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4.37 AVERAGE
4.37 AVERAGE
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
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
I loved this book. I went into it know it would be really dark and I got what I expected, and then some. This is an emotional rollercoaster and I’m very happy to say there is a well-deserved happy ending. Please, please, please be mindful of the content warnings. There are plenty of potentially triggering scenes in this book.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Torture, Violence, Murder
Moderate: Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Blood, Vomit
Minor: Bullying, Trafficking
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
sad
tense
fast-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:
Complicated
“ℐ 𝓀𝓃ℴ𝓌 𝓌𝒽𝒶𝓉 𝒾𝓉 𝒾𝓈 𝓉ℴ 𝓂𝒶𝓀ℯ 𝓉ℴ𝓊ℊ𝒽 𝒸𝒽ℴ𝒾𝒸ℯ𝓈 𝒶𝓃𝒹 𝓁𝒾𝓋ℯ 𝓉𝒽𝓇ℴ𝓊ℊ𝒽 𝒹𝒾𝒻𝒻𝒾𝒸𝓊𝓁𝓉 𝓉𝒾𝓂ℯ𝓈. ℐ 𝓀𝓃ℴ𝓌 𝓌𝒽𝒶𝓉 𝒽𝒶𝓇𝒹 𝒾𝓈… ℒℴ𝓋𝒾𝓃ℊ 𝓎ℴ𝓊 𝒾𝓈𝓃’𝓉 𝒽𝒶𝓇𝒹, 𝒞𝒶𝓁𝓁𝓊𝓂. ℒℴ𝓋𝒾𝓃ℊ 𝓎ℴ𝓊 𝒾𝓈 𝓉𝒽ℯ ℯ𝒶𝓈𝒾ℯ𝓈𝓉 𝓉𝒽𝒾𝓃ℊ ℐ’𝓋ℯ ℯ𝓋ℯ𝓇 𝒹ℴ𝓃ℯ.”
Genre: Dark Romance
Tropes: M/M, enemies-to-lovers, forced proximity, paranormal romance,
Trigger Warnings: Sexual content including kinks, non-con situations, dub-con situation, sexual abuse and sexual assault(heavily referenced child SA in flashbacks but not explicit on page). Physical and psychological abuse including child abuse, neglect, mental manipulation, and physical and psychological torture. PTSD and trauma responses. One character purposely triggers a PTSD response to help the other character heal from it (The author literally bolds a line that says "THIS IS NOT RECOMMENDED IN REAL LIFE" and I freaking LAUGHED.) Human trafficking, violence and death and MORE. Please please PLEASE check your triggers on the author's site and other reviewers.
Spice Level: 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️
Rae’s Rating: 💀💀💀💀.5
⚠️⚠️⚠️ SPOILERS AHEAD ⚠️⚠️⚠️
💀 Rae’s Rambles
I would literally die for Callum Walker. Like... hello this is my new son and I want to wrap him in a blankie and protect him from the world forever. HE DESERVES PEACE AND HAPPINESS DAMMIT. I was absolutely obsessed with this. No freaking joke. I love a good M/M story but I LOVE when romance has an interesting plot outside the romance and high stakes and GOD I WAS SO TENSE AT TIMES.
This story was captivating from start to finish. I loved the characters so much. Even the side characters, which is rare for me. Usually they're just... there... but I loved them all. Vox was my favorite for obvious reasons. I loved Naomi's attitude and energy. I adored the dynamic between Theo(Ryan's sister) and Cass(Callum's sister) like I can smell the enemies to lovers and I'm feral. I even loved Ryan's weird mom, all dreamy and spiritual. The plot was heavy and dark but Callum's ADHD golden retriever energy sprinkled in just enough humor to lighten the mood. I was obsessed with Ryan's whole "damn I can't believe I didn't think I was gay... I am SO GAY." Iconic. We love a gay awakening.
