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alis143's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism, Animal death, Confinement, Emotional abuse, Blood, Kidnapping, Physical abuse, Child abuse, Cursing, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Murder, Sexual assault, and Toxic relationship
cash_mama's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
I wanted to like this book. Cole was supposed to be complicated but turned out so 1 dimensional. Mara was just kind of dumb through the whole thing. The book started great with Mara being so strong but the more she was built, the less interesting she got.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Confinement, Sexual content, Violence, Blood, Emotional abuse, Physical abuse, Classism, Kidnapping, Death, Injury/Injury detail, and Murder
Moderate: Suicide attempt, Sexual violence, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Alcohol, Physical abuse, and Mental illness
erinlaura's review against another edition
3.75
3.75⭐️
Warning, a couple spoilers lie ahead, but honestly, nothing much beyond what would have been listed in a list of trigger warnings if this book, y’know, had one.
I have extremely mixed feelings about this book. I’ve read a few dark romances before that have been really solid, where usually one or both main characters do or have done bad things for some reason that’s explainable or justifiable, especially in the context of fiction. This is not one of those books. The MMC is a serial killer because he - get this - likes killing people, and the FMC is into him despite him leaving her for dead in the woods because she had ✨childhood trauma✨. No, seriously. This guy seems to be actively aware that he’s a bad person and doesn’t care for the wellbeing of others. He repeatedly reminds us that he does only things that bring him pleasure, and will literally do whatever he feels like doing.
Despite all this I found myself morbidly curious about the plot and what was going to happen next. I was fascinated, and couldn’t bring myself to look away, even though the MMC, his “rival”, and the main “relationship” were seriously disturbing. I was definitely entertained in more of a thriller/horror kind of way than a romance.
Lastly, for someone who seems so traumatized by her (objectively terrible) childhood, she really seems to bounce back fast from all the terrible things that happen to her throughout the course of this book.
Also, PSA for any of you KU girlies, the cover with the snakes is the only one I had ever seen, and the one that's listed on KU, but when I used the very convenient "mark as currently reading" kindle feature, it set my goodreads edition to the "half-naked couple clinging to one another" cover
Also, PSA for any of you KU girlies, the cover with the snakes is the only one I had ever seen, and the one that's listed on KU, but when I used the very convenient "mark as currently reading" kindle feature, it set my goodreads edition to the "half-naked couple clinging to one another" cover
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content, Stalking, Torture, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Murder, Blood, Gore, Confinement, and Body horror
Minor: Child abuse, Sexual violence, Murder, Emotional abuse, Death, Bullying, Body shaming, and Self harm
queeniecraft's review against another edition
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Ehh. I'm on the fence about giving this a 3⭐ because in terms of technical skill, pacing, and style, it's really not a poorly written book. Going down to 2⭐ feels unnecessarily harsh. The content is graphic and could be v triggering for anyone who has experienced sexual abuse or child abuse.
That being said, the author does portray the modern female's experience with both topics accurately enough to not be fetishized. The main character Mara is a pretty relatable FMC and I actually liked elements about her, but she was a little flat toward the end of the book.
The MMC Cole is..ehhh. He's not the worst guy, he's certainly not the best. His psychological profile is muddy and he goes through changes that feel like they're purely for plot and not with realistic input.
The writing flows pretty well and did have some good imagery. The world of these artists could've been expanded on more imo, but it fades away pretty quickly when the MCs relationship takes center stage.
This book is very graphic & spicy, so if you aren't into that (I'm not really either), then you'll struggle to enjoy this book. It's much less about the serial killers and more about sex with someone "dangerous". It's not my personal vibe but it's a lot better than 50 Shades and other misogynistic garbage out there.
That being said, the author does portray the modern female's experience with both topics accurately enough to not be fetishized. The main character Mara is a pretty relatable FMC and I actually liked elements about her, but she was a little flat toward the end of the book.
The MMC Cole is..ehhh. He's not the worst guy, he's certainly not the best. His psychological profile is muddy and he goes through changes that feel like they're purely for plot and not with realistic input.
The writing flows pretty well and did have some good imagery. The world of these artists could've been expanded on more imo, but it fades away pretty quickly when the MCs relationship takes center stage.
