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shelfcarewithjess 's review for:
Ruin Me Gently
by Rachael Chadwick
challenging
dark
emotional
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
📚 Synopsis (Spoiler-Free):
A dark romance that delivers on every promise of tension, trauma, and desire, Ruin Me Gently follows Lilith and Silas - two characters whose connection is as dangerous as it is magnetic. This is not your typical love story. It’s brutal, messy, raw, and beautifully unhinged in all the ways a dark romance should be. It leans into the darker elements of obsession and control, with an undercurrent of vulnerability that makes it all the more compelling.
A dark romance that delivers on every promise of tension, trauma, and desire, Ruin Me Gently follows Lilith and Silas - two characters whose connection is as dangerous as it is magnetic. This is not your typical love story. It’s brutal, messy, raw, and beautifully unhinged in all the ways a dark romance should be. It leans into the darker elements of obsession and control, with an undercurrent of vulnerability that makes it all the more compelling.
🧠 My Thoughts:
I was lucky enough to get this as an ARC, and honestly, I was worried at first that it might follow the same path as Bone Deep - dark, yes, but familiar. I couldn’t have been more wrong. This is something else entirely.
I was lucky enough to get this as an ARC, and honestly, I was worried at first that it might follow the same path as Bone Deep - dark, yes, but familiar. I couldn’t have been more wrong. This is something else entirely.
Rachael Chadwick’s storytelling is razor-sharp, nothing here is predictable or overdone. It’s pure dark romance, executed with a careful balance of chaos and care. The relationship between Lilith and Silas is intense in every sense, and while it's absolutely not for the faint of heart, it works.
As with Bone Deep, trigger warnings are absolutely essential, but if you’re comfortable with them, you’re in for something genuinely gripping.
Rachael if you read this - I’m also begging for this to be part of a trilogy - Finn and Orion need their stories next.
Rachael if you read this - I’m also begging for this to be part of a trilogy - Finn and Orion need their stories next.
🗣️ Favourite Quotes:
“I've loved you since — fuck, since before I was even allowed to.”
“I’d give you all the stars if I could, sweetheart.”
“It didn’t feel like surviving when you had to piece yourself back together from nothing afterwards.”
“Now crawl.”
“Look at you, so pretty for me.”
“I've loved you since — fuck, since before I was even allowed to.”
“I’d give you all the stars if I could, sweetheart.”
“It didn’t feel like surviving when you had to piece yourself back together from nothing afterwards.”
“Now crawl.”
“Look at you, so pretty for me.”
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Death, Emotional abuse, Sexual content, Stalking
Moderate: Physical abuse, Toxic relationship, Death of parent
Minor: Drug use, Suicide