And the spice?! My god. I was feral for the degradation, for Callum's dominant side, the sadistic tendencies during his PTSD response. Callum knows what he wants and he will absolutely take it and Ryan fought it but it was pointless, he was as obsessed as Callum was. It didn't overtake the plot and there was also enough that it felt like a decent ratio of smut to plot.
✨ Characters
MMC 1: Callum Walker. My son. My baby. My precious little murder puppy. An absolute angel with too much energy and a bloody history that he didn’t deserve. I want to take this man and wrap him in bubble wrap and soft blankets, kiss his little forehead, and tell him that everything is going to be okay. He has been through SO MUCH. From the abuse and neglect suffered at his own mother’s hands to Damian grooming him to be his perfect obedient little killer. He just wants love and he feels that he’s so undeserving of it and iT HURTS ME. I love him. End of story.
MMC 2: Ryan Fairview. Grumpy funeral director. Denying his sexuality. Annoyed with Callum’s… everything at the start. But even Ryan the grouch can’t deny the chemistry between him and Callum. And when he finally accepts it? He is possessive and jealous and clingy and I love him. Literally a sweetheart once he softens. Also he can see ghosts?? Which is metal af.
Side Characters:
Theo(Ryan’s sister) is a badass lesbian who can and will kick your ass simply for breathing the wrong way. Also definitely crushing hard on Callum’s sister and I am feral for the enemies to lovers dynamic.
Cass(Callum’s sister) is a little scary. Badass lawyer lady who takes no shit and also will kick your ass for breathing wrong. Fiercely protective of her siblings but definitely more a lone wolf type and I respect it. Also she hates Damian so she has good judgement.
Naomi(Callum’s other sister) is PRECIOUS. Very excitable. Very animated. A big bold personality and I love how she takes no shit. I am devastated by what happened to her but I really hope a certain… silent protector helps her heal.
Speaking of… Vox(Callum’s best friend) is the true MVP of this book. He stole every scene he was in and I wasn’t even mad. I have a soft spot for mute characters. I think they have so much personality despite not speaking. They always have such an attitude, they’re sassy, and I fall in love with them every time. Vox book when?
Antagonist(s): Damian can literally go kick rocks :) I hate this man. HATE HIM. Emotionally abusive and manipulative. Physically abusive. A literal human trafficker and predator who got off on Callum’s screams. Has this weird obsessive ownership over Callum that straight up gave me the ick from the beginning. I should’ve realized that he was a horrible dude when he literally snatched Callum up for his weird murder cult after he believed Callum was the one who killed the Walker kids’ mother… Red flags Rae can you freaking see them? Anyways, the bastard literally sucked and that’s how I know he’s a good antagonist. I hated him with every fiber of my being. Irredeemable ass who thinks he holds all the power and abuses it to hell and back. Garbage human. Excellent villain… I hate him:)
📈 Pacing
I literally couldn’t put this down. Every time the clock read 4AM and I had to stop for the night, I dreaded it. This story sucked me in and didn’t spit me out until it was over. The romance didn’t feel rushed or dragged out. There were no real slow or bad chapters and I was invested the whole time. Every moment felt important and every little thing mattered. Even Vox’s chapters. I know some people don’t like when a book splits POVs with the main characters and a side character but I loved it. It gave me a deeper look into the stakes of Apex and Vox’s hatred of Damian and his loyalty and love towards Callum. The spice also wasn’t dragged out or rushed through. The pacing was absolutely perfect in my opinion.
🔥 Romance and Spice
Was this book spicy? Uh yeah. Definitely. Solid 4 chili peppers out of 5. It was spicy and got a little kinky at times and I was obsessed. There was a LOT of spice but it didn’t overtake the actual plot or the development of the relationship between Ryan and Callum. I also love how it was used, if that makes sense? Like, okay. One of the first scenes where Ryan accidentally triggers Callum by calling him “the devil” and Callum has a PTSD response that is heavily focused on just needing to dominate Ryan in that moment. And towards the end when Ryan is helping Callum get over his trauma surrounding the tub and purposely triggers and PTSD response and submits completely to Callum, just allowing him to do whatever he needs to take control of the situation. I loved that so much. But I also loved the sweeter scenes like the field and after Callum recovers from his injury and is all sad because Ryan is too worried about him to touch him so he feels unloved and Ryan proves him otherwise.
