent pain in the butt. The story drags on and it’s not entertaining enough to keep my attention. The spice is okay, but not enough to keep me interested.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Drug use, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Violence, Sexual harassment
Moderate: Addiction, Domestic abuse, Mental illness, Sexual violence, Blood, Stalking, Death of parent
dark
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Death, Gore, Mental illness, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Torture, Violence, Murder
dark
“Because once someone has seen the worst of you, they can love you for everything you are. That’s the beauty of knowing someone inside out. You can’t hide anything, not even your monsters.”
It’s so dark and unhinged. I loved it. So does that say something about me too? Make it make sense, please. The author even warned me about it.
I was sort of icky the first few chapters but you know what, once you've gotten to know Caden, you'll actually understand where Billie's coming from. Halfway through, I was really understanding why Billie's falling in love with Caden even though he's really deranged. Caden is someone who's really killing people just for touching his girl and of course, coming from just simple contemporary stories this past month, I forgot how really twisted dark romance main characters are. But seriously, after the nth guy Caden killed just for touching Billie, I was sort of swooning for him. When he showed her the "normal" guy acts, maaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaan, I was down bad too. For a bad boy to act like a good boy, that's really something I rarely have read that was written this good.
Overall, I'm glad to have read it and to be honest, I'm considering if I should continue the series or not.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Drug abuse, Drug use, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Sexual harassment
Moderate: Gun violence, Mental illness, Stalking
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gun violence, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Violence, Murder, Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Sexism
Minor: Mental illness
dark
emotional
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
This audio is narrated in dual by Heather Firth and Corvin King.
I am now staring at the wall having an existential crisis and a mental break down.
What happened to me?
I’ve never been so disturbed while reading.
Caden is the most confusing character I’ve read so far: he says all the right things and does all the wrong ones.
He is a perfect sociopath. And yet the more he is with Billie, the more he becomes human.
He communicates with her through songs.
But he doesn’t understand the concept of consent. Like at all.
So many times I was struggling between hating him and loving him.
I think I was in the same state of mind as Billie.
That’s why the author did a brilliant job. This is impossible to be indifferent to the characters.
If you are triggered by sexual assault and rape, don’t. Just DON’T.
This is an important part of this story.
Your mental health worth a lot (more than a book).
I am now staring at the wall having an existential crisis and a mental break down.
What happened to me?
I’ve never been so disturbed while reading.
Caden is the most confusing character I’ve read so far: he says all the right things and does all the wrong ones.
He is a perfect sociopath. And yet the more he is with Billie, the more he becomes human.
He communicates with her through songs.
But he doesn’t understand the concept of consent. Like at all.
So many times I was struggling between hating him and loving him.
I think I was in the same state of mind as Billie.
That’s why the author did a brilliant job. This is impossible to be indifferent to the characters.
If you are triggered by sexual assault and rape, don’t. Just DON’T.
This is an important part of this story.
Your mental health worth a lot (more than a book).
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gore, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Abandonment, Injury/Injury detail
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
4 There Stars ⭐️
Spicy Level:🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️/5
Okay, what the actual fuck is in this book?! Because holy hell, it is unhinged...like, on a whole different level than expected. Fair warning, leave your morals at the door because you cannot have many while reading this...because wow!!!
𝙎𝙮𝙣𝙤𝙥𝙨𝙞𝙨:
Billie Scott is an amateur MMA fighter, desperately trying to break into the professional leagues. The only problem is she’s from an underprivileged community, with no money and no safety net. Her family runs a gang, and since she was born into that life, she’s tangled up in gang life too. A few years ago, when her gang was overthrown as the dominant force in the area, she ended up on the wrong side of Caden King. He caught her, forced her into an extremely non-consensual situation (that he filmed), and then used that leverage to keep her silent. Now, years later, their paths cross again. Caden needs a mule to transport illegal weapons, and he forces Billie to do it, threatening her with the blackmail he’s been holding over her. She wants nothing to do with him, especially because getting involved in anything illegal would destroy her shot at going pro. But, of course, forced proximity changes things... whether she wants it to or not.