This book is very graphic & spicy, so if you aren't into that (I'm not really either), then you'll struggle to enjoy this book. It's much less about the serial killers and more about sex with someone "dangerous". It's not my personal vibe but it's a lot better than 50 Shades and other misogynistic garbage out there.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual violence, Sexual harassment, Emotional abuse, Sexism, Body horror, Child abuse, Gaslighting, Rape, Sexual assault, Domestic abuse, Gore, Sexual content, Blood, Confinement, and Classism
brittneydye19's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Loveable characters? Yes
5.0
I was very skeptical about dark books. Turns out I’m crazy and love them. Gonna start reading the second book asap.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual violence, Confinement, Murder, Kidnapping, Stalking, Death, Cursing, and Sexual content
Moderate: Self harm, Physical abuse, Domestic abuse, and Child abuse
baileyt2424's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Stalking, Toxic relationship, Body horror, Confinement, Gore, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Physical abuse, Self harm, Rape, Violence, Vomit, Death, Kidnapping, Medical content, Murder, Sexual content, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Torture, and Blood
morgansbookshelves's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Bumped up my rating from a 4.5 to a 5! I love how dark and twisted this book is. Lark has a very impressive talent for making you root for the bad guy, as much as I should have disliked Cole I couldn't help but hang on to every word in his chapters. Seeing how his mind worked was fascinating and I am so glad that I have access to book 2. I need to see how this is going to end.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Classism, Kidnapping, Cursing, Gaslighting, Toxic relationship, Gore, Sexual assault, Torture, Death, Emotional abuse, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Sexual content, Stalking, Violence, Body horror, and Bullying
Moderate: Self harm, Abandonment, Misogyny, Child abuse, and Confinement
Minor: Death of parent and Alcohol
jen1804's review against another edition
challenging
dark
mysterious
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
He’s a 10 but he’s a serial killer stalker.
⚠️Significant content warnings⚠️
⚠️Significant content warnings⚠️
Mixed feelings about this book but on the whole I really enjoyed it. This is a dual POV book where each chapter alternates between Mara Eldritch, a 26 year old junior artist trying desperately to make ends meet in San Francisco, and Cole Blackwell, a (maybe 30 year old), wealthy, famously renowned artist, who also happens to be a serial killer.
Cole has a rival artist named Alastor Shaw whom he competes with within the art world, for recognition, awards, praise etc. Oh and Shaw also just so happens to be a serial killer too!
The difference between Cole and Shaw is made obvious to the reader. Shaw is more impulsive, more gruesome, more aggressive with his victims and leaves remains behind. Cole is more meticulous, more refined, more secretive and gives nothing away.
It was really interesting, and also chilling, to read a book through the perspective of a sociopath, Cole’s thought processes, his coldness towards everything, his lack of empathy.
The book starts at an art show where both Cole and Shaw are showcasing work, jumping straight in with Cole thinking about Shaw’s most recent murder making the headlines.
Cole notices Mara for the first time when someone spills red wine on her white dress but she takes herself to the bathroom, tie dyes the rest of the garment with more wine and manages to turn the spillage into something beautiful. Shaw notices Cole looking at her and naturally decides to kidnap her and “gift” her to Cole, bound and bleeding, leaving her dying and vulnerable not far from the cave where Cole disposes of his victims. (Yeah I know, pretty fucked up.) After Cole is done with his kill of the night he comes across Mara in his path. He knows it’s Shaw messing with him, offering the girl from the art show for him to kill. Cole has never killed a woman before and disturbingly he just stares at Mara for a while before simply stepping over her and walking away, leaving her to bleed out. But Mara is stronger than either Cole or Shaw thought because she uses her survival instincts to get out of the situation, find her way to a road and she somehow survives, albeit with some deep scars.
Thus ensues Cole’s obsession with Mara. He stalks her, breaks into her property, man handles her things. Rents the place next door so he can watch through her window. He sets it up so that Mara is offered studio space at his studio, something she’s elated about because she’s in desperate need of art space. But when they meet she recognises his face as the man who stood over her watching her die in the woods and then walked away. But Mara’s probably a little bit fucked up as well. I mean case and point she very easily returned to normal after said kidnapping. Whereas if that had been me I think I’d be a broken woman for a very long time. She’s had a traumatic childhood and every instinct which tells her to run and be afraid of Cole Blackwell, she ignores, obviously. She’s stubborn and we are rewarded with a tense back and forth between Mara and Cole, each trying to get under the other’s skin.
Ultimately they find themselves attracted to each other and Cole is confused about what’s happening when he starts experiencing jealousy whenever Mara has ‘interactions’ shall we say with other guys. What begins to unfold is some rare tender moments between them as well as a deep lust and Cole’s overprotective need to keep her safe from Shaw. There’s no fully fledged love yet but this book is part of a duet and I suspect their ‘relationship’ will develop in the second book, likely with Mara ending up a little murderous herself, and tbh I’m here for it.
There’s honestly a lot to love about this book. It’s fascinating and sometimes incredibly hot (yeah I probably need a therapist, whatever). But there’s also some scenes I could do without because they’re so dyer and so graphic (but hey this is a book about serial killers so what did I expect) and I’m also not in love with some of the smut either, sorry not sorry.