The romance was also real and believable. It wasn’t insta-lovey. It had real conflicts and the breakup was raw. You could feel Ryan’s pain and feel how badly Callum didn’t want to do it but he had to just to protect Ryan. I adored Callum “trying” to be friends with Ryan but it really just looked like he was flirting and trying to court him… and defile him outside on the porch… IT’S FINE.
🎭 Plot & Climax
The focus of this book was definitely the relationship but there was still a “main plot” surrounding the bs with Apex and Callum’s slow realization that the man he craved approval from and worked for his entire life was corrupted and a part of the very thing he’d been trying to end in his free time. Child trafficking. Now we knew Damian was shady af and didn’t trust him for a second but when everything finally blows up… it blows up hard and it makes the second half of the book so damn tense and stressful. You’re worried about Ryan’s safety because Damian clearly wants him out of the way. When you find out about “recalibration” you’re then worried for Callum and sobbing as he’s physically tortured and psychologically manipulated.
There’s a particularly stressful scene where Callum gets injured. Like really bad. Like nearly shot to death kinda injured and it’s pretty touch and go for a while and Ryan is so concerned and even Vox is silently panicked and I was so tense I wanted to scream and cry. If anything had happened to Callum- I would’ve become the real villain. BUT he’s all fine and everything is okay-ish. Except Damian now has black market bounties out on everyone and they’re locked up in Ryan’s house to keep them all safe until Callum has enough and goes full John Wick on Apex.
You get a moment of peace when you think Callum actually takes care of everything. Literally jumping for joy when the grenade goes off like “yes! The bastard is finally dead and they can be happy and in love!” Wrong. Damian is like a damn cockroach. More lives than a cat. The tension from the main conflict lingers until the final chapter and when you hit Damian’s final attempt to own and control Callum, this book reminds you that it is, in fact, a dark romance and Damian is a horrible human being.
He’s been threatening to harm Callum’s sisters the whole book but when he finally gets his hand on Naomi… It's really hard to read. Seriously check your triggers ⚠️Callum is so defeated at this point. He just wants Damian gone but he can’t pull the trigger. He wants to be done killing and even though Damian deserves it… he can’t do it. Enter Ryan. Not even looking, just focusing on Callum and making sure he’s alright and the badass just *pop* bullet to Damian’s skull. Damian no more, YAY!
❤️ Overall Vibes
This story starts HARD. Dropping you into the most vile situation of child abuse and neglect and even with the humor and the romance, it stays dark and heavy with the whole human trafficking thing. Dealing with some really triggering themes, with a heavy focus on trauma, abuse, and of course, a healthy dose of torture and murder.
This was so fun to read. I laughed, I cried, I hugged my kindle to my chest whispering "Callum please be okay" at least four times and honestly, I thank Alexandra St. Pierre for the emotional rollercoaster.
Utterly. Obsessed.
Would I Recommend?
✔️Yes, if you love a feral MMC who is like... 90% certifiably insane but still tender and loyal, a stubborn MMC who pointlessly fights against his attraction, and a relationship that is explosive, spicy, tense, and emotionally TRAUMATIZING.
❌ No, if you value your peace of mind and want a light easy read with low stakes
Genre: Dark Romance
Tropes: M/M, enemies-to-lovers, forced proximity, paranormal romance,
Trigger Warnings: Sexual content including kinks, non-con situations, dub-con situation, sexual abuse and sexual assault(heavily referenced child SA in flashbacks but not explicit on page). Physical and psychological abuse including child abuse, neglect, mental manipulation, and physical and psychological torture. PTSD and trauma responses. One character purposely triggers a PTSD response to help the other character heal from it (The author literally bolds a line that says "THIS IS NOT RECOMMENDED IN REAL LIFE" and I freaking LAUGHED.) Human trafficking, violence and death and MORE. Please please PLEASE check your triggers on the author's site and other reviewers.