𝙏𝙝𝙤𝙪𝙜𝙝𝙩𝙨 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙁𝙚𝙚𝙡𝙞𝙣𝙜𝙨:
Now, I fucking loved Billie. She is a badass, a sassy queen who knows how to take a punch and throw one. But at the end of the day, she’s still a woman, and when it comes to situations with men (especially multiple men) there’s only so much she can do. The strength gap is real, and I liked that the book didn’t ignore that. But she never backs down from a challenge, and despite life being an absolute bitch to her, she refuses to give up. She has this grit that makes you root for her even when she’s making questionable decisions.
And then there’s Caden King. Probably the most fucked up MMC I have ever read. There were multiple moments where I had to stop and go, “Okay, hold on, what the actual fuck am I reading? Is this really happening right now?” And it wasn’t just once. It wasn’t twice. It was at least three times that I had to take a pause and breathe because this man is not right in the head. He is disturbed, dark, depraved, and absolutely unhinged. But did I keep reading? Of course I did!!!! Because your girl is completely fucked in the head when it comes to fictional men like this.
Many men in "Dark Romance" do not have the word no in their vocabulary, and you can guarantee that Caden King has never heard that word in his life. He has no comprehension of it. If he wants something, he takes it, and people are too shit-scared of him to tell him otherwise. So the fact that he has his sights set on Billie? There’s nothing she can do about it!!!
This is almost a modern-day, darker Romeo and Juliet. There’s a lot of gang violence, but at the same time, there’s this undercurrent of sweetness in their relationship, which makes zero sense given what they’ve been through, and yet it works. The willingness to die and sacrifice for each other is so ridiculously poetic. And when you combine that with the lyrical, prosaic writing style, this book hits on another level. Billie hates Caden for what he did to her, and yet… slowly, her perception of him shifts. Does he grovel? Absolutely not! Quite frankly, I don’t think that word is in his vocabulary either. But he exudes this raw, terrifying power, and Billie knows she’s safest with him because he would literally kill anyone who even looks at her wrong.
Caden takes "touch her and die" to an extreme level. And he proves it. Multiple times.
Now, my only real issue is that I wanted more plot. This book is extremely character-driven, focusing almost entirely on Billie and Caden’s dynamic, their attraction, and how they navigate their relationship in a world that is actively trying to tear them apart. At times, I was looking for something to happen beyond the relationship, and it just wasn’t there. The stakes in this book aren’t tied to some high-intensity external plot... the plot is them and the forbidden aspect of their relationship is the high-stakes element.
I also wanted to see a bit more development in their transition from enemies to lovers. There was a bit of a quick jump from outright hatred to love, and while we’re told "they’ve spent a lot of time together, talking, getting to know each other", I wanted to see more of that on page. It was implied rather than fully shown, and I think the slow burn would have been even better if we had seen that shift happen.
Let’s talk spice. The spice is SPICING!!! This is very much a control dynamic, with Caden being the one who takes, but he gives (if you know what I mean) just as much as he demands. He is generous with Billie, and their attraction is explosive. It’s the kind of chemistry that sizzles on page and leaves you breathless.
I have almost a hundred highlights in this book. That’s… a lot for a first read-through. But there were so many quotes, so many passages, that resonated or were just straight-up gorgeous that I couldn’t NOT highlight them.
𝙏𝙧𝙤𝙥𝙚𝙨:
▶ Enemies to Lovers ("Mafia Vibes" from Gangs)
▶ Non-Con and CNC
▶ Touch Her You Die
▶ Bully Romance
▶ Forbidden Romance
▶ Burn the World for you
and 𝙈𝙞𝙘𝙧𝙤 𝙏𝙧𝙤𝙥𝙚𝙨:
▷ Forehead Kisses
▷ Car and Phone Sex
▷ Throws her over his shoulder
▷ "Crawl to me"
▷ "Mine"
▷ Washes Her Hair
▷ Grey Sweatpants
▷ Pierced MMC
▷ "Look at Me"
▷ Tattoo's Her
▷ Knife to the Throat
▷ Steamy Spicy Water Scene
and 𝙎𝙤𝙢𝙚 𝙆𝙞𝙣𝙠𝙨:
➣ Squirting
➣ Tied Up
➣ Primal Play
➣ Hand Necklaces
➣ Biting
➣ Spanking
➣ Degradation and Praise
Now, would I recommend this to someone new to dark romance? Absolutely not!!! This book will make a normal person uncomfortable. The level of darkness in here is not for the faint of heart. But if you are a seasoned dark romance reader, if you love an MMC who is dominant, alpha, and would 100% kill someone just for breathing wrong in your direction, then I highly recommend picking this up.
