Reviews tagging 'Addiction'

Dark Delights by Mila Kane

3 reviews

blueblue23's review

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challenging emotional hopeful medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.75

Love the build up of the characters in the beginning. Was not a fan of how the ending rushed through a part that was mentioned throughout the book, other than that did very well.
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booklovinmamas's review

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dark emotional mysterious sad tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

Dark Delights is the second book in Mila Kane’s Dark Hockey Bully Romance series, Hellions of Hade Harbor. After reading the first book, I thought Cayden was unhinged; no, in the second book, Beckett proves to be even more unhinged and possessive of the FMC, Eve, who actually is supposed to be off-limits to him. Yes, this is a bully romance and it gets dark at times on what the MMC does to the FMC, so if you are not a fan of bully romances, this book may not be for you. But if you enjoy Bully Romances, this book is right up your alley. 

I’m a reader who loves bully romances, and I also love morally grey characters like Beckett, even when he’s bullying Eve, because there is going to be a hidden story about why he is the way he is, and it’s a devastating one. It takes someone like Eve to help deal with his demons and also piece him back together. Eve knew how to handle Beckett and I loved her character immediately because she wasn’t going to let Beckett just push her around. Beckett and Eve are also from opposite sides of the track, and they go back and forth on their differences, but once both realize they have feelings, watch out because they will be hard to break apart, especially when it comes to Beckett and how he feels for Eve. No one messes with Eve but him, and he lets others know right away. This man will confront not only what he’s dealing with and the people who keep trying to flirt with Eve around him but also the one person who could potentially ruin his chances with Eve, and that is her very protective twin brother, Asher. 

This was one book I had a hard time putting down. It ticked all the boxes, especially with tropes I enjoy reading in romance books. It’s not only a Bully Romance, but it has Brother’s Best Friend (My fave trope right now to read), Enemies to Lovers (The MCs don’t like one another initially, and one is out for revenge over the other), and then there’s Forced Proximity (Eve is forced to live with Beckett in his dorm after a mistake with her dorm). When I was forced to stop reading due to other obligations, I found myself still thinking about the characters and story. Now, after finishing it, I need more of this series and these OTT Jealous/Possessive Hockey Players that play at Hade Harbor University. 

This book touches on some dark topics, and I recommend everyone check the TW before reading, especially when it comes to Beckett’s character and what he has been dealing with. I felt for Beckett and wanted to help him, just like Eve did in the book. This book has some twisted and sick antagonists, and they definitely get the justice they deserve. 

I’m looking forward to the next book in the series now more than ever, and I’m so glad I found Mila Kane’s books. The best part is that while I wait for the next book’s release, I can check out her backlist. She has a character in this book who is in another series that she has written, and I need to read his story. 

Story Rating: ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️

Steam/Spice: 🌶️🌶️🌶️

Standalone or Part of Series: It’s part of the Hellions of Hade Harbor Series, but each book follows new MCs and can be read as a standalone. 

Would I recommend this book? Yes. If you are a fan of spicy new adult/dark romances with hockey players who are morally grey and are obsessed with their heroines, even though they tend to be unhinged at times, then this book/series should be added to your TBR.

Genre/SubGenre: Romance | New Adult Romance | Dark Romance

Trope(s)/Element(s): Sports/Hockey Romance | Bully Romance | Enemies to Lovers | Brother’s Best Friend | Forced Proximity | Opposite Sides of the Track | OTT Jealous/Possessive Hero | Tattooed Hero | Scarred Hero | Breeding Kink
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lacyparrish's review

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4.5

The author is upfront with the CW and TW note at the beginning of her book -- read it and proceed well-warned. Eve Martino's twin brother is one of the Ice Gods, but she's never been kissed -- everyone is terrified of being caught by Asher. Beckett Anderson is the beyond-wealthy only son the richest man in town ... and Mrs Martino is their housekeeper. Eve helps her mom out from time to time and has had several run-ins with Beckett. When Mrs Martino reports
finding drugs (like a lot of them) in Beckett's room
, Eve ends up in Beckett's sights ... Asher is away and he is ready for revenge.
Their first time in the bathroom while hiding from robbers at the local pharmacy breaks both of them in very different ways. Beckett is medicating to forget childhood SA from his stepmother that his father won't acknowledge; Eve's dealing with lots of money and health issues with her mom as she gets ready to go off to college. When her room is cancelled, but not her brother's, she ends up with Beckett as a roommate and he can intensify his control over her. They end up in a push/pull relationship, like magnets that cannot stay away from each other. As the semester continues, we get a lot of information about their actual feelings and traumas that they are both processing.
This is a pretty classic college romance with the very bleak overlay of bully and control.
I appreciated the conflict in this book, because both of them need to deal with and figure out their own stuff, while trying to navigate this uncontrollable attraction. The prolonged grovel was *chef's kiss* and I loved that Eve finally brought Beckett the family that he deserves, including turning his father back around to see what was going on all along.


Full Rating (out of 10 possible): 8.000 (based on a modified CAWPILE system)
Romance level (out of 5 possible): 4 (for on-page, detailed intimacy scenes) 
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