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xangemtheelibrarian 's review for:

Once You're Mine by Morgan Bridges
5.0
dark emotional tense fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Character
Strong character development: No
Loveable characters: Yes
Diverse cast of characters: No
Flaws of characters a main focus: Complicated

I am dead. Deceased. Was not expecting to learn about myself today. That chase scene though. Y'all. 

As far as the writing style goes, there were a few awkward phrasings, but overall, it is very well written. Hayden is the stuff of fantasy. Calista is a bit of a Mary Sue with honestly some very understandable trust issues and a tragic backstory. And the ending is a cliffhanger worthy of the season finale of a TV Show. 

As far as the romance dynamics go, you've got some nonconsensual stalking and voyeurism. You have themes of obsession and "protection" via control and manipulation. Lots of tension. Hayden throws a lot of primal lines out there, and is extremely possessive. Calista, rightfully, challenges his desire to lock her in a cage throughout the entire story and I love her for it. 

Obviously thier relationship isn't healthy. Obviously it's problematic. But dark romance doesn't exist as a genre because of the wholesome vibes. I will be reading the sequel to this one, and I'm really interested to see how the issues presented in this book get resolved.

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