But overall yes a good read.
Satisfactory ending? Yes, a cliffhanger, onto book 2.
The difference between Cole and Shaw is made obvious to the reader. Shaw is more impulsive, more gruesome, more aggressive with his victims and leaves remains behind. Cole is more meticulous, more refined, more secretive and gives nothing away.
It was really interesting, and also chilling, to read a book through the perspective of a sociopath, Cole’s thought processes, his coldness towards everything, his lack of empathy.
The book starts at an art show where both Cole and Shaw are showcasing work, jumping straight in with Cole thinking about Shaw’s most recent murder making the headlines.
Cole notices Mara for the first time when someone spills red wine on her white dress but she takes herself to the bathroom, tie dyes the rest of the garment with more wine and manages to turn the spillage into something beautiful. Shaw notices Cole looking at her and naturally decides to kidnap her and “gift” her to Cole, bound and bleeding, leaving her dying and vulnerable not far from the cave where Cole disposes of his victims. (Yeah I know, pretty fucked up.) After Cole is done with his kill of the night he comes across Mara in his path. He knows it’s Shaw messing with him, offering the girl from the art show for him to kill. Cole has never killed a woman before and disturbingly he just stares at Mara for a while before simply stepping over her and walking away, leaving her to bleed out. But Mara is stronger than either Cole or Shaw thought because she uses her survival instincts to get out of the situation, find her way to a road and she somehow survives, albeit with some deep scars.
Thus ensues Cole’s obsession with Mara. He stalks her, breaks into her property, man handles her things. Rents the place next door so he can watch through her window. He sets it up so that Mara is offered studio space at his studio, something she’s elated about because she’s in desperate need of art space. But when they meet she recognises his face as the man who stood over her watching her die in the woods and then walked away. But Mara’s probably a little bit fucked up as well. I mean case and point she very easily returned to normal after said kidnapping. Whereas if that had been me I think I’d be a broken woman for a very long time. She’s had a traumatic childhood and every instinct which tells her to run and be afraid of Cole Blackwell, she ignores, obviously. She’s stubborn and we are rewarded with a tense back and forth between Mara and Cole, each trying to get under the other’s skin.
Ultimately they find themselves attracted to each other and Cole is confused about what’s happening when he starts experiencing jealousy whenever Mara has ‘interactions’ shall we say with other guys. What begins to unfold is some rare tender moments between them as well as a deep lust and Cole’s overprotective need to keep her safe from Shaw. There’s no fully fledged love yet but this book is part of a duet and I suspect their ‘relationship’ will develop in the second book, likely with Mara ending up a little murderous herself, and tbh I’m here for it.
There’s honestly a lot to love about this book. It’s fascinating and sometimes incredibly hot (yeah I probably need a therapist, whatever). But there’s also some scenes I could do without because they’re so dyer and so graphic (but hey this is a book about serial killers so what did I expect) and I’m also not in love with some of the smut either, sorry not sorry.
But overall yes a good read.
Satisfactory ending? Yes, a cliffhanger, onto book 2.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content, Sexual violence, Violence, Blood, Child abuse, Death, Gore, Murder, Self harm, Kidnapping, and Mental illness
Moderate: Sexual harassment, Toxic relationship, Abandonment, Confinement, Gaslighting, and Torture
clairesneverland's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
OMG!! Well this is a new trope I love. I was very iffy going into this book. I’m just now branching into dark romances and this being a serial killer romance is definitely a big jump into dark. But Sophie just has a way with words that just makes it so easy to fall in love with these characters.
Here we ae following Cole who is a well known artist in San Francisco who is always competing up against Shaw in more ways than just art. They are both killers. Cole who is much more controlled than the Shaw. Shaw loves to display his kills in a very news worthy way. But when they both set their sights on Mara, Cole may lose all that control.
I flew through this and just could not put it down. I was so upset when I finished it at 11:30pm and realized since I had to go to work I could immediately start book 2.
Here we ae following Cole who is a well known artist in San Francisco who is always competing up against Shaw in more ways than just art. They are both killers. Cole who is much more controlled than the Shaw. Shaw loves to display his kills in a very news worthy way. But when they both set their sights on Mara, Cole may lose all that control.
I flew through this and just could not put it down. I was so upset when I finished it at 11:30pm and realized since I had to go to work I could immediately start book 2.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Confinement, Kidnapping, Murder, Sexual content, Stalking, Torture, and Violence
Moderate: Toxic relationship
Minor: Gaslighting
k8thegr8's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Confinement, Death, Kidnapping, Murder, Rape, Sexual content, Sexual violence, and Toxic relationship
Moderate: Gaslighting, Panic attacks/disorders, Stalking, and Torture