A review by admya
Deacon by Raya Morris Edwards

4.5

🤠Dark Cowboy Romance 
🖤Tattooed + pierced cowboy 
🤠Age Gap 
🖤Step-dad’s Rival 
🤠BDSM 
🖤Dubcon 
🤠Stalking 
🖤Kidnapping 
🤠Small Town 

Star: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️½ 

In Deacon, Raya Morris Edwards delivers another gripping and emotionally raw instalment in The Sovereign Mountain Series—a story of obsession, redemption, and the fierce pull of love where it’s least expected. 

At the centre of the storm is Freya Hatfield, a young woman who’s spent her life dodging the shadows cast by men like her stepfather Aiden—brutal, controlling, and capable of leaving emotional scars that never truly fade. When she escapes to rural Montana, the last thing she expects is to find herself drawn to someone eerily similar on the surface… yet dangerously different underneath. 

Deacon Ryder is the very picture of a brooding anti-hero—older, inked, and carved out of pain and grit. But Raya Morris Edwards has a way of peeling back the rough exterior to reveal a tender, deeply complex man whose protectiveness walks the line between devotion and obsession. What makes this novel stand out is how it challenges the reader's preconceptions about dominance and desire, crafting a relationship that’s as emotionally tangled as it is steamy. 

The chemistry between Freya and Deacon is palpable—explosive, even—but it’s the underlying emotional stakes that really punch you in the gut. Their story isn’t just about lust or power; it’s about healing from generational trauma, learning to trust what feels dangerous, and choosing love even when it's complicated. 

When Aiden re-enters the picture and a power struggle unfolds, the stakes climb sharply. Freya’s arc—her fight for autonomy, her slow reckoning with what love can really look like—is powerful and well-earned. Edwards doesn’t shy away from the darker corners of desire, but she also infuses the narrative with just enough hope, making the eventual emotional payoff feel richly deserved. 

Deacon is more than a romance—it’s a moody, atmospheric dive into the ways people hurt and heal, wrapped in sharp dialogue, slow-burn tension, and the haunting beauty of the Montana wilderness. Fans of dark romance with depth will find this one hard to forget. 

Content warnings: Mentions of emotional abuse, obsession, and controlling behaviours—handled with nuance but still emotionally intense.