Because holy shit, it hit all the right places!!!
Spicy Level:🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️/5
Okay, what the actual fuck is in this book?! Because holy hell, it is unhinged...like, on a whole different level than expected. Fair warning, leave your morals at the door because you cannot have many while reading this...because wow!!!
𝙎𝙮𝙣𝙤𝙥𝙨𝙞𝙨:
Billie Scott is an amateur MMA fighter, desperately trying to break into the professional leagues. The only problem is she’s from an underprivileged community, with no money and no safety net. Her family runs a gang, and since she was born into that life, she’s tangled up in gang life too. A few years ago, when her gang was overthrown as the dominant force in the area, she ended up on the wrong side of Caden King. He caught her, forced her into an extremely non-consensual situation (that he filmed), and then used that leverage to keep her silent. Now, years later, their paths cross again. Caden needs a mule to transport illegal weapons, and he forces Billie to do it, threatening her with the blackmail he’s been holding over her. She wants nothing to do with him, especially because getting involved in anything illegal would destroy her shot at going pro. But, of course, forced proximity changes things... whether she wants it to or not.
𝙏𝙝𝙤𝙪𝙜𝙝𝙩𝙨 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙁𝙚𝙚𝙡𝙞𝙣𝙜𝙨:
Now, I fucking loved Billie. She is a badass, a sassy queen who knows how to take a punch and throw one. But at the end of the day, she’s still a woman, and when it comes to situations with men (especially multiple men) there’s only so much she can do. The strength gap is real, and I liked that the book didn’t ignore that. But she never backs down from a challenge, and despite life being an absolute bitch to her, she refuses to give up. She has this grit that makes you root for her even when she’s making questionable decisions.
And then there’s Caden King. Probably the most fucked up MMC I have ever read. There were multiple moments where I had to stop and go, “Okay, hold on, what the actual fuck am I reading? Is this really happening right now?” And it wasn’t just once. It wasn’t twice. It was at least three times that I had to take a pause and breathe because this man is not right in the head. He is disturbed, dark, depraved, and absolutely unhinged. But did I keep reading? Of course I did!!!! Because your girl is completely fucked in the head when it comes to fictional men like this.
Many men in "Dark Romance" do not have the word no in their vocabulary, and you can guarantee that Caden King has never heard that word in his life. He has no comprehension of it. If he wants something, he takes it, and people are too shit-scared of him to tell him otherwise. So the fact that he has his sights set on Billie? There’s nothing she can do about it!!!
This is almost a modern-day, darker Romeo and Juliet. There’s a lot of gang violence, but at the same time, there’s this undercurrent of sweetness in their relationship, which makes zero sense given what they’ve been through, and yet it works. The willingness to die and sacrifice for each other is so ridiculously poetic. And when you combine that with the lyrical, prosaic writing style, this book hits on another level. Billie hates Caden for what he did to her, and yet… slowly, her perception of him shifts. Does he grovel? Absolutely not! Quite frankly, I don’t think that word is in his vocabulary either. But he exudes this raw, terrifying power, and Billie knows she’s safest with him because he would literally kill anyone who even looks at her wrong.
Caden takes "touch her and die" to an extreme level. And he proves it. Multiple times.