Spice Level: 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️
Rae’s Rating: 💀💀💀💀.5
⚠️⚠️⚠️ SPOILERS AHEAD ⚠️⚠️⚠️
💀 Rae’s Rambles
This story was captivating from start to finish. I loved the characters so much. Even the side characters, which is rare for me. Usually they're just... there... but I loved them all. Vox was my favorite for obvious reasons. I loved Naomi's attitude and energy. I adored the dynamic between Theo(Ryan's sister) and Cass(Callum's sister) like I can smell the enemies to lovers and I'm feral. I even loved Ryan's weird mom, all dreamy and spiritual. The plot was heavy and dark but Callum's ADHD golden retriever energy sprinkled in just enough humor to lighten the mood. I was obsessed with Ryan's whole "damn I can't believe I didn't think I was gay... I am SO GAY." Iconic. We love a gay awakening.
And the spice?! My god. I was feral for the degradation, for Callum's dominant side, the sadistic tendencies during his PTSD response. Callum knows what he wants and he will absolutely take it and Ryan fought it but it was pointless, he was as obsessed as Callum was. It didn't overtake the plot and there was also enough that it felt like a decent ratio of smut to plot.
✨ Characters
MMC 2: Ryan Fairview. Grumpy funeral director. Denying his sexuality. Annoyed with Callum’s… everything at the start. But even Ryan the grouch can’t deny the chemistry between him and Callum. And when he finally accepts it? He is possessive and jealous and clingy and I love him. Literally a sweetheart once he softens. Also he can see ghosts?? Which is metal af.
Side Characters:
Theo(Ryan’s sister) is a badass lesbian who can and will kick your ass simply for breathing the wrong way. Also definitely crushing hard on Callum’s sister and I am feral for the enemies to lovers dynamic.
Cass(Callum’s sister) is a little scary. Badass lawyer lady who takes no shit and also will kick your ass for breathing wrong. Fiercely protective of her siblings but definitely more a lone wolf type and I respect it. Also she hates Damian so she has good judgement.
Naomi(Callum’s other sister) is PRECIOUS. Very excitable. Very animated. A big bold personality and I love how she takes no shit. I am devastated by what happened to her but I really hope a certain… silent protector helps her heal.
Speaking of… Vox(Callum’s best friend) is the true MVP of this book. He stole every scene he was in and I wasn’t even mad. I have a soft spot for mute characters. I think they have so much personality despite not speaking. They always have such an attitude, they’re sassy, and I fall in love with them every time. Vox book when?
Antagonist(s): Damian can literally go kick rocks :) I hate this man. HATE HIM. Emotionally abusive and manipulative. Physically abusive. A literal human trafficker and predator who got off on Callum’s screams. Has this weird obsessive ownership over Callum that straight up gave me the ick from the beginning. I should’ve realized that he was a horrible dude when he literally snatched Callum up for his weird murder cult after he believed Callum was the one who killed the Walker kids’ mother… Red flags Rae can you freaking see them? Anyways, the bastard literally sucked and that’s how I know he’s a good antagonist. I hated him with every fiber of my being. Irredeemable ass who thinks he holds all the power and abuses it to hell and back. Garbage human. Excellent villain… I hate him:)
📈 Pacing
🔥 Romance and Spice
The romance was also real and believable. It wasn’t insta-lovey. It had real conflicts and the breakup was raw. You could feel Ryan’s pain and feel how badly Callum didn’t want to do it but he had to just to protect Ryan. I adored Callum “trying” to be friends with Ryan but it really just looked like he was flirting and trying to court him… and defile him outside on the porch… IT’S FINE.