Now, my only real issue is that I wanted more plot. This book is extremely character-driven, focusing almost entirely on Billie and Caden’s dynamic, their attraction, and how they navigate their relationship in a world that is actively trying to tear them apart. At times, I was looking for something to happen beyond the relationship, and it just wasn’t there. The stakes in this book aren’t tied to some high-intensity external plot... the plot is them and the forbidden aspect of their relationship is the high-stakes element.
I also wanted to see a bit more development in their transition from enemies to lovers. There was a bit of a quick jump from outright hatred to love, and while we’re told "they’ve spent a lot of time together, talking, getting to know each other", I wanted to see more of that on page. It was implied rather than fully shown, and I think the slow burn would have been even better if we had seen that shift happen.
Let’s talk spice. The spice is SPICING!!! This is very much a control dynamic, with Caden being the one who takes, but he gives (if you know what I mean) just as much as he demands. He is generous with Billie, and their attraction is explosive. It’s the kind of chemistry that sizzles on page and leaves you breathless.
I have almost a hundred highlights in this book. That’s… a lot for a first read-through. But there were so many quotes, so many passages, that resonated or were just straight-up gorgeous that I couldn’t NOT highlight them.
𝙏𝙧𝙤𝙥𝙚𝙨:
▶ Enemies to Lovers ("Mafia Vibes" from Gangs)
▶ Non-Con and CNC
▶ Touch Her You Die
▶ Bully Romance
▶ Forbidden Romance
▶ Burn the World for you
and 𝙈𝙞𝙘𝙧𝙤 𝙏𝙧𝙤𝙥𝙚𝙨:
▷ Forehead Kisses
▷ Car and Phone Sex
▷ Throws her over his shoulder
▷ "Crawl to me"
▷ "Mine"
▷ Washes Her Hair
▷ Grey Sweatpants
▷ Pierced MMC
▷ "Look at Me"
▷ Tattoo's Her
▷ Knife to the Throat
▷ Steamy Spicy Water Scene
and 𝙎𝙤𝙢𝙚 𝙆𝙞𝙣𝙠𝙨:
➣ Squirting
➣ Tied Up
➣ Primal Play
➣ Hand Necklaces
➣ Biting
➣ Spanking
➣ Degradation and Praise
Now, would I recommend this to someone new to dark romance? Absolutely not!!! This book will make a normal person uncomfortable. The level of darkness in here is not for the faint of heart. But if you are a seasoned dark romance reader, if you love an MMC who is dominant, alpha, and would 100% kill someone just for breathing wrong in your direction, then I highly recommend picking this up.
Because holy shit, it hit all the right places!!!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Mental illness, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Violence, Stalking, Murder, Toxic friendship, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Kidnapping
Minor: Incest
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Grief, Murder
fast-paced
I am now staring at the wall having an existential crisis and a mental break down.
What happened to me?
I’ve never been so disturbed while reading.
Caden is the most confusing character I’ve read so far: he says all the right things and does all the wrong ones.
He is a perfect sociopath. And yet the more he is with her, the more he becomes human.
He communicates with her through songs.
But he doesn’t understand the concept of consent. Like at all.
So many times I was struggling between hating him and loving him.
I think I was in the same state of mind as Billie.
That’s why the author did a brilliant job. This is impossible to be indifferent.
If you are triggered by sexual assault and rape, don’t. Just DON’T.
This is an important part of this story.
Your mental health worth a lot (more than a book).
If you have read God of Malice by Rina Kent, I think you will find here a better story.
What happened to me?
I’ve never been so disturbed while reading.
Caden is the most confusing character I’ve read so far: he says all the right things and does all the wrong ones.
He is a perfect sociopath. And yet the more he is with her, the more he becomes human.
He communicates with her through songs.
But he doesn’t understand the concept of consent. Like at all.
So many times I was struggling between hating him and loving him.
I think I was in the same state of mind as Billie.
That’s why the author did a brilliant job. This is impossible to be indifferent.
If you are triggered by sexual assault and rape, don’t. Just DON’T.
This is an important part of this story.
Your mental health worth a lot (more than a book).
If you have read God of Malice by Rina Kent, I think you will find here a better story.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Bullying, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Vomit, Murder, Injury/Injury detail