🎭 Plot & Climax
There’s a particularly stressful scene where Callum gets injured. Like really bad. Like nearly shot to death kinda injured and it’s pretty touch and go for a while and Ryan is so concerned and even Vox is silently panicked and I was so tense I wanted to scream and cry. If anything had happened to Callum- I would’ve become the real villain. BUT he’s all fine and everything is okay-ish. Except Damian now has black market bounties out on everyone and they’re locked up in Ryan’s house to keep them all safe until Callum has enough and goes full John Wick on Apex.
You get a moment of peace when you think Callum actually takes care of everything. Literally jumping for joy when the grenade goes off like “yes! The bastard is finally dead and they can be happy and in love!” Wrong. Damian is like a damn cockroach. More lives than a cat. The tension from the main conflict lingers until the final chapter and when you hit Damian’s final attempt to own and control Callum, this book reminds you that it is, in fact, a dark romance and Damian is a horrible human being.
He’s been threatening to harm Callum’s sisters the whole book but when he finally gets his hand on Naomi… It's really hard to read. Seriously check your triggers ⚠️Callum is so defeated at this point. He just wants Damian gone but he can’t pull the trigger. He wants to be done killing and even though Damian deserves it… he can’t do it. Enter Ryan. Not even looking, just focusing on Callum and making sure he’s alright and the badass just *pop* bullet to Damian’s skull. Damian no more, YAY!
❤️ Overall Vibes
This story starts HARD. Dropping you into the most vile situation of child abuse and neglect and even with the humor and the romance, it stays dark and heavy with the whole human trafficking thing. Dealing with some really triggering themes, with a heavy focus on trauma, abuse, and of course, a healthy dose of torture and murder.
This was so fun to read. I laughed, I cried, I hugged my kindle to my chest whispering "Callum please be okay" at least four times and honestly, I thank Alexandra St. Pierre for the emotional rollercoaster.
Utterly. Obsessed.
Would I Recommend?
✔️Yes, if you love a feral MMC who is like... 90% certifiably insane but still tender and loyal, a stubborn MMC who pointlessly fights against his attraction, and a relationship that is explosive, spicy, tense, and emotionally TRAUMATIZING.
❌ No, if you value your peace of mind and want a light easy read with low stakes
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
fast-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
This is my all time favorite read. It checks all the boxes. I completely fell in love with these characters. They felt so real. Callum will live in my head forever. And the strength Ryan brings to the story! This has heat, passion, alpha protective, sweet, all the feels! I 100% recommend!
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-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
dark
emotional
funny
sad
tense
medium-paced
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Please look into the triggers for this book; there are many disturbing scenes. A mortician who sees ghosts accidentally falls into the path of a mercenary who has set their sights on him. The mercenary is unstable, impulsive, and a stalker who doesn’t take "no" for an answer. I do not support this behavior in real life, but in this story, it was very steamy, and there was great chemistry between the characters. They fit well together; even with Callum's craziness, there were many sweet moments between them.
Callum faces a lot of trauma, and he finally realizes what has been happening with Ryan’s support. When things get rough for Callum, a group of people is there for him. I loved Ryan’s journey to acceptance; he struggles with bullying and comes to understand what he enjoys. It was interesting to see this perspective, especially with his need for control and discomfort with change. The interactions between Ryan and Callum involve a lot of back and forth. Ryan's patience while trying to figure himself out sold their relationship for me.
Callum faces a lot of trauma, and he finally realizes what has been happening with Ryan’s support. When things get rough for Callum, a group of people is there for him. I loved Ryan’s journey to acceptance; he struggles with bullying and comes to understand what he enjoys. It was interesting to see this perspective, especially with his need for control and discomfort with change. The interactions between Ryan and Callum involve a lot of back and forth. Ryan's patience while trying to figure himself out sold their relationship for me.
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
sad
tense
fast-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
dark
emotional
funny
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
I don’t even know where to start because I LOVED this book. Everything about it just hit. Cal and Ryan? Absolute perfection. Their love, their pain, their everything—I was obsessed. I couldn’t put this down if I tried. And the side characters? I need their stories ASAP. This one had me hooked from start to finish.